Not-So-Epic Fail
When I–and the many talented writers here–embarked on this project, the question was this: would dads be interested in reading/sharing thoughts about fatherhood when they were ‘off the clock.’
The answer is: no.
And I don’t say that in a sad or bitter way. It’s just a fact of modern man. We take care of the kid(s) for a few hours on the weekend or at night and we are exhausted. The last thing we’re going to do is read about fatherhood with our last bits of remaining energy. It explains why there’s an abundance of motherhood blogs (many of them thriving), and so few fatherhood blogs.
Don’t get me wrong: a lot of good has come out of this multi-year experiment. I got to process a lot of feelings (!) leading up to and after the birth of my first child. Better yet, I got to work with amazing writers who I consider talented not only with the written word, but conjuring up something important to say.
I can’t thank enough these proud dads who shared their wry observations:
- Dan Beeby (for content and web-mastery)
- Matt Winkler (for keeping it going as long as it did)
- Mike Rehfus (for some of the funnier posts)
- Matt Ledoux (for getting in trouble with one of his entries)
- Rob Curtis (for gear reviews and support)
- Chris Belden (for being an amazing tiger father writer)
- Brian Hoover (for his astute insights and “being ready”)
grazie… grazie for the great articles and giggles.
Hello Everyone!
I gotta say this post seems right on the money… but I actually enjoy reading these blog post on my free time. I have actually learn quite a lot from here. Since I am a new father. The fathers day post really got me thinking and I have been helping more with my daughter in the late/morning shifts as well! Just one example. Thanks to every who has contributed to this site! Please keep them coming!!!
’twas a good effort, gents. Daddy blogs are a tough sell, even for a softie like me. Likely taps into fundamental differences in the sexes — women’s needs to network and connect when times get hard (read: parenthood), and men’s tendency to retreat into the cave. Not saying this is ideal. In fact I think we’d be happier if we connected more and relied on each other for support. But it is what it is. And my cave beckons…
Thanks to YOU, Todd, for trying this noble experiment. I’m not totally convinced that dads are uninterested in reading about how others cope with fatherhood, but I am convinced that, in these crazy times, we are all so overwhelmed–with responsibilities, with distractions, with the seemingly impossible task of keeping our heads on straight–that it would take someone with the world’s biggest bullhorn to get our attention for more than a second. Maybe if we got a celebrity to contribute, readers would be drawn to the site. That seems the only way to get attention these days. Oh well. It was fun while it lasted. Good luck to all the guys.
I think there are many dads that start blogs and after a period of time feel the same way… 64% of dadarocks is female readership. its just the way they connect.
its always been a good read. I really hope you keep the archives up.