"One of the biggest misconceptions society has about modern fathers is that they are less competent or less involved in parenting than mothers," the father of seven and person behind the wholesome online family magazine That Dad Blog, Alan Lawrence, told Bored Panda.

"Traditionally, the father's role has been seen primarily as the provider, with nurturing and household responsibilities falling more heavily on mothers. I feel that there has been a significant shift with dads playing a bigger part and being more engaged in all aspects of parenting. Don't get me wrong, most mothers are leaps ahead of us dads, but we also deserve some credit as co-parents."

Alan's right. In many places around the world, fathers have been stepping up their presence. For example, American fathers are now more involved in their children's lives than ever before and spend an average of 7.8 hours per week taking care of them at home, up by 1 hour per week in just about two decades.

What's more, there's also a modest decline in the number of children living in father-absent homes. The share of children living without a father (but with a single mother) dropped from 24.4% to 21.5 % between 2012 and 2022. (During the same period, the share of children who live without both parents remained stable, but the share living with both parents increased from 68% to 70%.)

Lawrence, who is also the author of Wil Can Fly: A Story about Finding Joy in the Unexpected, added that another common misconception is that fathers are very closed off.

"I feel like the media and entertainment sector often portrays dads as less nurturing, emotionally unavailable, and bumbling or clumsy figures," he explained. "I know a lot of dads who are actively involved with their children's emotional development, and who provide support, guidance, and love in ways that are similar to mothers."

For new fathers, Lawrence recommends "[doing] your best to recognize how present and engaged you are as a father."

"Be actively involved in your child's life from the start and do things like holding, feeding, or playing with your kid. Trust me, these little things make a big difference in how they will connect with you later," he said.

"Also, share the load with your partner so that both of you are equally involved, and be patient, try to stay calm, even when things don't go as planned," Lawrence said. "Parenting can be stressful, but if you have the understanding that you are going to make mistakes and that it's okay, you are going to do just fine."

When father Avi Moskowitz wanted advice about which highchair, stroller, and car seat to buy for his first child, he too immediately posted on Daddit (which has been around since 2011).

“On Daddit, you get the geekier side of the Internet, where people have done technical research about why this product is better than another product, but I think it also shows that dads are taking on more roles and responsibilities when it comes to parenting,” Moskowitz told The New York Times.

But it’s more than that. "About 90 percent of the posts on Daddit are those posting pictures of their cute kids,” Moskowitz added.

"We [the moderators] tried to ban pictures or say only post pictures here, but that didn’t work. I think it speaks to how much dads want to show off their kids."

Last year, a Parents and Verywell Mind survey of 1,600 dads painted a concerning picture of fathers' overall mental health.

The findings indicated that many dads are hurting and need more support. 2 in 3 respondents said they have been at least moderately stressed in the last 30 days, and 43% of them said at least half their stress is related to child care, with 62% saying the pressure to provide for their family is a major cause.

While 84% of fathers think it's important to talk to their children about mental health, 45% say they feel judged whenever they chat with others about it, and 75% believe there should be more support for fathers when it comes to these issues.

That means there are a lot of fathers who are struggling and need support—but they're not sure where to start, especially given the stigma. Luckily, Daddit is a great place to break the silence and open up.