The nosy neighbor who screams at the boys riding their skateboards in the middle of the street and yet offers all the kids whole candybars at Halloween is a mom, part time.

An older sibling who, because of family crisis, has stepped in to take care of the younger children is a mom.

So, by my definition, if you take care of children, without being paid to do so and are interested in connecting with other ‘moms’ to express concerns and joys you should. You deserve it, end of story!

To those moms who want a woman only experience, the truth is parenting isn’t just a woman thing. Even for single parents, lots of other people contribute to your child whether or not you realize it; neighbors, librarians, teachers, etc. Many of these people are not female and that’s a good thing, children need guidance from many sources.

I been there awhile now. And other than my gender, I’m totally honest about who I am and what I do with the kids and participate in all the discussions and minigames and even have a few “friends”.

I’ve learned over time how to play along and know the right things to say, but as well as I’m liked and get along and follow the rules, I know I have to maintain appearances or get deleted based on some sexist, short-sighted, paranoid viewpoint that all men must be evil because of a few bad eggs and experiences some people have had.

Another poster pointed out that the registration is completely open. They verify nothing. As such it would be very naive to assume that some good-intentioned dads don’t join up sometimes and just keep a low profile or share accounts with a wife and just let people think they are her.

Some guys have no other social outlets. This is it (the internet) and those Dad sites and myspace type places don’t give you what you need. As long as they aren’t harming anything (and no one knows), I don’t see the need to make a stink about it.

However, there are a large number of groups that appear to be for all the women who really never mentally left high school. Parenting is rarely mentioned, other than to put someone down. The women have photo contests where they flash their underwear, have fights based on who is a fake or sock puppet, on who allows or doesn’t allow who in whose group, and on who betrayed who somehow (given they’re anonymous internet people who have never met in real life), and also inane polls on who is the cutest, most annoying, etc. All this crap establishes some sort of hierarchy to someone, despite the fact that most of the people in these groups are, frankly, idiots who have no business having children. And women who stir up a lot of trouble in these groups are allowed back over and over, particularly by the people who hate them most.

Anyway, if you somehow missed high school, or miss it now, gosh, go to CafeMom. Relive the past, or maybe relive it how you wish it had been!

And from the looks of it, I am not allowed and I am OK with that! There are just some things that women just want to talk to other women about and some things men just want to talk to other men about. Not everything has to be coed.

And no, not every woman on Cafe Mom goes on to blah blah blah… ;D

Well, hope this helps you and any other father feeling left out. Oh and there is another site for both moms & dads… Coolerparents.com It’s not CafeMom, but it is coed.