Skip to content

Top Navigation

Parents Parents
  • GETTING PREGNANT
  • PREGNANCY
  • BABY NAMES
  • BABY
  • TODDLER
  • BIG KID
  • FUN
  • HEALTH
  • PARENTING
  • FOOD
  • HOLIDAY
  • News & Trends
  • Raising the Future
  • OUR MAGAZINES
  • Podcasts
  • Kindred
  • MORE

Profile Menu

Join Now

Account

  • Join Now
  • My Profile
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Cozi Family Organizer this link opens in a new tab
  • Help
  • Logout
My Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • My Profile
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Cozi Family Organizer this link opens in a new tab
  • Help
  • Logout
Login
Pin FB

Explore Parents

Parents Parents
  • Explore

    Explore

    • 22 Chore Ideas for Every Type of Kid

      22 Chore Ideas for Every Type of Kid

      Find a chore your kid loves to do, and start a habit of wanting to help out that'll last a lifetime. Read More Next
    • Top 5 Mom Friend Problems—And How to Fix Them

      Top 5 Mom Friend Problems—And How to Fix Them

      Parenting is so much easier with good pals. Learn to overcome friendship hurdles and bond with women who get you. Read More Next
    • How to Sleep Train Toddlers and Big Kids

      How to Sleep Train Toddlers and Big Kids

      Do you struggle to put your kiddo to bed—or keep them there? Read on to find out how to sleep train toddlers, preschoolers, and big kids. Read More Next
  • GETTING PREGNANT

    GETTING PREGNANT

    See All GETTING PREGNANT
    Your Chances of Getting Pregnant, During Every Phase of Your Cycle

    Your Chances of Getting Pregnant, During Every Phase of Your Cycle

    When sex coincides with your most fertile days, your chances of getting pregnant increase. Get to know each phase of your cycle to help you conceive (or avoid) a pregnancy.
    • Ovulation
    • Reproductive Age
    • Maximizing Your Fertility
    • Pre-Pregnancy Health
    • Trying to Conceive
    • Dealing With Infertility
    • Genetics
  • PREGNANCY

    PREGNANCY

    See All PREGNANCY
    9 Signs That Labor Is Approaching

    9 Signs That Labor Is Approaching

    Anxiously awaiting your baby’s arrival? Learn to recognize the signs of approaching labor, which signal that your little one might make an appearance soon.
    • Signs of Pregnancy
    • Pregnancy Week-by-Week
    • Giving Birth
    • Labor & Delivery
    • Pregnancy Symptoms
    • Due Date Calculator
    • Pregnancy Complications
    • Fetal Development
    • Gender Prediction
    • Baby Showers
  • BABY NAMES

    BABY NAMES

    See All BABY NAMES
    These Baby Names Are Predicted to Be Popular in 2022

    These Baby Names Are Predicted to Be Popular in 2022

    From Bridgerton to travel destinations, learn what's inspiring the baby name trends of 2022.
    • Baby Girl Names
    • Most Popular Names
    • Names by Origin
    • Twin Names
    • Baby Boy Names
    • Names by Religion
    • Celebrity Baby Names
  • BABY

    BABY

    See All BABY
    How to Decode Your Baby's Cough

    How to Decode Your Baby's Cough

    Caring for a baby with a wet or dry cough? Listen for wheezing, hacking, or barking first, then read on to find out what's normal and when it's time to worry.
    • Newborn Care
    • Crying Baby
    • Health
    • Baby Development
    • Safety
    • Gear
    • Breastfeeding
    • Diapers
    • Sleep Issues
    • Feeding
    • Nursery
  • TODDLER

    TODDLER

    See All TODDLER
    • Preschool Activities
    • Behavior & Discipline
    • Toddler Development
    • Milestones
    • Potty Training
    • Starting School
    • Health
    • Safety
    • Childcare
  • BIG KID

    BIG KID

    See All BIG KID
    How to Deal With Bullies: A Guide for Parents

    How to Deal With Bullies: A Guide for Parents

    Mean kids aren't just a middle-school problem. The trouble has trickled to the youngest grades. Learn how to spot it—and how to protect children of all ages from bullies at school.
    • Education
    • Health
    • Food & Nutrition
    • Bullying & School Problems
    • Child Development
    • Safety
    • Manners & Responsibility
  • FUN

    FUN

    See All FUN
    17 Budget-Friendly Kids' Birthday Party Ideas

    17 Budget-Friendly Kids' Birthday Party Ideas

    A fun celebration doesn't need to cost a pretty penny. Throw a memorable bash with these clever cost-cutting kids' birthday party ideas.
    • Birthdays
    • Indoor Activities
    • Outdoor Activities
    • Arts & Crafts
    • Printable Coloring Pages
    • Kids' Entertainment
    • Best Toys
    • Holidays
    • Family Vacation Ideas
  • HEALTH

    HEALTH

    See All HEALTH
    All About Coronavirus COVID-19: A Concerned Parent's Guide

    All About Coronavirus COVID-19: A Concerned Parent's Guide

    Here’s everything you need to know about the disease that originated in Wuhan, China.
    • ADD & ADHD
    • Allergies
    • Autism
    • Cold & Flu
    • Coronavirus and COVID-19
    • Cough
    • Down Syndrome
    • Emergency Aid
    • Fever
    • Medication & Vitamins
    • Obesity
    • Rashes
    • Stomach Aches
    • Vaccines
  • PARENTING

    PARENTING

    See All PARENTING
    The Stay at Home Guide for Parents

    The Stay at Home Guide for Parents

    Everything you need to thrive at home as a family.
    • Positive Parenting
    • Parenting Style
    • Celebrity Parents
    • Family Dynamics
    • Divorce
    • Home
    • Adoption
    • Just for Mom
    • Money
    • Toy Recalls
    • Stroller Recalls
    • Moms Run the World
    • The Stay at Home Guide
  • FOOD

    FOOD

    See All FOOD
    • Family Recipes
    • Baby Food
    • Toddler Finger Food Recipes
    • Hints & Tips
    • Healthy Eating
    • Birthdays
    • Holiday Recipes
    • Quick & Easy Meals
    • Food For Pregnant Women
  • HOLIDAY

    HOLIDAY

    See All HOLIDAY
    44 Fun Valentine's Day Crafts for Kids, Preschoolers, and Toddlers

    44 Fun Valentine's Day Crafts for Kids, Preschoolers, and Toddlers

    Spend an afternoon making these Valentine's Day cards, decorations, and edible projects. Bonus: Each one can double as a homemade gift for someone special!
    • Christmas
    • New Year's
    • Valentine's Day
    • Easter
    • Mother's Day
    • Memorial Day
    • Father's Day
    • 4th of July
    • Halloween
    • Thanksgiving
    • Hanukkah
  • News & Trends
  • Raising the Future
  • OUR MAGAZINES

    OUR MAGAZINES

    See All OUR MAGAZINES
    • Parents
    • Parents Latina
    • Ser Padres
  • Podcasts

    Podcasts

    • We Are Family Podcast
    • That New Mom Life Podcast
    • Pregnancy Confidential Podcast
  • Kindred
  • MORE

    MORE

    • Newsletters
    • Contests
    • #ParentsIRL
    • Adulting
    • First Year Playbook
    • Celebrate Your Way

Profile Menu

Join Now

Account

  • Join Now
  • My Profile
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Cozi Family Organizer this link opens in a new tab
  • Help
  • Logout
My Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • My Profile
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Cozi Family Organizer this link opens in a new tab
  • Help
  • Logout
Login
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

  1. Home
  2. Raising Kids
  3. Relationships
  4. Sex & Marriage After Baby
  5. The Dads Hall of Fame

The Dads Hall of Fame

By Jody Mace May 18, 2009
Skip gallery slides
Pin
Dads with the write idea
They may forget to pick up their socks, but fathers will also pull out all the stops for their kids. Meet our honorees.
Start Slideshow

1 of 13

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Designer Dad

Designer Dad

After having children, Chris Pegula, aka The Diaper Dude, realized that diaper bags were way too feminine for guys to carry with any enthusiasm. So the Santa Monica, California, dad decided to design his own line and in the process changed how fathers deal with diaper duty (no more toting baby's gear in a gym bag). Pictured here with Cole, 4; he has two other kids, Juliet, 7, and Kai, 9.

  • See all of Chris' chic dad bags at diaperdude.com

1 of 13

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 13

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Dad Who Goes the Distance

Dad who goes the distance

There's a lot that 7-year-old Mary McAuley, of Hendersonville, Tennessee, can't do. Born with cerebral palsy and suffering from epilepsy, she's confined to a wheelchair, can't speak, and needs a feeding tube to eat. But her dad, Tommy McAuley, has helped her achieve awesome physical feats. They are a father-daughter triathlon team. McAuley pushes Mary in a special stroller for most of his runs, pulls her along in a trailer when he bikes, and tugs his child in an inflatable raft as he's swimming. T.E.A.M. McAuley (older brothers, Grant, 11, and Griffin, 9, are members too) raises money and awareness for other families with special needs to get equipment to participate in triathlons.

The biggest reason for racing is Mary. "She loves the feeling of not being disabled, spending time with her family, and the wind blowing through her hair," says McAuley. How can he know this about a child who can't speak? "If you saw her contagious smile, you'd have no doubt," explains this proud dad.

2 of 13

3 of 13

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Dad Who Makes Lunch Fun

Dad who makes lunch fun

Every day during his own midday break, father of three Derek Benson, of San Diego, decorates a sack with a full-color cartoon character for each kid. Seriously?

  • See for yourself at lunchbagart.tumblr.com

3 of 13

Advertisement

4 of 13

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Blogging-for-Good Dad

dad blogger

Jeremiah McNichols started zrecs.com (named after his daughter, "Z," age 4) to advocate for retail safety in children's products and to report on his rigorous testing of kids' gear (don't miss the sippy-cup section). Over the last few years, he's turned it into a blog network devoted to bringing together uber-useful, slightly geeky (but way cool!) parenting sites on topics ranging from gardening with kids to DIY crafts.

  • Check out zrecs.com

4 of 13

5 of 13

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Dad of Invention

crazy forts

When Jim Whitney's daughters were ages 3 and 5, this Toronto dad found himself watching his kids play and wondering why there wasn't a toy that could be assembled and reconfigured in different life-size shapes. "I wanted something that could be a cave today, a pirate ship tomorrow, and a castle the next," he says. "Oh, and you'd be able to drape sheets over it for hiding." Voila! The Crazy Fort was born.

  • Learn more about Crazy Forts at crazyforts.com

5 of 13

6 of 13

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

First Dad

Barack Obama
Credit: Dave Anderson

President Barack Obama's fierce love for his kids, Malia, 10, and Sasha, 7, is impossible to miss. His commitment to keeping children's issues at the forefront of his agenda has us hopeful for a bright future for all of America's families.

6 of 13

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 13

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

"Cool Hand" Dad

"Cool Hand"Âť Dad

When Robert Haag's son, Michael, was born five years ago without a fully developed left arm, Haag was stunned to learn that prosthetic hands for infants were essentially useless because the "forefinger" and "thumb" were connected to each other and therefore immobile. That's why Haag, of Atlanta, came up with a simple fix. He cut just-for-show appendages apart so that his son could at least hold a block or a pacifier like other children. And thus began Haag's quest to make prosthetics useful to a child. He turned a Spider-Man fishing rod into a "fishing arm" by altering the pole to screw onto Michael's prosthetic socket. His goal isn't only to improve Michael's life but to help other kids too. he shares his designs online at openprosthetics.org.

  • Check out his designs at openprosthetics.org

7 of 13

8 of 13

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Dads Who Help Dads

Dads who help Dads

Troy Jones (left, with Matilda, 3) is from Los Angeles, and Sam Holt (with Hugo, 3) hails from Australia. Together they created Being Dad for fathers-to-be worldwide to get the lowdown from fellow dudes about pregnancy (so you want to have sex with your eight-months-pregnant wife?) and birth (yeah, he'll come out as clean and cute as in the movies!) and other stuff they might not even think to ask.

  • Learn more about these awesome dads

8 of 13

9 of 13

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Best Dad on the Dance Floor

Best Dad on the Dance floor

Andy Blackman Hurwitz is a founding father of Baby Loves Disco -- the nationwide dance party for toddlers and their parents. Against all odds, BLD manages to successfully unite a dance floor and deejays spinning '80s tunes with stuffed animals, bubble machines, and diaper-changing stations. But that's not all. The Narberth, Pennsylvania, dad also produced three kid albums that spread his love of music to the younger generation: Baby Loves Salsa, Baby Loves Hip Hop, and Baby Loves Jazz. We just want to get our hands on his iPod playlist.

  • To join the party in your area, check out babylovesdisco.com

9 of 13

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

10 of 13

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Dad the Builder

Brad Pitt holding Shiloh
Credit: MacFarlane/ Papapress/ Splash News

This father doesn't just look good, he does good! A poster pop for blended families, Brad Pitt is at the forefront of the Make It Right Foundation, building green, sustainable, affordable housing for families in post-Hurricane Katrina New Orleans.

  • Learn more about The Make It Right Foundation

10 of 13

11 of 13

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Daredevil Dad

Tony Hawk skateboard

Tony Hawk is the type who throws himself off a ramp to complete gravity-defying stunts before picking up his youngest at daycare (he has four kids ranging in age from 1 to 16). But what really bumps up this San Diego thrasher's cool factor is how he spreads his passion for the sport by raising funds for public skate parks in low-income areas through the Tony Hawk Foundation. The program gives kids a safe place to practice the sport while building their self-esteem and confidence.

  • Check out the Tony Hawk Foundation

11 of 13

12 of 13

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

DNA-Detective Dad

DNA Detective Dad

When biotechnologist and medical doctor Hugh Rienhoff's daughter, Beatrice, 5, was diagnosed with a mysterious and potentially fatal genetic disorder, Dr. Rienhoff (left with Beatrice) decided to sequence her DNA himself to find out exactly what was wrong. Now he spends all his free time in his San Francisco attic lab, sifting through Beatrice's genetic code in an attempt to help find an answer that will save her life -- and maybe others' as well.

12 of 13

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

13 of 13

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Dads with the Write Idea

Dads with the write idea

These fave writers both have brand-new books about fatherhood. Their accounts may not be classified as "parenting guides," but any dad will be able to relate to their experiences.

Sam Apple

Author of American Parent. Father of Isaac, 2, and Nina and Lila, 5 months.

Michael Lewis

Author of Home Game. Father of Quinn, 9, Dixie, 7, and Walker, 2.

Originally published in the June 2009 issue of Parents magazine.

  • Visit Sam Apple's site at samapple.com

13 of 13

Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

By Jody Mace

    Share the Gallery

    Pinterest Facebook
    Trending Videos
    Advertisement
    Skip slide summaries

    Everything in This Slideshow

    Advertisement

    View All

    1 of 13 Designer Dad
    2 of 13 Dad Who Goes the Distance
    3 of 13 Dad Who Makes Lunch Fun
    4 of 13 Blogging-for-Good Dad
    5 of 13 Dad of Invention
    6 of 13 First Dad
    7 of 13 "Cool Hand" Dad
    8 of 13 Dads Who Help Dads
    9 of 13 Best Dad on the Dance Floor
    10 of 13 Dad the Builder
    11 of 13 Daredevil Dad
    12 of 13 DNA-Detective Dad
    13 of 13 Dads with the Write Idea

    Share & More

    Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message
    Parents

    Magazines & More

    Learn More

    • About Us
    • Customer Service this link opens in a new tab
    • Cozi Family Organizer this link opens in a new tab
    • Advertise this link opens in a new tab
    • Content Licensing this link opens in a new tab
    • From Our Sponsors this link opens in a new tab
    • Affiliate Program this link opens in a new tab
    • Accolades this link opens in a new tab

    Connect

    Follow Us
    Subscribe to Our Newsletter
    Sign Up
    MeredithParents.com is part of the Parents Network. © Copyright 2022 Meredith Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
    © Copyright Parents. All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.parents.com

    Sign in

    View image

    The Dads Hall of Fame
    this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.