From rescues to life lessons, why dads are praised as lifelong mentors

From donating a kidney to their child to paying off their kid’s credit card debt, a new survey revealed some of the most heroic dad acts in honor of Father’s Day.In the survey of 2,000 Americans, one respondent shared, “The most heroic thing my father has ever done for me was during Hurricane Harvey — he trudged through the waters to come get me.”Another reminisced, “He stopped working and took care of me when I had a car accident.”The poll uncovered that dads truly are the most helpful heroes, with people sharing stories of selflessness and kindness.One person said, “My dad came and stayed with me when I got a divorce and stayed until he passed away.”Conducted by Talker Research and commissioned by SweatBlock to spotlight how much dads have helped their children over the years, especially when it comes to building up their confidence, the study found that for those who grew up with a dad, most (70%) said their dad is one of their greatest mentors in life.Seventeen percent said their dad is the person they go to the most when they need advice and one in four (25%) shared that their father is the person they call first in a stressful situation when they need help or support.In fact, more than a fourth (29%) revealed they’ve called their dads for help in the last week.

Some of the most heartwarming things dads have come to the rescue for have been helping their kid heal from a breakup (19%), making a rent payment their child couldn’t afford (22%) and helping their child figure out their life goals (30%). According to the findings, dads have taught their children how to stand up for themselves (38%) and how to be their best selves (32%). They’ve helped their kids cultivate practical skills like driving (49%), fixing things around the house (43%) and changing a tire (31%) as well as interpersonal tools like problem solving (47%), communication (39%) and making a good impression (37%). According to respondents, when it comes to self-care, th...