A daily note for dads

You don't get a redo on their childhood.

Jobs, hobbies, houses, even a bad haircut. Almost everything in life gives you a second chance. The Doing Dad helps with the one thing that doesn't: every day, an email lands at the time you choose with one small, specific thing to do with your kids.

A blanket fort in a dark living room, lit from inside by a flashlight
Tue · Nov 10Today's idea

Flashlight story night

After dinner, turn off every light. Hand Maya the flashlight. Whatever she points it at becomes the hero of a story you make up on the spot. Then it's Jack's turn.

15 min · $0 · indoors · ages 4 & 7
Do the math

The Saturdays go by faster than you think.

This isn't meant as a guilt trip. It's a lot of Saturdays, if you use them, and plenty of Tuesday nights too.

How old is your oldest? 8
520
Saturdays left before they turn 18.
That's about 3,650 days in all. You only need to show up for a few minutes of each.
Why we built this

Reasons it didn't happen this week.

None of these mean you don't care. They mean you're a busy dad with a full week. Here's how we handle each one.

"I didn't have time."
Most ideas take 5 to 20 minutes and fit inside what you're already doing: dinner, the drive to practice, bedtime. Bigger ones wait for Saturday.
"I couldn't think of anything."
You don't have to. One clear idea lands in your inbox every day, at the time you choose, with exactly what to do and what to say.
"Fun costs money."
Most ideas cost $0 and use what's already in the house. Each note tells you the cost before you start.
"Saturday came and I had nothing ready."
Bigger plans come with a heads-up a few days early: a two-item prep list and a rainy-day backup.
"They'd think it's lame."
Ideas fit their age and what they're into. Tap "Not for us" and you'll get fewer like it.
"The tablet got there first."
You need an idea that's easy to start right now, not one you have to plan for. That's what you get.
How it works

One minute to set up. Then just show up.

1.

Tell us about your kids

First names, birthdays, son or daughter, and a few things they love, like dinosaurs, soccer or drawing. Pick the days you have them.

2.

Read one note each morning

Short on school nights, bigger on weekends, indoors when it rains, and matched to the season.

3.

Tap "We did it"

Right in the email. Add what they said, and it's saved with the date. Photos, traditions and a year-end book are coming soon.

A sample week

Ages 4 & 7 · November
MonDinner
Rose, thorn, bud

Everyone shares a high, a low, and something they're looking forward to.

5 min · $0
TueBedtime
Flashlight story night

Lights off. Their flashlight picks the hero of your story.

15 min · $0
WedRain
Living-room bowling

Ten water bottles and a soft ball. The loser does the winner's victory dance.

20 min · $0
ThuAfter school
Service
Pick the cans together

Let them choose 5 things for the food drive. They carry them in.

20 min · ~$10
FriPizza
Pizza faces

Each kid decorates a pizza to look like you. You judge with a straight face.

30 min · ~$8
SatSunny 61°
Backyard treasure hunt

Five clues, hidden in order. The prize: they pick dinner.

heads-up sent Thursday
1 hr · $0
SunSlow morning
Pancake request line

They name a shape and you try to pour it. Results will vary.

30 min · ~$3
Ideas by age

From fort-building to food runs.

A short stack of wooden blocks on a rug

Little kids just want you.

Short, silly, and made from whatever's in the room.

  1. Couch-cushion boatThe floor is the ocean. Rescue every stuffed animal before the shark (you) gets them.
    15 min · $0
  2. Bath-time hair sculpturesShampoo mohawks and unicorn horns, with a hand mirror for the reveal.
    10 min · $0
  3. Sidewalk-chalk outlinesTrace each other, then draw on superhero outfits.
    20 min · ~$4
A homemade cardboard rocket in a backyard

Big imaginations. They want you to really play.

Make-believe, contests and anything with a secret.

  1. Invent a creatureEveryone draws a made-up animal. The others guess its name and superpower.
    20 min · $0
  2. Backyard treasure huntFive clues, written the night before. The prize: they pick dinner.
    1 hr · $0
  3. Secret porch dropLeave cookies on a neighbor's porch, ring the bell and run. Spies only.
    20 min · ~$5
A soccer ball and practice cones on a field at sunset

They're pulling away a little.

Give them real responsibility and real competition.

  1. They're the chefThey plan tonight's dinner. You're the assistant who takes orders.
    45 min · ~$12
  2. Rematch nightOne game, best of five. Trash talk is encouraged.
    30 min · $0
  3. Teach me your thingThey teach you the game or trick they're into. Be a bad student.
    20 min · $0
Two fishing rods against a truck tailgate by a misty lake

Teens too. Especially teens.

These are the hardest years to connect and the fastest to go. Ideas are invitations, never assignments.

  1. The late-night food run"I'm getting tacos. You in? Your pick." Then let them do the talking.
    30 min · ~$10
  2. Three songsOn the next drive, ask them to play three songs they love. Ask why. Don't judge.
    15 min · $0
  3. Teach a real skillChange a tire, cook a great steak, haggle at a yard sale.
    45 min · $0
Traditions Coming soon

The best ideas turn into "we always do this."

Coming soon: when something goes well, make it a tradition, weekly, monthly, yearly or on the first snow. We'll remind you ahead of time and keep count. Service projects count too.

Weekly
24th
Taco Tuesday

The kids run the toppings bar. Dad does the dishes.

Yearly
6th year
Birthday-eve interview

The same ten questions every year. Watch the answers grow up.

Service
3rd year
First-snow shovel for the Jensens

Their walk gets done before ours.

Service
4th year
Thanksgiving food drive

The kids pick the food and carry it in themselves.

Yearly
2nd year
Mother's Day breakfast crew

A three-week countdown, a secret plan and a card made from their interview answers.

Monthly
11th
One-on-one date

Each kid gets one evening a month to pick what you do.

TomorrowJack turns 6½

Half a cupcake, half a candle, and you only sing half the song. Add birthdays and other dates that matter, and we'll help you plan for them.

The part you keep

Small days add up. We keep track of them.

Every "We did it" is already saved with the date and what they said. We're building the rest of the keepsake, so at the end of the year you'll have proof of a year well spent.

  • Every idea you did, with the date and what they said
  • A private memory log for each kid, by year and month Coming soon
  • Photos and "one year ago today" moments Coming soon
  • A printed year-end book, if you want one Coming soon
Pricing

Less than a cup of coffee a month.

Try it free for 7 days. No card needed to start. If it isn't making your week better, cancel anytime from any email.

Best value · save 35%
Yearly
$39/year
About 75¢ a week

30-day money-back guarantee.

Start 7 days free →
Monthly
$4.99/month
Cancel anytime

Every feature, month to month.

Start 7 days free
How the free week worksNo card on file
  1. Today

    Set up your kids. Your first idea arrives tomorrow morning, with every feature on.

  2. Day 5

    Your daily email reminds you the week is almost up. Nothing to remember.

  3. Day 7

    Pick a plan to keep going, or it simply stops. No card on file, so no surprise charge.

How do I cancel later? Every email has a Billing link. Cancel there in a minute; the yearly plan has a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Give it

For the dad who'd never buy this for himself.

For Christmas, Father's Day or a brand-new dad: a full year of daily ideas and date reminders, for $39, one payment, no auto-renew. We email the gift to you to print or forward, or straight to him with your note.

Give a year · $39 →
Questions

Fair questions.

How much does it cost?

The first 7 days are free, and you don't need a card to start. After that it's $39 a year or $4.99 a month.

Can I cancel anytime?

Yes, from the Billing link in any email. If you don't pick a plan during the free week, you're never charged.

Where do the ideas come from?

We write every idea and check it for safety, cost and fun. Each morning we pick the one that fits your kids, your day and your local weather.

My kids are different ages. Does that work?

Yes. We pick ideas that work for all of them, or tell you how to adjust for the little one.

I only have my kids some days.

Tell us which days, and ideas only come on those.

Is this only for dads?

It's for any father figure: dads, stepdads, grandpas, uncles, coaches. Moms are welcome too.

Tomorrow at 7 AM, you'll know exactly what to do.