Dad Blogs: Five "Must-Reads" for Father's Day

If you're in need of some Father's Day reads this weekend, to get you in that "Aww, we love Dads" mood, I'm sharing my five favorite dad blogs with you. I can't take responsibility for the fact that you'll be hooked in immediately. Get your blog reader ready for some new URLs. And it's purely coincidence that  all but one begin with the letter "C."

• Creative-Type Dad: Tony of Creative-Type Dad is one of my blog crushes. He just has a matter-of-fact way of telling stories, like his recap of a recent trip to Fiji. But check out his Father's Day post for a taste of his dad-like sense of humor. The man can find perspective in anything, and that's a must as a parent.

• Cry-it-out: Adventures of a Stay-at-Home Dad: It's a rare thing for me to get through a post by Mike Adamick without sighing emotionally, crying or laughing. This is no joke. He's a genuine storyteller who makes you feel what he wants you to feel. Don't believe me? Read this post, "Where We Live."

• Chocolate Makes It Better: What's up with all the dads making me cry with tear-jerker posts? Peter's ode to his daughters is sweeter than real cherry soda.

• Cynical Dad: Chag's posts are always a fun read and I love his Song of the Day choices (aka, the Cynical Dad Jukebox). My current favorite is about his son's newest flirting  games, called "Little Romeo." Song? "Hey Ladies" by the Beasties. Love it.

• DadCentric: Okay, I know I've already plugged DadCentric earlier this week. But seriously, it boasts a great line up of dad bloggers and worthy of your eye time.

Happy Father's Dad to all the dad readers of JobMom. And if you have some favorite dad blogs to read, please share them in the comments section!

The Mom Ramp, Dad Style

We're starting to hear more and more about dads who stay home with the kids while mom is out bringing home the bacon. As we approach Father's Day, I thought it would be fun and enlightening to hear from a full-time dad about his new role, the transition from career to parent, and what it feels like -- in working mom lingo -- to take the "off ramp" from his career.

In June 2005, Christopher Harder was the assistant news editor at The Wall Street Journal website, WJS.com. But in June 2005, he also added a new title behind his name: Dad.

Christopher's first and only child, Nicholas, was born. And in working-mom lingo, Chris decided to take the "off ramp" from his career. His wife, a reporter and editor for a daily newsletter that covers the energy industry, went back to work.

JobMom (JM): At what point in your career did you have your first baby and at how did this change your attitude towards your professional career? Or did it?

Christoper Harder (CH): I was well into my career as a journalist when my wife, Beth, and I decided, after much contemplation, to have a child. It was the contemplation about becoming a father, as well as 9/11, that changed my attitude toward my career.

I had worked for about 18 years as a reporter, copy editor and news editor at a variety of newspapers, newswires and Web sites. When Nicholas, our first and only child, was born in June 2005, I had been working as an assistant news editor at The Wall Street Journal website for five years.

That included being in the WSJ.com office across the street from the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. I didn't really know it at the time, but everything in our lives took on a new urgency after that day. The smoke and smell of ground zero had filled our Brooklyn apartment for weeks afterward, and my co-workers and I were relocated to other offices for many months. When we returned to the World Financial Center office, I rode the train directly into ground zero each day to work. All of this was pretty demoralizing.

In the middle of the post-9/11 period, I turned 40, Beth and I bought a house in New Jersey (where we still live), and we started seriously talking about having a child. It just seemed like it could be so much more fulfilling than going into the office. So part of the new urgency in our lives was, ironically, a desire to stop and smell the roses.