Friday, April 13, 2012

The Fatherhood Trifecta

A recurring topic among us in the “dad blogger community” is our general lack of community.

Unlike the many, many moms of the blogosphere, we generally lack “tribes” and “support groups” and other generalized labels to put in “quotation marks.” We rarely rally together, quickly or intimately, for better or worse, in real life or the digital one, like our feminine counterparts in this parenting gig.

Some say it’s society. Some say it’s genetics. Being guys, most of us just say, “Whatever.”

David of It’s Not a Lecture wants to change that. He’s attempting to get at least one father in each of the 50 states (plus Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico because he’s the inclusive type) to write “a simple blog post” that describes three things they love about being a father under the Twitter/blog banner of #DadsLove.

The first post, which he wrote, went up Wednesday, and I have this to say: simple, my paper-thonged butt. Check out David’s little slices o’ wisdom.

So, fellow parenting dudes (and dudettes without whom we wouldn’t be here), I’m here to represent the little utility infielder of the Northeast – Connecticut.

Here goes:

1. Unveiling my past. Whether introducing them to the games of my youth, showing them the corners of my hometown or, as I’ve been doing with Excitable of late, plying them with some of the books that I loved at their age, it’s more than nostalgia. It’s letting your kids peer inside to how you became who you are.

2. Joyful noise. Listening from behind a closed door as my daughter belts out some sap from Taylor Swift or crap from Katy Perry or clap-trap from the hot boy singer of the week like her life depending on it. Hearing my son’s infectious cackle, whether me or someone else got it going. Wondering what led to the happy screeching, rare as it is these days, of the two of them goofing around and getting along together, and wondering further about how I can bottle it for a time when I’ll really need it.

3. Being needed. Yes, I complain about them always coming to me to fix iPods and computers and remote controls, and I have threatened to throw all the technology in the house out on more than one occasion because I’m sick of being their Mr. Fix It. But Li’l Diva will also ask me to show her how to make pancakes or chicken parmigiana or Excitable will ask if I’ll chaperone his class field trip or if he can sleep in my room when My Love travels out of town. That’s when I know I’ve made it.uncool-and-kids-mets-2012

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14 comments:

  1. This is beautiful.

    (Just wondering: are you the only CT Dad Blogger or just the best of the bunch?)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you!

      First, remember that most people consider Fairfield County an extension of NY, despite the border lines, so my CT status is always in question.

      Mr. Big Dubya from DadCentric is about an hour north of me. Other than him I know of one other still-active, kinda dad blogger locally but I'm not sure he would even qualify himself as one.

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  2. I like the idea behind the post. I am not a community minded blogger but I do like some of the dad blogs and bloggers out there. Like this/you.

    I am from Philly. PA. Maybe I will post for the PA Pappas.


    PS. Mets suck.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. PA? Why did I always think you were from the Left Coast?

      PS: Yes. Yes we do.

      Delete
  3. Awww - you're a great dad (and dad blogger)! Well, blogger, in general. Person, in general.
    Anyway, you know what I mean. :)

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    Replies
    1. Can you remind my family of that from time to time?

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  4. Great idea, and great post. It's always great to be needed. You keep posting like this and your state will get into the starting lineup on a regular basis.

    With Whit gone all Hollywood on us, I may have to represent the upper left corner.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Whit ... remember when he was one of us little people?

      Delete
  5. Awwww! Beautiful post! You're an awesome father.

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  6. The photo says it all. Well done.

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  7. I'm going to beat James to the punch on this one...

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  8. This is cool, but hey, how about dad blogs from outside the US of A? As a dad blogger from the Philippines, I want in.

    ReplyDelete

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