A new year. It’s a natural point to consider and reassess, a chance to rethink direction. (This is true of any day, to be sure – but there’s something about turning the page on a calendar that feels like a renewed sense of possibility.)
To that end, I’m going to rename the blog. Why? Firstly, I never really loved the name. It was available and it’s serviceable, but doesn’t really feel right. Secondly, it seems limiting. Yes, I write about my experience as a dad with daughters, but I think the name might turn people off who have sons or non-cisgendered children. Thirdly, I never wanted it to be like I had these pearls of wisdom that I was delivering to my kids, like Moses from up-on-high. I’ve blundered around in my life, knocking things down and making mistakes, and when I see my experience reflected in my children’s experience, I feel compelled to write about it. Because maybe it makes them feel less alone, perhaps, or because it makes me feel less alone. Who knows why? Only my therapist really does.
The other impetus for this is that when I have more content (I’m at about 40,000 words of content over 53 posts, not quite enough I don’t think) I’d like to pivot this to a book, perhaps. Sometime this year, maybe. So doing this now – in part – sets the foundation for that a bit better.
So I’ve come up with words and phrases that seem to fit what I’m trying to do. Mindful. Fatherhood. Children. Teach. Experience. Mistakes. Variations thereof, with a nod to Godaddy to make sure a related domain name is available.
I know what I’m good at and what I’m not. Having an intuitive sense of what’s catchy or marketable isn’t my strength. Neither is asking for help (really, ask my wife), but I’m doing so here.
So I’m listing some possibilities. If you have any thoughts – negatively, positively, or other – please send them to me at admin@thingsmydaughters.com. Or comment on the page. Or if you’re reading this on Facebook, feel free to respond to the poll or comment to the post there. I seriously welcome any and all of your thoughts on this. Even if it’s to say that I shouldn’t waste my time, nobody wants to read what I say, and any book that I write will go down in the annals of Amazon history as the worst selling item ever, even worse than “The Worst Book Ever Written: Don’t Waste Your Money Buying This, You’re Not Going to Get a Refund.” It’s all valuable feedback.
This is what I’ve come up with so far. Other variations (dad vs. father, father vs. fatherhood) also are possibilities. (There is one I’m leaning toward, but I’ll try not to influence the response. )
consideratefatherhood.com
compassionatefatherhood.com
experiencefatherhood.com
thefatherhoodexperience.com
thingstoteachourchildren.com
lifelessonsforourkids.com
mindfuldad.com
experientialfatherhood.com
Something else?
Thanks for reading, and thanks for your thoughts! (And if any of you go out and register any of these domains to squat on them, I’ll remind you that all three of my children know karate!)