Rainy Day Dad

Its been about 6 weeks since I started potty training my son. Its been a very difficult 6 weeks filled with frustration, meltdowns and screaming, and that's just me. After reading several articles last summer that just happened to surface at just the wrong time, I decided I needed to get with the program. Apparently until the late 40's when disposable diapers were invented, most kids in America were potty trained by their first birthday. Even today many kids in countries around the world are trained by the age of one. My son had just celebrated his 2nd birthday and like every other parent I was comparing the progress of my kid to other kids. I decided to give potty training a chance. My son was already getting more independent which is apparently a sign of readiness. My biggest concern is he didn't talk much. His comprehension was there so there was no speech concerns but I felt it could slow the progress. We had tried sign language with him but it wasn't his or my thin

This past week I had the amazing opportunity to join Dads and dad-centric organizations from across the country for Dad 2.0 Summit in New Orleans.  In their words " The Dad 2.0 Summit is an open conversation about the commercial power of dads online, and an opportunity to learn the tools and tactics used by influential bloggers to create high-quality content, build personal brands, and develop business ideas." I was going due to my association with City Dads Group and to help build my skills as a co- organizer  for the Portland group.  This would be my first year attending the summit so I wasn't completely sure what to expect. I watched the Facebook group and checked my e-mails as they announced various speakers, breakout sessions and Sponsors. With each announcement my excitement grew but so did my anxiety. "I don't belong here" was the message that kept running through my head. I swim in a heavy sea of self doubt and I border on paranoid about letting

One of the things I often hear from stay at home parents, both moms and dads, is that they feel a sense of isolation. We spend all day with a kid who may or may not be able to converse with us. Even if they can talk its not the same as interacting with another adult.  Most of my friends had older kids already and I didn't have any gay friends with kids so I had to go find some new friends. Most of us know that as an adult it can be a little difficult to make new friends unless you join an organization of common interests. Moms groups and other mom-centric activities have been around for quite some time which has helped moms with that sense of community. Dad groups on the other hand are pretty new and many places don't have one. Even though I live in Portland Oregon, a pretty liberal and accepting town, I was unsure if there was a dad community or not.  I hopped online and looked up dad groups. I was surprised to find that there were actually several. These have become my savin