Welcome!

If you're here, it's probably because you're a Dude about to be a Dad or a Dude being a Dad, or you may even be a one of these on the female side of the spectrum (sorry ladies, you don't have cool lingo like "dude"... and I don't think you want to be called "chick"... again sorry, you can blame society).

I'm a Dude Being a Dad with my 4 month-old son. I'm creating this blog because I feel that there have to be other dudes out there who are about to have a baby, thinking of trying (that means having sex (giggle)), or already have kids who might be looking for some ways to share and express their experiences, or confide in someone else's.

When you want help and you start googling, you find really awesome websites and learn from really cool and manly dudes giving you the DUDE perspective, right?...Ugh... Wrong. Nothing but mommy mush and really uptight advice from Doctors. There are some great blogs that I've recently started following, and they're very well written... which is kind of intimidating to be honest. BUT... nonetheless, I wanted to get something going.

When your friends who don't have kids come up to you and say something like "oh my God dude! You're having a baby! How are things going?!" the last thing you want to do is tell them about the blog you've been reading written by this woman named Jennifer (sorry to Jennifers around the world), how she has helped you prepare for the baby's arrival, and how you can be more involved in the process. Your friends should shun you forever for even saying something like that. But inside, that is what you would really want to know.

Here's the deal...

There is help. We all have our family and friends and significant others relaying all of their experiences to us and maybe even telling us what we should and shouldn't do, what we can expect, and how to be prepared, etc.... but... if you're like me, I was annoyed.

Even if all the advice you get is accurate, there is simply no way for you to retain all the information. So as much as I would love to hear about why your "precious little Jennifer (sorry again) couldn't sleep through the night" I'm not going to remember this 9 months from now, and it may not even be the same issue! So instead of paying attention, I'm going to zone-out, and think about who I'm starting in fantasy football this week, if you don't mind.

SO... call me prideful, cocky, arrogant, stubborn, etc. All the attributes that YOU don't have ;) but I was tired of hearing about baby books and other people's kids because I knew that I would need to figure it out on my own. Looking back, that was stupid!!! I could have learned a lot but the truth was that there was nothing I could be proud of reading or feel confident sharing without sounding like a Jennifer (Jens are getting a bad wrap today... we'll make it up to you).

There is no guarantee that anything can prepare you, in fact, it's almost a guarantee that nothing will. Despite the millions of articles, baby books, and advice from friends and family, there isn't anyone from the future who is able to tell you how your kid is going to react to a specific type of formula, or whether or not they will become a brat because of something you did when they were 3 moths old . You're going to have to figure it out on your own. However, I want you to have an avenue that speaks from DUDE to DUDE, so that you can learn as much as possible from Dudes who are figuring it out with you.

I'm a dude figuring it out, just like you. DudesBeingDads.com is the place for Dudes Being Dads to help other Dudes Being Dads...AND to share their awesome/hilarious kids and stories they're proud of. You don't have to be ashamed of where you got the info...because we're all cool, at least in our kids' eyes.

Check back for new articles, videos, and tips. Please be patient as I'm in the very beginning stages.

Go be a Dad, Dude.

Joe Gattone

(My son, Joseph Ethan Gattone)