Raising kids is no easy task, and it’s even tougher when you’re on your own.

From carrying the young to caring for them, these animal dads get kudos for working hard to bring their mini-me’s safely out into the world.

Male giant water bugs are really stuck on their kids. Or vice versa.

“The females lay the eggs on the male’s back,” says Blake Newton of the University of Kentucky. Then she bugs off, leaving the guy to make sure the kids hatch.

Like all dads, the males make a couple of lifestyle changes when kids are on board.

For one thing, flying is no longer an option. “The eggs are stuck on top of their wings,” says Kate Boersma, an entomologist