The 6 Types of Dads We Know and Love

Moms get typecast all the time. There’s the tiger mom, the gentle parenting mom, and, of course, the perpetually dieting almond mom. But dads? Since society unfortunately sets a much lower bar for them, they don’t tend to get as many labels. Their parenting styles (and appearance, and lunchbox-packing skills) are far less scrutinized.

So, in hopes of raising the “good dad” bar a bit more—and giving props to the dads who’re already doing the most—we decided to explore some of the different types of dads. “Here’s the thing: Dads, just like moms, show up in wildly different ways depending on the emotional tools they’ve got in their toolbox, the culture they were raised in and how safe they feel emotionally,” explains Cheryl Groskopf, LMFT, LPCC, a dual-licensed marriage and family therapist and professional clinical counselor based in Los Angeles.

Of course, no parent is any one “type” all the time—we’re all multi-faceted people. With that in mind, we asked family therapists and real partners and daughters to describe some common types of dads. How many of these dads do you know?

The Cool Dad

The cool dad, also known as the bro dad, is just here to have a good time. “This guy is the human version of a chill weekend,” says Groskopf. “Super fun, low on structure and often high on chaos. He was the one saying, ‘Don’t tell your mom’ while letting you eat cake for breakfast.” Although the cool dad is a blast, he can sometimes fall short when it comes to providing safe and stable boundaries for his kids—he’d rather act as their “best friend” than an authority figure.

The Tea Party Dad

The tea party dad is emotionally available and all-in on parenting. He’s not afraid to break the gender binary or act silly in order to fully immerse in his kids’ worlds. “This one deserves a standing ovation,” says Groskopf. “He’s the dad who shows up fully. Paints nails, hosts tea parties, listens, cries with you, apologizes when he messes up—and knows your favorite Taylor Swift song. He’s emotionally attuned and not afraid of being soft or present.” Here’s to the tea party dads! May we know them, may we be them, may we raise them.

The Cycle-Breaking Dad

The cycle-breaking dad is a hero with a tough past. He wants to break the cycle of generational trauma and parent his kids differently from how he was parented, and he has his work cut out for him. “This type of dad didn’t have a model growing up,” says Evon Inyang, LAMFT, a licensed associate marriage and family therapist based in Minneapolis. “Maybe he had a strict, emotionally distant dad or no father figure at all. He’s really trying to do better, but it’s a challenge. He asks questions and listens more than he talks. He’s doing his best to try and rewrite a story he never got to see.” This dad has to do the hard work of reparenting himself while parenting his children—but in doing so, he’ll bring healing to his family tree.

The Hyper-Involved Dad

This gem of a dad is on top of everything—he’s his partner’s advocate and his kids’ go-to guy. He’s read all of the parenting books and booked appointments with the best postpartum specialists. He’s refreshingly involved, but (and I can’t believe I’m saying this) sometimes it can be too much of a good thing—especially if he has a hard time letting go of control. “This type of dad is all in,” Inyang says. “He’s the baby carrier pro, the midnight bottle guy and the diaper-changing ninja. Sometimes his partner feels supported, and other times she feels crowded. He has well-meaning intentions, but hasn’t figured out how to co-lead yet.”

The Older Dad

His grays are showing, and he’s noticeably more advanced in years than the other dads at the playground. Mary C., mom of one in Orlando, Florida, says her husband is this dad, and she’s here for it: “He’s scaled back at work, which means he has the freedom and time to be fully present and involved. He’s calmer than his younger self: more patient, more playful. He’s done chasing career milestones, and now he’s happily chasing his preschooler through the local park,” she says. The older dad has the time and perspective to parent with true presence.

The “Dad Joke” Dad

When does a dad joke become a dad joke? When the punchline becomes apparent! The “dad joke” dad has been working on his dad jokes since well before having kids, and at this point, he’s a pro. He lives for a loving eyeroll and wears his pun-making prowess with pride. “My dad is the definition of a dad joke,” says Elena C. in Chicago. “He doesn’t just tell them—he lives them. From pun-filled texts to his daily ‘#DadJoke’ announcements to my sister and me, it’s his love language.” Although these dads are a great time, some may need to work on flexing their vulnerability muscles to ensure their kids feel comfortable coming to them with the hard stuff too.

There are many different types of dads in the world, and they don’t all neatly fit into one category. But chances are, at least some of these types of dads sound familiar to you. To the dads who’re on top of their parenting game, thank you. The world is a better place because of your cycle-breaking, your tea party-playing, and, yes—even your cringe-worthy dad jokes.