Upworthy's book GOOD PEOPLE, now available - take a look!

Shop
 Explore 

dads and daughters

Fatherhood

Girls give the 'fear my father' trope a wholesome twist with adorably dorky dad reveals

He's not mad, he's just disappointed.

Canva Photos

Girls are "warning" guys not to get on their dad's bad side, with a wholesome twist.

We all know the stereotype: there's the beautiful girl with no shortage of suitors, but there's just one problem—her dad is a menace. He's large, burly, cold as ice, and usually sitting on the front porch with a shotgun. If you want to date her, you better be ready to impress him (and he's impossible to impress). Worse, if you hurt her, he'll hurt you even more.

It's a common trope seen in movies, TV shows, and country songs. And while, as a dad myself, I respect being protective of our daughters in a world that can be really dangerous for them, the stereotype and attitude behind it probably does more harm than good.

Luckily, a new viral trend is putting a wholesome twist on the "fear my father" trope, and people are gobbling it up.

Girls on TikTok and Instagram are making videos warning anyone who might hurt them that they'll have to deal with Dad. Tense hip-hop music sets up the dramatic reveal of these intimidating father figures, only...they're all the sweetest, most lovable dorky dads you ever did see.

In Madeleine Byrne's take on the trend, she reveals her sweater-wearing father as he giddily discusses all the things he loves about shopping at Costco. Watch out, bad boys!

"Stay away if you hate a good deal i guess," she joked.

@madeleinebyrnee
Stay away if you hate a good deal i guess

User Jackie McLoon ups the ante, showing off not one, but two threatening dads. They're promptly shown dancing around, wearing silly outfits, and even blowing bubbles outside for fun. Scary!

"mess with me I dare you," McLoon writes.

@loonymcloony
mess with me I dare you. #lgbtq #fyp

Definitely don't mess with Eunice Cycle, whose dad will make you a mean cup of his famous Chinese soup.

Cycle loves to torture her adorable dad with these videos. In another, she teases, "Cheat on me? This is my dad," to which he responds with a peace sign, a laugh, and a "Yes, cheat on me, too."

Oh, Dad. Never change.

@eunice.cycle
TikTok · Eunice Cycle🧋

In another spin on the meme, a girl reveals her smiling dad dancing goofily in an apron. Yep, definitely don't want to mess with her! If only because you could never live with yourself if you broke her sweet father's heart.

@sweetmemesaremadeofgeese
#meme #memes #funny #funnyvideos #dad #daughter #cheat #cheater

The trend has been going strong for five years now, evolving slowly over time. By now there are hundreds of videos of girls and women doing their own take on the joke, and commenters continue to eat it up.

"having a dad like this was my dream growing up.," one commenter wrote about Madeleine Byrne's Costco-loving father.

"They will hit ya with 'I’m not mad, just disappointed' and we all know that hurts the worst," someone wrote about Jackie McLoon's double dads.

"your dads the loveliest man ever i would never mess with you for fear that it would upset him," a commenter told Eunice Cycle about her soup connoisseur dad.

The violent and threatening overprotective father archetype comes from a place of love, really, but it's really not the best template for what a positive male role model should look like.

I mean, who wouldn't be worried for their daughter in a world where domestic violence, sexual assault, and even infidelity are so prevalent?

But the answer to that violence is not more violence. Worse, the looming, terrifying father trope infantilizes woman and suggests they can't be trusted to make their own decisions. It treats them like property, something to be guarded and given away by men. And, believe it or not, it unnecessarily demonizes young boys and men.

Truth be told, there are other and better ways to protect your daughter. The dads in these videos may not be physically imposing or even have a mean bone in their bodies, but making your girls feel safe and loved, modeling gentle and positive masculinity, and being an active and affectionate presence in their lives—now that's how it's done!

From Your Site Articles

dads

Joy

A man called 911 but couldn't speak, so his 5-year-old daughter heroically stepped in

"Don't worry, Dad."

jeffsaks123/YouTube

A man called 911, then his 5-year-old picked up the phone. Life-saving adorableness ensued

The old "Someone call 911!" scene in TV and movies makes stressful emergencies seem a lot easier to manage than they actually are. If you've ever been the one to make that call, you know that adrenaline comes on strong. It can give you energy and strength, but it can also make you shaky, and it can make it hard to keep a clear head while you talk to the dispatcher. You might have trouble staying calm, clearly describing the situation and your location, and following potentially life-saving instructions.

That's what makes this next story all the more incredible. A 911 call can be a scary thing, and an emergency call from a dad having chest pains and trouble breathing is no exception. But thankfully, an exchange between that dad's 5-year-old daughter and 911 dispatcher Jason Bonham turned out to be more humor than horror. If you missed hearing the recording that has repeatedly gone viral since 2010, you have to hear it now. It's perfectly timeless.

When an Indiana dad used his cell phone to called 911 and couldn't talk, his daughter Savannah picked up the phone. Remaining remarkably calm, cool, and collected, the articulate 5-year-old expertly answered Bonham's questions—and added her own hilarious commentary as well.

911, 911 call, emergency, kids, cute, adorable, family, dad, dads and daughters, ambulance 5-year-old Savannah did an amazing job staying on the phone until medical help arrived for her dad. Photo by Mark Boss on Unsplash

At Bonham's request, she made sure the front door was unlocked so the emergency crew could get in. She told him about their dog, Lou Lou, who was "small" and "barks a lot," but was "friendly." She consoled her dad—who may have been in the middle of a heart attack—with "Don't worry, Dad," and "Stay calm, Dad." (Cue tears here, wow.)

She also kept the dispatcher up to speed on what was happening, repeatedly saying, "So far, so good." She asked her dad Bonham's questions, like had this ever happened before? Was he having chest pain? Was he able to breathe? She acted as mouthpiece and translator, effortlessly multitasking during the call.

But the pièce de résistance was when Savannah told Bonham that she and her dad were in their "jammies" so she'd have to change. "I don't know what I'm gonna wear, but...he really needs oxygen, real fast."

Five. Years. Old. This kid is seriously something else. Watch:

- YouTube www.youtube.com

Recordings and news clips of the call have racked up millions and millions of views. People just can't believe Savannah's remarkable poise and adorable wit.

"That moment you know you won as a parent," a YouTube commenter said.

"This little girl is extremely bright, & has NOT been raised with a lot of mombo-jumbo baby-talk ; the parents have done a great job of raising a very articulate child" another added.

"This brought tears to my eyes the way she looked after her daddy," someone wrote.

"I defy anyone not to shed a tear when she says 'don't worry Dad!' That is pure perfection," added another.

@crimewave_911
Savannah Hensley, an incredibly brave 5-year-old girl, called 911 to get help for her father, who was experiencing chest pains and was having trouble breathing. The 911 dispatcher was surprised and even thankful for how calm Hensley was in the situation. She was only 5 years old but very composed and aware of the situation at hand. Frank, her father, was in no position to speak, but Savannah was up to the job. What 911 dispatcher Jason Bonham didn't expect was for Savannah to keep him entertained #911 #911call #fyp #fypシ #fypシ゚viral #fypage #crime #crimestories #crimejunkie #brave #saved #story #viral #police

Bonham said he was surprised by how Savannah handled the call. "Most people when you talk to them, they're hysterical," he told Eyewitness News. "Every time I've listened to it it's amazing. She's just a little person."

Thankfully, despite the scare, everything turned out fine for Savannah's dad. When the story went viral, her mom posted on Facebook, "We are so grateful & blessed that Savannah's 911 call is still being circulated. It makes the whole entire night worth while. The more awareness it brings & the more adults that teach children what to do the better!"

The story originally occurred about 15 years ago, which makes Savannah around 20-years-old today. According to posts on her mother's Facebook profile, Savannah looks happy and thriving in her normal, everyday life, despite the story picking up new viewers every single year.

Well done teaching that kiddo, mom and dad. She was truly amazing. And kudos to Jason Bonham for the masterclass in talking a child through a life-threatening emergency. Thanks to these two heroes, everything turned out A-OK for this Indiana family.

This article originally appeared four years ago. It has been updated.

From Your Site Articles

911

Family

Woman discovers 'secret' note from her late father is actually his final Dad Joke

Making his daughter lovingly roll her eyes one last time.

Adolfo Felix/Unsplash & stephanie vacher/Flickr

It's a plot point ripped right from the pages of a mystery novel or a Hollywood script. A parent tragically passes away, but not before leaving behind a life-changing note for their child. The note could reveal a secret, bequeath a surprise inheritance, or send them on a journey of self-discovery via a series of increasingly elaborate clues.

TikTok user northernsass recently found exactly such a note after her father passed away. What was inside was, well, exactly what you'd expect from a dad.

Almost exactly.

"My father passed away unexpectedly and as we were cleaning out his house, I found this ominous note shoved in the very back of his dresser," the caption on the video read.

She then shows the note, which reads:

"Do not read unless you want the answer."

I mean, how could you not open it?!

@isyabootay
One last joke on me i guess. 🙃 #fyp#notes#fypage#brickbybrick#dad

"My dad was a simple, straightforward man," the captioning continues. "Hardworking and honest so this is completely out of character for him."

Inside the note, slowly opened by shaky hands, is some kind of map, and a sequence of numbers.

Northernsass quickly realizes that inside her father's last message to her is:

The secret to beating the triangle peg game at Cracker Barrel.

Yellow and blue pegs in a wooden pyramid board kendiala/Flickr

No final confession of fatherly love.

No surprise fortune left behind.

Just one last Dad Joke from beyond the grave.

Now to be fair, that peg game is really hard — so this is pretty valuable information. But maybe not what northernsass initially had in mind.

However, this wasn't her first rodeo with her dad's jokes.

"The dad jokes are embedded in my DNA at this point," she wrote in a comment below the post.

Seeing the note, and the daughter's reaction to it, tells you everything you need to know about the man and their relationship. More than any earnest, heartfelt note could possibly convey.

The video went viral to to the tune of 4 million views, and a comments section full of love and admiration.

Did you know that a researcher once conducted a study on the importance of dad jokes?

The results were signifi-cringe.

(Sorry.)

In reality, this actually very real study showed that repeated exposure to corny humor had a surprising impact on kids as they grew up.

"According to the researcher, kids continually exposed to eye-rolling humor build up a natural immunity to judgement and embarrassment, and become adults who feel empowered to be themselves," ABC7 wrote about the study.

So while northernsass's father's final message might seem silly — and let's be clear, it is — that's exactly the thing that makes it so heartwarming.

Dad's aren't always the best at sharing feelings and having big, emotional heart to hearts. But we show our love in different ways, and we love to teach. The dad joke is the ultimate culmination of love and teaching — so what better way could there be to say goodbye?

Plus, the Cracker Barrel code is useful: another thing dad's love. Northernsass is, as she writes, now armed to "flex on the senior citizens during Sunday brunch."

fatherhood

Family

Dad asks if he's wrong for telling his daughter she's not 'gifted.' People let him have it.

“Putting your daughter down served no positive purpose."

Canva, Reddit

Sometimes we should think before we speak

Sure, there are inherent problems that come from assigning children with the label “gifted," among them being the constant pressure to succeed, equating good grades with self-worth, being alienated from peers, and last but not least, having to deal with the psychological whiplash of learning that being “special” doesn’t protect you from real-world problems once school is over.

With that said, are parents doing their high-achieving kids a disservice by calling them “gifted?”

One dad seems to think so…although he may be regretting sharing that perspective.

On Reddit’s Am I The A**hole forum, the dad explained that he and his wife both hold degrees in electrical engineering and have two children—a son, 17, and a daughter, 15.

Their daughter finished high school early and is heading to college at the same time as their son. She’s already chosen to study physics and computer science, while their son hasn’t picked a major yet.

After commending his daughter for her achievements and saying that she had been in the gifted program at her school, the dad goes on to share a dinner conversation that quickly went south.

“My wife mentioned how proud she was of our daughter and how lucky we were to have gifted children going to good university programs and how not many people can do what our daughter did.”

Aw. What a nice mom. Here’s how the dad responded.

via GIPHY

“I was also very happy but I said that while (daughter) is really hardworking and smart, I would not say that she is actually gifted and others can't do it if they put in the same amount of work,” he said. “Her school does a lot to try to admit girls into her program, and my wife helped teach her advanced college level math and physics from an earlier age, she didn't naturally pick it up on her own. If anything being a younger applicant with the same credentials probably helped her stand out more for the admissions committee.”

While the dad attests that he was merely trying to avoid the term “gifted” because he had seen how it has “ruined” other people’s lives, his intentions didn’t exactly pan out.

“Both my wife and daughter are upset at me now, my wife thinks I was trying to put her down which is not true and says she is gifted, while my daughter actually agrees with me but says I should not have said it as she already knows,” he wrote.

And therein lies the OP’s question: was he the jerk in this situation? Did he unrightfully downplay his daughter’s abilities?

According to the folks on Reddit, the answer is unequivocally yes. Not only was the action unnecessary and toxic but it was also deemed as pretty illogical.

via GIPHY

“Putting your daughter down served no positive purpose. Discouraging a young teen like that can have serious detrimental effects. Even if she isn’t actually gifted, you were the asshole,” the top comment read. “That being said, she is gifted. Not every 15-year-old can go to a university to study physics. Not only is she gifted academically, she is gifted with drive and determination. Not everyone has that. And you tried to put her down.”

“The very fact that she was able to pick up calculus at an early age is evidence she is gifted. I’m assuming she was doing calculus at age 12-13 if she’s already going to college for physics. Anyone doing calculus before high school is gifted, she’s several standard deviations higher than the average student," wrote another.

Posts from the amitheasshole
community on Reddit

Several women who worked in STEM also chimed in to point out how the dad’s rhetoric reflected sexism.

One person wrote: “I spent my career as a woman in the sciences and I've been around countless guys like you who are quick to praise their little female 'worker bees' as long as they know their place, but who are incapable of acknowledging when a woman is genuinely exceptional. It's especially heartbreaking that you have managed to erode her awareness of her own gifts to the point where she ‘actually agrees’ with you that she is ‘just’ a hard worker and not really gifted.”

And perhaps the comment to drive it all home:

“The horrible part here is that this message is coming from the girl's own father. He should be her biggest fan, not her harshest critic."

Parents want to do what’s best for their kids—setting them up for the highest success while protecting them from potential danger. But sometimes that objective gets warped by a parent’s own limited viewpoint. Hopefully, other parents can take this story as a reminder that when their kids are excelling, knocking them down a peg doesn’t really do them any favors.

From Your Site Articles

kids

Family

Dad gives his young daughter a 'spa day' while mom and sister are out and people are gushing

"This healed a part of me. Thank you for doing this with your daughter."

Mason Smith/Instagram

Mason Smith pampered his baby girl during her "spa day."

Raising kids is no small feat. Just the basic logistics of caring for a human being from their helpless newborn stage to the full-fledged adult stage is a lot, much less doing the countless other things that will actually help that human thrive.

Parents who go above and beyond to create a nurturing environment and build strong core memories with their kids are inspiring examples for us all, and one dad's spa day with his daughter has people positively gushing.

Mason Smith (@thedadsocial) shared a video of a special spa day he gave his young daughter when her mom and older sister were having their own pampered outing. "Mom and sister went to the salon so I couldn't have her feeling left out," he wrote.

The video shows Smith putting his daughter's hair up and gently rubbing a homemade avocado mask on her face. He then appears to attempt to do something with the cucumber slices (which usually go over the eyes but may not feel particularly comfy for the preschool set).

Next comes the moisturizer, which the sweet dad smoothed into his daughter's face and neck, massaging her temples and tickling her ears as he went. She clearly loves it.

Next up: some hairstyling, with spritzes and pigtails, followed by a nice little mani-pedi.

It's as soothing to watch as it must have been to experience:

See on Instagram

People in the comments raved about what a simple-yet-special day Smith created for his little girl.

"Every girl deserves a daddy like this, 🥺❤️" wrote one person.

"I really miss my dad, he was a great friend and same like this, even when I was 18, he use to help me straighten my hair, but he's no more, passed away on Feb 10th.. missing you dadaaaa," wrote another.

One commenter said it made them "cry in an incredibly cathartic way" and thanked him for being "this kind of dad" and "sharing it with pride."

"She will never forget her daddy," shared another. "This is fantabulous. She loves what he is doing and she admires and loves him for taking the time to make her feel special like mommy. God Bless."

"This healed a part of me. Thank you for doing this with your daughter," wrote another.

This isn't Smith's first foray into at-home-spa-day-making with his daughter. Another video shows him pampering both of his daughters in this way and it's just as precious.

See on Instagram

It doesn't take a lot to let your kids know they are loved, and these kinds of special moments go a long way. Three cheers for good dads.

From Your Site Articles

dads and daughters

Family

Local BBC station helps daughter recreate a touching song made by her ailing dad 56 years ago

Photo by Heike Mintel on Unsplash

Männerfaust und Babyfaust

Brian Teasdale, loving father and gifted musician, wrote his baby girl a special lullaby to coax her into sleep. That sweet, soothing tune was simply titled “Little Girl.”

According to Radio Today, Teasdale had been a prolific creative all his life, making beautiful works just like his daughter's lullaby. Then, 10 years ago, he suffered from a brain injury in a brutal assault, and could no longer compose music.

Earlier this year, his daughter Karen Robson received the news that her father had contracted COVID-19, and she was told his days might be numbered. Robson found the absolute best way to honor her father, by bringing his music back to life.

Determined to make it happen, she reached out to her local radio station (BBC Radio Newscastle) and asked for their help in recreating Teasdale’s “Little Girl” song.

Music students from Sunderland College teamed up under the band name “Brian and the Buttercups,” and made their own version based on Teasdale’s original.

The freshly made tune has all those endearing nostalgia-worthy sounds: a vintage-y record crackle, soft ukulele (at least I think it’s a ukulele … whatever instrument it is, it’s lovely), a kind of lilting, wistful male singer. And of course, Teasdale's love for his daughter still shines through in the touching lyrics.

You can listen to it here. It’s easy to see why his Robson remembers this childhood gem so fondly.

On Friday, December 3, a father’s little lullaby—made 56 years ago—found its way to the public when it played on the radio. And it received a huge reaction from listeners. Sunderland College reported that the station received numerous calls asking where they could purchase the song.

Tony Wilson, Sunderland College Music Lecturer, even secured a record deal with Sapien Records Ltd. The single was released, complete with cover art based on a photo of Robson as a child. Talk about a pleasant surprise.

Karen Robson was understandably moved. She said on the air:

“I’m absolutely overwhelmed and I can’t thank everyone enough; Sunderland College, BBC Radio Newcastle; everybody who has helped do this for my dad. This song means everything to me and now everyone can hear it. It’s an absolute dream.”

But she wasn’t the only one touched. BBC Radio Newcastle’s on-air host Gilly Hope shared how she immediately knew the original recording was “special,” as it brought the entire studio to tears. But even she didn’t anticipate how masterful the re-recording would be.

“The brilliant music degree students and staff at Sunderland College did a fantastic job on the track – their version made us all cry all over again. Like so many of the best bits of radio, it started with a listener calling in to tell us her story and we were thrilled to be a part of making such a difference to Karen and her dad,” she said.

Robson's tribute to her father is a heartwarming metaphor for how parents pass down their legacy. These stories, traditions and memories continue to live on long after they’ve passed.

They might take on new life, however one thing remains the same: love, just like that lullaby created all those years ago, is always timeless.

From Your Site Articles

dads and daughters

Girls give the 'fear my father' trope a wholesome twist with adorably dorky dad reveals

He's not mad, he's just disappointed.

A man called 911 but couldn't speak, so his 5-year-old daughter heroically stepped in

"Don't worry, Dad."

Woman discovers 'secret' note from her late father is actually his final Dad Joke

Making his daughter lovingly roll her eyes one last time.

Did you know that a researcher once conducted a study on the importance of dad jokes?

Dad asks if he's wrong for telling his daughter she's not 'gifted.' People let him have it.

“Putting your daughter down served no positive purpose."

Dad gives his young daughter a 'spa day' while mom and sister are out and people are gushing

"This healed a part of me. Thank you for doing this with your daughter."

Local BBC station helps daughter recreate a touching song made by her ailing dad 56 years ago

Woman gives tour of her $650 New York micro apartment and people were unprepared

Married couple says the '3-Hour Night' hack has totally improved their marriage

The CREEP method makes it easy to see if you're being played by a narcissist or manipulator

Former Secret Service agent reveals 'spy trick' to gain the upper hand in any conversation

Surprising 16-year-long ADHD study proves researchers' hypothesis completely wrong

We have a small favor to ask of you

dads and daughters

He's not mad, he's just disappointed.

"Don't worry, Dad."

Making his daughter lovingly roll her eyes one last time.

Did you know that a researcher once conducted a study on the importance of dad jokes?

“Putting your daughter down served no positive purpose."

"This healed a part of me. Thank you for doing this with your daughter."