What does it take to be a Daddy Blogger?

If you had followed us for a while, you would have known that TheWackyDuo.com is written mostly be yours truly.

Who am I ?!? 

I am a proud father of 2 boys. Since I am in charge of the posts on this blog, it effectively makes me a Daddy Blogger, a rare breed in today local Blog-sphere. Before I start, I would like to add, these views are my own. Shaped and formed by my humble existence into the world of Daddy Bloggers for the past 8 years.

2 years ago, when this blog was officially launched ( I had started the blog since 2006 , but that was on silent mode) , I had written an article on Daddy Bloggers in Singapore. It was stated in that article that it will be a tough to find 10 Daddy Bloggers in Singapore. While the universe of local Daddy Bloggers expanded somewhat since then, you can use your hands and toes to count us in and still have digits to share. Over the course of 2 years, the blogging community added a grand total of 5 Daddy Bloggers that I am aware of. They are as follows

• 4 Blog
• Becoming Home
• Daddy Chow
• Simply Diary Dad
• The Perfect Father

As for the rest of the active Daddy Bloggers who are family centric, you can find them at

• Cheekie Monkies
• Ed Unloaded
• J Babies Dad
• Nick Pan
• Patrick Pang
• Princess Dana Diaries
• Roaming Glass
• Sengkang Babies
• Stranger in Bangkok
• The Blogfather
• The Wacky Duo

It is still a relatively small list , but it is growing.

What does it take to be a Daddy Blogger?

• Are the barriers of entry so high that it is impossible to start a blog by a Daddy?
• Are there hidden agenda why these Daddy Bloggers exist?
• Are the existing Daddy Bloggers forming an oligopoly and kicking everyone else out of the cyber world?

I would like to give a resounding NO to each of the questions above. From my own experiences, it just takes 2 words to summarize my Daddy Blogging journey.

Hard work. 

There are many reasons why I blog. It started off as a simple diary to discovering my love of photography. When the blog readership increases, our lives began to evolve. From a time where weekends means staying at home or going to the malls, it became one where our weekends activities were often plan out for us by way of invitations. The weekends were often pack and ended all too soon before it began. It may sound fun through it all, but it is definitely hard work keeping up with the events and writing posts about them. To be honest, I would think along the way, the family would probably have a burnout from the whirlwind of activities. Fortunately that day is not today.

Let's explore the questions asked earlier

• Are the barriers of entry so high that it is impossible to start a blog by a Daddy?

The Internet is a free world and the blogging community especially the parent bloggers are one big friendly lot. No one is too 'new' to start a blog. To qualify as a Daddy Blogger, you just need 2 things. The first is that you are a Dad and the second you write a blog. It is as simple as that.

• Are there hidden agenda why these Daddy Bloggers exist?

Yes, there is , we are all here for a hidden reason. I can't tell you what it is as we have a secret code amongst the Daddies to not disclose this. 

Nah. I am just pulling your leg. 

There is no hidden agenda amongst us. Most Dads blog for the following reasons : the love of writing, as a hobby, somewhere to practise our photography skills, willingness to share experience and freebies for kids ( yeah no need to buy presents for kids anymore! ) . Ok not exactly freebies, but it does not hurt if we do get them. If you do notice glamour and fame are at the bottom of the list for most of us. So don't expect to find a Diva here. 

If you are a dad and you are reading this, you would probably have a hidden desire to start writing. You would probably ask the question 'Can I blog?'

Let me tell you this, you can do it if you choose to. To me, blogging is akin to having a hobby. It's also a great excuse to bring the kids out and to make friends with like-minded parents. It's a stressful world out there and blogging is my chill pill. 

As for the would be Daddy Blogger. Choose your own destiny.

• Are the existing Daddy Bloggers forming an oligopoly and kicking everyone else out of the cyber world?

The blogging community is a small one in Singapore. In honest truth, the Daddy bloggers more or less know one another. It is either through meetings at events, through a fellow blogger or through online interactions. We had so much fun, we actually started Daddy Matters. It is not a secret society organisation, but rather a community of Daddies online. If you are interested in joining in the club, do visit us. We welcome all dads (and moms) . There are no oligopoly or monopoly or whatever poly to stop you from being a Daddy Blogger.

Secrets of a Daddy Blogger?

If I were to identify the longevity of existing Daddy Bloggers, it will be the following

• Passion

You have to love what you do. If you do, the words will flow. Fear not if you are not a wordsmith. Being a blogger gives one the license to be creative. In other words you could express yourself with photos, drawings, essays and whatever you fancy.

• Commitment

Blogging is not an easy hobby. It takes a lot of time to craft a post. If you are a perfectionist, it may take forever just to do a post you like. It takes commitment to follow through an event, edit the photos, write the post, edit it. Now do it all over 3 times in a week.

• Open minded

As a blogger, one thing I learn is to be open minded, especially in terms of contents. As much as I want to blog about certain things or events, it is all about opportunities. If we are lucky, we get invites to events we love. If we have a spare penny, we would go for things we fancy. Regardless, it is about being open to invites, both good and otherwise. It gives you a chance to have a new experience and it gives you content too.

• Willingness to share

Operating a blog equates to giving out a bit of your privacy away. Not everyone is willing to do so. It is a matter of choice. If you are someone who loves to tell a tale and share experiences, blogging is a good platform to explore.

• Have you own voice

Each of us is an individual. It is this diversity that makes what one contributes interesting. Write in your own style. Once you found your voice and are comfortable with it, rest assured, you will be heard.These are not the ingredients to a secret formula. However if you add it all up, it only equates to one thing... hard work.
 
Is it worth it?

If the smiles and laughter of my boys are the means to justify my existence as a Daddy Blogger, the answer is yes.

To would be Daddy Bloggers: Life is short, don't think it , do it.