My post about CafeMom discriminating against dads sparked quite a reaction from many CafeMom elitists members. I was called “CafeMom Spy” and “idiot”. Yikes.
I got some support from some of my dad peeps – Bill and Jason. And, lo and behold, I got supportive comments from some moms, too. Thank you Vicky and Jenny. I’m glad I’m not alone on this one.
I still maintain that CafeMom’s policy is ridiculous. Continue reading Response To CafeMom Brouhaha
CafeMom bills itself as “the largest social-networking/community site for moms AND the leading women’s/parenting site on the internet”. 
Their other claim to fame is that Andrew Shue, of Melrose Place fame, is a co-founder.
SuburbanDaddy is a modern kind of guy, secure enough in his own parenting abilities and generally in touch with his mommy side. Most of my readers are moms, and I regularly follow and comment on mom blogs, and on other parenting community sites. I was welcomed, along with many other dad bloggers, into the BlogHer advertising network, “the community for women who blog”.
So I thought nothing of it when I registered for an account at CafeMom. Then, shortly after registering, I received this email:
Your CafeMom account has been canceled because the site is ONLY for moms and moms-to-be. We recommend a site like www.parentsconnect.com (no relation).
We appreciate your cooperation.
*The CafeMom Admin Team
How ridiculous is this? With the limited amount of information given at registration, I can only assume they determined I wasn’t a mom because I used suburbandaddy as a username.? Please.? I could easily have used a different username with mommy in it, and then they would have accepted me.? What’s the point?? Isn’t this 2008?
The idea for this week’s poll was suggested by 2lilpumpkins. It’s actually a topic I’ve been meaning to rant write about for a while.
There are many products which are so useful, time saving, and efficient, that we take them for granted. The light bulb. Air conditioning. Microwave ovens. Even something as simple as a fork. All these inventions have made our lives better. The improvement is so immense, the decision to use them is so indisputable, that nobody discusses it anymore. Or so I thought.
One such invention is the disposable diaper. Ever since 1961, when Pampers were introduced, parents everywhere have been relieved of the need to deal with cloth diapers. Yet there are still people debating which type of diaper to use.
Given the cheap cost and wide availability of disposables, why would any parent actually choose to use cloth diapers!?! Ok, I know I’ll get some reaction from the environmentalists out there, on how bad diapers are for the environment. Maybe disposable diapers aren’t helping the environment. But compared to serious dangers, like greenhouse gases, diapers are hardly topic #1 on Greenpeace’s agenda.
[poll=13]
Yes, the circus. That icon of American culture. Clowns, high wire acts, lions, tigers, popcorn, cotton candy. And, as I have just learned, yet another parenting controversy.
According to the Washington Post, Parents Weigh Animal Rights Ethics Against Kids’ Enjoyment of the Circus. Really? It’s not keeping me up at night.
Animal rights activists have taken issue with bears riding bikes. “To see a bear ride a bicycle, it is ridicule. You’re really just laughing at that bear”, “I don’t think it’s a long distance from ridiculing animals to laughing at other people”.
I’m all for treating animals well. But there is a difference between Michael Vick’s dogfighting troubles, and the circus which has been entertaining kids for 138 years. Lighten up people.
I’ve been hearing a lot about homeschooling lately. Frankly, I don’t get it. I’m a live and let live kinda guy, so I don’t mind if people want to homeschool their kids. Knock your self out. I just don’t get WHY anyone would want to in the first place.
I can see if maybe you live in the wilderness somewhere, and the nearest school is 50 miles away, it might make sense to homeschool. Or, maybe if you are, in fact, a teacher, and want to give homeschooling a go, I’ll buy it. But those cases aside, I simply do not get it.
Why would you think you could do a better job that an entire building of people whose job it is to teach? And, in the case of public schools, it costs nothing. Why is this bad, again?
I could do my own dry cleaning. I could make my own clothes. I could cut my own hair. I could plow my own roads. I could deliver my own babies. But I choose to let the professionals do it.
So, I pose the question to you…
[poll=8]
I watched a new show on TLC last night called The Secret Life Of A Soccer Mom.? The premise is a SAHM swaps places with her husband for a few days, and she gets to work in the career she gave up prior to staying home.? At the end, they offer the job for real and she must decide whether to stay home or go back to work.
Let me state, for the record, that I fully, 100% support stay at home moms and working moms.? Both are difficult in their own ways and its a personal decision, yada yada.
My issue with the show is that the classic Mr Mom stereotype is shown for the dad.? You know, that dads don’t know how to take care of their kids.? And if they are left alone, the house will fall into disaster and chaos.
Puh-lease !#$#@%
At least in Jon and Kate Plus 8 (which I also watched last night), they get past the old stereotypes and show true reality TV.
So I’m in Panera right now, enjoying some daddy time (thanks SuburbanMommy!), and I can’t help overhearing am hanging on every word, listening to the table next to me. A mom and her 15 year old daughter are meeting with a party planner to discuss what I’m guessing is her sweet sixteen party.
Just some of the juicy tidbits…75 of her closest friends. Hotel. DJ. Professional photographer and video. Red carpet and strobe lights (no joke). Limousine. Custom invitations.
Truly THE party of the season. I’m going to ask if I can come.
When the planner asked what was the most important feature, what she wanted her friends to remember about the party, the girl said “I want it to be better than my friend Kayla’s who is having her party the month before”. Apparently, Kayla has already “stolen” many of her party theme ideas, and the coolest venue.
I’ve heard that boys are tougher when they are young, but once they become teenagers, girls are a nightmare. I believe it. Not to mention more expensive.
OK, Momnesia must be real news now, because the Today Show just had a segment on it.
Also, as I lay in bed watching the Today Show this morning, sick, deciding if I should go to work, I also enjoyed a segment entitled Why it is Unethical To Go To Work When You Are Sick. Not kidding. Once I saw that, it was an easy decision to stay home.