A Place for Dads

With the men doing as much of the heavy lifting in parenting as the women these days, never has there been a better time for suggestions, counsel, and the sharing of child raising war stories among guys. That’s where DadLabs comes in.

Austin, Texas-based school teachers Brad Powell and Clay Nichols, co-hosts of the video blog and founders of the DadLabs company along with Troy Lanier, cater to the need-to-know demands of a new generation of fathers with their humorous and irreverent takes on everything from diaper changing to toy buying while always providing firsthand (the three have no less than seven children between them) and sage advice.

Since Fall 2007, after the trio made DVDs likeDue Dads: The Man’s Survival Guide to Pregnancy , they’ve taken their show to the video blogosphere and enrolled the distribution and marketing expertise of web production studio by For Your Imagination.  

###Brad and Clay, or “Daddy Brad” and “Daddy Clay,” as they call themselves, are terrific hosts. Even if you aren’t a dad, or even if you hate kids, you’ll still be entertained by their laidback but concerned approach in episodes exploring every absurd nuance of child rearing. Episodes are released four times a week and usually fall into four categories: “The Lab,” where they test out theories and methods of parenting; “The Lounge,” where they discuss parenting issues, often with guests; “Daditude,” where the lighter side of parenting is revealed; and “Gear,” where products are showcased and explained.

Brad and Clay are at their best when grading different brands of juice boxes

as if tasting fine wine, expounding at length on controversial topics like adult drinking at kids’ birthday parties (“Beer’s better than bong hits”), and, with the help of Daddy Owen, interviewing a talking a Elmo doll. There’s little that isn’t or won’t be covered by DadLabs: what to do when your kid swears, choosing your child’s pediatrician, and, oh yes, there’s an ongoing encyclopedic sub-series dedicated solely to issues regarding changing diapers called, appropriately, “Wikipoopia.”

The only thing more hilarious (in a pathetic sort of way) than watching guys coping with parenthood is watching them get totally frustrated and pissed off about it because, heck, we know they love the rewards when all’s said and done.

In that spirit, DadLabs offers “Dad Rant,” a sub-series of “The Lounge” in which Daddy Brad goes off about the ludicrous party favors given out at kids’ parties and the biggest problem with the American educational system. Beside for that, there’s a really great episode in which the guys recreate the disgustingness of a child crapping in a bathtub. A true classic.

This is an entertaining show that links a very strong and growing community.  We’ll be interested to see how they incorporate interactive elements for dads.