The recent brouhaha about daddy bloggers not receiving the same amount of respect as the mommy bloggers irritates me.
I have a penis and I am proud of it. I stand about 5’10, have a relatively deep voice and can grow a beard in about two weeks. I am man, hear me roar. In short you won’t ever mistake me for a woman and if you are smart you won’t ever refer to me as Mr. Mom.
If you hang out with my kids you’ll hear them refer to me as Dad, Daddy or Abba. Ask them a few questions about their lives and you’ll get a mouthful about both mom and dad. You’ll hear that both of their parents attend school functions, help with homework, cook meals etc.
In short you won’t hear them tell any stories about the “Father Knows Best” dad of the past. They have no knowledge of those days or any idea that once upon a time things were different. If you delve in a little bit deeper you’ll learn from them that their parents have the same philosophy about education, discipline and safety. But beyond that you’ll see that there are distinct differences that one could argue are based somewhat upon gender.
And that is ok with me. I like being a man called dad. I don’t want to be mom. Don’t need it, never cared whether people give me credit for the work I do for my children. My children are how I measure myself as a parent. Not based upon their success, but upon their character and ability to be productive members of society.
In regard to the whole daddy blogger not getting any respect issue, well I don’t care. I don’t blog in the hopes that some company will make me a brand ambassador. I don’t blog because I hope to get a bunch of free stuff. I won’t lie and say that I’d never do a review, accept a trip or any swag. Won’t lie and say that I wouldn’t love to make real money off of the blog, but it is not my focus. And the reality is that few bloggers have that kind of success.
Some of you say that the reason we fathers haven’t been courted is because of demographics and purchasing power. I am here to tell you that is misguided, inaccurate and patently wrong. The reality is far different and it is not hard to support that. Men and women shop differently and if you don’t account for that you are making a mistake. If you ignore the single fathers out there you are making a mistake. If you ignore our involvement in purchasing big ticket items you are making a mistake.
2010 is the Year of the Daddy Blogger not because we expect or want to be courted by the brands but because of the Brotherhood of the Fatherhood. Because we are reaching out to each other and building a community. Because we have different challenges than the moms and it is nice to have a man to talk to and share thoughts with.
And that my friends is the purpose of the Festival of the Fathers, another tool to build a community with.
Anyhoo, if you are curious to hear some of the thoughts and feelings about this topic feel free to take a gander at the posts below. There are some good guys that have spent time outlining their feelings, give them a shot.
Dad Bloggers Deserve Respect
PR, Daddyblogging and the Long Road to Equity
Babble Retreats; Pays Lip Service to Dads Again
Who’s Your Daddy (Blogger)?
Mommybloggers Rule
Dad Bloggers Can Suck It!
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