Dad
Top 50 Dad Blogs of 2012
Last year, when we inaugurated our Top 50 Dad Blogs list, we praised dad bloggers for “changing the way we think about fatherhood.” Indeed, a number of our favorite bloggers on this, our second Top 50 list, insist our thinking needs to be changed. They describe themselves as advocates for fathers, taking to their keyboards in order to counter dominant cultural stereotypes of dad-as-incompetent-buffoon. (You don’t believe them? Tune in to most any family sitcom on most any night of the week.) Others on the list aspire simply to entertain us with funny, relatable tales from the trenches. A few write to work through the shattering grief of losing a child or spouse.
This list features straight dads, gay dads, working dads, stay-at-home dads, geek dads, single dads, and more. In a culture where the dominant conversations around fatherhood center simply on whether dads can deign to change their kid's diaper, it's refreshing to see these guys take the public perception of parents into their own hands. We are again struck by the variety of their voices and experiences, which itself puts the lie to the notion of any one “typical dad.” A lot of our favorites from last year are back, while many worthy entrants are making their debuts. We hope you’ll enjoy laughing, crying, nodding, and discovering along with them as much as we have. As dads' online influence grows, this list will only become more and more difficult to curate — and that's a good problem to have. If you think we missed any of your favorite dad bloggers, nominate them here. – Barbara Spindel and the dad blog panel
31 / 50
Child’s Play x 2
This is a classic fatherhood blog, insofar as blogs can be classic. Matthew Henry writes lovingly about his three children, with entries involving the day-to-day highs and lows of parenting. (Single parenting now — Matthew and wife Andrea recently divorced.) Some of the posts are addressed to the children directly to be read by them later on, a charming time capsule if we’ve ever seen one. “I can’t believe it’s been seven years,” he wrote to his twins on their most recent birthday. “It seems like I’ve always known you.”
Henry’s alternate lyrics to Nickelback’s “Rock Star” are a highlight (this papa is more interested in being a “pop” star), but what we like best about Henry’s blog, #22 on last year’s list, is his candor. Whether he’s talking about helping his son “grow into a man” or revealing the split from his wife, Henry doesn’t sugarcoat the fact that raising a family isn’t always child’s play.
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I am humbled to be included.
Many thanks.
Mitch