In a scene straight out of a Netflix drama, a young dad turned up at a Manchester police station yesterday morning, toddler in one arm, half-eaten pack of Quavers in the other — and a story that’s since sent social media into meltdown.
According to witnesses, the 26-year-old father (who’s only being identified as “Ryan”) walked into the station looking done. Like, full “dad at the end of a Peppa Pig marathon” energy. He reportedly told officers:
“I can’t do this anymore. The kid’s mum’s gone absolutely mental — she just tried to FaceTime the cat.”
Police officers initially thought it was some sort of prank, but things quickly took a more serious turn when Ryan explained he’d been up for 48 hours straight dealing with his ex’s latest meltdown — which apparently involved “a blow-up unicorn, a karaoke machine, and a very confused Deliveroo driver.”
Witnesses said the toddler seemed completely unbothered by the chaos, chilling in his dad’s arms with a dummy and one sock missing — as toddlers do.
A bystander told UNILAD:
“You could tell he was knackered. He kept saying he just wanted a normal day — maybe a nap. The officers were proper sound with him though, they made the little lad a hot chocolate and put on Paw Patrol while they sorted things out.”
Within hours, a TikTok clip of Ryan leaving the station went viral, racking up over 3.2 million views. Comments flooded in — half of them calling him ‘Dad of the Year’, the other half begging someone to “check on the mum and the cat.”
Authorities later confirmed that social services were contacted “as a precaution” and that “everyone involved is safe and being supported.”
As for Ryan, he’s since posted an update on Facebook saying, “Didn’t expect to go viral, just wanted a nap. Thanks for the messages — both me and the little man are good.”
Moral of the story? Sometimes, parenting looks less like Instagram filters and more like showing up at a police station in Crocs, holding a toddler and your sanity by the thinnest thread.
