Blog Spotlight: Mitch from Gay NYC Dad

Mitch

Blogger: Mitch
Blog Name: Gay NYC Dad

Mitch was the first Dad Blogger I’ve ever met in real life, when we both had the privilege of interviewing Kristen Bell during a Disney Frozen Event. It’s there that I found out Mitch has the same corny sense of humor that I do, and just loves being a fun, helpful kind of guy. Turns out he grew up in the same county I did too, so it didn’t take long for us to become Facebook Official Friends. I’ve bumped into Mitch countless times at various blog events and conferences and will undoubtedly continue to do so in the future. If you’re ever looking for Mitch, just listen for the heartfelt laughter.

How did you get started blogging?

I had always wanted to write our adoption story on paper, and eventually found blogging and thought that was the right venue to start to share our story. I also thought it would be a great way to offer to encourage others to adopt and share how we did it so successfully.

What do you love most about blogging?

Firstly, the people. I have met the greatest group of parents in the parent blogging world, because we have so much in common, similar work, similar views, and we love talking about being parents!

Secondly, the work. I love shopping, therefore, reviewing products is a perfect fit for me! I also love the opportunity to share some great blog events with my family, my son gets to go to fun events and movie previews, and we also get occasional family trips! And who wouldn’t love a family trip to a major theme park where you get an insiders view, like bloggers are able to get on occasion.

What’s the worst part about blogging?

Lack of opportunities for dad bloggers. I have had some great success but find it to be mostly a mom blog world.

Why do you blog?

I started the blog to write about our son’s adoption. I continue to blog to share how it is to raise a child in NYC, and to raise a child with two same sex parents. The message is, it is the same. For those who do not know gay people, this is hopefully an eye opener. We are regular. My catch phrase is, there is no disco ball in the living room, just me yelling at our son to do his homework like every other family in America!

How has blogging affected your life?

Financially, socially, and family wise. I am now able to help the family by bringing in extra income. It is not enough to support us, but it is a huge help this year as we plan our son’s Bar Mitzvah! [EDITOR’S NOTE: Mazel Tov!] I am happy to be able to contribute again, I took off to be a stay at home dad and was not contributing financially for a long time.

Socially, I have a new peer group to hang out with at a lot of fun events. Thanks to social media, our interactions continue all year long from all across the country. I can meet someone at a conference on the West Coast and stay friends through Facebook very easily, and it is real, we support each other constantly.

And as I said before, my son gets to see movies before his friends, he gets to help me review product, and then keep some of these products. He is a huge help, and being able to work with my teen son keeps our bond strong as well! And, we get to go to conferences at theme parks, wow, my family loves that I can do that for them!

Have you met other bloggers in person? Is it awkward?

It is not awkward for me as a gay man. Any new mom blogger I meet, I always give a hug to! We know each other from almost daily interaction on social media, so I feel the ice is broken. With dad bloggers it is not that easy, but we are starting out with so much in common that you just have to take the plunge and talk!

Has being gay affected your blog work at all? 

I think it might be hard for brands to figure out what category I fit into to. I suspect some will not work with the “gay” guy. But as nothing has been said directly to me, there is no way to know. On the other hand, sometimes I think as the gay family gets more attention, perhaps we can achieve more with brands. Although, we are not the skinny, gay dads you are starting to see in commercials! We are older and husky!

Mitch and Family
How supportive is your husband about your blogging?

He couldn’t care less. Most of the time I am dragging him to events. It is much better now that we have attended events out of town and had a blast as a family, but in the beginning some of the events were not good and he thought they would all be that bad. It is better now!

You guys adopted a son and even wrote a beautiful post about the whole story. How does he feel about you putting his life out there in the blogosphere?

I do not overdo publicizing my son. He is quite photogenic, and actually enjoys the blog work. He does get paid for his work, so he is happy for that, and knows that dad can occasionally get him the newest video game for free. This all adds up to a son who is glad to participate. It is a win/win for him. Any friends that he has that follow me on Instagram have yet to comment on any #TBT pics of him with buck teeth, long hair, and a chubby face from a few years back! When they do, then I will be in trouble!

You’ve met a slew of celebrities. Other than myself, of course, who was your favorite?

Yes, I love meeting celebs and taking pictures with them, I feel it makes my blog posts and entertainment reviews more fun! And it separates the bloggers from the regular reporting media. Most of them have been very nice, and I will say that David Tennant, the 10th of the Doctor Who actors, was someone who was on my bucket list.

I’m never surprised when I meet a new blogger who says, “Do you know Mitch?” Clearly, you’re well loved in the industry. Is this a secret plan for world domination?

I am here to have fun. I think that helps me to have a very positive attitude in the blog world. And I love people, so this is also the perfect venue for me to enjoy having that part of my personality shine!

How do you stay so positive? 

I purposely work hard to keep the negative out of my writing. Life is hard for everyone, especially folks who are married and raising kids. I might occasionally ask a question on how to get through a situation, but I know that staying in the negative will keep me in the negative, so the blog is almost therapeutic in that my goal is to stay positive so that I can “act as if.” If I act positive, I will feel more positive, and that is just my over all goal in life!

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And be sure to tell Mitch that Andrew from Mommy’s Busy, Go Ask Daddy sent ya!

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3 thoughts on “Blog Spotlight: Mitch from Gay NYC Dad”

  1. HI, MItch. We haven’t met yet, but I hope that I will get to come to New York soon and meet you and Andrew, and all the other New York bloggers. I love that you spend so much time with your son. That is something that is lacking in so many families these days.

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