Dear Dads,

After almost two years of daddyhood I was lucky enough to stumble upon all of you and in the months that have followed I was happy to meet those of you who like me have done the same. I discover new things everyday as I read your writings and appreciate how willing you are to share your thoughts – whatever those might be. The diversity is not surprising and just makes it that much more fun.

I often look forward to taking a break from the daily routine and checking in to see what you are all saying and thinking. There are some of you who make me laugh and nod knowingly, those of you who bring up interesting issues, others offer unknown facts, some of you vent making me smile, many of you dispense advice by anecdote and others still bring different perspectives on some of the FAQs that are common among parents.

What I like about you guys is that you never take yourself so seriously as to sound pedantic. You leave that to others – giving our motley crew fodder for our articles.

No matter what you talk about I always find a great deal of respect amongst you when it comes to the challenges of daddyhood. I think that is unique to us. Don’t get me wrong we have our differences, but in stereotypical male terms these differences, even the more pointed ones, can often be tempered by sitting down at the bar with a beer in hand. Yes, the Neanderthal way that is often mistaken for actual male parenting style is exactly what allows us to still get along as dads and not turn every issue into a cat fight (how’s that for a stereotype?).

I don’t find myself ever trying to usurp my wife’s role as a parent (nor do I want to, quite frankly) and yet, I am constantly reminded by others that the very fact that some dads have taken to writing about their experiences as fathers is a perceived threat. Why? Are we implying that we are the only side of the parenting equation that pulls its weight? Really? I am not being naïve here. I know that there are interests involved online that go beyond thoughts and concepts and are anchored firmly in the economical and material realm. Is it that the slices of the pie are getting too thin? So why not say so instead of making it about who is the better parent?

Ladies don’t be upset, those of you who know me, know well how appreciative I am of your support and our conversation, but allow me this Hallmark moment for the dads. You guys make it fun and real – it’s the reason I write even when I don’t think it matters. That support is hard to come by in life and I thank you.

Sincerely,

New York Dad

For a great way to spend Father’s Day with the family, one lucky New York Dad’s Blog reader can win a Family Four Pack to the Tigers – Tracking a Legend exhibit now open at South Street Seaport. 

Here are some of the fun and interactive educational features you will find:

Talk like a Tiger Interactive – Imitate the unique sounds of tiger cubs, the tigress and male tigers and get feedback by spectrogram showing how they match these tiger sounds.

Electronic Digi-Track Climbing Wall for All Ages – Explore Interactive games using sensory Indian wildlife sounds & moving lights on the hand grips offering different games and degrees of difficulty. Encourage teamwork and fun through physical fitness/coordination. Inspires family & individual motivation by achieving game challenge goals.

Carnivore Capture-Jaws/Claws & Canine Bite Force – Experience the Tiger’s Hunt through a dynamic touch sensory joystick link to animated HD simulation. Canine Bite Force engages visitors to hold onto a racer’s steering wheel feeling the resistance of eight different carnivore canine bite forces.

Inside the Tiger Exhibit – Explore the tiger’s head, heart, chest and abdomen by viewing rare “CAT”Scans on a sliding monitor. Compare a tiger’s anatomy to a human’s anatomy.

Tiger’s Cave and Conservation – Discover the Day in the Life of the Tigress and her two cubs and learn 20 Ways To Save Wild Tigers.

- Go to Tigers NYC website and then tell me what fascinates you about tigers in a comment below.

For multiple entries* you can also:

- Subscribe to New York Dad’s Blog’s RSS Feed

- Subscribe to New York Dad’s Blog using your e-mail

- Fan New York Dad’s Blog on Facebook

- Fan Tigers NYC on Facebook

- Follow @NewYorkDad on Twitter

- Follow @TigersNYC on Twitter

- Blog about this giveaway and share the link in a comment

- Tweet about the giveaway using the following ingredients: @NewYorkDad Family Four Pack @TigersNYC #Giveaway #FathersDay http://bit.ly/aPIspi

*ALWAYS give me a heads up in a separate comment below that you have done so otherwise it will NOT count as an additional entry.

No more entries will be accepted after June 17th, 2010 at 11:59pm EST (date and time stamp on the comment). Open to US readers only. I will select the winner on June 18th, 2010 and they will have until 11:59pm EST to claim their prize.

GOOD LUCK TO ALL!

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UPDATE: GIVEAWAY WINNER ANNOUNCED

CONGRATS TO Wendy! – random.org selected comment #1

For all you Dads and Moms in the City (or close enough!), join me at Dada Rocks!’s Father’s Day shindig on Wednesday, June 16th with Big City Moms at the Kidville on the UES for fun and games with the whole family. Dada Rocks! is giving away a Family Pack to one of his lucky readers. Find out more on how to win the family pack here. Hope to see you and your family there!

Just in time for Father’s Day weekend, one lucky New York Dad’s Blog reader can win two (2) tickets to see the New York Yankees take on the New York Mets at Yankee Stadium on Friday, June 18, 2010 at 7:05 p.m. (EDT) courtesy of Blimpie America’s Sub Shop. They are also going to send the lucky winner a $10 Blimpie gift certificate.

Established in 1964 in Hoboken, New Jersey, by three high school buddies, Blimpie has been serving fresh deli-style subs for more than 45 years with freshly sliced meats, crisp vegetables, and an assortment of cheeses. They want to celebrate Father’s Day by  giving away tickets to America’s favorite pastime.

So here’s the deal, in order to participate in the random drawing:

- Go to Blimpie’s website and tell me in a comment to this post which Blimpie Sub you want to try from their menu.

For multiple entries* you can also:

- Subscribe to New York Dad’s Blog’s RSS Feed

- Subscribe to New York Dad’s Blog using your e-mail

- Fan New York Dad’s Blog on Facebook

- Fan Blimpie on Facebook

- Follow @NewYorkDad on Twitter

- Follow @BlimpieSubShop on Twitter

- Blog about this giveaway and share the link in a comment

- Tweet about the giveaway using the following ingredients: @NewYorkDad Yankees vs Mets tickets @BlimpieSubShop #Giveaway #FathersDay http://bit.ly/cNeDDV

*ALWAYS give me a heads up in a separate comment below that you have done so otherwise it will NOT count as an additional entry.

No more entries will be accepted after June 15th, 2010 at 11:59pm EST (date and time stamp on the comment). Open to US readers only. I will select the winner on June 16th, 2010 and they will have until 5pm EST to claim their prize.

GOOD LUCK TO ALL!

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UPDATE: GIVEAWAY WINNER ANNOUNCED

CONGRATS TO Dada Rocks! – random.org selected comment #12