Any man can be a Father, but it takes someone special to be a dad.” -Anne Geddes
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Happy Father’s Day to all the great dads out there!
Psst…Still need to make dad a card? Here are some quick and easy – FREE printable tools for you: TomKat Studio & Creative Mamma
Check-out all the great, funny, kinda questionable, and oh so loving dads – in multigenerational-ville – that you find on the small and big screen!
Arthur Spooner, on King of Queens, melts our hearts and makes our jaws drop. He is quirky, high maintenance, and quite unbelievable. I laugh at his interactions with Doug, especially the episode of ketchup vs. catsup. Arthur is well-meaning and often misguided. He would need to sign-up for my in-law boot camp, but he’s still a great dad.
Tom Joad, from The Grapes of Wrath, is for sure a strong and struggling family man. He made major mistakes in his life, but when given a change, he fights for justice to honor his family and take care of those around him. Tom Joad is a great symbol of redemption and forgiveness – a marvelous lesson for a father to pass down.
My favorite quote from the movie: “If there was a law, they was workin’ with maybe we could take it, but it ain’t the law. They’re workin’ away our spirits, tryin’ to make us cringe and crawl, takin’ away our decency.”
Parenthood showcases a variety of dads trying to be present, do the right things, and carve out their own identities as various family dynamics interact.
Peter Braverman is trying to be an “all-American” dad, like his father, Zeek, and provide a stable and healthy lifestyle. I love how reflective he is about the need to rethink the life he crafted for himself.
Crosby entered into fatherhood – already in progress – and is looking to his father, brother, and brother-in-law for a parenting-101 tips so he can have a great family life. Crosby is discovering one size does not fit all.
Zeek, as the patriarch, thinks he has it together but is constantly learning that nothing stays the same – and he needs to adjust (even though he’s sometimes slow in doing this) to new, challenging and fascinating family interactions.
I give all these dads thumbs up in doing their best, having successes, making messes – and staying committed to do it all over again.
Our multigenerational family loves Modern Family. Thanks goodness for TiVo because we are always rewinding and laughing at the most perfect lines in the show.
Phil is my favorite dad on the show because he tries so hard and is often clueless. I love how transparent he is, even in his attempts to be cool and smart. I would love to coach Phil on strengthening his relationship with Jay – Phil is going about it all wrong.
Mitchell and Cameron fantastic dads because they take so much pride in being dads. I know they could “bring it on down” to enjoy fatherhood a little bit more – but hey, I enjoy laughing along with them as the adventures unfold.
Jay is super fortunate to have another change at fatherhood – and how hilarious is it that his stepson is in the same generation as Jay’s grandchildren. Non-stop zaniness there. I applaud these dads for keeping it fresh and real.
I still love The Cosby Show so much and enjoy watching it, in syndication, with my children.
When Denise gets married, moves back home and brings her stepdaughter, Olivia, the reactions of Cliff and Clair where totally understandable. After raising and launching most of their five children, they were ready to have an empty nest, but no, the nest became full again.
As a father and grandfather, Cliff modeled the joy that can only come from staying in the moment. He expressed his frustration, happiness, and creativity while figuring multigenerational living out. Sounds very familiar to me!
The Barone family, on Everybody Loves Raymond, is big on the multigenerational drama. Although Ray’s family lives next door to his parents, one would think they were all living under the same roof.
Ray wants to be a good husband and hands-on dad, but his own mother is still parenting him. Ray’s father, Frank, is still immature, cranky, and highly sensitive as the patriarch of the Barone family.
What I love about these two dads is they keep messing it up because they love their families so much. They hardly apologize because they “just don’t get it“, but they are still working hard at being the best family men they can be. I’ll give them a high-five for effort.
Martin Crane and Eddie (that cute dog) were always my favorite characters on Frasier. Martin was proud of his doctor sons, Frasier and Niles, but also made sure they didn’t get too full of themselves. I always saw Martin as the wise sage helping Frasier and Niles slow down and appreciate daily miracles – instead of constantly trying to one-up each other. Kudos to you, Martin, for modeling firm compassion and reality checks!
