79 Feel-Good Posts From This Online Community Dedicated To Dads (New Pics)

My daughter wanted me to match her. Needless to she had a blast.

Any parent who actually follows these instructions can expect to be picking glitter - the herpes of art supplies - out of their kid’s hair on their first day of high school.

It's been raining and cold the last few weeks and we kept promising our son he could play in the sand (at the park) one more time before winter. That window seems to be closing and it doesn't look like we're going to have a nice enough day to be outside that long.

Not wanting to break a promise, this was the next best thing we could do.

It ended up going really well. No sand was thrown and my son was excellent about washing his feet before he walked around the house every time he got out. We dug holes to "install pipes", went looking for fossils and gems, and even just made big mounds.

He even helped me clean up. First, by shoveling sand into 5 gal buckets so I could carry it out. Then he helped my take apart the 2x4s by pulling the trigger on my drill while I held it. From there he used our dust buster to help me vacuum the house.

I know I will be finding sand till the end of time, but it will be worth it.

One of these Valentine’s notes is from my 13-year-old.
The other is from my 8-year-old.
Can you guess which is which?
Happy Valentine’s Day to all the great dads out there — kings of farts everywhere.

My little gremlin has his two original Bun Buns who have been around since he was born. We got home after scouting firewood spots up in the mountains to discover Grey Bun Bun was no longer in the car.

Queue 2 hours out and back of driving into the middle of the bush, in the freezing cold and wind. All worth it when I found GBB, a little dusty but unharmed in the furtherest spot we had been to. Got home just before midnight.

I know its only a stuffed toy, but it feels symbolic and I wouldn't have slept knowing I didn't at least try to find his little friend!

I've been on night duties since he was born. I guess I'll sleep now?

My wife has always worked earlier than I do, so I've handled like 90% of our weekday mornings. I'm no professional, but I think I do alright with our daughter's hair.

Most of the time she just gets a high ponytail, pigtails, or some variation of a simple braid. But sometimes, if we have enough time, I'll put in the effort to do something like these. Put the TV on and she sits perfectly still for as long as I need her to.

Edit - since a lot of people are asking, I learned the braids from a couple different people in real life (not from any internet videos, so I do not have any links to share, sorry). But 99% of it is just practice. I've gotten pretty good at the French/Dutch braids, but the first ones I did were very sloppy. If you want to learn, you just have to do it over and over. You can do it too (as long as your kid will hold still long enough for you to fumble through it)!

Apparently our 2 year old has a penchant for making “deposits”

For reals. With 4 kids I could deduce this twice and without hesitation.

I saw this in a post on fb 3 years ago when my daughter was 2. I always used to say “I would die for my daughter” and of course I would in a heart beat.

But I have also chosen to live for my daughter. Since i first saw this post 3 years ago, I’ve brought myself to a healthy weight, i do light exercise fairly regularly, we go on walks all the time together, my eating habits have cleaned up significantly.

Everyday i try to find something physically or mentally healthy for us to do together, even if it’s just a short walk, or coloring a little doodle.

This photo came up in my memories on fb from 3 years ago when i first shared it and I just wanted to share it with you all, as well as the impact it had in me and how I go about raising my daughter now.

Played on an almost identical but somehow more dangerous one as a kid, love that my kids get to experience our "old school" play style. We have have a modern playground directly next to it.

So proud of my younger son with down syndrome who was finally able to net his first saltwater trout last night. We cheered and celebrated for a while as he was absolutely over the moon with joy!

I have always had a this dream that played out in my head about this day. I grew up an only child to two amazing parents where I never doubted for one second their love for me. They took parenthood as the highest honor and privilege. So it shouldn't be a surprise that I always had this dream of getting to share the moment I became a father with the two that instilled that same mentality with me.

But I almost lost that chance. Multiple times.

My senior year in college, I got the phone call from my mother that the PTSD my father had from the countless horrific calls he responded to as a firefighter/EMT nearly took his life. That mental image of the dream was the first thing that replayed in my mind.

Then there was the infertility. We tried for years, but my wife's PCOS and my erratic sperm counts weren't giving us much of a chance at success. We got two positive tests from IUI's. Those were days of hope and joy that, unfortunately, were taken away far too soon when the pregnancies abruptly ended. That mental image felt blurrier with each month and negative pregnancy test.

So we went for the Hail Mary. When the first transfer resulted in a positive pregnancy test, we found ourselves too scared to be able to celebrate considering the journey that led us to that point. The stress mounted when she started bleeding due to a hematoma. Then came placenta previa and a rushed visit to L&D due to bleeding. While the mental image of that dream was getting clearer with each week of the pregnancy, the road still felt rocky and treacherous.

But here we are. After 50 hours on hold for an induction, my wife took on the task and crushed it, delivering a 9 lb 5 ounce healthy baby boyinto the world this morning. I can't begin to describe the overwhelming emotion that took me over hearing that first cry as the doctor held him in the air. When the golden hour finished, I let her parents go back to see their daughter and meet their grandson first. The image I had in my head so long ago of sharing that private moment with two of the most important people in my life finally came to fruition, and the embrace the three of us shared is one that I will never forget. I can't wait for the days and weeks ahead, getting to share that same love and devotion as my wife, son, and I begin our new family of three.

Matching sweaters courtesy of the grandparents!

Just wanted to share this dad moment with all of you awesome dudes.

Mom is sick with an ear infection and hasn’t been resting well for the last few days. Our 4 month old son hasn’t been able to fall asleep tonight, but I FINALLY got him down. I’m too scared to put him back down and have him wake up when I put him down, so now it’s gamer time with daddy. New character on fallout 3!

Kiddos (5 and 6) begged to play this version of UNO. For days. I finally relented last night.

Started the game. Eliminated oldest in 2 rounds. He cried. We playred regular UNO (Still crushed them, no mercy regardless of how we play).

Turns out that sometimes, they DO need to touch the oven to know it's hot.

Had way too much fun with this!

My four-year-old got obsessed with wanting a construction truck bed and I apparently got obsessed with the idea of spending way too much money and time building it. It’s low loft bed with some fun space to hang out, some hidden storage, and some fun lighting. Even got a design and print the custom curtain for it, which worked out a lot better than my original idea of encasing the whole thing and half inch ply.

Our little chicken nugget blessed us with her presence today and I’m so in love. I’m officially one of you now!

Since my son was born in 2021, I’ve tried to keep my love of the outdoors alive by bringing him along for the ride—even if it means going solo. My wife gets a weekend to herself, my kid gets some adventure, and I get a few precious hours of sanity and bonding.

This weekend we camped together for the first time—just the two of us in the Pine Creek Gorge in PA. I was nervous about how it would go, but it turned out to be one of the most rewarding things I’ve done as a dad.

Highlights:
He was scared the first night, worried I’d leave or animals would get in. By night two, he was asleep by 9 after making spooky stories and playing in the creek.
He hiked, biked, helped with meals, and asked big questions about the stars.
I learned to let go of perfect plans and just be present.

Couple notes for the Dads here—if you’re on the fence about taking your kids on a trip like this, do it. Take the leap, and get out with them early and often. It can be intimidating, and solo trips are never easy—but what it’s done for both of us has been invaluable.

You don’t have to give up your passions when you become a parent. They may not look the same as they did before, and that’s okay. Slower mornings, shorter hikes, more snacks, more stops—but also more laughter, more wonder, and honestly, more joy. You get to experience the things you love again—this time through their eyes.

I’m incredibly lucky to be able to do these things with my son, and I encourage every dad to find their own version of adventure—big or small—and make those memories now. The logistics can be hard, the planning is nonstop, and the patience gets tested. But the reward? It's massive. It’s knowing you’re giving them the space to grow, to get curious, to gain confidence—and in the process, you’ll find a different kind of fulfillment you didn’t know you needed.

Lead by example. They’re watching!

Playing the long game. One day I’ll get it back.

First venture into woodworking, the beds for purchase are either total garbage made of pressed turds or a $5k bed from pottery barn so I just decided to make it myself for under $1k including tools and I learned so much in the process. He friggin loves it, so much shelf space. Very proud dad.

Anyone else rocking the shirt covered in toddler snot this winter as a daily outfit. very chic, much stylish.

The Horror.

I posted this over on a coffee subreddit, but thought I’d take a roll call or inspire my fellow tired brethren on this life hack. With our almost one-year-old super active kiddo, savoring a delicious cup of coffee during shower time has been a moment a bliss.

Looking through my son's schoolwork to find this. I'm not a perfect father by any means but I try as best as I can.

Keep pushing through dads. Your little ones love you more than you know.

My wife is out of town for a (well-deserved) girls weekend. This was my update to her tonight.

Works best with dark tiles.

What other ways do you find humor in the mundane?

Out here with my son at 8am on a Saturday. Frost on the fields, nobody around.

Past me would have just gotten home about now. Current me is pushing a pram and genuinely okay with it. Wild how that happens.

Anyone else lowkey enjoy the early mornings or am I coping?

Gentlemen, the 5am coffee in the greater Phoenix, Arizona area. The calm before the storm. Our son turns 7 today. The temp is a very acceptable 66 degrees F, so my private time / coffee will be outside.

Yesterday was the trampoline park, pizza, cake, and friends. We celebrated yesterday to avoid issues with Easter. 

Today should be the surprise of McLaren go-cart fun, Legos, and sugar rush.

Wish me luck daddit! And fellow Dads, please get that quiet time in the morning!

It's definitely been a long weekend.

(Baby boy is feeling much better and is very much on the mend.)

A couple years ago my father passed and this weekend while working my way through his tool chest I found this gem he left hidden under the bottom of a drawer. Gave me a laugh and a good quiet moment of reflection with a tear or two sneaking out. Cherry on top was a song called "Die Now, Live Later" was playing at the time. Happy Father's Day everyone, hope it was a good one. Now go call your dad!

Went for the blue instead of the grey. The step in shoes from sketchers that actually come in W for most sizes. Easy for quick school pickups and running to the grocery store and lasted around 1.5 years until the wife insisted I get a new pair because the old ‘looked like homeless man shoes’ (even though not a hole in the things, just worn around the sole a bit). Pretty sure if I ever see these on a steep discount I’m going to grab like 5 pairs.

I've been corrected, its biennial, not biannual.

If you ask real nicely I'll put it on top of an uncleaned computer keyboard.

Every single parents home I go to has this swing. You all have it too? Don’t you?!

That feel when kiddo snuggles up on the couch and when you look it’s just Spider-Man.

I was a chaperone on my 3rd graders field trip today which was about an hour drive into the city to a museum. On the bus I'm sitting across the aisle from another dad and about 20 minutes into the trip, we've passed the third highway on-ramp that would've made sense to use and we've just committed to local streets for the foreseeable future.

So me and the other dad start loudly questioning the bus drivers route when it started to feel like the guy in these commercials could've been behind and admonished us. "you're not the driver, you don't get to comment on the route."

He’s a lot sometimes but it’s worth it. Very proud of him.

Added a 3 way diverter, shower arm, and extra shower head, all local big box sourced.

Now they both have a stream in a standard tub for their showers. 6 & 2

Had an incredible time traveling to Zions National Park in Utah and spending some time there with my kids. The Narrows was easily the highlight, we spent several hours there. My kids were all troopers and my youngest (7) didn't even ask to be in my shoulders!