A father-of-two has started a YouTube Channel for kids growing up without dads of their own, in an effort to teach them valuable life advice and lessons.
When Rob Kenney was 14 years old, his father walked out on him and his seven siblings, leaving the Bellevue, Washington family was left to fend for themselves.
Speaking to Shattered Magazine, Rob revealed how his father had been awarded custody of the eight children following a turbulent divorce case with Rob's mother.
"He got custody of us, but he didn’t really want us. I think he was kind of done by that time," he told the magazine.
From that moment on, Rob vowed that he would be a better father and raise his children differently. He said:
"My goal in my life was to raise good adults. I never wanted to be wealthy. I never wanted to be necessarily successful. My goal in life was to raise good adults - not good children but good adults - because I had a fractured childhood."
And Rob and his wife of 29 years achieved that, raising Kristine, 27, and Kyle, to become two "successful, well-adjusted adults".
But then Rob came up with idea to help kids and teens growing up without a father in their lives. Rob wanted to make a series of videos detailing important life lessons that are not taught in high school - such as ironing a shirt or putting up a shelf.
But Rob kept putting off the idea, saying that he just didn't have the time. That was until the current pandemic hit.
"I had lots of excuses, but while we’re in quarantine, I ran out of excuses," Rob said. "I’ve been thinking about it for a while."
He continued:
"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.
"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."
He calls it "Practical 'Dadvice" for the everyday tasks we're all faced with in our lives.
After launching his YouTube Channel, Dad, How Do I...?, last month, Rob now has over 1.5 million subscribers - with his videos amassing hundreds of thousands of views each.
From how to tie and tie to how to put up a shelf, Rob has you covered.
Since starting the channel, Rob has taken "Dad, How Do I..." to other social media platforms - and his Facebook and Instagram accounts now boast tens of thousands of followers each.
Rob has since posted a thank you message (above) to all of his new fans for supporting his project, as well a message explaining that he is proud he is of all of his viewers (below):
You're a good man, Rob! And exactly what the world needs right now.
