Man Who Grew Up Without a Father Now Gives “Dadvice” in “Dad, How Do I?” Videos

When your car brakes make a weird sound or your refrigerator is leaking, it's commonplace to turn to your father to lend a hand with these home and auto repairs. Many dads are seen as handy men by their kids, on-call 24/7 for their unexpected challenges whenever something breaks down. Yet, not everyone is fortunate enough to have such a guiding light on speed dial. Luckily, a man named Rob Kenney is helping to solve this issue with his YouTube channel, “Dad, How Do I?” On his wholesome channel, he doles out fatherly wisdom to his viewers.

Kenney’s own dad left his family when he was 12, leaving him without a father figure to support or teach him simple things like how to shave. Now with two grown children of his own, the devoted dad draws inspiration from his experiences as a present father. Kenney provides “Dadvice” on topics like how to unclog a sink, check the oil in your car, and how to properly tie a tie.

He decided to launch his instructional YouTube channel on April 1, and his videos recently went viral. He now has two million subscribers on his channel. “My goal in life was to raise good adults,” Kenney revealed in an interview with WICU, “and so then when I got to, you know, early 50s, I’d felt like I’d already done that.” Now that he's accomplished the ultimate dad goal, he's turned to sharing what he’s learned over the years to help kids and young adults like himself.

“Obviously there’s a lot more to being a dad than being able to screw in a light bulb or whatever,” the YouTuber explains. He and his daughter—who calls him about “adulting” questions—“talk about all kinds of things—finances, and what do you do with this, and what do you do with that.” Although these topics may not be as easily covered on his YouTube channel, Kenney hopes to explore these issues sometime in the future using other digital mediums, like podcasting.

“I was just thinking I was going to be showing people how to do stuff,” Kenney admits. “But it’s resonated on such a different level…I’m getting such amazing comments from people. I’m humbled by it.”

Rob Kenney grew up without a father, but now that he has raised two children of his own, he is helping others by being a virtual father figure on YouTube.

You can learn how to check your car's oil, change a tire, put up a shelf, iron a dress shirt, and many other things on his YouTube channel, “Dad, How Do I?”

Rob Kenney: YouTube | Facebook
h/t: [Upworthy]

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Megan Cooper

Megan Cooper is a Contributing Writer for My Modern Met and a mid-century historian living in Charlotte, North Carolina. She has received a BSA in Public History from Appalachian State University in 2017 and is currently working towards finishing a Masters in Film and Media Studies through Arizona State University. She is extremely passionate about gender and women's studies and the democratization of cultural knowledge.
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