Help him find his dad friends.

A free iPhone app for dads with kids at home who'd like a few more friends at the same stage. It's not a feed and it's not a forum. It's built to get him out of the house for a couple of hours with a few other dads.

• He tells it about his days off. His kids' ages, a few things he's into, and when he's usually off, including weekday mornings or "It changes week to week" if he works shifts.
• He waves at one thing another dad said. When that dad waves back, a chat opens. Nobody can start a one-on-one chat with him cold.
• He shows up. Small hangouts other dads host: coffee at the playground, a cookout, early fishing. Kids welcome or not is up to the host.

There's also a Community board where dads ask each other things, with an anonymous option when it's personal, and groups like Toddler dads, New to Houston and Co-parenting dads.

His first name and last initial, his age range, his neighborhood and a rough distance, his photos, his kids' ages, his answers to a few profile questions and when he's usually free. If he shares something like "New to the area" or "Co-parenting" with another dad, it shows up as something they have in common, and only to dads who share it.

He probably is fine. He's also probably busy, a little out of practice, and not about to go looking for friends on his own. In a 2021 survey by the Survey Center on American Life, 15% of men said they had no close friends, up from 3% in 1990. He's in good company.

• Make it small. One coffee, a couple of hours, then home.
• Make it easy. Offer to cover the kids, or point out the hangouts that welcome them.
• Then drop it. Send the link once. He'll open it when he's ready.

More ideas in how dads make friends. Near us? See Clear Lake, League City or Webster, Kemah and Seabrook.