Stories about involved dads

July 15, 2019 4:58 AM

What are you favorite stories about involved dads to younger children? Single dads, stay-at-home dads, or just fathers who were equally involved with their partners in things like nighttime bottle feedings, pediatrician visits, meetings with school and pre-school teachers and setting up play dates with other parents. What it felt like for them and how others perceived them.

Looking for books, written stories, podcast episodes.

posted by serathen to Human Relations (9 answers total)

Roald Dahl's Danny The Champion of the World has Danny and his (widower) Dad as the two main characters. My boy loved it, only book that he insisted that I read to him (instead of letting mum do alternate chapters). Loved the book as a kid myself.
posted by Gratishades at 6:53 AM on July 15, 2019 [3 favorites]

A couple thoughts:

The Instagram account @jonajooey (which I think can also be found in blog form as "Baba's Fieldnotes") is a series of cartoons by the father of a 3-year-old all about daily life with a toddler. It's great.

The podcast "The Longest Shortest Time" had a mini-series called "The Accidental Gay Parents" about a gay couple that takes custody of their niece and nephew, with other twists and turns along the way. It's not exactly the normal slice of life stuff you might be looking for, because it's an unusual and very touching story, but the warmth and love of the dads shines through.
posted by CiaoMela at 7:37 AM on July 15, 2019

Response by poster: To clarify, I was thinking of non-fiction, but I will keep Danny The Champion of the World in mind to read to my son when he's older.
posted by serathen at 8:09 AM on July 15, 2019

Calvin and Hobbes

The movie, Beasts of the Southern Wild.

oh darn, just saw your update. Sorry!
posted by speakeasy at 8:13 AM on July 15, 2019

(Oh god I am old). Many years ago, I loved checking for updates on The Story About the Baby, in which a dad humorously blogs about the first year of parenting his (VEEERY CUTE) daughter. And through the magic of good internet hosting, it's still around! However, this is more "parenting through dad's eyes", and less "parent discusses his role in society as a parent."
posted by BlueBlueElectricBlue at 9:04 AM on July 15, 2019

Sweet Juniper is a blog written by a stay at home dad of two kids.
posted by ananci at 9:30 AM on July 15, 2019 [1 favorite]

Beasts of the Southern Wild? I adore this movie but OP should know it's not exactly "making playdates" and "seeing the pediatrician" and some critics (like bell hooks) see the father , who is ambiguous at best, as totally abusive.
posted by nantucket at 12:23 PM on July 15, 2019

The TV show Steven Universe has a human father who raised the titular character as a single dad from infancy to adolescence. It's not the primary focus of the show, which takes place primarily later on, but it is the subject of some of the episodes.
posted by subocoyne at 3:58 PM on July 15, 2019 [2 favorites]

Oooh..ff...oh. I just watched the trailer and have confused my movies now. I have no idea what flick i was thinking of. ugh, just disregard.

(sorry!)
posted by speakeasy at 9:55 AM on July 16, 2019