20,000 New Dads, One Big Lesson

A week of braids, breakfast, and showing up when it counts.

Author

Dad Braids
March 23, 2025

Estimated read time: 3 min

It’s been a packed week. I’ve been helping build sets for my daughter’s school musical (cardboard! paint! glitter everywhere!) and the nights have been short—but with the warm weather rolling in, my energy’s been high and the vibes are good. This season always feels like a reset. Thanks for making this little corner of the internet such a great spot to hang.

Here’s what we’re loving this week:

Braid of the Week

This one crushed on TikTok—and for good reason. It’s our go-to upgrade for basic pigtails. Quick to do, super cute, and it holds up all day (even through snack time chaos and dance breaks). If you're only adding one new style to your arsenal this week, make it this one.

Kid-Approved Breakfast Recipe

Banana Oat Pancakes (No refined sugar, all win.)
Made with oats, bananas, and eggs—these are fast, healthy, and totally toddler-approved. Add cinnamon or a few chocolate chips if you're feeling wild.

Art Activity

Pipe Cleaner Creations
This video shares 4 simple crafts using pipe cleaners, perfect for little hands and big imaginations. From critters to crowns, it’s a creative win.

Movie Night Pick

Sing
A karaoke contest turns into a heartwarming story about bravery, creativity, and chasing your dreams. The performances are fun, the animation’s solid, and the soundtrack will get stuck in your head. Bonus: great dance inspiration for kiddos who like to perform.

Watch here on Netflix or Prime Video

Community Highlight

We didn’t get any braid photos this week, but something amazing happened—our newsletter doubled in size and we gained almost 20,000 new followers across TikTok and IG!

Welcome to all the new dads in the crew. This momentum is proof: modern dads are showing up, learning, and redefining what fatherhood looks like. Let’s keep going.

Dad Philosophy

Sometimes it feels like you’re barely holding it together. Work. Dishes. Bedtime meltdowns. A half-braided pigtail before school.

But here’s the truth: your presence is the gift.

You don’t have to be perfect. You just have to keep showing up. Again and again. That’s what they’ll remember. Not the crooked part, not the burnt toast, not the forgotten field trip form. They’ll remember you.

You are doing better than you think. Stay in it.

Thanks for reading. Forward this to another dad if you liked it. And hey, go give someone in your house a big ol’ hug today.

If you got something out of this, share it with a fellow dad.

From my family to yours,

– Strider

P.S. Got a question, a dad win, or a total fail you want to share? Reply to this email—I’d love to hear it.