Why You Have To Join A Dad’s Group

Moving to a new city, that’s 12 hours away from your closest friends and family can be a challenging experience for any adult. It seems like the older you get, the harder it is to meet new people and maintain genuine friendships.

Thinking back to college, it was a lot easier to make new friends because everyone was involved in clubs and organizations that provided a common interest for everyone. My favorite clubs included the “streak through random places on campus committee” and the “save the [insert rare Amazon flower here] non-profit organization”. How could you not form a lifelong bond being a member of groups like this!? And how easy it for kids to make a new best friend at a park or on a sports team?

However, as we grow older, it gets a lot harder. It’s even more complicated for men, because we don’t generally open up easily about our feelings or past experiences. It’s equally hard for parents with young children because we spend most of our time dealing with dirty diapers and toddler tantrums, instead of having a coherent adult conversations.

Now imagine being an at home dad, in a new city, with a wife who spends nearly all of her waking hours working. If you’re trying to meet people and build a network it’s an uphill battle. But there’s hope!

I’m so glad that I was able to find the Chicago City Dads group because without it, my first year in the Chicago area would have been nearly unbearable. But having a group of fellow dad’s who understand that sometimes…………

You have to pause your conversation to save your child from imminent death at the playground.

Or simply knowing that there are other men out there who fell in love with high earning, over achieving women and who understand the issues that come along with this lifestyle has been extremely reassuring for me. Trust me guys you’re not alone. Lots of women are really great at their professions, love their careers, and deserve to make a lot of money. While lots of men just happen to be great at, love and enjoy raising their children.

As dads, we need a place that’s not work and not home, where we can be on a level playing field with other guys. The Chicago Dads Group has become that place for me. I love my family, I love my work, but we all need that time away where we can be a relaxed version of our best self.

If you are an at home dad reading this, and you have a City Dads Group near you, I highly suggest joining  and becoming an active member in the group. Not only will it be good for your kids to be around new and “interesting” kids, but it will also be great for you to get out of your normal routine and meet some new and “very interesting” dads.