First of all, thanks to WPIX local NY ch. 11 for changing their weekly parenting show title this morning from “Mom’s the Word” to “Dad’s the Word.”  I was honored to participate in a meaningful conversation about the changing roles of fatherhood as well as sharing the trials and tribulations of being the primary caregiver.  A special thank you to Suki, Dr. B, and producer, Kate!

Today, was an amazing day (at least so far as I write this entry during my son’s nap)!  Wanted to use this forum to add my thoughts and reflections.

My wife left at the crack of dawn for a spur of the moment trip to Chicago…that leaves me in my usual gig – home with the little guy.  First, I got the opportunity to be on TV with my three year old son, Jake – what a cool experience!  Upon arriving at the WPIX headquarters (10 minutes late – blame the kid!), Jake was enamored by the electronic turnstile at security.  Could not peel him away until he saw the elevator bank with a dozen doors and lots of buttons…of course, I allowed him to hit the elevator buttons.

Next, we were ushered into the “Green Room” (the sleek holding pen until your segment is set to air).  I declined any make-up and was enjoying watching Jake “work the room” by introducing himself to the people that were scheduled to be on TV before our segment.  As soon as they left, Jake decided he needed to make a poopy (he’s still in diapers)!  So, he marked his turf, and proved that he was feeling very comfortable.  Sorry to WPIX for the foul odor in the Green Room!  Blame the little guy!

Next, the microphone guy came over to set up the mic and test it.  Jake found the microphone piece too fascinating and kept pulling it off of me.  Sorry tech guy!  Then, we were whisked over to the staging area prior to our segment during the commercial break.  There was a brief discussion of how Jake was going to be utilized in the segment.  Would he be off-stage? on set the whole time? visit the set at the end of the segment to be introduced?  The producer wanted to make sure that Jake did not become the center of attention (a compliment) and take away from the heart of the conversation.  I get it.  Consequently, Jake added, “I want to go with Daddy!” in his I’m about to start crying. It was settled then!  He would stay by my side for the segment.

As you might see from the clip above, I was still sitting down in my chair as the segment kicked off.  Reason: I was grabbing a snack from the diaper bag just in case!  Finally, the next 4 1/2 minute segment flew by.  I could dissect the conversation within the segment – what could have I said differently, added my two cents on, changed an answer…but, overall, it was a positive discussion about fatherhood – my primary goal.  SO, Please let us know your thoughts, comments, feedback.

Continued: We were home by 9:00am.  As soon as we got home, Jake & I changed into our playground gear, and headed down to the South Street Seaport area to meet 9 dads with their tots at the Imagination Playground.  The playground lacks shade, but was unique, innovative, and a great way to spend the morning with the fellas in the group.  The bonus was the all white Carousel sponsored by GE – it’s completely solar powered and FREE!  We went on three times and would have kept going had we not been starving for lunch!

Each week, our NYC Dads Group gets together to take full advantage of New York City with our kids in tow. Recently, we have been to Roosevelt Island, Governors Island, Central Park, the Bronx Zoo, local children’s venues, and more. Three weeks ago, we made our first journey into Brooklyn. A dozen dads with their kids took an invigorating walk over the Brooklyn Bridge to catch some prime views, chow down on the famous Grimaldi’s Pizza, and hit a renowned playground along the river. More details about this Brooklyn Bridge meet up event were posted on our blog.

Seeing a group of dads with their kids in the middle of the day used to be a “rare” sighting. Consequently, the involved fathers that comprise our dynamic group have been making it a more common phenomenon these days in NYC. As our group assembled at the base of the Brooklyn Bridge, channel 11 (WPIX) caught up with a few of us to ask us about our experiences as at-home-dads. The segment below about our NYC Dads Group aired this morning. Overall, I was pleased that they kept the footage true to form. The overall piece enabled people to see some of the benefits like the fun and camaraderie about being in a group. Additionally, the interviews enabled us to articulate some of the real challenges of the job. Hopefully, some involved dads watched the segment, and said, “I don’t want to remain isolated anymore- this group looks like a good match for me.” If that is you, please feel free to join our group (NYC Dads Group) of at-home-dads who are making this modern man experience the cool thing to do. If you are an involved dad, but are not up for joining a group, then continue to check out this blog site (https://citydadsgroup.com/nyc/) that aims to be a destination for dads on thoughts, news, content, and playgroup information.