This Dad is Heading to Dad 2.0

It's a truism that when a dad is out and about with his little cutie, he gets "oohs" and "aahs" and smiles of encouragement from the strangers around him. Meanwhile, moms get unsolicited advice and judgmental comments.

It's also true that dads are, so often, stereotyped in pop culture as bumbling and incompetent (though there are signs that that might be changing for the better), even as we spend increasing amounts of time with our kids.

Yes, parenting in the 21st century is complex. And I haven't even brought up the really serious issues, like work-life balance and the economic pressures that seem inescapable to so many of us these days.

So I am excited to be heading down to New Orleans for this year's Dad 2.0 Summit, where I will have a chance to hobnob with some of the top dad bloggers out there. I am looking forward to getting out of the office and spending time face-to-face with other men who are deeply involved in their kids' livesand who struggle with these issues as much as I do (and write about it all online). I'll also be speaking on a panel about the issue of work-life balance for dads, titled, appropriately, The Juggle.

But fear not, while I am there I will remain connected with you, dear Parents.com users, via Twitter, Instagram, and this blog. Look out for the #Dad2Summit hashtag to see the latest from New Orleans, and be sure to check outthis page dedicated to all things Dad 2.0, including a live video feed from New Orleans. (Meredith Parents Network, which includes this site, is a sponsor of the conference.)

And for any of you who will also be attending the conference, make sure to introduce yourselves to me, or stop by Meredith's booth to say hi.