Jason Linton is grateful for his family. Known to many as @DadlifeJason on TikTok, he is an adoptive father of three in a biracial family. His positive and fun videos are a source of joy and inspiration to his 9.8 million followers. It’s his mission to show how his family navigates the ups and downs of parenting and life, while building an inclusive community with those who feel different.
“We want people to know that they are loved and accepted, no matter how diverse from the norm,” said Linton.
The playfulness and wisdom Linton shares on social media is part of the charm that makes his family so unique. Five years ago, after struggling with infertility, he and his wife Patience became foster parents. They have had 11 kids come through their home since then. While eight were placed back with their biological families, the Lintons adopted three—Lillian, six; Christian, 10; and Harper, 12.
“There’s a lot of judgment these days. We really double down on helping our kids [and TikTok followers] speak in a native language of love,” said Linton.
@DadlifeJason Makes an Impact on TikTok
Linton was working as a special education teacher’s aide in 2019 when he joined TikTok to better relate to the kids in his school. His family had also recently moved to Oklahoma, which was challenging because they didn’t look like the average family in their small town. Many of his videos were created to help his children through some tough moments.
“TikTok has allowed me to find my voice as a father and a framework for my family,” said Linton, who frequently posts videos of him singing into a talk box with his daughter Lillian. “In a dark period for our family, TikTok really helped to bring the sunshine into our lives.”
What he didn’t expect was how much of an impact he would make on others through TikTok. Especially for kids who were suffering in quarantine, when they previously found solace at school.
“I was getting hundreds of messages from people saying things like, ‘Today I was going to take these pills, but I was scrolling my TikTok and I saw your video,’” said Linton.
Music is the Soothing “Culture Foundation” for His Family
Linton says music is part of the foundation of his family life. It’s a “compound soother” that helps him and his wife care for their kids’ mental health.
“Once we started to do adoption with kids from different backgrounds and experiences, the one thing that we could do to tie it all together was music,” said Linton.
This transracial adoption also happened during a contentious political cycle and racial unrest. Linton said it was one of the most trying times they’ve ever had, as Lillian was starting to vocalize a lot, Christian has special needs and is not very vocal and Harper is quiet and at the age where she is sensitive to social missteps.
“We were isolated and there were some really tough emotional times, as some of our neighbors weren’t accepting of our family. It became very contentious emotionally,” said Linton. “In many of the [TikTok] videos, I had been crying or Lillian was crying because somebody had done something or said something racially insensitive about her siblings. So inside the house we bathe them in the vibes of music to help renew the joy of our mentality.”
He says to get through the hard days, they would yank themselves out of their reality and go somewhere better. When a neighbor was not welcoming, they would get into the car and drive to the car wash, blast music—and go through the car wash multiple times.
“It was worth it just to remove tears and anxiety and bring back some joy into their lives,” said Linton. “So when everybody’s thinking about the pandemic and how hard it was, my kids are going to have a different outlook. They didn’t go through it unscathed—I don’t think anybody did—but there really were some positive moments and the music was the soundtrack to it all.”
The Pandemic Has Changed His Outlook on Parenting
As his family continues to navigate through this pandemic and go back to in-person learning, Linton said that they are consciously parenting in a way that positively impacts their children’s mental well-being and growth.
As he sees his children’s personalities emerge, Linton is sensitive to each of their needs and deliberate in how he wants to support them. He reflected on how, before the pandemic, he and his wife were busy with their jobs and other commitments and saw how the kids suffered.
“It put our value system on hold,” said Linton. “You know how they say the stock market adjusts itself? Well, our personal stock and our value system needed a correction.”
Their new outlook means pausing and taking care of a need in the moment, no matter what. Linton and his wife are intentional in their actions, given the racial dynamics in their family. They have to run scenarios and consider the optics so when something happens, they can immediately support each other.
“Think about what message you want to give to your children. It’s that you care. So, I think, ‘Do I arrive at an event buttoned up on time and my kids are hurt, or do I take care of the issue and safely drive to where we need to be, so when we get there, everybody is okay.’”
What Back to School Looks Like for the Lintons
Linton said this year is going to involve even more intentionality. He notes that there are so many students—and teachers—who have anxiety issues that they did not experience before the pandemic.
“There’s going to be a boost in demand for counseling in schools. So I encourage parents to talk to their kids and stay connected to the faculty,” said Linton.
Parenting is a team sport. So, “Ask the teacher how you can help. Share accomplishments and ask questions,” he advised. “This will help reduce conflict and retraumatization of the teacher and student.”
Kisha DeSandies Lester is the Senior Editorial & Digital Manager at National PTA. She and her husband are the parents to Ellington, five, and Charlotte, eight months.
