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Dad's YouTube Channel Advises How To Change A Flat, Other Life Skills

NOEL KING, HOST:

This Father's Day will be a special one for Rob Kenney.

ROB KENNEY: So I call my YouTube subscribers my kids.

KING: The 56-year-old has two grown, real kids, but thanks to his new channel called Dad, How Do I?, he now has more than 2 million Internet kids. His videos are a combination of dad jokes and dad-vice.

(SOUNDBITE OF YOUTUBE VIDEO, "HOW TO TIE A TIE.")

KENNEY: OK. So today, I'm going to show you how to tie a tie.

My first video was how to tie a tie, and there's not much of a commitment with that, so it's fairly easy just to throw my hat in the ring with it.

(SOUNDBITE OF YOUTUBE VIDEO, "HOW TO TIE A TIE.")

KENNEY: If you have it up here, that's dorky. If you're not big and you got a short tie, dorky - just telling you.

I've done how-to's for the bathroom to show you how to unclog a sink and how to fix a running toilet. I've done some car videos, too, with how to jump-start a car. It's everything. You know, I want to do how to polish your shoes. I want to do how to shake hands, you know, and look somebody in the eye. And there's obviously so much more to being a dad than just running around fixing things. I walk alongside them and spend time with them and encourage them and share my wisdom that I've learned through hard knocks.

KING: Kenney's YouTube channel isn't just a place for advice. It's also a place for kindness, where those more than 2 million people offer mutual support and guidance.

KENNEY: You know, I thought it was a how-to channel, but it's turned into much more than that. People were telling me they're crying just watching me tie a tie because maybe they've lost their dad or their relationship with their dad is not so good. I think people are longing for a connection right now.

KING: Kenney was raised mostly by his older brother. He says he wasn't that close to his own dad. These new virtual connections mean a lot to him.

KENNEY: I did a video where I said I'm proud of you. The comments are overwhelming because a lot of people have never heard their parents say that to them. I can't even fathom that. There's a limit to what I can do as an Internet Dad, you know, but I love how they have rallied around each other.

(SOUNDBITE OF YOUTUBE VIDEO, "I AM PROUD OF YOU!")

KENNEY: I love you. I'm proud of you. God bless you.

KING: That's Rob Kenney. His YouTube channel is called Dad, How Do I? Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

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SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.