
‘Dude Dad’ Taylor Calmus Surprised With ‘Dream Truck’
By Movieguide® Contributor
In a new video, “Dude Dad” Taylor Calmus shared the sweet gift his wife surprised him with — his “dream truck.”
“My wife surprised me,” Calmus titled his video, adding that the truck was “the same one my dad had when I was a kid.”
“Taylor has been wanting an old, square-box pick-up for, like, ever,” his wife Heidi said in the video. “He found one, but unfortunately, it sold. What he doesn’t know is that it sold…to me.”
The video continues with Heidi and Calmus going out for coffee. While they’re inside, a friend pulls the truck into the coffee shop’s parking lot.
“Hopefully, when he walks out, he’ll recognize it,” Heidi joked.
Calmus immediately notices the car, telling his wife, “This looks exactly like the one I was showing you!”
When Heidi holds up the keys, Calmus is overjoyed and immediately gets into his new ride.
“Growing up, my dad had one that looked just like this,” he explained. “Some of my favorite memories growing up were riding around with my dad and brother in this bench-seat truck.”
Calmus is dedicated to creating special memories like that for his own children.
“As a dad, I’m always thinking up the next grand idea,” he wrote in an essay for Insider. “I’ll admit, sometimes I get too caught up in a project, making it bigger and better. I think it’s common among parents: We spend so much time doing things that we forget what our kids really want and need is just our attention. We have to remember that it’s not about always going above and beyond. It’s about just showing up. When we’re so exhausted from keeping them alive, just being there with them is enough.”
That idea inspired his children’s book, “Dad and the Recycling Bin Roller Coaster.”
“The thoughtful book tells the story of a loving father who goes a little over the top as he attempts to DIY the ‘best day’ for his children,” a description of the book reads. “The day consists of building one project after another for his kids, only to have them turn down his ideas… but the reason why they turn them down is as adorable as the story itself.”
Calmus said of the book, “As fathers, reading to our kids is one of the easiest ways to connect with our children. It’s a dream-come-true for our family to have our own children’s book.”
Movieguide® previously reported on Calmus’ dedication to fatherhood:
The Magnolia Network’s newest star, Taylor Calmus, knows that being a “Super Dad” means putting your kids first.
Calmus gained popularity after showcasing his creations on YouTube under “Dude Dad,” catching the eye of Magnolia heads Chip and Joanna Gaines. The couple offered him his own show, SUPER DAD.
“We build these big cool structures, but the show isn’t about building cool structures,” he explained. “It’s about building memories. It’s about creating things that help bring dads together with their kids. And it’s about dads talking to other dads about what it means to be a father.”