Whether it's enthusiastically wearing a fairy costume for their kids or going above and beyond to create a community for fathers, we truly appreciate the big and small gestures made by our husbands and dads.
This Father's month, Smart Parenting, the Philippines' number one parenting media brand, has curated a list of the most heartwarming and outrageous things dads have done to inspire other fathers. We hope that these examples from today's dads will motivate more fathers to strengthen their bond with their families in their own unique way and, ultimately, contribute to our mission of raising happy and healthy families.
Because we love dads, we indicated the "Difficulty Level" and even suggested instructions on how to do it. Share this with all the dads in your life!
14 Adorable Gestures From Dads We Love
1. Channel your inner Miss Rachel
Difficulty Level: Moderate
What do you need: Video camera, video editing software, lots of self-esteem, and your own "curriculum"
Expected results: Your child's undivided attention and love
We adore it when dads go above and beyond to capture their child's attention. Take, for instance, YouTube content creator and entrepreneur Lincoln "Cong TV" Velasquez. In his quest to be noticed by his son Zeus Emmanuel, also known as Baby Kidlat, he transformed into "Papacon," his unique version of Miss Rachel from Songs for Littles, the YouTube channel his son adores.
Read our reaction to Daddy Cong's video here.
2. Watch all of your child's tennis matches
Difficulty level: Extremely hard
What you need: Sheer willpower, trust in the process, and a supportive wife
Expected results: Your child will be a go-getter
While this may seem challenging for any father, Dimples Romana revealed that her husband, Boyet Ahmee, has embraced this role for their eldest daughter, Callie. Boyet made the unconventional decision to quit his corporate job and allow his wife to take on the provider role, while he took on the role of the stay-at-home parent, all in the name of love. This decision may defy societal norms, but as a father of three, Boyet firmly believes that the measure of a man is defined by how he fulfills his responsibilities as a father.
Get to know more about Daddy Boyet Ahmee here.
3. Take pictures - beautiful pictures - of your family
Difficulty level: Moderate
What you need: A phone camera, photo editing software, and the consistency to do it without a prompt
Expected results: Good photos of your family and captured memories
Now, this is easier said than done. Many dads are often too busy or preoccupied to capture the ordinary moments that pass by unnoticed. However, dad Ryan Agoncillo and his signature black and white photos on his Instagram feed prove otherwise. His photos show that dads can capture extraordinary beauty in the mundane moments of their wives and children's lives. Go ahead, take that photo, dad.
Read more about Daddy Ryan Agoncillo's parenting style here.
4. Have devotionals with your teens
Difficulty level: Hard
What you need: Familiarity with the Scriptures, courage to talk about faith with your child
Expected results: Open communication with your kids, especially teens
When Camille Prats and her husband VJ Yambao's faith journey progressed during the pandemic, they were able to involve their children. VJ, a father of four, shared that when he started having regular devotionals with his teen sons, Ice and Nathan, it helped them become more open and willing to share with him. He believes that building strong relationships with his sons is a crucial aspect of raising them well.
Read more about Daddy VJ and their beautiful blended family here.
5. Visit a different country with your child
Difficulty level: Moderate to hard
What you need: Travel funds, itinerary is optional
Expected results: Core memories and bonding time with your child
Family vacations become "happiness anchors" as kids grow up, and that's why single dad Jake Ejercito ensures that he gets to spend quality time with his daughter Ellie whenever he can. The father-daughter duo embarked on a trip to Europe last year, and they recently enjoyed a memorable trip to Japan, creating new core memories that they will treasure forever.
Read about Daddy Jake Ejercito's Eurotrip with Ellie here.
6. Make your own Cocomelon
Difficulty level: Haaaaard
What you need: YouTube account, animation and editing skills, and a love for music
Expected results: Your kids will be entertained (and other kids too!)
If you have musicians like Jim Bacarro and Saab Magalona as parents, it's natural that they will incorporate music into their parenting with their children, Pancho and Vito. However, when their sons became particular about the songs they like, Daddy Jim took an unconventional approach: he began composing whimsical, original songs that his kids adored, and even transformed it into a music channel! In 2021, they started Puddy Rock, which has 100 videos and 18K subscribers.
Read more about Puddy Rock here.
7. Teach your child what you love to do
Difficulty level: Easy
What you need: Pancake mix, eggs, time, and love
Expected results: A hearty breakfast and a happy child
Dads don't always need to make grand gestures to demonstrate their love and affection for their kids. Dad and food content creator Erwan Heussaff proved this when he spent time with his daughter Dahlia Amelie in the kitchen, preparing pancakes together. Like any other child, Dahlia loves it when her parents Erwan and Anne Curtis spend time with her, so even dedicating a few minutes of quality and focused time, such as teaching her to make pancakes, is sure to become a cherished memory.
8. No more gimmicks with friends, have more dates with mom
Difficulty level: Super hard!
What you need: Purpose, determination, and friends who would understand
Expected results: More time with your priority, your family
As a dad who is constantly occupied with work and travel, host Drew Arellano had to sacrifice some of his time with friends when he became a dad. From the very beginning, the father of four knew he wanted to be a "great father." This commitment led him to adjust various aspects of his life, such as making sure he is home by 7 PM to spend quality time with his son, Primo. Drew understands the importance of prioritizing his family, and he believes that maintaining a strong bond with his wife, Iya Villania, is crucial. Despite not being able to sleep beside each other because they are co-sleeping with their four kids now, they make it a point to have regular dates, which, according to Drew, helps keep the flame alive.
Read how Daddy Drew Arellano did it here.
9. Lessen time on social media
Difficulty level: Easy to hard hehe
Expected results: More time with family
If you're a dad who spends a lot of time on your phone, whether creating or consuming content on social media, it's a reminder to allocate less time online and more time offline. In a now-viral and humorous TikTok video, actor and father of three Dennis Trillo portrayed the importance of prioritizing daddy duties over his TikTokerist goals. He was just about to record himself doing the Gento dance challenge when his wife Jennylyn Mercado entered the scene and handed him their one-year-old daughter Dylan.
10. Go to a K-pop concert with your daughters
Difficulty level: Moderate to hard
What you need: Concert tickets, time, and love
Expected results: Your kids will love you forever, and a new playlist
If you are a dad of teenagers who are eager to attend their first-ever concert, it's not unusual for fathers to assume the role of a bodyguard, isn't it? However, Doug Kramer, a former professional basketball player, had an unexpected experience when he accompanied his daughters Kendra and Scarlett to the Blackpink concert in Bulacan last March. He found himself thoroughly entertained and became a fan of the group (a BLINK, to be precise!). He even developed a bias among the members! LOL. Going on one-on-one dates with his kids is just one of the ways Doug prioritizes quality time with them.
Read more about Daddy Doug Kramer here.
11. Wear twinning pajamas
Difficulty level: Easy!
What you need: Twinning pajamas from Shopee
Expected results: Good night sleep, and cute twinning photos you and your child can look back on
Ever since becoming a parent, TV host Luis Manzano has fallen deeply in love with his daughter Isabella Rose. His love for her is so strong that he even goes as far as wearing matching pajamas with her. While this may not be an easy feat for all dads, it's a gesture that could certainly earn you the title of a fun and cool parent!
Read what Daddy Luis Manzano had to say to new dads here.
12. Pursue your dreams with your family
Difficulty level: Oh man this is hard
What you need: Lots of determination and faith in yourself
Expected results: Your child will dream big too
As a new dad, Billy Crawford didn't let fatherhood hinder him from pursuing his wildest dreams, even if it meant participating in an international dance competition and ultimately winning the grand prize! To ensure that he could still be with his family, he brought along Coleen Garcia and their son Amari to Europe.
13. Be a family man
Difficulty level: Harder than you think
What you need: Guts and lots of love
Expected results: A family that has your back
Not all dads would include "family man" in their Instagram bio and live up to it, but Mikki Eduardo, the husband of actress Bettinna Carlos, did just that. He went a step further by legally adopting Gummy, Bettinna's firstborn child, after 11 years of having "N/A" as her middle name. If this ain't one of the most heartwarming acts a dad can do to his child, we don't know what is.
14. Start a dad tribe
Difficulty level: Not as easy as it seems
What you need: A Facebook group, time, and effort
Expected results: A generation of more involved and present fathers
Just like moms, dads often navigate the challenges of parenting without a manual. However, support groups in the past have primarily focused on topics such as motherhood and breastfeeding, leaving dads with limited resources. That is why when Joey Ong created the Facebook group Dadbud PH, it marked a historic milestone in the parenting community. The content and conversations that take place within this exclusive group remain a mystery to moms unless their husbands choose to share. Nevertheless, thanks to the articles and video content produced by Smart Parenting's first-ever daddy editor-at-large, we can be assured that they are up to something good.
Happy Father's Day, dads!
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