When we moved to NYC in 2014 we ran out of places to visit in a month, and frankly, hauling a jogging stroller, baby bags, Enfamil cans, and water bottles up and down stairs to then battle the sidewalk crowds with a 3 month-old baby was exhausting, and scary. Coming from a hispanic background where family just wants the baby to have every single gadget on the market they themselves never had, they started to pile up and we just had to put an end to
it and began to simplify.
The first daddy gear I invested in was a backpack with a wipe dispenser on one side, water proof bottle carrier and a handy baby mat. Next gadget was a baby carrier, man did I love it. However, at 240lbs, with the added weight my knees, back, and feet were not enjoying it one bit. It’s a surprise that bag lasted a year, summer to summer; with a baby in front and a Fisher bakcpack on my back I felt like a Marine storming a beach (camo face paint and all), but looked like Viroldo, a Puerto Rican Dennis-the-menace-like schoolboy played by a grown man. So, we got a lighter stroller and I got myself a more conspicous bag with many pockets and similar
specs minus the cartoonish colors, we walked more and carried our son in our arms for shorter trips, just like all the previous millions of humans in this planet before us that didn’t have the luxury of a stroller, baby carrier, etc. and realized it didn’t make us any less of a parent if we decided to leave these at home unless otherwise necessary.
I guess what I learned, and hope to share, is the fact that 1) daddy gear still has a long way to go, especially for bigger daddies; 2) what works for me may not work for another dad, always take into consideration your circumstances, and 3) never let others dictate what you should use, if something is uncomfortable for you or pointless don’t obligate yourself to it just because it was gifted it to you, I am pretty sure it will not go to waste, there will always be someone in need of a baby item that doesn’t work for you. Speak to other dads, find out what they did in specific situations, trust me, if you thought moms had an innate motherhood camaraderie, you’re going to be surprised when you find out about Daddy-Club…but I must warn you…first rule of daddy club is…
In the coming weeks I will be adding a few posts I have already worked on before launching this blog.
The Monkey-Bag Daddy 