I was abandoned by my dad at 14 — now I teach kids what dads normally would

You’ve got a dad in me.

Rob Kenney, who was abandoned by his dad as a teen, is stepping up for fatherless children by teaching them things they would have learned from their papas.

The self-proclaimed “Internet dad” now uploads videos on his YouTube channel, “Dad, how do I?” about simple life skills such as tying a tie, handyman work inside a home and sharing life lessons.

“I will do my best to provide useful, practical content to many basic tasks that everyone should know how to do,” he wrote in the description for the channel, which he began during the pandemic.

Kenney, 59, has caught the attention of 3.95 million people who are subscribed to his channel, hoping to learn something new with support from their “internet dad.”

“I genuinely think he was put on Earth to be a dad,” Kenney’s daughter, Kristine Ponten, gushed to UpWorthy.

The Post reached out to Kenney for comment.

Kenney resonates with the feeling of being abandoned by a parent since his father walked out of his life at 14 years old and never returned.

“I’m done raising kids,” his father told him and his other seven siblings, Kenney revealed in a video.

Kenney had to move in with his older brother since their mother was unfit at the time to take care of him due to alcohol abuse. And so, he was forced to grow up and teach himself the basic skills one would learn from one’s parents.

Throughout his adolescence, the Bellevue, Washington resident struggled with anger and confusion over his parent’s absence but promised himself his future children would never have to endure the pain he felt.

Now, he is happily married to his wife Annelli. They raised two children together: his son Kyle, 26, and daughter Kristine, 29.

Kenney’s family supported his idea to start a YouTube channel during the pandemic, which quickly grew a large following. His daughter attributes its success to her father’s comforting tone during such dark times.

“I don’t think it would’ve gone viral in another circumstance,” said Ponten, who helps her dad manage his social media accounts. “It is definitely pandemic-specific regarding the beginnings of it.”

As an introvert, social media fame initially became overwhelming and “terrifying” for Kenney, but he knew he served a greater purpose and continued to upload content.

Aside from helping people learn dad life hacks, Kenney also shares life lessons and encouraging words.

“There’s so much more to being a dad or a mom than just fixing things,” he said. “You have to share your heart with your kids.”

His videos touched the hearts of many fatherless subscribers who had to learn essential life skills independently.

“My parents divorced when I was 15,” confessed one person. “I had to figure out how to tie my own tie and my mom taught me how to shave.”

“Yes, I’m crying watching this. Thank you for being dad to so many kids,” admitted another.

“This dude just adopted everybody on the internet that doesn’t have a dad.”