My 6-Year-Old Asked Her Teacher, ‘Can Mommy Come to Donuts with Dad Instead? She Does All the Dad Stuff Anyway’

When Nancy’s six-year-old daughter, Susie, innocently tells her teacher that “Mommy does the dad things,” it exposes the uneven burden Nancy has carried in their family. Nancy, overwhelmed by parenting duties while working remotely, managed everything from doctor’s appointments to Susie’s lunch preferences, while her husband, Ryan, focused on work. Resentment grew quietly as Nancy felt unseen, despite Ryan’s promises to help. Susie’s candid words at school—praising Nancy’s role in fixing bikes, playing, and making lunches—stun Ryan and his father, Tom, revealing the imbalance. That moment sparks change. Ryan starts making clumsy but earnest

efforts: packing lunches, attending “Donuts with Dad,” and sharing parenting tasks. He and Susie surprise Nancy with a gift, acknowledging her efforts. Over pancakes one morning, Ryan admits he’s been selfish, promising partnership. Nancy, feeling seen and loved, senses hope. They commit to raising Susie together, sharing the load. For the first time, Nancy feels like a partner, not the invisible glue holding everything together. Susie’s truth, spoken without malice, stitches their family back together, proving that being seen is being loved.