We talked recently about Bean Dad and the difference between wrestling with difficulty and stupidity.

The difference is captured perfectly in this viral video of a little kid trying to do box jumps. To start, the video is fifty-seven seconds long, rather than the six hours Bean Dad let his daughter struggle. But here the child tries and fails nine times. Then, the dad enters the frame and gives his child a pep talk. The very next attempt, the child lands the jump. On top of the box, double fist pumps before jumping into their father’s arms.

This is actually what we’re talking about when we use that famous Latin expression Luctor et Emergo, meaning “I struggle and emerge” or “wrestle with and overcome.” This video is a perfect illustration of the ideas expressed by the Daily Dad *Luctor et Emergo* medallion. As the medallion reminds us, box-jump dad lets them struggle but then steps in to show them the support needed to overcome a difficulty that helps them grow.

Luctor et Emergo is not about pointless struggle. It’s not about working on your puzzle while they work on theirs. It’s about being by their side, encouraging them, picking them up when they fall, telling them what they need to hear when they need to hear. It’s being like the box-jump dad, not the bean dad.