@dissidentsoaps @yockeypuck That's a mix of FOMO and lack of wisdom.
Those that talk about throwing ball with the kid as the pinnacle of fatherhood probably did it twice in a decade, weren't present much, and most likely didn't enjoy it when they were doing it. They just like remembering it.

Most people don't like playing with toddlers and little children. They're slow, not smart, not patient, not interesting. No one likes reading the same book for the 27th time in a row.

Do I like doing it, sacrificing a huge chunk of my day with that? Absolutely not, it's very boring and feels like a waste of my time because it's understimulating. But I'm wise enough to know that it's what I should be doing and that I should find contentment and satisfaction in doing the right thing.
Don't make the mistake of overthinking it like a woman and feel "guilty" because you don't find it fun. No one does, not even the women that love toddlers.

Taking care of little children isn't fun. People just remember it fondly.

Pic related, they're engraved in my brain forever now.