Although Despicable Me 2, the sequel to Universal Pictures' animated 2010 hit, didn't make it to the big screen on the Chinese mainland this summer, the $830 million it has grossed at the box office worldwide demonstrates the global popularity of this super-villain-turned-super-daddy story.

Whether he is a bad boy or a mama's boy, or even like Despicable Me's Gru, "the world's greatest villain," any man can be inspired to be warm, gentle and responsible by something called fatherhood.

Yet the role of father is often overlooked in many Chinese families because the mother and grandmother are typically so engaged in the parenting of kids.

Those traditions are now undergoing fundamental changes in this era, when millions of women serve as breadwinners to their families, and men are required to get involved in childrearing.

The Global Times talked to two local fathers who decided to quit their jobs and stay home to take care of the newborn while their wives work. It hasn't been easy, but they relish this new role.

Yu Qing quit his busy job to look after his 8-month-old son Weiwei. Photo: Cai Xianmin/GT

Yu Qing, 34

A typical day for Yu Qing, a native Shanghainese father, starts at 5 am when his 8-month-old son cries for food. Gently picking up the baby, Yu usually pacifies him with a few light pats on the back and calms him down by whispering, "Be good my boy, mom is still sleeping and dad will get you something to eat."

It's hard to imagine that two months ago Yu was still a workaholic who worked 12 hours a day and spent less than 10 minutes with the baby.

"My old job required a lot of traveling," he told the Global Times. "There was one time I came back home after a 19-day business trip. When I held my boy, he barely recognized me."

That was the moment he realized something needed to be changed. Yu quit his job and became a househusband who is now fully devoted to his dearest Weiwei.

It's easier said than done, but Yu adapted to the new role very quickly. He took over the babysitting job when his son was only six months old and started to learn everything from scratch, including bottle-feeding and diaper-changing.

Most infants start to try semi-liquid food from the sixth month and Yu made it no exception for his son. "I make the semi-liquid food myself and make sure that the baby won't reject it," Yu said. To provide tasty and nourishing supplementary food for his son, Yu subscribed to the monthly magazine Parenting Science and registered at online parenting forums to compare notes and learn new knowledge from other parents.

"The satisfaction you gain from raising a baby is totally different from the achievements you make at work," Yu said. "Every minute you've spent with your kid matters."

Zhang Zefeng smiles with his 1-year-old daughter Doudou. Photo: Courtesy of Zhang Zefeng

Zhang Zefeng, 35

When Zhang Zefeng heard the doctor say, "Your baby is perfectly healthy," he breathed a sigh of relief and beamed with pride. His precious daughter Doudou, who celebrated her first birthday party in August, is now 77.7 centimeters tall and weighs 11.7 kilograms.

No one could image that the chubby girl weighed less than 2.5 kilograms when she was born, except for the person who took care of her from the very first day. Not the day she was born, but the day she was conceived.

Hailing from Hubei Province, Zhang and his wife are both non-local residents. "Both of our parents are in their 60s, so when my wife got pregnant we didn't want to bother them," Zhang said. "After talking it over with my wife, I decided to give up my job and take care of her and the baby by myself."

"The first month after the baby was born was a total nightmare," Zhang recalled. "I barely slept and was drowsy all the time."

To give the new mom a good rest at night, Zhang had to get up every two hours to feed Doudou. In the daytime, he learnt to change diapers, sterilize nursing bottles and bathe the baby.

"Everything was new to me, but I am a quick learner," he said proudly, adding that waking up next to his daughter is the most important part of his day.

Zhang stressed that a father is irreplaceable in a child's life, and doesn't want to miss the precious time he can spend with his daughter. "A father is a guide in everyone's life and I hope I can give my daughter a happy childhood."

Why fathers matter

Dong Xiaoping, a research fellow from the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences who specializes in child psychology, champions the early involvement of fathers.

"The father is the first adult male that comes into a kid's life," Dong told the Global Times. "He gives a visualized difference of genders to the baby."

Living in the warm womb for 40 weeks, babies are familiar with their mothers; the father is their guide to the outside world.

"The involvement of the father is crucial to the formation of one's personality," Dong explained, adding that research shows kids who spend more than 14 hours with their fathers every week are more decisive, adventurous and outgoing.

However, those who spend less than six hours a week with their fathers are less confident and more anxious.