Help! I’m a struggling Dad!
Many men are looking to be better dads every day, regardless of their relationship status or position in life.
And since there are few manuals on how to be a great father (especially if you did not have a good role model at home), some seek advice from others.
That’s where Dad blogs can be a great support and help for fathers in need. We cannot all achieve ‘Father of the Year’ status, but given the crucial role fathers play in society, being a good dad warrants a little time and effort to learn the ropes.
Table of Contents
The Importance of Fathers
Growing up, I wanted to learn everything.
But living in a small town in the ’90s meant that there were not many teachers or experts around.
There was no internet, YouTube or podcasts. The books were whatever I could find in the school library.
So, a lot of learning came from the people around me, which included my father.
Whether it was picking up the basics like eating with a knife and fork, learning to tie a tie, shave, cook, polish my shoes or more ‘heavier’ tasks like documentation, communicating with authorities, presenting in public, diplomacy among friends, or conflict resolution, I mostly learnt from my dad.
And things were not perfect.
Despite all this fatherly advice, I still faced challenges as an adult.
I had to learn to find my solutions, sometimes without any help or mentors.
“It takes half your life before you discover life is a do-it-yourself project.”- Napoleon Hill
But it always helps when you have someone to learn from who understands your life.
Have you stepped out into the world lately? (It’s pretty wild out there!). Fathers face immense pressure to raise their kids in modern society. Many people don’t have time to assist a friend, there is hardly any information around, and most men have difficulty asking for help.
However, many are willing to learn about raising their kids, learn skills and even change their behaviour for their families.
Some spend time on online forums, reading articles, and talking to other men in similar situations, often covertly.
A lot of dads out there have passed on their knowledge and expertise to other dads.
That’s why I thought I would compile some of the best Dad Blogs to help out all those fathers looking for answers and making an effort but don’t know where to start.
1. Lunchbox Dad
- Site link- lunchboxdad.com
- Category – Health/Food
This blog is perfect for any dad looking for meal advice for kids. The blog is rich with recipes that are easy to make, fast to assemble, and nutritious for the kids.
Parents can often take care of nutrition at breakfast and dinner time when kids are under their supervision. Lunch can be a little trickier. Some parents have trouble with their kids not eating their lunches, grapple with the issue of different tastes among the kids, and fast food addictions, and some are plain non-compliant (or too busy with schoolyard politics to eat!).
This blog solves many of these problems with suggestions for nutritious and tasty meals. The meal planning inspiration can also break the monotony of the same old lunch every day.
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2. Dad’s Delicious Dinners – A Go-To Dad Blog for Culinary Delights
- Site link- dadsdeliciousdinners.co.uk
- Category – Health/Food
This blog is one of the best (and not just among Dad blogs) that seems to understand its audience.
Every father should try to read this UK-based blog at least once.
One of my favourite features of this blog is the “Search by Time” section.
As any modern parent will tell you, time is often their primary challenge in managing their family.
Kids are unpredictable. They might ask for food any time! Or their friends might stay over. Maybe they don’t like what you prepared. Or perhaps they are ill and want something different.
The pace of life is so fast these days. Juggling ten thousand things in the house, from grocery shopping, paying the utilities, cleaning the house, home maintenance, servicing cars, taking care of pets etc. can become overwhelming for parents.
And all this ‘noise’ can make any parent almost lose track of the most crucial part of the day – preparing meals for kids.
This blog also has “Search by Meal” and “Search by Cuisines” options, which assist dads in making faster decisions and having more variations on the dinner table.
Too many recipes can create decision fatigue. And the last thing a dad needs is more decisions like “what to cook” at the end of the day.
This modern dad blog is highly recommended and certainly one of the most valuable blogs for parents.
Special Mention-
My favourite article is the “Family Meals under $5“. Money is a huge issue for so many families. This article addresses it brilliantly.
3. Dad Info
- Site link- dad.info
- Category – Relationships
A sad reality of modern living is relationship breakdowns, divorces and separations – for kids and parents alike. This blog takes on some of the tough topics when it comes to dads and relationship troubles.
It has a particularly good section for Divorced and Separated Dads.
What I liked about this blog is that it is “solution-oriented”.
When people face difficult situations, especially with kids involved, they often seek actionable solutions, rather than lengthy discussions or too much theory.
(menPsyche’s co-founder, Jennifer, has written about a similar concept for life crises, where she emphasises that sometimes you need actual support rather than sermons, help rather than advice).
Another attraction of this blog is the Forum Section, with threads dedicated to “Parenting Questions”, “Behaviour Management”, “Child Safety” etc.
It provides a helpful platform for all the fathers out there to share their worries, questions and queries and to seek answers from fellow fathers.
Worth Reading- How to Have a Child-Centered Divorce
Read More – Is Divorce a Sign of Failure or Success?
4. The Dad Website
- Site link- thedadwebsite.com
- Category – Relationships
Dads have to deal with the unexpected. Emergencies, embarrassing situations and emotional dramas all come packaged when you become a dad. Whether dealing with a ‘code-brown’ situation or just reading about what dads think, this blog provides a helpful backup for dads.
I found their “Heart Talk” section – something rare in the blogging industry, not just in dad blogs. We have grown up in a society where dads had difficulty expressing their emotions and feelings. A dad’s silence can confuse kids – yet his words might liberate the entire family. This section is pretty close to what we are trying to do with menPsyche – talking about what men think, including dads.
Worth Reading – Single-father’s perspective is hard to find. And this article is a brave example of a father expressing his emotions to his daughter.
5. All Pro Dad
- Site link- allprodad.com
- Category – Relationships
Having a healthy relationship with kids can become quite a tightrope to walk.
Nobel Laureate in Literature, Rabindranath Tagore said
“Don’t limit a child to your learning, for he was born in another time.”
The new challenge for dads is their sons and daughters are not just born in another time but in different spaces (physical and digital).
This blog is included on my list as it addresses modern issues with great expertise. The articles often cover common problems yet don’t have too many solutions (or at least they are not that easy to find).
Take a look at my other compilation of the Best Male Blogs for a Chuckle and a Change.
Generally, most dads find it easier to connect with their sons on particular topics. It seems like a stereotype, but we can see how many dads train their sons for the world. Look at popular culture, films and historical stories to demonstrate the father-son bond.
But when it comes to dads and daughters, there is relatively less helpful content on this subject. We know this relationship can be complicated. (Hollywood is one domain where you will find numerous father-daughter plot lines).
The expectations, the fears, the nuances, and the hidden emotions make this relationship one of the sweetest yet most challenging. For those interested, check All Pro Dad’s section on “Dads and Daughters” to learn more.
Lastly, this blog has a section on Fostering and Adoption, which I find simply brilliant and highly useful.
It can be hard to adopt a child, and learning how to raise children after adoption can be daunting for parents. I appreciate this blog’s practical approach to these issues.
6. Wilderdad
- Site link- wilderdad.com
- Category – Travel
Being a son of a Forest Ranger meant a lot of opportunities to be in the great outdoors.
I was lucky to have many unique experiences in the wilderness, such as bathing in waterfalls and watching wild tigers prowling through the jungle up close. Some of my best childhood memories involve tours with my father and sister to all the nearby national parks and sanctuaries.
Dads often connect with the kids during these kinds of trips. I don’t know what it is, but watching them out of their regular ‘habitat’ and navigating new landscapes fills some kids with fascination. Nature also brings out the caveman in Dad!
I make Fire, I get food.
All this nature fun sounds mighty fine in theory, but in reality, planning to go out with kids can be difficult, stressful and prone to disasters.
That’s why I like this blog. It covers so many areas that any dad might need one day.
It has guides for dads, such as how to set up a campsite, suggestions for wild expeditions and family adventures, recommendations of gears a dad can buy, and so much more.
I liked this particular article about how Steve Lemig (Founder of Wilderdad) fell in love with the wild, his inspirations and his thoughts about the importance of taking kids near to nature.
One can only develop such an engaging blog on the wilderness if they have personal experience to draw upon.
Steve has done a great job at this, using his insights and experience to inspire people and share his valuable advice.
7. Direct Advice for Dads
- Site link- directadvicefordads.com.au
- Category – Parenting
I remember talking to my friend who recently became a dad, and he expressed all his fears for his daughter within the house.
What if she puts her finger in a socket? Is she going to hit her head on the corner of the table?
Direct Advice for Dads not only has advice for practical issues but also covers unexpected emotional concerns and just some plain fun facts!
Worth Reading –
- Childproofing the house
- Curiosity of a dad to know the size of the baby
- Dealing with the Tough Issue of Miscarriage
Such articles show this blog’s approach to the realities of life and dads.
It makes the perfect guide for any newcomer to the dad blog scene.
Harsh is the founder of menPsyche. He enjoys using his extensive research and writing skills to communicate ideas and concepts, with the aim to improve people’s lives.
Harsh trained as a Communication Engineer and published a MSc (Research) thesis, as well as worked in a variety of marketing and consultancy roles.
