Navigating fatherhood with “internet dad” Rob Kenny

Rob Kenny has filmed hundreds of how-to videos for teenagers, adults and fellow dads, so what does he think about the journey to and future of fatherhood?

Join Carla Buzasi, CEO at WGSN, as we delve into fatherhood, exploring the ups and downs of the journey and how it has evolved from one generation to the next. Our guest for this week is Rob Kenny, the creator of Dad, how do I?, a YouTube channel that offers how-to tutorials and storytelling videos while creating a safe space for learning. 

Rob’s content caters not only to teenagers and adults who want to learn how to tie a tie or change a car tire, but also other dads who are keen to fill in their knowledge gaps to teach their own children. Tune in to this podcast episode to learn more about how his online persona has earned him more than four million followers on YouTube, and allowed him to act as a father figure to kids and an inspiration to fellow dads.

Creating a safe space to learn

“I’m trying to make it easier for somebody by providing content that doesn’t waste your time, but also you feel loved, you come and learn how to do something in a non-judgmental way. I think we all do this because we’re embarrassed to ask the question, so I tried to take that off the table. I’m not going to assume you know anything about a propane tank or whatever. I’m just going to show you this so you’re no longer scared of it and it doesn’t intimidate you.”

Becoming a father figure online

“I am just a dad that is passing along some information that I’ve learned. One request I had early on was ‘how to tie your shoes?’ and honestly, I thought they were joking. But I’ve had that request enough times that I finally ended up doing it on TikTok. It’s got a lot of views and it breaks my heart that there’s people out there who never learned how to tie their shoes.”

Inspiring other dads 

“I want people to see that being a dad is a cool thing. I think a lot of times it’s portrayed in sitcoms like Homer Simpson. And while it’s funny, it also hurts the fact that it is cool to be a dad and I have loved every minute of it. The ups and the downs aren’t always easy, but I love it. And so if I can do my little part to help encourage dads to see how needed you are and how cool it is…”
– Rob Kenney, content creator

Head to Apple or Spotify to hear the full discussion on our Lives of Tomorrow podcast episode, Dad Has The Answer To Everything – Or Does He?