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One year ago, the documentary series ‘Grown Up Dad’ debuted on Father’s Day as a pilot episode.
Hosted and co-produced by Philadelphia-based Joe Gidjunis, this series delves into the evolving expectations and experiences of fatherhood.
Gidjunis, who is also a photographer and father to an 8-year-old boy, aims to reshape the narrative of fatherhood that has often depicted dads as bumbling and incompetent.
“Every time we’re able to show a dad who’s loving their kids and loves being a dad, I feel like I’m countering decades of the bumbling-dad narrative on television,” Gidjunis explained.
This June, WHYY-TV will air a full five-part season of ‘Grown Up Dad’ on PBS stations across the country, reflecting the growing significance of the series.
On Saturday, Gidjunis and his production partner Joshua Kagi are set to provide a sneak peek of one of the new episodes at Bryn Mawr College, as part of the Daddying Film Forum.
This event is organized by the online Daddying Film Festival, which recognized ‘Grown Up Dad’ with the award for best short documentary.
The show is particularly notable for its introspective look at fatherhood, addressing contemporary challenges that modern dads face.
Gidjunis, who became a father eight years ago, shared his desire to transcend the legacy of his own father, who, while a good provider, was largely absent.
Without a clear role model for fatherhood, Gidjunis expressed feelings of uncertainty and inadequacy.
“I’m realizing I’m just wholly unprepared to do this. I want to be better than the father that I had,” he remarked, noting the generational shift in fathering roles.
He emphasized how modern fathers are increasingly active and present in their children’s lives, but face new and complex challenges.
These themes are echoed in recent discussions about parenting, mental health, and the impacts of digital life on children, as highlighted in Jonathan Haidt’s book, ‘The Anxious Generation.’
Gidjunis drew inspiration for his parenting approach from an unexpected source: an Australian animated series called ‘Bluey.’
The show focuses on a family of Blue Heeler dogs, and Gidjunis particularly admires the father character, Bandit, who embodies the ideals of active and loving fatherhood.
Gidjunis’s quest for understanding fatherhood even took him to Australia, where he interviewed a local journalist who attempted to mirror Bandit’s attentive parenting style for 24 hours—an endeavor that proved to be quite challenging.
“You kind of feel a little inadequate when you’re watching it,” said the journalist, Dan Colasimone, reflecting on his own experience of parenting amid work responsibilities.
This journey into modern fatherhood is at the core of ‘Grown Up Dad,’ as Gidjunis explores these themes while sharing his own parenting experiences in a candid, first-person format.
Although he admits to some discomfort with being in front of the camera, Gidjunis believes it is important to showcase the realities of parenting today.
He notes that, for his son’s generation, issues such as artificial intelligence in education, screen time management, and conversations about healthy masculinity are crucial topics for modern dads to navigate.
“I think parents really live in a bubble sometimes,” Gidjunis commented, acknowledging the difficulty in finding quality advice for parenting challenges.
The upcoming episode that Gidjunis and Kagi will showcase at the Daddying forum in Bryn Mawr focuses on helping children effectively navigate technology.
Interestingly, the episode was completed just the day prior to the event, underscoring the commitment and dynamism of the ‘Grown Up Dad’ project.
As the Daddying Film Forum unfolds this Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Gidjunis continues to champion a new narrative around fatherhood that reflects both the joys and complexities of being a dad in today’s world.
image source from：https://whyy.org/articles/grown-up-dad-philly-pbs-documentary/
