Dad chooses not to remind his daughter about her birthday — and many parents totally get why

In a heartbreaking moment that resonated with parents across the world, a father, Kyle Philippi (@kylephilippi on TikTok), revealed the reason why he chose not to tell his 10-year-old daughter, Isabella, that it was her birthday. All he wanted was to protect his daughter from the disappointment she could have faced on her big day. Philippi shared the reason in a video that he posted on his TikTok account, which has since gained millions of views. Isabella’s birthday falls on January 2nd, and it might be a good time for the family to celebrate. However, it was also the time of the winter vacation.

This was the reason why her parents found it difficult to invite Isabella's school friends for a birthday party. A few years ago, her parents organized a party for her birthday, but unfortunately, no one showed up, as reported by Upworthy. The next year, Philippi decided to celebrate his daughter's birthday with only the close ones, including their family and one of her best friends. They went to Dave & Buster's, enjoyed a movie together, and Isabella also received lots of gifts. But one thing she majorly missed was her friends, as reported by Newsweek.

Philippi shared, "Throughout the day, she was distracted and stressed over why her friends couldn't be there on her actual birthday, even though she knew a party with all her friends was coming in a couple of weeks." He further said, "She couldn't process the idea that her friends weren't going to be there for her actual birthday, and she was stressed the whole day." Therefore, this year they came up with the idea of distracting Isabella and waiting until January 11, as that was when all her friends were about to be back in town. Philippi said, "She has to keep a count in her head because she can't read a calendar."

Social media users couldn't control their emotions after knowing the heartbreaking reason. One TikTok user, @brooke.ashley174, “You’re doing the right thing. Sounds like it’s a better option to make the new date a happy one, and she won’t know the difference right now.” Another person, @allybaker030, wrote, “Being a parent is so hard! If you think you made the right choice, you probably did. You seem like a very attentive parent. Hugs.” Similarly, @littlebet2020 chimed in and said, “You guys are great parents. It's your first time living, too. I admire this thoughtful approach to finding what helps your daughter feel most comfortable.”

What was even more heartbreaking was that Isabella suffers from a learning disorder. She is autistic and is diagnosed with both dyslexia and an auditory processing disorder. She has been taking therapy four days a week, even before she turned 2. Philippi further revealed that it's hard for Isabella to process things that are said to her, and she faces difficulty in managing her emotions, especially when she's paying attention to a problem. Although things are getting better as time passes by, her parents still have to be very careful not to stress her more.