upworthy

Fatherhood

Fatherhood

Dad turns his daughter's class president win into a scene straight out of the White House

A fake secret service agent and “Hail to the Chief” made this moment one for the books.

The White House

A hero in a dark suit watches over what matters most.

You might expect a father to feel pride when his daughter wins the election for school president. There might be hugs and smiles. Or, like one father did, you might go in an entirely different direction. When Lydia D. posted a video of her husband’s heartwarming and over-the-top celebration of their daughter’s class president victory on Instagram, it quickly won the internet's heart.

The clip shows her husband going all out to mark the occasion, donning a black suit and sunglasses and pretending to be her Secret Service detail as she gets out of school for the day. With a fake radio hidden in his cuff and "Hail to the Chief" blasting from the car, he transformed an ordinary school pickup into a moment to remember.

In the caption, Lydia D., who originally shared the video, summed it up perfectly:

"If there’s one thing we’re going to do as a family it’s hype each other up!"

— @lydiascrafting

A dad's love and humor steal the show

The video begins with Lydia's husband standing outside their daughter’s school entrance, stone-faced and pretending to communicate into a hidden earpiece. As their daughter approached, he gestured toward the car, where the presidential anthem was blaring from the speakers. The playful scene captured his love for his daughter and his knack for making a milestone unforgettable.

via GIPHY

A moment cherished by all

In the video, one of her friends is seen clapping enthusiastically, adding another layer of sweetness to the moment. User @starleishamichelle highlighted this detail, writing: "The way her friend clapped for her too 🤩😭💛."

Of course, her dad’s sense of humor didn’t go unnoticed. Many viewers laughed along, with @ashleigh.harris31 saying: "This is hilarious 😂 and the music blasting too 😂😂." Another user, @magicallymaya, added: "Ok I LOVE this!! Congrats, madame president!"

"The best!!!! Ahhhhhh coolest dad and memories FOREVER to be remembered!! 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽."

— @theliteracydive

A call for more moments like this

This story is more than just a laugh—it’s a celebration of family, love, and the joy of lifting each other up. It’s no wonder the internet is buzzing about it. In a world where milestones often pass by in the blink of an eye, Lydia’s husband reminds us all to make memories worth cherishing.

via GIPHY

From Your Site Articles
family
Fatherhood

Incredible 6-week program turns expectant dads from bystanders into doula-level helpers

“I want men to understand: This isn’t just a woman thing."

Dads to Doulas

In 2017, Brad Edwards and his partner were expecting twins. By all accounts, it was a "normal" pregnancy, and Edwards assumed it would be smooth sailing when they got to the hospital. Tragically, and unexpectedly, both of his sons were delivered stillborn within a week of each other.

The statistics around black pregnancy in America are harrowing. Black women are three times more likely to die from pregnancy complications than white women, while the infant mortality rate is more than twice as high. The reasons are vast, and include systemic racism and inequalities in the healthcare system. A lot of things can go wrong.

One thing that can make a difference is parent education. So when the couple got pregnant again a few years later, Edwards vowed to never feel "helpless" in the delivery room ever again.

“Through my experience losing my twins, I realized that there was a lot I didn't know, and there was a lot that I didn't take the time to educate myself on,” Edwards told St. Louis Magazine.

“So by the time another opportunity came, when I was preparing to have my baby girl, I had become familiar with what a doula is. One of my good friends is a doula. I said, ‘Alright, I need you to help me create a playbook. What do I need to look for? What should her levels be? What should I be looking for with the placenta?’ So it was just a few different things I wanted to be educated on to make sure that I could be not only knowledgeable but also an advocate for her, because I know that Black women die at much higher rates than any other race.”

Edwards' daughter Carielle was born in 2020, but not without a scare. Edwards' partner dealt with severe preeclampsia — a high blood pressure condition that can be fatal — and having a doula on hand to walk him through what to do proved to be a lifesaver.

That's when he decided that dads needed way more training before getting anywhere near the delivery room. Edwards worked with trained professionals to create a 6-week course called "Dads to Doulas."

A man practices doula techniques on a baby dollDads to Doulas

Doulas are helpers that assist mothers through the process, and immediately after, of childbirth. Unlike midwives, they don't perform any medical procedures, but they're knowledgable in comfort measures, advocacy, knowing what can go wrong, being prepared, and more. Having a doula on hand during birth can decrease the risk of complications or certain health problems in the baby, especially for high risk pregnancies.

In other words, doulas can save lives. But less than 6% of doulas are men, and there wasn't much of an existing framework to teach untrained men everything they need to know in such a short amount of time.

But now there is. The course, offered digitally and in-person in St. Louis, is free to the public and takes dads from zero to doula-level knowledge of childbirth so they can be an advocate for mom and baby the entire way through.

The first classes cover the basics, communication activities, and discuss home births and hospital births.

The more advanced classes work on partner advocacy, birth plans, physical comfort measures, and emergency safety.

They also cover postpartum depression in great detail, for moms and dads alike.

This education is an absolute game-changer for men who, let's face it, may not start off knowing very basic biological facts about how women's bodies work. Hiring a doula can be extremely expensive, so getting dad up to speed can be an important and even lifesaving investment.

“I want men to understand: This isn’t just a woman thing,” Edwards says. “This is about the family unit as a whole.”

Dads to Doulas isn't the only course of its kind.

A man with his daughters sits at a table listening to doula trainingDads to Doulas

More and more training programs like it are popping up all over the country. Dad Doula Bootcamp in Kansas City is another big one picking up steam.

We've come a long way when it comes to expecting dads. In the 50s and 60s, dads were actually invited to have a seat in the waiting room or even go to a nearby bar and wait for the baby to be born!

Now, more and more men want to get educated and get involved. Organizations like Dads to Doulas make that possible. And it's leading to better outcomes for babies and mothers.

From Your Site Articles
dads
Family

Group of Swedish dads bust out singing at play dates with their kids and holy moly

Their pitch perfect harmonies have made them a viral sensation.

Dad Harmony/Instagram

Dad Harmony singing with their kids

Seeing a group of young dads hanging out with their young children on playdates is already incredibly wholesome. But add in some a cappella singing in harmonies that enrapture those same children? Come on now.

That's what you get from the five Swedish fathers who make up the group Dad Harmony, a viral sensation that started with some friends just casually singing together.

The dad "boyband" hails from the northern town of Skelleftea, Sweden, and consists of two brothers, Peter and Tomas Widmark, and their friends, Michael Aberg, Sebastian Åkesson and Adam Stenlund.

“This story all started at my bachelor party,” 33-year-old Peter Widmark told the AFP. “We were hanging out and singing as we usually do when we hang out in the bath [jacuzzi]…(and) my brother filmed it and put it on TikTok with his seven followers.”

The song they were singing was "The Wellerman," a sea shanty that was all over social media during the pandemic. The next morning, the video had 40,000 views, and it shot up to 20 million within a couple of weeks.

The friends decided to start recording themselves singing various popular hits a cappella, which led to a formal band name, Dad Harmony, as well as studio recordings and a European tour.

Their beautiful harmonies have captures people’s attention around the world, but the videos that include their kids are particularly popular. Most often, the dads are sitting around a living room or dining room table holding babies and small children, just singing away. The kids seem to enjoy it, too, with Widmark explaining, “It’s a s soothing thing when we sing.”

Each of the dads has two kids and works normal day jobs like sales and janitorial. As far as singing with their kids, Widmark's brother, Tomas, told AFP they are "typical Swedish guys" who simply spend a lot of time with their children.

"Almost every guy in Sweden is used to taking paternity leave, so it's not a big deal for us," he told the AFP.

People gush in the comments of their videos:

"These kids are so lucky! They get the chance to listen to their dads creating these magical sounds (when most of other children of their age are spending their time on tablets ..)"

"I absolutely love how the kids are always seen in these videos. Never hidden but loved so much and loving the beautiful music being made 😍"

@dadharmony

#onecallaway #dadharmony #acapella #charlieputh #dads #singing #singingdads #pippi


"Every time I get to see and listening you I get so emotional!! The way the children listen!!! And the newborn is already inside the circle of love!! Thank you guys!!! 💕"

"Gorgeous! And those kids will grow up with such an appreciation of music. So important."

"Kids growing up thinking this is casually every dinner table … 'Oh, your family *doesn’t* sit at the table and sing vocal arrangements?'"

"So much admiration for these Dads who clearly make family a priority and the focus on blending their voices into a beautiful harmony that soothes those children as they listen. What an incredible legacy they are creating for their families. How inspiring!"

And no, the kids don't always sit still. Sometimes they squirm. Sometimes they dance.


@dadharmony

I guess now we’re dancing as well 🙈 #standbyme #beneking #dadharmony #singing #dads #acapella #harmony #children #father #dancing

But there's no question they are getting an unusually extraordinary experience growing up with these "dad harmonies" surrounding them.

You can follow Dad Harmony on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube, and find their tour dates on their website.

And if you're curious about which dad sings which part, the five of them answered that and other reader questions here:

- YouTubewww.youtube.com

From Your Site Articles
music
Fatherhood

Father of the bride steals the show with his incredibly smooth dance moves

From the tootsie roll to the dougie, he nailed it all.

Photo by insung yoon on Unsplash

The MC Hammer dance though.

Father and daughter dances are a traditional staple of weddings. They tend to range somewhere between tearfully sweet and hilariously cringey. But sometimes, as was the case of Brittany Revell and her dad Kelly, they can be so freakin’ cool that millions of people become captivated.

Brittany and Kelly’s video, which amassed, I kid you not, more than 40 million views on TikTok, shows the pair grooving in sneakers (Brittany’s were white because, hello, wedding dress) to their “dance through the decades.”

It all began with Young MC’s “Bust a Move,” to give you a clear picture. And bust a move, they did.

Though the duo did a handful of iconic moves—the tootsie roll, the MC Hammer dance, the Carlton, just to name a few—“the dougie,” made famous by Cali Swag District, was the obvious fan favorite.

Brittany is clearly no stranger to busting a move and showed off her skills, but Kelly had the audience (and the internet) absolutely floored. He not only nailed every move, but kept a constant grin from ear to ear.

“Reason number 1838329194920 why I love my dad,” Brittany wrote in her caption.

@bnrevell Reason number 1838329194920 why I love my dad. 🫶🏼🥹 #thatdougietho #fatherdaughter #weddingtok ♬ original sound - Brittany Revell

People in the comments were quick to profess love for Kelly as well. Here are some gems:

“WHO IS THIS LEGEND!”

“I aspire to this level of smooth.”

“Pops got moves!!🔥”

“He really is the main character 🤩🤩”

Others shared praise to both dancers for delivering an unforgettable performance.

“I would absolutely lose my mind if I saw this at a wedding,” wrote one person.

“This is probably THE best TikTok I’ve ever seen. You and your dad are legit rockstars!! Congratulations!!” added another.

Brittany told The Morning Show on Channel 7 that she and Kelly have been learning dances together “for fun in the living room” since she was little. “He has always had some rhythm, but I did not know he could pick up the moves like that,” she quipped. Hey, there’s always something new to learn about dear old dad.

Brittany also shared in an interview with NBC News that people were responding to more than just impressive choreography—it touched them on a heartfelt level.

“I think it’s kind of unique to see a dad of Asian descent be able to open up, let loose and just embrace their American child’s music and culture,” she said, adding that several people who didn’t have relationships with their fathers commended how “inspiring” it was to see the fun Brittany and Kelly created, encouraging them to “be better with their future kids.”

Weddings are a celebration of love, and that can extend beyond the bride and groom. This father expressed his love on the dance floor, and it’s giving us all something to smile about.

Odds are Brittany and her dad are gonna keep posting even more amazing dance videos. You can keep up to date by following Brittany on TikTok here.


This article originally appeared on 09.13.22

From Your Site Articles
tiktok
Trending Stories