19 Things Dads Do That You Won’t See In Popular Culture

This is what today's dads are really like.

1. Change diapers.

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They even do it in public when they can't find a men's room with a changing table (which happens far too often).

2. Chauffeur their kids around.

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Nowadays you see plenty of dads in the drop-off line at school, and nearly as many at pick-up.

3. Cook.

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A 2013 study from the Bureau of Labor Statistics found that on an average day, 41% of dads did food preparation or clean-up.

4. Dress their kids.

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Dads know all too well what it's like to take their kids in public only to hear, "They look great! Who dressed them?"

5. Shower their kids with affection.

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The uptight dad who can't tell his kids "I love you" might make a good character in a Lifetime movie, but today's dads make sure their kids know they're loved.

6. Get out of bed in the middle of the night.

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Whether it's to feed the baby, soothe an older child back to sleep after a nightmare, or check up on a teenager, dads aren't snoring all night long. (I mean, they're probably snoring, but they're getting up too.)

7. Do their daughter's hair.

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Anyone dare to make fun of this dad for doing it? Didn't think so.

8. Their daughter's nails too.

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Whether it's hair or nails, more and more dads are doing this stuff to bond with their daughters and lessen the burden on their partner.

9. Clean.

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Much like cooking, cleaning is a chore that more dads are sharing.

10. Handle the kid's baths.

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Dads are cleaning the kids too.

11. Do the family laundry.

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They don't ruin everything, either.

12. Volunteer at school.

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If they have to take off work to do it, they do.

13. Be stay-at-home dads by choice.

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And not because they can't find a job.

14. Do just fine when parenting solo.

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Parenting with a partner is terrific, but dads are perfectly capable of taking the kids out all by themselves.

15. Care about their kid's emotional well-being.

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Today's dads are able to physically comfort their kids, and not just give them advice while smoking a pipe like Ward Cleaver.

16. Appreciate their kid's mother.

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Conflict is what drives drama, so it makes sense that moms and dads are at odds in many films and TV shows. In reality, though, dads understand and appreciate the monumental role mothers play in their children's lives.

17. Worry about whether they're doing a good job.

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Buffoonish dads like Homer Simpson may not reflect on the job they're doing as a parent, but today's dads definitely do.

18. Put family first.

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In a Today show survey, 75% of dads polled said that being a dad was their most important job.

19. Get emotional.

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The stoic, emotionally unavailable dad is a lot less common among today's dads than it is in the media. Dads love their kids, and if that means they show a little emotion now and again, they're perfectly fine with that.

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