Father Knows Best
Growing up without a father can leave a permanent scar in one’s childhood. The absence can leave you distraught in knowing you’ll always have a void that can never be filled no matter how much time passes by. That was the case for Rob Kenney, a man that unfortunately had his dad walk out on him when he was just a young teenager. Even though Kenny faced trials and tribulations growing up, the experience never deterred him from overcoming this traumatic upbringing. As a result, Kenney created his YouTube channel appropriately named, “Dad, How Do I?” in order to inspire and educate kids who have gone through a similar dilemma.
Rob Kenney currently fathers two adult children. He began his journey at the beginning of April of 2020 with an instructional video on how to tie a tie. For a month and a half, his wholesome videos have garnered over 1.4 million subscribers.
Kenney was raised in Bellevue, Washington alongside his 7 other siblings. His parents went through a tumultuous marriage that resulted in a terrible fallout with his father gaining custody.
Kenny stated, “He got custody of us, but he didn’t really want us. I think he was kind of done by that time.”
At the age of 14, he moved to his 23-year-old brother’s mobile home soon after his father relinquished custody and declared he did not want his kids. Afterwards, Kenney has since been married and raised two children both of whom are now adults. Kristine, his daughter at 27 years of age, has gained certifications in order to help teach kids. Kyle, his son, is a software engineer.
After his kids left for college, Kenney went through what every parent goes through empty nest syndrome. Trying to find a way to channel his chi energy, Kenney thought about creating videos that can help children who grew up in broken homes as he did. His channel was made as a way to convey practical dad advice for everyday chores.
The videos he’s covered include several topics such as checking the oil, checking tire pressure, how to fix a running toilet, how to tie a tie, and how to iron a dress shirt.
“I want it to be about everyday tasks, but I also would like to pass along some of the wisdom I’ve learned along the way to encourage people,” Kenney said. “I thought I was just going to be showing people how to do stuff, but it’s kind of resonating on a whole different level.”
Ultimate Internet Dad
Kenny has received a resounding amount of praise and reviews from all over the internet. His story and message have been welcomed by many around the world. It has been making local news in Chicago with incredible praise for his heartwarming content.
User, DrakeBigShep, tweeted, “NGL seeing this brought me to tears. My dad walked out on me when I was 11 and barely taught me anything. This is so damn sweet it’s overwhelming I want to give this man a hug.” In addition, user Jocelyn Galey tweeted,
“Oh, this makes me emotional. My dad walked out when I was 19 but he was gone emotionally LONG before that. These are the things my mum taught me instead because it was important. I don’t miss my dad, but I miss the dad I could have had…the dad who did this stuff.”
Kenney responded to the outpour of support that made its way to his personal inbox by sharing a video thanking everyone on his account for all the love and kindness people have shown as a result of his videos. “I’m a bit of an emotional wreck,” said Kenney. “The pain is pretty real in our world, and hopefully, this will help alleviate some of it.”
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