Dad Braids' Founder, Strider Patton on Braiding, Presence, and Redefining Fatherhood

When artist and dad Strider Patton first decided to braid his daughter’s hair, he didn’t expect to start a global movement. But that’s exactly what happened. A San Francisco muralist and cofounder of The Rabbit Hole Children’s Theater, Strider turned his morning bonding time into Dad Braids, a viral project inspiring millions of fathers to show up with patience, creativity, and love (and maybe a French braid or two).In this conversation, Strider opens up about how fatherhood reshaped his art, marriage, and mindset: from running a children’s theater with his wife to waking up at 5 a.m. for quiet moments before the chaos hits. He talks about the early days of Dad Braids, how one playground compliment sparked a worldwide dad community, and why he believes in turning everyday “tasks” into moments of connection.We get real about the pushback too — what it’s like to challenge old-school ideas of masculinity, the internet’s mixed reactions to a dad teaching hair tutorials, and why empathy (not ego) is the secret ingredient in every good braid.Plus: the Scrunchie System that gamifies learning to braid, the “Dad Braids Toolbox” that belongs in every home, and what Strider hopes his kids and followers will remember most: that presence matters more than perfection.Equal parts heartwarming and hopeful, this episode proves that the smallest gestures, a braid, a breakfast, a bedtime story, can be revolutionary.