History Main / SinkOrSwimFatherhood

* In ''Film/NoTimeToDie'', Film/JamesBond (Creator/DanielCraig) finds out he fathered a daughter, Mathilde, with Madeleine Swann (Creator/LeaSeydoux) before leacing her. Madeleine tells him he's not the father, but nobody buys it. The one moment of parenthood that doesn't involve [[PapaWolf protecting her from the villains with force]] has him "cook" something to eat for her, which amounts to peeling and cutting an apple.

* In ''Manga/MyGirl'' by Mizu Sahara, the hero gets his formerly unknown five-year-old daughter dropped in his lap when his high-school sweetheart dies. The story is played for the heart-warming drama.
** In subversion, he got a lot of help from his own parents and his dead lover's mom.
* In ''Literature/ListenToMeGirlsIAmYourFather'', university freshman Segawa Yuuta takes in his sister's three daughters (ages 14, 10, and 3) to prevent the other family members from separating them. Naturally, the move from their home to his one room apartment [[AccidentalPervert causes problems]]...and [[DoubleStandardAbuseFemaleOnMale problems]].

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* Happens in ''Webcomic/{{Niels}}'' when Niels' until-then-unknown half-black son Magnus seeks him out after his mother dies. Though Magnus still lives with his adopted mother he and Niels manage to form a functional relationship.

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Bob has just discovered that Charlie, a virtual stranger, [[LukeYouAreMyFather is his son.]] Bob now has a serious problem. He is expected to raise this kid without any of the experience or knowledge that a father would be normally expected to have. There can be any number of reasons for this. Maybe Bob's own father was out of the picture, leaving Bob with no idea of what a father is supposed to be like. Maybe Bob is simply too young or immature to play the role he's meant to play. Or it may just be that Bob's personality or lifestyle just isn't suited for fatherhood. Regardless of the reason, Bob is now in a situation where he must either rapidly become the parent Charlie needs, or risk screwing him up for life. Congratulations, Bob: you've just entered into a SinkOrSwimFatherhood.

Often goes hand in hand with LukeYouAreMyFather, ChildrenRaiseYou, MissingMom and ResentfulGuardian (but only at first). If the 'Dad' in question is not actually the father but some other relation or not blood related at all, it will result in PromotionToParent. Not actually related to BumblingDad. Not to be confused with SinkOrSwimMentor.

%%* ''Film/ThreeMenAndABaby'' (and its French [[ForeignRemake original version]], ''Trois Hommes et un Couffin''[[labelnote:lit.]]"Three men an a [[DoorstopBaby basket]]"[[/labelnote]]).

* In ''LightNovel/ListenToMeGirlsIAmYourFather'', university freshman Segawa Yuuta takes in his sister's three daughters (ages 14, 10, and 3) to prevent the other family members from separating them. Naturally, the move from their home to his one room apartment [[AccidentalPervert causes problems]]...and [[DoubleStandardAbuseFemaleOnMale problems]].

* In ''WesternAnimation/DespicableMe'', Gru adopts three little girls as part of his own insidious plans. At first he ignores them and does a terrible job parenting, having no intention of actually being their father, only to use them, but eventually he comes around and really gets into being a Dad, and takes on the challenge for real.

To qualify for this trope, a male (who need not necessarily be related to the child, [[PromotionToParent simply acting in a fatherly role]]) must suddenly be given sole responsibility over this child AND not have enough prior experience in this capacity to know what the heck he is doing. Maybe there was a divorce, and the kid lived with Mom but she [[MissingMom died or ran off]]. Maybe he just took in an unrelated child off the streets, or his KidFromTheFuture ended up on his doorstep. Either way, he has to shape up ''fast.''

* ''Film/ThreeMenAndABaby'' (and its French [[ForeignRemake original version]], ''Trois Hommes et un Couffin''[[labelnote:lit.]]"Three men an a [[DoorstopBaby basket]]"[[/labelnote]]).

* Gender-flipped in ''Film/{{Maleficent}}'', when three female pixies have no idea how to raise a human baby. They never become competent parents, instead, two other non-humans, one male, one female, have to ensure that the baby survives. Spoiler ahead: [[http://to-be-with-the-stars.deviantart.com/art/Uncle-Diaval-460335848 This fancomic exaggerates just a little bit. ]]

* ''Series/AllyMcBeal'' somehow managed to reverse this trope and have a sink or swim mother.

* Happened to ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'''s Bender in the episode "The Bots and the Bees." [[PetTheDog It went a lot better than you'd expect]].

* In ''Manga/BlackCat'', Sven adopts Eve after rescuing her from a weapons dealer. Do clones who came out of a test tube and technically never had a biological mother or father count?
** Yes, there doesn't have to be a blood relationship as long as PromotionToParent takes place.
** Later on, the gang does discover [[spoiler:Eve's creator and biological genitor (that is, the scientist who cloned Eve from herself)]]; both feel a sort of filial connection and there's talk about Eve staying with her [[spoiler:but they commonly decide not to]].

** [[TheyFightCrime Al-so-he's-a-nin-ja!]]

* In ''Film/Jungle2Jungle'', Tim Alan's character is suddenly dumped with his thirteen year old son who has been raised by his mother with indigenous people in the amazon, because his mother told him when he was a man he could go visit his Father, and based on tribal traditions he's a man at this age.
* In ''Film/TheGamePlan'', Dwayne Jonhson's character is a professional football player who suddenly is stuck with his 8-year old daughter who he didn't know existed until she showed up on his door step. He doesn't take it well.

* ''Film/OldDogs'': Robin Williams' character discovers that his short marriage resulted in twins when his ex-wife dumps them on his doorstep and asks to take care of them while she faces jail time for an environmental protest.

* ''Series/AllyMcBeal'' somehow managed to reverse this trope an have a sink or swim mother.
* ''Series/MyTwoDads'' is made from this. Woman dies, wills that the father of her daughter should raise her - but it could be one of two guys (it started before genetic testing was mainstream, though this was addressed in a later episode). So they both raise her. Neither one knew of the child until the death of the mother.

** Happens to Worf ''twice'': the first time, he learns about his son Alexander shortly before Alexander's mother is killed, and about a season later, Worf's parents (who have been looking after him) send Alexander to the Enterprise to live with his father.

* A few in-universe years later in ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'', it happens again during the Dominion War. An apparently late-teen Alexander (who according to the timeline should be about 11-12), shows up an a newly enlisted recruit aboard the Klingon warship on which Worf is serving as First Officer. This time, instead of a strong-willed child, Worf has to deal with an angry teen. He does much better this time around and they quickly come to terms with each other. Alexander even serves as his best-man at his wedding.
* Happens in ''Series/{{Badger}}''. Much of the domestic plot is driven by Wilf, the teenaged daughter Tom [=McCabe=] never knew he had, who rocks up on his doorstep.
* Happens in ''Series/{{Angel}}'' season 4 [[spoiler: Angel's son comes back as a teen after being raised in a hell dimension since he was a baby.]] In fact, Angel could be considered a victim of this from the moment he discovered Connor's existence: vampiric sexual contact doesn't produce offspring. Ever. And Angel is the king of vampiric exceptions, as both he and Darla were dismayed to discover.

* ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls'' were the result of Professor Utonium mixing of known elements (sugar, spice and everything nice) and an unstable element (Chemical X). He initially set out to create "the perfect little girl" to bring a little sunshine into his corner of the cruel world--he got three superpowered girls in the bargain. Warts and all, he wouldn't trade being their dad for anything.

* In ''LightNovel/PapaNoIukotoOKikinasai'', university freshman Segawa Yuuta takes in his sister's three daughters (ages 14, 10, and 3) to prevent the other family members from separating them. Naturally, the move from their home to his one room apartment [[AccidentalPervert causes problems]]...and [[DoubleStandardAbuseFemaleOnMale problems]].

[[folder:{{Fanfiction}}]]
* Dante as ten-year-old Nero's father in the [[AlternateUniverseFic AU]] ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry'' fic "[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6822576/1/Like_Father_Like_Son Like Father, Like Son]]", fully demonstrated in chapter 6. Trish also lampshades it in the same chapter, chastising Dante that he has to "grow up, at least a little bit" and "shape up". Patty doesn't quite count as Dante's kid, as she visits the shop instead of permanently living there.

* The Interquel ''WesternAnimation/BambiII'' focuses on Bambi's father, the Great Prince, who as the leader of his herd ([[TruthInTelevision and a stag keeping with semi realistic natural behaviour]]), never played much part in raising his son. Following the infamous death of Bambi's mother however, he is left to take care of Bambi. Despite protests and attempts to hand him over to a surrogate doe, he comes to bond with his son and accept the role.

* The Interquel ''Disney/BambiII'' focuses on Bambi's father, the Great Prince, who as the leader of his herd ([[TruthInTelevision and a stag keeping with semi realistic natural behaviour]]), never played much part in raising his son. Following the infamous death of Bambi's mother however, he is left to take care of Bambi. Despite protests and attempts to hand him over to a surrogate doe, he comes to bond with his son and accept the role.

* ''Film/StarWars Episode I: Film/ThePhantomMenace'' ends with Obi-Wan Kenobi taking Anakin Skywalker as his Padawan, despite having been knighted less than two minutes earlier. He does this mostly to honor his own Master's dying wish.

* Dante as ten-year-old Nero's father in the [[AlternateUniverseFic AU]] ''Franchise/DevilMayCry'' fic "[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6822576/1/Like_Father_Like_Son Like Father, Like Son]]", fully demonstrated in chapter 6. Trish also lampshades it in the same chapter, chastising Dante that he has to "grow up, at least a little bit" and "shape up". Patty doesn't quite count as Dante's kid, as she visits the shop instead of permanently living there.

* Happens to Worf ''twice'' on ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'': the first time, he learns about his son Alexander shortly before Alexander's mother is killed, and about a season later, Worf's parents (who have been looking after him) send Alexander to the Enterprise to live with his father.