This Dad Interviewed His Daughter Every Year On Her First Day Of School In Touching Viral Video

Most parents try to capture the excitement and fun of the first day of school. When they’re little, we make the letter boards and write down their favorite subject and what they want to be when they grow up. When they’re a little older, we try to snap a photo where they’re kind of smiling. Much to their chagrin.

One dad had his own way of capturing the first day of school with his daughter and recorded a short interview. He started the videos when she was in Kindergarten, and now she’s starting her senior year of high school.

Ray Petelin, a dad and Pittsburgh meteorologist, shared the videos of his daughter in an adorable and gut-wrenching video on TikTok, showing just how much his little girl, Elizabeth, has grown in the blink of an eye.

“I interviewed my daughter on every first day of school. we just did the last one,” Petelin wrote in text overlay on the video with a crying emoji.

He added in the caption, “I’m so proud of this young woman. #girldad #senioryear #dad.”

Through the magic of editing, TikTok viewers got a special glimpse into Elizabeth’s childhood, listening to her change as she grew up each year. From the pitch of her voice to her interests to her job aspirations, Petelin’s video showcases just how much changes with our kids through the course of their primary school days.

“Okay, here we go for the record,” he begins in the video.

“Say your name and spell it,” he tells Elizabeth.

“Elizabeth Petelin, EL,” 17-year-old Elizabeth begins before the video cuts to small Elizabeth, with a soft, sweet voice and cherub cheeks.

“-I-Z-A-B,” the young girl says before the video switches back to current-day Elizabeth.

“E-T-H-P-E,” she spells.

“T-E-L-I-N,” young Elizabeth finishes.

Are you crying yet? Okay, moving on!

Petelin then asks current day Elizabeth what she wants to be when she grows up. Throughout her schooling, Elizabeth wanted to be a doctor, a teacher, a magician, a waitress, a smoothie store owner, a homemaker, an open heart surgeon, and most recently, a physical therapist or a nurse.

Petelin them edited in every single time he told Elizabeth that he and his wife loved her, wishing her a happy school year.

In the final clip, current-day Elizabeth jokes, “You’re going to cry.”

“No,” Petelin replies. “I love you.”

Then, in the biggest heart-wrencher in the video, we see little Elizabeth again.

“I love you too,” she says sweetly. “Is the school bus here now?”

Petelin also posted the video to his X account where he had an outpouring of support.

“Saw it on TikTok earlier, so cool! Have a 7-month old daughter at home and already hitting me in the feels,” one user wrote.

Petelin replied, “It flies by, but nothing is more rewarding… Nothing.”

Another dad wrote, “This is awesome and makes me totally want to do this for my daughter. She’s starting a daycare in a couple weeks. Should I start with that?”

“The earlier the better. When Elizabeth graduated preschool, she wanted to ‘be a mermaid, but not a real mermaid because I still want to live with my mommy and daddy,’” Petelin shared.

Who is cutting onions?! I need tissues STAT.