The 7 Best Dad Moments of 2019
These viral videos captured the hilarity and intensity of fatherhood
— January 5, 2020 —
Fatherhood in all its poignant and comical glory continued to go viral in 2019, yet another reminder that when you’re in need of a pick-me-up, you can count on dad. As we kick off 2020 and the start of a new decade, Fatherhood@Forty looks back at the year that was and presents our seven Best #DadMoments of 2019.
7. Doug Payne’s Airport Shenanigans
Doug Payne is 100 percent THAT DAD. You know, the one that is happy to pick up his daughter, Courtney, from the airport because it gives him yet another chance to affectionately embarrass her. Like for Christmas when he greeted her at the Kansas City Airport—dressed as a cheery elf and holding a glittery “Santa’s Naughty List” sign with Courtney’s name on it.
“He’s always been a comedian,” Courtney told PEOPLE.
We can’t wait to see what shenanigans Doug has in store for 2020.
— Courtney Payne (@Courtdawg22) December 16, 2019
(Credit: Courtney Payne | Twitter)
6. Larry Sumpter’s Social Media Takeover
Speaking of the Naughty List, that’s what teenager Madelynn Sumpter found herself on when her parents, Tawnya Ford and Larry Sumpter, found out she had helped sneak boys into a sleepover party. They were kind enough to give her two options for her punishment.
“We said you can either go a month without a phone, or two weeks without a phone but we have complete control of your social media,” Tawnya told TODAY Parents. Madelynn chose the second option.
The takeover of Madelynn’s TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat accounts began on November 11, and Larry’s posts quickly became Internet gold. In one of my favorite Facebook posts, Larry and his son-in-law strut down a hallway and dance in daisy dukes and crop tops before lip-syncing in unison to Maddie & Tae’s “Girl In A Country Song.”
In the post, which has generated nearly a million views, Larry wrote: “Parent take over day 3!!! She definitely should have chosen the month of grounding instead of 2 weeks and giving us access to all of her social media!!…#parenttakeover #parentingwin #makebetterchoices”
(Credit: Larry Sumpter | Facebook)
5. Donte Palmer’s Squat for Change
Donte Palmer was fed up with the lack of changing stations in men’s bathrooms. So he went into Papa Bear mode on Instagram in September 2018 with a post of him kneeling on a bathroom floor while trying to change his son’s diaper.
“This is a serious post!!! What’s the deal with not having changing tables in men’s bathroom as if we don’t exist!!” Palmer wrote on Instagram. “Clearly we do this often because look how comfortable my son is. It’s routine to him!!!! Let’s fix this problem! I Kaepernick drop a knee to this issue! Let’s show the innovation of fathers!”
Palmer’s post helped launch the #squatforchange movement which caught the attention of Pampers. In June 2019, just before Father’s Day, Pampers announced it will provide —in partnership with Koala Kare— 5,000 new changing stations in men’s public restrooms across the U.S. and Canada by 2021 “to help address the inequality hands-on dads face when it comes to taking care of their babies.” And they’ve enlisted musician John Legend to help raise awareness for the campaign.
(Credit: Donte Palmer | Instagram)
4. Daddy-Daughter Ballet Steps
During the month of November, instead of Thanksgiving, Erin Lee, founder of the E’chappe Dance Arts school in Philadelphia, observes what she calls “dancegiving” in which the school encourages family connections through dance.
It was during this time that she posted a video of dads doing ballet with their daughters that generated international attention and was praised by celebrities.
“Primarily we are an African-American dance school which we love so much just because a lot of our fathers are stigmatized. You look at them and you don’t think they are going to be great fathers or they have tattoos or their hats are to the back, and it’s totally not the case,” Lee told the BBC. “So it’s really good that we get to use our platform to change people’s minds a bit.”
Dads will do just about anything for their daughters, including a plié.
(Credit: E’chappe Dance Arts | Instagram)
3. Rolland Holland’s Cheerleading Routine
It’s one thing to cheer for your kids and another thing entirely to cheer with them.
Rolland “Hekili” Holland put the pep in parenthood when a video of him mirroring his daughter’s on-the-field cheer routine from his seat in the bleachers during a high school football game went viral.
As it turns out, Rolland had asked his 15-year-old daughter, Mackenzi to teach him her cheer routine, practicing it 20 or 30 minutes at a time so he could be ready for the Big Game.
“A lot of people think I would have been embarrassed but I’m really not,” Mackenzi told TODAY Parents. “I’m just proud that my dad’s here and that he’s doing everything with me.”
(Credit: Scott Willard | Facebook)
2. Maverick Austin as “The Period Fairy”
There’s The Tooth Fairy and now, thanks to Texas dad Maverick Austin, we have The Period Fairy.
Maverick, a single dad, was hosting an important conference call at work, when the onset of his daughter’s puberty upended his day.
“Dad it’s weird, but think I pooped my pants!” he recounted his daughter, Avi, saying in a now-viral Facebook post. “So I rush to school take her a change of undies, put the old ones in a bag and rush back to my conference call and threw the bag in the kitchen trash.
“Few hours later she calls and I had to put a very important work meeting I’m hosting on hold, which I never do, and she says “Dad it happened again”…
“I’m confused and very annoyed because I’m super busy… I yell “just wipe your butt better then stuff toilet paper in the back of your pants and I’ll have to call you back in an hour!” and I hang up.”
It dawned on Maverick minutes later that it wasn’t poop, it was Aunt Flo. He rushed back to the school office to take his daughter home. Later on, she asks, “Don’t I get something, like when a tooth falls out?”
“So I snuck off to the store and when she got out of the shower, I told her “The Period Fairy” brought you something.”
(Credit: Maverick Austin | Facebook)
1. D.J. Pryor and Son in Dialogue
Sitting together on a big comfy couch, D.J. Pryor and his then 19-month son, Kingston, strike up a conversation about the season finale of the TV show “Empire.”
“They need to work on that, right?” D.J. asks. “Yes,” Kingston responds.
“Did you understand it, though?” D.J. continues. “No,” Kingston says.
Thanks to D.J.’s impeccable improv skills, the pair go on to have what appears to be a full-on conversation, complete with hand gestures and adorable gibberish from Kingston.
At the end, D.J. says to his son, “That’s exactly what I was thinking! We think a lot alike.”
It’s a true gem that has delighted millions and led the dad-son duo to star in a Denny’s commercial. (Fun fact: According to Diane Paul of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, the video also “demonstrates key skills needed for speech, language, and communication development.”) #TalkToYourKids
(Credit: D.J. Pryor | YouTube)
What was your favorite #DadMoment of 2019?
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Featured image photo by Humphrey Muleba on Unsplash
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