Since I’m on the road to dadhood, I’ve been thinking about starting a dad blog. At first I was thinking of names–Dad 2.0, Next Generation Parenting, The Dad Dude, Father Knows Crap, Dad on the Rocks.
But then I figured I would need a focus before I could choose a name, so I thought about what I would want to write about. Generalist fathering (anecdotes, resources, friends’ experiences), adoptive dad stuff (identity formation, international, trans-racial), simple dad (anti Babies-R-Us), home dad (food, development, sanity), adventure dad (travel, camping, gear), activist dad (teaching values and approaches to direct nonviolent action)?
To think this through I decided to see what kind of writing is currently going down in Father Blog Land. Discovery: there is everything. There are so many dad blogs. There are blogs by or for vegan dads, gay dads, camping dads, stay-at-home dads, divorced dads, geek dads, tech dads, spiritual dads, Christian dads, patriotic dads, Down Syndrome dads, urban dads, green/natural dads, and unemployed dads.
So what kind of father am I going to be? I should write about what I want to be. The balanced and well-rounded dad? The adventurous dad? The educational, learn-by-trying-and-failing, be-curious dad? The overwhelmed dad? The frugal, simple, go-outside, dad? The mindfulness dad?
It seems like if I have a generalist-dad blog, then only family and friends will stop by occasionally. But if I have a topical blog, then only that kind of dad will be interested. Maybe I should have a community blog with multiple writers. Each dad could have a different focus or journalist beat–Tech Dad, Camping Dad, Psychologist Dad, Creative Arts Dad, and At-home Dad could each contribute their voice.
Or should I waste time writing at all, and instead focus on being with the kids rather than reporting on them? Are there already enough Father Blogs that another would simply be superfluous?
These are all things I’m thinking through.
To end this post, here are some of the papa blogs, articles and resources I found while looking into the options (not all of the blogs are still active):
- ‘You’re Not Alone’: Dads Who Blog Redefine Modern Fatherhood (NPR, 2014)
- National At-home Dad Network (organization)
- National Center for Fathering (organization)
- Stay at Home Dad (Huffington Post articles)
- Activist Dad (Huffington Post article)
- 25 Great Dad Blogs for Father’s Day! -2014 (Tots 100)
- Daddy Blogs UK Top 10 – 2014 (Cision)
- Father knows best: Top 10 daddy blogs – 2014 (Express)
- Top 50 Dad Blogs of 2013 (Voice Boks)
- 10 of the Best Dad Bloggers Out There: Read ‘Em & Weep (Or Laugh) – 2013 (The Stir)
- Top 50 UK Dad Blogs and Bloggers – 2012 (Tots 100)
- Top 25 Daddy Blogs – 2011
- Top Dad Blogs – 2010
- Almighty Dad
- Natural Papa
- Message with a Bottle
- Stay at Home Dad PDX
- Stay at Home Dad Blog
- Captain Dad
- Courageous Christian Father
- The Gay Dad Project
- The Patriot Dad’s Weblog
- 10 Secrets of Spiritual Fathering (article)
- Dad’s Spiritual Thoughts
- Outdoor Dads
- Dad’s Outdoor Adventures
- The Outdoors Dad
- The Misadventures of an Adoptive Dad
- Adoptive Dad USA
- Man Up! Adoption Blog (Adoptive Families Circle)
- How To Be a Dad
- The Life of Dad
- Telling Dad
- Dad Does
- A Daddy Blog
- Dad Blogs
- Backpacking Dad
- The Busy Dad Blog
Looks like you’ve searched everything about being a dad. Don’t overwhelm yourself!