“Any of These Dads Single Parents?” — Fathers Learn to Braid Daughter’s Hair While Drinking Beers

A bunch of dads decided to merge their love of hanging out and drinking beer with a constructive purpose: learning to braid their daughters' hair. The Instagram account The Secret Life of Dads (@thesecretlifeofdads) posted a series of viral clips showing a group of fathers all sitting down for the communal activity.

The event, titled "Pints & Ponytails" involves a bunch of fathers sitting around a table together with pints and cans of beer before them. Additionally, each man has a mannequin head rocking an attached wig, along with a number of separate brushes and combs before them.

Under the tutelage of the haircare group Braid Maidens, the dedicated dads joined the Pints & Ponytails event and enjoyed drinks courtesy of Lucky Saint Beer.

The clip provides a montage of the various ponytail and braid styles taught to the fathers, who showed off their handiwork.

Dual ponytails, braided pigtails, high buns, and even the "Elsa" were all taught in the course. Throughout the video, the dads can be heard laughing and applauding each other for the clean, tight hair work their fellow male braiders pulled off.

And folks who replied to the video were ecstatic to see how much fun they were having and that they were investing time in how to be effective girl dads.

"I love this so freaking much," one woman penned. Another replied: "I love this. Functional men, functional dads that aren't afraid of losing their virility because they're learning to style their daughter's hair."

Additionally, several other women who replied to the video stated that they were interested in attending an event like this themselves.

"As a mom, can I take this class so I can practice on something that isn't feral?" one queried. And more than a few fathers inquired in the comments section as to when the next Pints & Ponytails events would take place.

Throngs of researchers have published studies on the impact of father-daughter relationships. This one Science Direct paper expounded on how "critical" the involvement of a father is to a girl's "social-emotional development in early childhood."

The research indicates that daughters who have closer bonds with their fathers display greater levels of social-emotional intelligence. Furthermore, these same girls display improved competence in maneuvering social situations and regulating their emotions.

Also, the Institute for Family Studies wrote that "fathers play an important role in what their daughters believe about dating and marriage."

In the same piece, the outlet remarked that women with absentee fathers were more uncertain as to what they should expect from romantic relationships. Ohio State University also reported in a September 2018 article that woman who have tight-knit relationships with their dads experience lower levels of loneliness than those who don't.

The school referenced a study published in the Journal of Family Psychology, which assessed 695 families who participated in the Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development. Intriguingly, results from the study also indicate that even father-daughter relationships that had conflict didn't adversely affect a child's level of loneliness.

As one of the researchers who partook in the study remarked, "Normal levels of conflict may not affect loneliness. If there is still communication going on and a good relationship, it may not matter as much."

The analysis was capped off with words of encouragement toward fathers and ways they can improve relationships with their children.

"Pay attention to their feelings, especially when they are sad or unhappy, and help them cope. Our results suggest it can really help daughters feel less lonely over time," said one of the paper's co-authors.

There have been some viral stories throughout the years of men who've displayed excellent braiding skills.

While promoting Guardians of the Galaxy, Chris Pratt demonstrated his ability to braid mid-interview. Curious as to where and why he learned to do so, the actor revealed in a talk with InStyle that he used to practice doing so on his sister's hair as a kid.

He also added that when he was married to ex-wife Anna Faris, he'd regularly braid her hair as part of a "nightly ritual." However, after his braiding technique resulted in bits of her hair falling out, Faris's mother then taught him how to do a French braid while he was filming Jurassic World.

And if you're a dad (or anyone) looking for a class to help your braiding skills up to snuff, then there are events and programs similar to the Pints & Ponytails one showed off by The Secret Life of Dads. In 2024, a viral Reddit post showed off a "small class full of dads that learned basic brushing, ponytails, braids, and buns."

The upload featured several photos from the class, with a lot of smiling kids, with dads practicing the technique on their own kids. One commenter who replied to the post stated that they attended a boozy-themed event where they learned to braid as well.

"I learned how to do my daughter’s hair just like this! I did her hair for years (though now she is too grown and does it herself). In my town, there is a hair salon in the same plaza where there is a beer shop. They hold a 'Beer and Braids' event where the Dads learn all the different ways to do hair as well as sample microbrews. It is wildly popular!" the dad stated.