Zach Roloff scores big in this sweet parenting moment.
The Little People Big World star is a dad to three—Jackson, 6, Lilah, 4, and Josiah, 1—with his wife Tori. And as their kids grow older, Zach and Tori are learning to navigate raising children with achondroplasia, the most common form of short-limbed dwarfism, a condition which Zach also has.
In E! News' exclusive clip from the TLC show's March 12 episode, Zach helps his oldest son work through a challenging moment while playing soccer with his friends.
"Jackson's getting to the age where the size differences are becoming more obvious, and he's not catching up," Zach said in a confessional, after Jackson is shown sitting on the sidelines as his friends play without him. He added, "Some of the opposing kids point out that he's different, and he's starting to hear that for the first time."
Tori then explained in a separate confessional that during a recent game, some of the players on the other team told her son he was too short to play. And as Zach noted, since Jackson is their oldest, this is the first time the parents have had to help their children through these moments, and Zach know his reaction as a dad matters.
"Right now it's starting," he explained. "Kids will say like, 'Why are you so short?' They'll stare at him in his face. Right now he's still young enough that his feelings aren't really hurt yet, like we need to be very aware how we respond when these things happen."
The 33-year-old continued, "For me, it's not making a huge deal out of it. I overreact, he's gonna overreact and that's not healthy either, because it's never going to stop."
Ultimately in this moment, Zach was able to encourage Jackson to get back into the game, where the 6-year-old subsequently scored a goal.
And as the parents think about the future, they hope the world will continue to show their children the same love they as parents have provided.
"All three of our kids, we'll hope that they find friends, will find families that can just see them for who they are," Zach added. "Will see Jackson for Jackson, Lilah for Lilah, Josiah for Josiah. I definitely don't want anyone being friends with them because they feel bad for them or anything like that."