Father Figures

Father Figures: The Real Answer

By     Jul 2, 2019

Father Figures: The Real Answer
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“Yesterday, July 2, was my oldest daughter’s 7th birthday.

When the nurse asked, “Who wants to hold the baby?”, I said “I guess I do.” Scared out of my mind. Would I drop her? What happens if she cries?

Not growing up with a father (divorced parents), I had no idea on how to be a good father. I looked up to TV dads. Allen Matthew, from “Boy Meets World” was my TV dad. That’s how I wanted to be with my kids.

We now have 4 children and every day I see myself in each child. Looking back on holding my first kid, scared and worried, I still don’t know the answer to “How to be a good father?”

Just being there for my kids. Being there for my wife. I guess that’s the real answer.”

– Jon-Erik Berkhoudt

Want to share a story about fatherhood? Email [email protected]

Check out the previous editions of Father Figures here.

Movies and TV, Paul Rudd, Trailers

Will Ferrell and Paul Rudd Reunite for ‘The Shrink Next Door’

By     Jun 17, 2021

the shrink next door trailer
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These days, it’s not easy to sneak projects in below the radar. With the internet and social media, someone is always watching for news, and someone is always leaking rumors. It’s nearly impossible to keep projects under wraps or prevent spoilers from emerging, especially when there are high-profile stars involved.

Will Ferrell and Paul Rudd are pretty high-profile, so it’s an accomplishment that this is just about the first time we’ve heard about their new project. It’s called The Shrink Next Door, and it’s a new miniseries for Apple TV+.

It’s based on a podcast of the same name, and it stars Rudd as a psychiatrist who starts to insert himself into the life of one of his patients, played by Ferrell. Sounds sort of like What About Bob? in reverse, and, judging by the trailer, much, much darker.

Ferell and Rudd aren’t exactly looking their best, and they’ve got Kathryn Hahn and Casey Wilson along for the ride. The Shrink Next Door hits Apple TV+ in November.

Check out the trailer, which lacks the absurdist hijinks Ferrell and Rudd typically get up to together, but at least there are a lot of enormous glasses!

Gaming, News, Trailers

George R.R. Martin Is Finally Finished His… Video Game?

By     Jun 17, 2021

Elden Ring Trailer
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Credit: Bandai Namco Entertainment

George R.R. Martin’s long-awaited fantasy story FINALLY has a release date! OK, so maybe this isn’t *the* fantasy story everyone’s waiting on, because it’s not the next book in the Song of Ice and Fire saga, so we don’t know how he’s going to land the Game of Thrones plane, but it IS the much-hyped game he was helping produce, Elden Ring.

We got a surprise trailer for the dark fantasy game at E3, and we have a release date. Elden Ring is coming in January 2022, and the trailer looks like everything you’d want, without tipping too much. There’s a player doing lots of sword stuff and magic stuff, there are monsters and a generally dark aesthetic.

It’s a combo effort from Dark Souls creator Hidetaka Miyazaki and George R.R. Martin, who is a pro at building fantasy worlds. And, this is the perfect vehicle to showcase his skills, because George R.R. Martin is a *master* at world-building and decidedly *not* at ending his stories. With a video game, of course, YOU control the ending (I mean, in a general sense at least).

OK, so yeah, games do need endings, but there was a time fans expected this project, announced a few years back, could go the way of Martin’s other projects and never quite make it over the finish line. So now that we have one with a definitive release date, maybe Martin can get back to writing that fantasy series he started. In the meantime, this game does look pretty badass.

Elden Ring gets released for Playstation, Xbox, and PC on January 21, 2022.

News, Parenting, Trending

Toddler’s Over-the-Top Excitement About Dad’s Return Home Is Contagious

By     Jun 17, 2021

Toddler adorably loses it when dad returns home
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Credit: TikTok/devinaleese

Dogs get most of the attention when it comes to enthusiastically welcoming their people home. Whether you were gone for five minutes or five hours, dogs don’t really know, nor do they care – they can’t freaking contain themselves when they hear your footsteps approaching. Speaking of adorable welcoming committees with very little understanding of time, toddlers are giving dogs a run for their money.

TikTok user devinaleese captured pure joy on camera in early May, sharing a video starring her young son Nixon. Nixon stands eagerly in front of his home, clearly waiting for something important. As a car enters the frame, Nixon shoots a wide-eyed glance at his mom as if to say, “are you seeing this shit right now??”

@devinaleese@nixondean19 @michaelcollon ##nixondean ##babiesoftiktok ##toddlersoftiktok ##mondaysbelike ##mondaysucks

♬ original sound – devinaleese

After a slightly wobbly start, Nixon is off and running. He laughs and shrieks with overflowing excitement, yelling “da! Da!” as he toddles towards his dad’s slowly approaching car. Nixon’s dad honks a hello to his gleeful little boy, which nearly makes the toddler topple over with laughter.

Nixon has seemingly been waiting for his dad’s return all day, and when the moment finally arrives, he can’t contain his excitement. He adorably jumps up and down, giggling as his dad pulls up in front of him.

Nixon’s dad stops his car briefly to ensure his tiny greeter is safely out of the way before pulling forward, keeping his eyes on his enthusiastic young son the entire time. The video cuts off before the reunion, but fortunately, Nixon’s mom was kind enough to post a follow-up where we see the heartwarming duo embrace.

Finally, some closure

@devinaleeseReply to @dodobirdnotfound ##nixondean ##toddlersoftiktok ##babiesoftiktok ##thursday ##weekendvibes ##part2 ##fyp ##foryoupage

♬ original sound – devinaleese

One of the many amazing things about little kids is that they’re (sometimes brutally) honest. Nixon acts like his dad’s arrival is the best moment of his life, but not to make his dad feel good. To the toddler, seeing his dad return home every day genuinely is the best thing in the world.

Grandparents, News, Trending

Teen Is Living Her Best Life After Accidentally Moving Into Retirement Community

By     Jun 17, 2021

Teen Is Living Her Best Life After Accidentally Moves Into Retirement Community
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Credit: TikTok/@itsme.madiiii

What’s the opposite of a generation gap? Madison Kohout knows.

Kohout is a 19-year-old woman who was recently looking for a new place to live. An avid TikTok user, she’d also made friends with Lori Parker, a grandma from Pigott, Arkansas who she’d met and formed a connection with via the popular – and youth-dominated – social media platform.

Parker invited Kohout, who lives on her own after what she’s described as a tough childhood, to Thanksgiving in Pigott, and while that didn’t happen, Kohout visited Pigott and met Parker’s family earlier this year.

“I just fell in love with her family, and they were so good to me,” Ms. Kohout told the New York Times. Eventually, Parker suggested Madison move closer, so Madison scoured the apartment listings and eventually found one that suited her and moved in.

A week later, she realized she was now living in an old folks’ community.

“I was looking around at my surroundings to see what there was I could do here, and I saw the sign that said ‘Senior Living Apartments,’ and I realized I moved myself into a retirement community,” Kohout explained. “Once I saw the sign, all the things clicked. I was like, ‘Oh, my goodness, I can’t believe I did this.’”

She shared her story on TikTok, where it quickly went viral.

@itsme.madiiiithis is not even a joke LMAO #fyp #WidenTheScreen #seniorcitizens #apartment #moving #outofstate #oof #reallife♬ original sound – Lauren Wisken

As her TikTok followers have grown, so have her real-life friends – especially at the facility, where she’s bonded with her neighbors. “It’s like having extra sets of grandparents,” she said, especially when they leave extra food at her door!

She has no plans to leave anytime soon – why would you when you can play your music as loud as you want with no complaints! She also hopes to even use her experiences as the basis for a book.

“They have a lot of stories that have definitely shaped my heart and have touched my heart, and I think a lot of people would benefit from them,” she said. “I got lucky enough to be able to hear them all.”

News, Parenting

Viral Pic of Dad Sleeping on Hospital Floor Sparks Praise for Equal Parenting

By     Jun 17, 2021

Dad Hospital Floor Equal Parenting
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Credit: Facebook/sara.duncan.77

A viral photo of a dad sleeping on the floor of a hospital is generating discussion about equal parenting and generally waking up the people still sleeping on it that dads are here for the work, no matter where it takes us.

When it comes to parenting dads are taking on their share. Experts still agree that women tend to take on more of the homemaking duties, but a lot of dads are out here trying to change that narrative, and they are dads like Joe Duncan.

His wife Sara shared a photo of Joe that recently went viral. Joe works as a cement technician and had just finished a 12-hour shift when Sara told him she wanted to bring her daughter to the hospital after she noticed some wheezing. She wrote on Facebook that she reassured him it was probably nothing and that he should stay home and rest since he had to work again the next morning. He would not have it, and wouldn’t let them go alone.

She shared a picture of him sleeping on the floor in their ER room, using the car set as a pillow.

She wrote:

“What some may see: a Dad sleeping while Mom stays awake holding their sleeping baby in the ER at 2am. What I see: A Dad sleeping on the hard floor of an ER after working 12 hour shifts 6 days a week for the last month, despite the fact his wife asked him to stay home and rest all because he didn’t want his babies in STL alone.

Because he didn’t want his wife to have to do it on her own, no matter how exhausted he is. Marriage and parenting isn’t 50/50. Some days it is. Other days it’s 60/40, 70/30, or even 80/20. And you have to be willing to pull your weight, no matter what your partner needs that day. This is what love is. This is what being a husband is. This is what being a Daddy is.”

Dads, more and more, are willing to do whatever it takes to be there for their kids and to be what their family needs.

The comments became a thread of partners praising the dads in their lives for doing whatever it takes.

Food, Good News, News

Waffle House Staff Helps Reluctant Coworker Attend His Graduation and Get Scholarship

By     Jun 16, 2021

Waffle House Grad
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Credit: Facebook/CedHampton1

Not a lot of people like their bosses (unless they work at The Dad, then, of course, they are very competent and kind people!), but this Waffle House boss is a very different story. His employee asked for time off to attend his high school graduation, then showed up to work his shift instead. His boss would not have it, and in something out of a Disney+ movie, the entire staff rallied to get him ready in hours and get him across town to get his diploma.

The Birmingham senior, Timothy Harrison, changed his mind about going because he didn’t have a ride, his cap, and gown, or tickets to the event. His boss, Cedric Hampton, had other plans. Hampton shared the incredibly touching story on Facebook, but basically, the entire staff stopped what they were doing to go overdrive to get this kid to his graduation.

They ran out to buy him some dress clothes, reached out to the school to see how they could get his cap and gown, and just turned the entire restaurant into his very own graduation prep. He thought he was going to work his shift, but his boss and co-workers had bigger plans for him. Harrison was emotional when he was fully dressed and ready to go.

“When I put on clothes, that was a different feeling. I don’t even know the words,” he said. “A million dollars? It was the best feeling.”

His boss and coworkers felt proud to help him see it through, but Harrison’s story didn’t end there. His boss shared the pics on social media, and they went crazy-viral, and now Harrison got a full college scholarship from a nearby university.

“Now he can go to college and figure out what to do in his life and we’re gonna help guide him,” Hampton said. One gesture from his boss just completely changed Harrison’s life and the directions it can take.

“To know I have a path to go somewhere? That’s something new,” said the recent graduate.

So the kid gets his scholarship, but if Waffle House HQ doesn’t do something for that boss, they are sorely missing a golden opportunity. Really, that entire staff deserves a huge bonus, because you cannot ask for better press for Waffle House. It’s hard to imagine working for a place with bosses and co-workers like that in 2021.

Because these people rule and did an incredible thing for the kid, it’s also a good time to remind everyone what U.S. poet laureate (of food) Anthony Bourdain once said about the diner chain and its place in Americana.

Adoption, Good News, News, Parenting

Dad Surprises His Adoptive Step Daughter With His Last Name in Emotional Video

By     Jun 16, 2021

Dad surprises step daughter with new last name
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Credit: Instagram/dadandboujie

Families come in all shapes and sizes, and each one is a celebration of what it means to truly love each other. Family doesn’t necessarily mean the people who share your DNA – sometimes, it’s the family you choose that shows you what unconditional love really looks like.

Mike Rousell, the dad behind dadandboujie, couldn’t be happier to be a dad. He takes great pride in being a present, supportive, loving dad to his kids, and speaks openly about his blended family.

Recently, Rousell shared a touching video on Instagram that invited his followers to watch a life-changing moment. “If y’all looked into that baby’s eyes you would be ugly crying too… so don’t judge me,” Rousell captioned the moving clip. And yeah, uh – someone’s chopping onions in here.

The video opens with Rousell standing outside of his daughter’s school, holding a bouquet of flowers and a sign. The sign reads, “I gave you my heart five years ago and now, I give you my last name.”

The on-screen text explains why Rousell looks so dang excited. After several years of being a father to his adoptive daughter, she will finally share his last name. Rousell’s wife runs on-screen with a sign of her own, one that beautifully displays the young girl’s new last name.

Rousell and his wife turn to face the door as their daughter Camryn walks down her school hallway towards them, unaware of the surprise that awaits her. As she approaches and reads her parents’ signs, her mouth drops. Her eyes widen with both shock and joy, and she picks up her pace as she walks directly into her dad’s open arms.

Rousell lifts his daughter up in a heartwarming embrace as he begins to cry. The pair’s bond is immediately evident, and when Rousell’s daughter faces the camera, it’s apparent that she too was moved to tears.

“To have that baby, who isn’t biologically mine choose me to be her Dad, choose to have my last name, and to have my wife trust me enough with such a huge role in her life. It’s overwhelming,” he said.

Gaming, News

The Outer Worlds 2 Gets a Hilarious Announce Trailer

By     Jun 16, 2021

The Outer Worlds 2 Announce Trailer
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Credit: Youtube/Xbox

This is probably the greatest trailer in the history of video game trailers.

The Outer Worlds 2 will be an Xbox exclusive and comes from developer Obsidian Entertainment (Star Wars: The Old Republic 2 and Fallout: New Vegas).  Outer Worlds had a great sense of humor so it makes sense that the second one has been announced in a particularly hilarious fashion.  Check it out for yourself down below.

While no gameplay or plot details are revealed, they gave us a hilarious trailer and for that, we can be thankful.  If the voiceover wasn’t there, it would just be like any other trailer, but having the voiceover explain everything like the way the “slow-motion shots make everything seem cool and should bolster pre-sale numbers” makes it perfect.

The first Outer Worlds took place in an alternate future after 1901 where U.S President William McKinley was never assassinated.  Because of this, large business trusts were never broke up and corporations took over Earth, which ended up becoming a wasteland.  Now, corporations look to the stars to colonize new planets.  That’s where you come in.

There is loads of humor layered on top of the first-person action-RPG gameplay.  It plays like Fallout, with branching narrative choices, outlandish weapons, and ridiculous characters.  The first Outer Worlds is currently available on Xbox Game Pass, so you can give it a go while you wait for an official release date for the second one.

News, Parenting, Relationships, Trending

Dad’s Reaction To Holding His Newborn Baby Is Giving Us Heartwarming Flashbacks

By     Jun 16, 2021

Dad has touching reaction to holding his newborn baby for the first time
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Credit: TikTok/addyshiloh

You can read books, take classes, and talk to dozens of other parents, but nothing can prepare you for the feelings that emerge when you hold your newborn baby for the very first time. It’s something that sticks with you forever, keeping you going when things feel impossible. After months of imagining that very moment, it feels almost dream-like. That fragile little human in your arms, those enormous eyes looking into yours, it changes something inside of you forever.

In a TikTok posted by Addy Shiloh, viewers are invited to share a touching moment with a dad named Matt Foster. Immediately following the birth of his son, Matt anxiously waits for a nurse to finish swaddling the infant. He stares down at his tiny baby boy, his eyes filled with a mix of intense love and joy.

@addyshiloh“You just changed my whole life.”😭💗 ##foryoupage ##foryou ##dad ##baby

♬ You Are My Sunshine – Music Travel Love

The nurse finishes wrapping the baby and places him into his dad’s arms, the arms that will hold and protect him for decades to come. Matt begins to tear up, overwhelmed and overjoyed. He looks around briefly, both laughing and crying as if he can’t quite believe it’s really happening.

Matt looks down at his son with his tear-filled eyes, taking in the incredible moment. He rocks gently back and forth, putting his infant son completely at peace.

“You just changed my whole life,” Matt utters almost inaudibly.

The video in its entirety is under a minute long, but it’s overflowing with emotion that touched parents and non-parents around the world. “I cried when my little one was born too,” commented one viewer. “We all did bro… we all felt like this. I hadn’t cried in over 10 years before my daughter was born. Cried like a baby that day,” recalled another.

Kids change us. They change who we are, what we value, how we live. We spend less time watching football and more time watching Bluey, we happily do things that would’ve made our prior selves roll our eyes. And honestly, we wouldn’t have it any other way.