Single Dad of 4 Goes Viral for Expertly Styling Daughter’s Hair for Valentine’s Day (Exclusive)

• Dylan Mondo does his daughter Ava’s hair every day for school. But, on special occasions or whenever she asks, the father-daughter duo likes to go all out
• For Valentine’s Day, the single dad of four wanted to create a festive hairstyle for Ava to help her feel “confident and beautiful,” he tells PEOPLE
• Mondo, 31, posted a video of himself doing Ava’s hair on TikTok, and the video went viral, garnering 5.7 million views and more than 5,400 comments

Dylan Mondo may not be a professional hairstylist, but he’s picked up a few tricks over time.

Mondo, who lives in California, and goes by @everythingdad on TikTok, shares his life online as a single dad of four — everything from cooking and cleaning to geniune parenting moments. One recent highlight he posted about was a special moment he shared with his 9-year-old daughter, Ava, as he helped her with her Valentine’s Day hairstyle. While the dad does his daughter’s hair every day for school, on special occasions or whenever she asks, the father-daughter duo likes to go all out.

“It wasn’t something I planned too far in advance. I love creating special moments for my kids whenever I can, and with Valentine’s Day coming up, I thought it would be a cute way to show her some love,” Mondo, 31, tells PEOPLE exclusively.

“I wanted to create something festive for Valentine’s Day while also helping her feel confident and beautiful,” he adds.

The dad began by making sure Ava’s hair was detangled. Then, he sectioned it off and worked on creating a cute, styled look that would last throughout the day. He separated her hair into two sections for bubble braids, curled the rest of it and finished the look with eight mini pink bows. It took him about 20 minutes from start to finish, he shares.

“I think any parent who does their child’s hair knows that patience is key,” Mondo says. “I have to make sure I’m gentle and keep her comfortable while also making sure the style turns out the way we envisioned. Making sure her hair doesn’t get damaged is also a top priority!”

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During the process, Mondo filmed a video of himself with Ava, which he later posted to TikTok. In the video, you can hear Ava explaining exactly how she wants her hair as Mondo does his best to bring her vision to life.

The video quickly went viral, garnering 5.7 million views and more than 5,400 comments.

“She was really excited!” the proud dad shares. “She loves when I do her hair, and I think she was just happy to have that one-on-one time together. It’s a moment for us to bond, and I get to make her feel seen and important.”

“Just seeing her light up when she looks in the mirror is everything to me,” he continues. “She constantly looks in the mirror and smiles, and that makes all the effort worth it. At one point, she said ‘iralo’ in Spanish, which means something like ‘look at that!’ It was a silly moment that made me laugh. The people commenting also loved that moment.”

Reading through the comments on the video, Mondo says there were so many kind responses, but what really stood out to him was seeing people say the video reminded them of their own dads or made them appreciate the little things their parents did for them growing up.

On the other hand, he noticed some comments from people who expressed that, growing up, they never had this type of love, and it was healing for them to see that this kind of love exists.

“I share a lot of my life as a single dad, and this was just one of those real, raw moments of parenting,” Mondo says. “I think a lot of dads, especially single dads, might feel intimidated by things like doing their daughter’s hair, but I wanted to show that it’s all about love and effort.”

“I just want people to know that parenting isn’t always about being perfect — it’s about being present,” he adds. “Whether it’s doing hair, making breakfast, or just sitting and talking and listening, those little moments mean everything to kids.”

“I hope it inspires all parents — especially dads — to lean into every part of parenting,” he continues. “You don’t have to be an expert at everything, you just have to show up and do your best. Kids remember the love and effort, and that’s what truly matters.”