Soft hearts, strong arms: The rise of millennial dads

“Present dads....”

I am sure quite a number of us have come across this Tiktok of a South African father being interrupted by their child during a Zoom meeting and after listening to their little child, those are his remarks.

Or rather the one whose child asks if he’s interrupting something and he says it’s okay. One thing to notice is that this is a generation of younger fathers or better yet ‘millennial dads’.

In the previous generations, the word father carried a certain weight.

Their presence at home would see everyone quietly leave the sitting room, leaving behind only the hum of the television and a carefully arranged living room. This was not out of respect but mostly out of fear.

Many of the fathers were stern and mostly silent. When they spoke they commanded the room.

A boy crying too long risked being told to “man up” as feelings were seen as vulnerable hence weak.

But somewhere along the way, the script began to change and a generation of soft fathers arose.

Today, a growing number of fathers are choosing to be present. These are the ones who leave work a little earlier just to beat traffic and make it home in time for dinner, bedtime stories, or simply to watch their children play.

They no longer raise their voices and have room for open conversations.

You’ll find them at the playground or softly explaining why bedtime is important after just one more cartoon or using the phone. They have learned to sit through tantrums without shouting and how to validate emotions without dismissing them.

And when evening comes, children don’t scatter when dads walk through the door, instead, they run toward them, eager to share stories of their day, small victories, or even the day’s frustrations.

The sitting room is often lively with chatter, laughter, and messy toys.

And perhaps that’s the quiet beauty of present dads.

They may not be perfect, but they are trying (learning) to listen, nurture, and show up not just as providers.

As they rewrite this new script of fatherhood, they raise a generation that knows love, safety, and tenderness wrapped in a father's embrace.

Happy Father’s Day!!