The internet is a sea of parenting opinion. Miles and miles of internet paper is dedicated to the process of bringing up tiny humans, but most is geared towards mums. Mum bloggers outnumber their male counterparts, there are far more maternal Instagram accounts showing off their suspiciously white and shiny homes than there are dadgrammers, and Mumsnet is the go-to destination for politicians wanting to appear vaguely human.
However, it doesn’t need to be this way. There is a voice promoting all things dad and it is going from strength to strength. It’s The Dadsnet and, if you’d like to help a dad out, you could do no better than to send him in our direction.
Dads need The Dadsnet for a number of reasons, so sit back with a cup of tea whilst I state our case of which I’m certain.
A Sense of Community
Something that comes up a lot on The Dadsnet forums and Facebook groups is the issue of loneliness for dads. It seems odd that, as you set about filling your home with new inhabitants, the end result can sometimes be isolation.
Many dads lose their friendship groups as people’s priorities change, money that once funded lava-hot vindaloos is diverted to paying for ballet lessons, and everyone suddenly realises that trying to wrangle multiple children the morning after downing 15 pints of Skol is even less fun than sitting through those ballet recitals.
The Dadsnet offers the chance to build friendships, both online and in real life through regular meet-ups around the country. Dads can come together, share their woes and successes and help each other out when they are in need. A lot of men suffer with their mental health when they have children (particularly in the early, sleep-deprived, days), so our online access points act as a sounding board for those who don’t want to open up to their family for whatever reason.
Mad Dad Skills
We are well aware that kids don’t come with an instruction manual and, even if they did, it would be one of those flatpack furniture ones that has been mangled by Google Translate and ends up urging you to “insert boat 3 into cat A with impunity”.
In addition, our experiences of parenting can vary wildly from those close to us. This means that, when issues arise, your friends and family members who haven’t faced that problem might not be able to help. However, within the thousands of dads who regularly contribute to our forums and Facebook groups, there is surely someone else who might have been through the same thing and be able to offer a satisfactory solution.
By sharing our hints and tips, we can pick and choose selections from the Bank of Dadsnet Mad Dad Skills that best suit our situation. Like a skills exchange. Every day is a school day at The Dadsnet, but without the constant threat of having to do PE in your vest and pants if you forget your kit.
Battling for Dads
Despite being fairly central to kicking off the whole baby-growing process, once the child arrives, many companies think that a dad’s involvement finishes. Whether it is Heinz proclaiming that a jar of baby food was based on a recipe by “a mum just like you”, Asda proudly proclaiming their kids’ lines are approved by mothers (because who cares what dad thinks?) and Amazon branding its family discount club as Amazon Mom in the US, dads are often forgotten in marketing.
This is where The Dadsnet comes into its own. Our most recent major campaign is continuing the fight to put baby changing facilities in mens’ toilets. Too often dads are forced to change their children on toilet floors, in broom cupboards, or even back in their car because shops, cafes and restaurants presume the only people willing to handle dirty nappies are mums.
It seems ridiculous that this is even an issue in 2019, but The Dadsnet takes on these battles on behalf of and with the help of dads across the country and, indeed, the world.
Your Partner Needs The Dadsnet
So, pass this site on to the nearest dad. He will enjoy and appreciate it, and it could even change his life. You know what? It’s not that dads need The Dadsnet, it’s that they DESERVE The Dadsnet.
