Get up, Dad up!

Gone are the Mad Men days of Don Draper, where dads come home from work to see their children summarily dismissed to bed so mom and dad can engage in libation and conversation. Today's dads wipe bottoms, change diapers, make dinners, give baths, go to the doctor's office, coach T-ball and much more. Whether prompted by the recent economic downturn, or a natural evolution of the women's liberation movement, it is not uncommon to see stay-at-home dads having sole nine-to-five responsibility for childcare. Divorce, coupled with increased, equal, or sole custody agreements, has elevated dads above the weekend warrior/Disneyland dad status.

Whatever type of dad you are (take the survey above), Dads Up refers to the societal trend toward greater fatherly involvement in the upbringing of their children. It is a calling for fathers to dad up (see the definitions in the UrbanDictionary.com), and play an active, involved and essential role in raising their children.

The Dads Up web log is dedicated to these dads and their relationship with their children. In the coming months, DadsUp.blogspot.com will share interesting, amusing, thought provoking, and hopefully helpful posts for dads as they rise to the occasion of fatherhood.