Dads | Digital Dads

Posts About ‘dads’

I Have a Penis = I Am Not a Mom

Thursday, January 7th, 2010

Mom and Dad both have three letters and describe someone who has children, but in many ways they are very different words.

mom_dad

This post is not a slight against Walt Disney. It is a brand that I love and had a blast last summer when our family took our vacation there for the first time. So please do not take this as a slam against them, because so many brands do this, but they were the ones the broke the camel’s back.

Yesterday on Twitter I saw several women I know tweeting about a Social Media program that Disney was doing and an e-mail address to reach out to for more information. It was clearly a mom focused program from what I could see, but I still dropped them a note asking if I as a Dad might be interested in whatever it was that was going on.

I got a great reply saying that of course Dads were welcomed and to watch my e-mail for more information.

Then today I received an e-mail with the subject line: Social Media Moms Celebration at Walt Disney World!

It was, of course, an invitation sent to me.

Again, this is NOT about Disney, because the event looks amazing and very smartly put together. In fact the programming sounds like something I’d love to attend. But, the fact that I’m not part of any of that subject line means that the event is not of interest to me. I don’t know why it couldn’t be about Social Media Parents or Social Media Moms & Dads instead.

I love moms. My wife is one of the most amazing women in the world. I hug my mother every time I see her. I’m friends with lots of women who are great moms.

But, guess what? I am not a mom. I’ve got the wrong plumbing to be a mother. As a guy I’m a Dad, Father, Pops, Padre or whatever word you want. Something I can never be is a “mom.”

I remember right after I launched this site I was asked if I would ever join a “PR for Moms” group. I didn’t know the woman all that well, but I chuckled a bit and said that I wouldn’t because I’m not a mom. If it was a “PR for Parents” group I’d join up in a heart beat.

Sure, maybe I’m splitting hairs and harping on technicalities, but I’m sick of the Dads being left out of the parenting equation. I’m an active Dad. Most of the guys out there that I know are also active parts of the parenting equation. Yes, Moms make a ton of decisions and in a majority of households probably control the checkbook as well. But, companies need to wake up that Dads every day are becoming more and more involved in these decisions.

This is not the 1950’s when men went off to work in a suit and hat and the women stayed at home in an apron with the kids. We’ve all moved beyond that and yet brands only want to talk to the moms.

Want to talk to a Dad? I’m right here.

Tags: blogger outreach, dads, influencer outreach, mommy bloggers, moms, Parents
Posted in Rants | Comments

Being A Dad

Sunday, June 21st, 2009

Being a good father is the single hardest thing a man can strive for in this world. It is also the most rewarding thing in life for a guy.

You’ll never hear me call being a father “a job” because it is so much more then that. It is a responsibility, a blessing and a great joy,but it is never ever a job.

It is Father’s Day morning 2009 and as I read through the paper, quickly checked in online and watched the morning news I got very reflective about being a Dad. I’ve got Harry Chapin’s Greatest Stories Live playing on iTunes because it always makes me think of my Dad. I have fond memories of hearing this for the first time in the DIY installed tape deck my Dad had put in our blue pick up. He’d never consider himself a “maker” but looking back he sure does have a DIY streak that runs through him.

My Father was very active in my life (and still is). He was tough, but also allowed me to live. I try to remember that now with my kids. Letting them go out and make mistakes is a critical thing, but not an easy thing because you know they are going to get hurt, fail and struggle, but they need to in order to really make it in this world. The only way to learn how to pull yourself back up is if you fall down first.

I look around me and I see a million different ways to be a Dad. Not all I agree with, but you’ll never hear me question someone either. The reason we have so many different people in the world is why we have so many different Dads. I’ve always said that normal is boring and that holds true here. As long as a Dad is active in their child’s life, then how they do it I am not going to question. “To each their own…” is a saying my Dad taught me.

But, what does upset me is how Dads seem to get to play second fiddle in the parenting landscape for a lot of people and that is something I just won’t stand for. Yes, there are plenty of horrible and inattentive fathers out there, but they are not the only ones missing in some kids lives. Some people were just not made to be parents and that stretches beyond just guys.

So, today here on Father’s Day 2009 I really want to see all of us online fathers to band together and figure out how we can break the sterotype of the bumbling guy, laying on the couch, mowing the lawn and not doing that much more. Most of the Dads that I know are much more active then that and I want to figure out how we can work together to make that known by all. I don’t have all the answers, but I certainly know I want to see some change.

To all the Dads out there I want to wish you a very Happy Father’s Day. Sure, we don’t need a holiday, but the homemade gifts, silly poems and ties dure do make for a great morning. We celebrated with French Toast and this afternoon I’ll be going to the closing perfomance of my daughters play. Yesterday I got to see my father and my father-in-law. It has been a great weekend and I hope each of you is having as good of a day.

Work hard. Play harder. Be a great Dad!

Tags: dads, Family, Father, Father's Day, Harry Chapin, Parents
Posted in General Parenting | Comments

This is Why We Are Here

Thursday, May 14th, 2009

Boston.com Moms site

My fellow men, you really do exist, although you wouldn’t know it based on the ratio of Mommy sites to Daddy ones.

Now don’t get me wrong: I believe everyone needs a spot to congregate, collaborate, and cooperate, and nobody – NOBODY – should support moms more than the dads who “work” right alongside them, raising well-adjusted kids who know their alphabets, eat their vegetables, and will grow up to be President.

But where’s the love for dear ol’ dad online?

Has the parental pendulum swung so far askew that everyone assumes moms are the only ones with parenting issues on their minds? That dads aren’t interested, or don’t care?

Are there unique challenges to being a Mom? Certainly, but the same holds true for dads. And while it is wonderful that the moms have so many places to podcast, blog, share stories, and purchase merchandise, there’s a shortage of sites focused on the topics and discussions that dads, granddads, uncles, and other father figures want to cover.

And that’s why we are here.

Now, Digital Dads is not some call for equality, some maneuver to tip the scales in men’s favor. This website is a statement to let everyone know: Dads care too. We have stories to share and it’s important to share them. And we salute our fellow fellows out there who are blogging and podcasting about the fatherly experience, because whether it’s on our site or another one, we hope dads find a place where they can engage others and leverage this medium to improve their lives and the lives of their entire family.

Perhaps someday, mainstream media will recognize that moms aren’t the only one looking for affirmation or guidance on the web. Perhaps someday, marketers will remember that there are oftentimes two people in the household who can spend money on things for the kids.

Until then and beyond, Digital Dads will be right here.

Tags: Blog, dads, media, moms, podcasts
Posted in Online | Comments

Who Needs a Dad Site?

Tuesday, April 28th, 2009

I noticed over the past year or so that anytime I would blog about my family or kids on my personal blog that the posts would get more comments and more reactions then any other topic I might write about. Combine that with my passion for being a good father and the fact that I think Dads get a bum rap across all forms of media and that made me want to start this site.

Dylan and Emily Wedding

Of course the big reason is these two little people right here. This is my son Dylan and my daughter Emily. They are the reason I do a lot of things in life, but I wanted to do this to share my experiences with them and to share what I learn with you the reader. I certainly don’t have all the answers on how to be a good Dad or how best to raise kids, but I like to think that I am open to share what little I do know and I hope some of you get some good advice out of it.

The idea really started to come to a simmer last summer when I got thinking about how so many of my friends were what I called “Digital Dads.” We shared pictures of our kids online, uploaded home movies and spent a large chunk of time interacting in ways that our fathers never did. I wondered how this would change the next generation of kids. I wondered about this a lot.

I also work in the marketing world. I run a company called The Advance Guard and we work with brands big and small to build buzz, community and awareness around their products and services. We focus on building campaigns with disruptive technologies and social media. I also host a marketing podcast called Managing the Gray. Because of both of these I read about, plan and execute a variety of campaigns and I kept seeing Mommies getting all the attention while Dads sort of being forgotten about.

Now I know a lot of this is due to the fact that there are plenty of Dads involved in online media, but very few write about being a parent on a regular basis. At least I think this why most are ignored for the most part.

What I want out of this site is a way for three Dads (and maybe more some day) to share honest advice on being a Father in today’s world. The hope is to cover a variety of topics that any guy can use. We’ll be posting recipes, talking about sex, reviewing things and of course talking about raising our kids. No topic is off topic so expect some good variety in the coming weeks.

I’m a Digital Dad and damn proud of it. I hope you enjoy what you find here.