You Need to Toughen Up A Bit

One-minute video clip entitled You Need to Toughen Up A Bit featuring four-year-old Delilah O’Donoghue reprimanding her two-year-old brother Gabriel has gone viral on YouTube, attracting more than a million views since it was uploaded to YouTube on October 9.

The clip shows Gabriel receiving the dressing down from his sister after he found himself in hot water with their father for spitting at another child in the playground.

Delilah O'Donoghue reprimands her younger brother Gabriel for spitting at another boy

Delilah was quickly on hand with sisterly advice – some of which belies her young years.

‘I’ll keep remembering you being about two and I’ll tell my friends that too,’ she tells him.

‘You’re nearly three, you should toughen up a bit.’

As the lecture continues, Gabriel hangs his head, swings his legs, fidgets with his hands and looks away.

A frowning Gabriel fiddles awkwardly with his hands and bites his lip as big sister Delilah tells him off

Delilah tells Gabriel: ‘When Mum and Dad said you don’t do that, you don’t do that… and you don’t spit.’

Referring to the child with whom Gabriel had apparently had the playground spat, she adds: ‘That boy’s old enough. You’re only two.

‘You’re not old enough for that boy to… do a fight.

‘That boy’s older than you. Maybe he’s nine or ten…or maybe eight.’ Delilah completes her reprimand with the words: ‘Think about it, Gabriel. Think about it.’

Her 42-year old father Lee has received calls from American media networks expressing interest in the video which could earn her parents a fortune. He and his 40-year-old wife Alex have now signed up with global video marketing company Viral Spiral, which represents hundreds of home-movie makers with the aim of maximising profits from clips posted online.

Lee began filming on his smartphone about two minutes into the little girl’s scolding and had initially posted the video clip of his children on YouTube thinking simply that friends and family could find it amusing.

He said: ‘I’m not the sort of father who follows my children around with a digital camcorder. I just spotted it and thought it was comedy gold.’

Lee and Alex, from Balsall Common, West Midlands, described the interest in the video as ‘surreal’.

Alex, a teacher, said of their daughter: ‘Delilah’s very bossy – it’s how little girls are, I think.

‘She has scolded Gabriel in the  past. But it is as much about trying to teach him. They are good little buddies really.’

Enjoy the video: