'Fun dads' get 5 things right about parenting that many people forget—'they're worth borrowing' this Father's Day, says expert

Even if you never plan to wrestle a toddler before bedtime, we could all use a little fun-dad energy. There's a reason the stereotype exists: Dads spend a lot of time playing with their children, and they tend to enjoy it. In fact, dads report feeling happier when interacting with their kids than during most other daily activities. Of course, dads may have more room for play partly because moms are carrying more of the mental load of parenting . On average, moms report being responsible for about 73% of all cognitive household labor compared with their partners' 27%, and it's stressing them out . As we work to rebalance the less-fun parts of parenting and household management, we shouldn't lose sight of what fun dads get right: Play matters . And it's good for adults , too. This Father's Day, here are five fun-dad habits worth borrowing. 1. They don't overthink fun Fun gets harder when we put too much pressure on it. Not all play needs to be epic. Fun dads recognize the mileage in small moments of play, like introducing your kids to your old LEGOs or pretending to be a monster with your toddler while you're getting ready in the morning. Adults often think our leisure time needs to be productive. What's the point of a hobby if we don't develop a marketable skill or turn it into a side hustle? We end up making fun feel like work before we've even started. Plus, passive entertainment asks almost nothing of us. Sometimes that's exactly what we need when we're exhausted. 2. …