Who Am I? The Dad Behind Papa Cool

Hello, my name is Van, and I'm the somewhat atypical dad behind this blog.

At almost fifty, I'm experiencing fatherhood in a way I never imagined possible. My two boys, Luc (6) and Eric (2), have transformed me into a man I never knew I was. And now, we're expecting a little girl who will complete our family. Life is full of wonderful surprises.

A Father with Multiple Roots

I was born from the union between France and Vietnam. This dual culture taught me very early on that richness lies in difference, in mixing, in openness.

I grew up in Lyon, lived in the South of France for years, and now I've returned to settle near my roots, in a small town near Lyon, very close to my mother. Because family, connections, passing things on – that's what really matters.

I married an extraordinary woman, half Lithuanian, half Ukrainian, who has lived in France for over ten years. Our meeting in Lyon? A twist of fate that created a beautiful European and Asian family mosaic. Our children are growing up immersed in this cultural richness, which is our strength.

A Present Dad, Truly Present

I'm not going to lie to you: being a dad has become my absolute priority.

Not in the sense that I'm just saying it to sound good. In the sense that, concretely, every day, I make choices based on my children.

A school fair? I'm there. A call from daycare? I'm there immediately. Weekends? They're entirely theirs. I'm not the dad who "helps"—I'm the dad who does. Diapers, meals, baths, bedtime stories, nighttime cuddles, creative activities, trips to the park, existential discussions with my eldest... I do all this not to tick "modern dad" boxes, but because it's in those moments that I truly live.

I understood something that many fathers of my generation didn't have the chance to understand: you don't "keep" your children. You raise them, you guide them, you learn with them.

And it's not always easy. I'm not going to tell you that everything is rosy. There are mornings when I'm exhausted, evenings when I'd just like five minutes of silence, moments when I doubt myself. But it's precisely this authentic daily life that I want to share here.

An Entrepreneur with Values

Alongside my life as a father, I run a web agency that my wife and I created in the South of France. Today, we work for local businesses.

My approach to business is simple: I don't just want to make money. I genuinely want to help.

Helping artisans, shopkeepers, and small businesses establish an online presence, find customers, and tell their story. Some customers left to find better deals elsewhere. It happens. But those who stayed became friends because they understood there was a genuine person behind it, not just a service provider.

I have also applied this vision of work to my fatherhood: to be authentic, to be present, to create genuine connection.

Being a dad also opened my eyes to the importance of community. I created an association in my neighborhood - the Neighborhood Association - with a simple idea: to bring people together, do things together, create links between neighbors, organize events for children, and give new meaning to the word "collective".

Because raising a child isn't just the job of two single parents in their apartment. It's a village affair, as the Africans say. So I take the neighbors' children with Luc for outings to the park. I organize workshops. I offer activities. Not to be a hero—just to weave that safety net of solidarity we all need.

Why This Blog?

I write primarily for my children.

I want them to be able to read these lines one day, when they're grown up, and understand what I experienced, felt, and learned in becoming their father. I want to leave them a record of my thoughts, my doubts, and my joys.

Then I write for myself.

Writing helps me to take a step back, to better understand my emotions as a father, to structure my thoughts. It's a form of therapy.

And I'm finally writing for you, the other parents.

Not to lecture you—I'm no parenting expert. But to share, exchange ideas, and spark discussions. Because I sincerely believe that sharing our experiences, our struggles, and our everyday victories can help us all become better parents.

And who knows? Maybe by sharing our authentic stories, without Instagram filters, we contribute - just a little bit - to making this world a better place for our children.

What You Will Find Here

On Papa Cool, I share:

My commitment? To remain authentic.

Let's stay in touch

Because in the end, we are all in the same boat: trying to do our best for our children, in a world that moves fast, that changes, that sometimes overwhelms us.

Welcome to the world of Cool Dad. An imperfect dad, but there for you.