There are few tasks fathers teach their children while they grow up. These tasks are not necessarily life lessons that teach them how to be successful. Tying a tie, changing tires, or even shaving are some of these.
For kids who do not have their fathers growing up, they rely on what moms teach them or on relatives who pretty much give them the father figure.
Growing up, Rob Kenney learned some of the simplest how to's of life without his father next to him. He knew the feeling of not knowing how to tie a tie or to change tires from his father. This experience sparked the inspiration to Rob in creating his YouTube channel, "Dad, How Do I?"
Dad's Back Story
Rob, who currently resides at Bellevue, Washington, shared in an interview with Shattered Magazine how he spent most of his teenage years without a father. When he was only fourteen years old, his father left him and his seven other siblings.
Rob said that the dysfunction in the family started when he was about ten years old when his mother turned to alcohol.
His parents got a divorce, and his father had them in custody. Even so, he felt his father did not want them. "I think he was kind of done by that time," Rob shared.
When his father left him and his siblings, his older brother took him.
Years after that, Rob had a family of his own. He raised two kids, who are now adults. He also went through a lot of struggles, but at some point he realized he had to forgive his father, and so he did.
Dad Wants to Help
Because of this prior experience, Rob knew that he had to do something so that kids who were experiencing struggles as he did will not feel what he felt - helpless.
Thus, the idea of his YouTube channel, Dad, how do I?
For more than a month now, Rob has been uploading videos of "How To's." According to Rob, this is his way of giving back to the community. Through his videos, he is providing some "useful, practical content" that he aims to help kids and teens in doing basic tasks.
Every Thursday, Rob uploads a "How To" video.
Some of his videos include tips on how to shave, to check the car's oil, to iron a shirt, and to change a tire.
Rob also plans to start uploading videos where he will feature one tool per week. This tool is something that he thinks could be helpful in accomplishing everyday tasks of his viewers. He plans to call this "Tool Tuesday," which will start on May 26.
People who have seen Rob's channel find this inspiring and helpful. His story even reached other social media platforms where people think that it is not only pure of sincerity but is also heartwarming.
His channel now has 1.34 million subscribers. Rob's latest video is a "Thank you" video for all of those who have been supporting his channel and appreciates what he has been doing.
