Dad told a stranger at the park 'parenting is hard only if you care' — the other dad's reply hit him right in the heart
Parenting comes with many challenges, but what makes the challenges worth it is the effort one puts in. A Reddit user (u/Shat_Bit_Crazy) struck up a conversation with a fellow dad whose son was friends with his 4-year-old. Upon talking about parenting, the other dad's one response hit him right in the heart. Sharing this story with Reddit users on March 28, 2026, the father highlighted the importance of the effort poured into raising children.
The two dads struck up a conversation about the rising costs of parenting and shared their thoughts on the challenges it brings. The storyteller also wondered how people in older generations raised so many children. As the conversation went deeper, he said, "You know, they say ‘parenting is only hard if you give a sh*t.'" The other immediately replied, "Yeah….but I give a sh*t. I give lots of sh*ts." Hearing the other dad's response to being an involved parent filled his heart. He wrote, "So to all the dads out there that give lots of sh*ts. Good job."
As quoted by Australian photographer Anne Geddes, "Any man can be a father, but it takes someone special to be a dad." Parenting is often seen as a chore by most parents, especially by fathers. However, this dad proved them wrong. According to a report published by The British Association of Anger Management, it takes a lot of responsibility to be a good parent. "Responsible parents understand parenting is a reciprocal relationship; the birth of a child offers adults a unique opportunity to mature, grow, and learn about themselves," the report notes.
The report emphasizes being an involved parent so that they can support the child in every way possible. While the two dads acknowledged that parenting has its own set of challenges, they were committed to giving their 100% to raising their children. Soon after the post gained traction, many internet users shared their reactions.
u/mystical_wizard mentioned, "Most of the posts here show dads giving lots of sh*ts. And kudos to all of you dads in the trenches, showing up day in and day out, working on yourself to be the best dad you can." u/Citizen_Spaceball remarked, "I saw a dad meme the other day, 'I resolved to not yell for 7 days. So, we were late to everything for a week.'" u/timbillyosu pointed out, "Another big thing to remember for why past generations were able to have so many kids because you could raise a big family on a single income. The baby boomers were pretty much the last generation for whom this was possible. Now you don't just need two salaries, you need two fairly high salaries to make it comfortably."
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