10 Types of Dads: Which One is Yours?
To us, children, no matter what category our papa fits in, they will always and forever be our dads! (Photo: Deviyahya/Unsplash)
If someone would ask me to describe my dad in words, I’m pretty sure he would end up having quite a long list of description. I’ve known my dad as a quiet type of person who gets entirely too loud when he gets drunk. Sometimes he’s very serious as if he’s not the type you can joke around with, but there are times he annoys every single cell in my body with all his teasing. He also gets strict and scary every so often, but there are days that he lets me do whatever I want. In a nutshell, I cannot classify my dad into a few words and I bet I’m part of some people who are also having this struggle.
My dad, and perhaps yours too, is the living proof that fathers all over the world come in various shapes and sizes. Paying tribute to our fathers and all father figures around the world this Sunday, June 16, the Philippine Canadian Inquirer (PCI) rounded up the 10 most common kinds of pops that we know about and undeniably have. Which one is yours?
The Workaholic Dad
This person is growing roots from his butt into his office chair because he never leaves his place unless he really has to maybe take a dump or pee. His work desk can also be his coffee table, dining table, or sometimes, his bedroom. Outside the office, this dad’s hobbies include checking his email or text message in case someone sends him a “Please see the file I sent to you” message, answering a conference call during his day off, adding connections on LinkedIn, and hanging out with his bosses or co-workers. Probably, he wouldn’t even notice that a thief already broke into his house because his eyes are so glued on his laptop; he would just probably realize that he has been robbed when he looks at his surroundings only to find his other office folder.
Basically, his life outside work is also about work. While this may be the case, if you are one of those who have this type, be sure to appreciate and realize that he is doing this for that food on your table and that roof above your head.
The Doting Dad
If there are busy dads, it is unlikely that this list won’t have the doting type of a father. These are the most caring, hands-on, and the most affectionate pops one can have. They never forget to dedicate a father-daughter/son time like hold a tea party, play a game of catch, or simply watch movies together with us. They often compliment us by noticing how handsome or beautiful we are inside and out and call us by cute names like “munchkins” or “baby boy/girl” despite being of legal adult age. Aside from making us feel that we are their forever ‘little ones,’ sometimes, our dads are also out there acting like a whole child, making silly things or telling awful jokes to make us laugh. It can sometimes get annoying and embarrassing especially to the grown-ups, but let’s admit it, we really do love it whenever someone who babies us exists.
The Shy-to-Express-Feelings Dad
There are also these dads who do not say or do sweet stuff very often to their family. They do not say “I love you,” give you bone-crunching hugs, nor give you a cheek-pinching attack. But it does not mean they do not love you or care for you; it’s just that they are not “showy” or “expressive” with their feelings. They are the kind of person who loves and cares silently, and shows how much they appreciate someone through their little ways like leaving a glass of water on the table with a note, volunteering to cook your favorite food on your birthday, or dropping you off to makes sure you arrive safe. Once we understand their way of showing affection, we will find an abundance of love and sweetness in those fragments.
As they say, actions speak louder than words.
The Strict Dad
You have probably been annoyed at one point or another by your dad being unreasonably strict. When you have this kind of parent, it is not shocking that every day is a struggle for you. You know how terrifying it is to get their permission on something you want to do because aside from taking long hours of physical and mental preparation, you might as well prepare a PowerPoint presentation to explain to him everything in detail. After that, it will literally take them two to three business days to process whether they would allow you or not. Once permitted, there will be an agreement that you must return home before 10 p.m. although your commitment is at 9 p.m. You may be frustrated by them being overbearing and strict, but they have a better reason as to why they implemented these rules in the house.
At the end of the day, this strictness is rooted from their love and care.
The Millennial Dad
Has the latest gadgets? Check. Has social media accounts? Double check. Updated on the happenings on the internet more than you are? Triple check. Yep, these are the pops who jive in with the younger generation by trying the latest trends of today’s world. You would be surprised that these cool AF dads know the latest bop, the rising singers, bands, or idol groups, the trending fashion, and such. You would even be more ‘shookt’ to know that these dads understand and use the modern slang like “YOLO,” “savage,” or “lit” while talking to others. You might see their photos with their squad posted on social media with hashtags like #blessed, #sorrynotsorry, #swag, or #OOTD.
Seriously, you can’t even with these millennial dads!
The Spoiler Dad
Not the person that reveals important details in a story, but the person that gives anything his kids want without any expectations. This spoiler dad is like the “blue genie” in Aladdin who obtains high power but can only be used when his master wishes it. If their son wants to have a new iPhone on his birthday, he gets it. If their daughter wants that designer bag, she gets that too. Or how about a dinner with the family at this restaurant? Everyone gets it. With this ‘genie,’ their kids have the privilege to ask unlimited wishes.
So no matter what and how many their ‘masters’ ask to him, their wish shall be his command.
The Tight-fisted Dad
Probably the polar opposite of the dad above is this type. The “Mr. Krabs” of Spongebob Squarepants in him automatically goes out whenever we ask him for a dollar or two, yelling at us as if the amount we’re demanding would really hurt his pocket. It’s not like our dads are broke, in fact, they may be sitting on a lot of cash, but they would rather save it than just spend it. But even though they are the cheapest parent we’ll ever know, our tight-fisted dads are just trying to teach us some lessons of reality like what we do with our money matters and the importance of earning a fortune. Through them, we can grow up being hardworking, independent, patient, and strong-willed persons because they make us realize that we don’t always get whatever we want in this world in an instant — except if we come across a fairy godmother like Cinderella?
The Religious Dad
These are the dads who scold you at the dining table for not praying and thanking God first for the food before eating. Sometimes, they would even wake you up just to ask whether or not you prayed before going to bed. In every corner of the house, you can’t help but to have an eye-to-eye contact with the figurines of Virgin Mary, St. Francis, or Christ the King, adding your family’s calendar that has a smiling photo of Pope Francis printed on it. Your personal things won’t also be complete without rosary beads, scapulars, and small prayer books handed to you by your dad. Knowing that you came from a religious family, your friends or classmates automatically bestow to you the holy duty of being the prayer leader at every gathering or before the class starts.
If there is one thing for you to know though, it is that he may not tell you, but every time he prays to the Supreme Being, he gives his thanks for blessing the family with someone like you.
The Head-turner Dad
Apart from the celebrity dads, there are also head-turner dads outside the entertainment world that are drawing the attention of the crowd. We feel lucky and proud to be a product of an incredibly handsome dad… but not all the time; there will always come a point that their good looks and great personality take a toll on us. You’re used to getting questions like “Is he really your dad?” or “Are you really his child?” whenever you introduce your parents to your friends — they react as if a big mystery in the world’s history has been revealed. They unintentionally steal the show whenever they show up in one of your school events, looking fine as hell. It much worse for the sons, though, because, people would look at them both and would joke about not being able to tell which of them is the dad.
The perk of this though is that if your dad is that stunning at his age, maybe you could be too in the future, after all, you share the genes.
The Endearing Bully Dad
What kind of parent calls their children ugly? Oh, this kind of parent. But the funny thing here is that they call their offspring “ugly” without realizing that their kids’ genes literally come from them. They won’t call their daughters gorgeous when they wake up, instead, they prefer to compare their daughter’s hair to a haystack. They would even tell their sons that they look like a tablecloth with their brand new black and white square t-shirt pattern on. Sometimes, they’re like grade-schoolers, messing up their other classmate’s names (in this case it’s their kids’). In short, these dads just love to tease their children about anything and everything at every chance they get!
At least having an endearing bully dad is sure to give you a fun day every day.
These dads may have different personalities, physical features, parenting styles, and perspectives in life, but one thing is for sure: they all love their family so much that they would give their everything and anything to protect them and make them happy as long as they are living. To us, children, no matter what category our papa fits in, they will always and forever be our dads! Happy father’s day to the best men in our lives!
