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After Joey Foo and his wife Samantha — both Florida natives and residents — had their second daughter three years ago, they sat down to have a chat about finances and their family’s future. At the time, they had a six-month-old named Ariana, and a three-year-old, Eliana. “The cost of childcare was just astronomical,” says Foo. “Sam was in the middle of a successful ultrasound career. It just made sense for me to stay at home.”
Foo left his job in retail and embraced his new role as full-time father wholeheartedly. “I just dove into becoming a stay-at-home dad,” he remembers. “My favorite part is not missing the big growth and development that happens every day with our kids. I used to do a lot of traveling for work, and I felt like I was missing out. There wasn’t an amount of money I could make that could bring me the happiness of being with my children.” Last year, the Foos welcomed their baby boy Joey, so dad life is busier now than ever.
Foo would scroll TikTok for parenting advice and hacks, and he noticed that mom content was ubiquitous, but dad content was rare. Samantha suggested he try his hand at making and sharing his own videos. “I filmed myself cleaning, doing laundry, going to the library, and going to the playground,” Foo says. “I uploaded a video on a whim in the middle of the night, woke up the next morning and had almost 20,000 followers.”
Now, Foo has more than two million followers on TikTok. They show up for Foo’s funny, warm clips of his everyday life, from cleaning out his car with his trusty leaf blower to grocery shopping with his baby snug in a carrier.
Sure, there are some haters. But mostly he is greeted, in Foo’s words, “with a whole lot of love.” The hardest part of full-time dadding “is the isolation, hands down,” Foo says. “Creating content is a way to talk with adults — a hobby and a way to connect with people.”
Here’s what Foo is giving the people he loves most this holiday season.
What do you give…
…babies?
The Baby Shusher. It’s this white and orange sound machine. It’s affordable and portable, every parent could use a few of these.
…toddlers?
At this age, kids love things for pretend play. Costumes and outfits are great gifts because they let kids show their creativity. Our daughter is adamant about wanting to help with cooking and cleaning, so a play kitchen would be perfect.
…older kids?
Board games are perfect. For us, there’s big excitement whenever we all sit down and play as a family. Chutes and Ladders is classic; our daughter loves that game. It’s also a good opportunity to practice taking turns and following directions.
…wives?
Throughout the year, I keep a note on my phone and write down if my wife sees something she likes or gets excited about. I also add something if she mentions a good gift for somebody — if she likes it for them, she might like it herself. It’s easy to forget, so the note is a great source for ideas.
Also a sure bet is anything to instill self-confidence, maybe makeup, a new hair dryer, and always dry shampoo. I used to be worried about getting something she won’t like, but that’s gone out the door. I just do my best.
A new book is always appreciated; my wife is in her book era.
…husbands?
I would love a new leaf blower. Mine has been acting up — I left it out the other day like a goon. A new pressure washer is always a great gift, too. I got mine for Christmas years ago. It brings so much excitement because it’s easy to see good results, and that’s deeply satisfying.
…dads?
My dad is passionate about golf, so I’m getting him a new golf shirt and golf balls. Note: he hits particular golf balls, golfers are usually adamant about the right kind, so make sure to get it right. A gift card to a local golf course is also thoughtful.
…moms?
My mom loves being a grandma, so I might get her something to lean into that. Maybe a specialty cup with her eight grandkids initials, or something personalized. Maybe a beautiful picture frame, or a car wash gift card because she likes getting her car cleaned.
…in-laws?
Sam’s dad has everything so it’s impossible, we just have him send us links for what he wants. Sam’s mom loves baking, so we might splurge on a new KitchenAid or new bakeware.
…the dog?
He’s a good boy and loves his treats — we’ll get him a special treat. Maybe a tennis ball launcher. He’s weird about his bone — sometimes he wants to hide the bone and tries to bury it, then ends up scratching his nose, so maybe no bones. He loves to rip apart all the wrapping paper, so we’ll definitely let him do that.
…a new parent?
Diapers and wipes. New parents always need diapers and wipes.
…newlyweds?
My cousin just got married. They’re a young couple, they’re trying to have kids soon, and all they had in their house was one bottle of Windex. You don’t want to clean anything when you only have one bottle of Windex, it’s dispiriting. So, I went to Home Depot and got them the Joey Foo Starter kit. That’s what I called my haul — everything to get them started. I got them a mop, microfiber cloths, bathroom cleaner, all-purpose spray, and Scrub Daddy sponges. Having the right stuff is great for ideas and motivation.
PHOTO CREDIT: Courtesy of Joey Foo
