Best Resources for New Dads

Parenthood comes with so many unknowns, like baby’s eating and sleeping schedules and how to keep a swaddle intact and what exactly those cries mean. Unfortunately, babies don’t come with a manual, and it can really do a number on your confidence as a parent if you start to feel unsure about what you’re doing. (Don’t worry, we’ve all been there.)

But when the vast majority of baby and parenting content and support seems to be focused on moms and birthing parents, all those parenthood unknowns can feel like uncharted territory for dads. Whether you’ve been a dad for 15 minutes or 15 years, and whether you have a birthing partner or you’re adopting, having a strong support system is an important part of being a confident parent.

While there might be 100 mom groups for every dad group, there are still plenty of resources out there (both online and in person) for dads looking for a supportive parenting community. We’ve gathered all the best resources for supporting new dads across the country, from websites and articles about how to play with your baby to courses on the basics of infant care geared specifically for father figures.

Don’t worry, Pop—you’re going to do great!

Best Dad Groups and Online Communities for Dads

Looking for other dads to connect with? These groups include plenty of opportunities to bond with other new dads and learn the ropes from dads with experience. For everything from play dates to parenting classes to just grabbing a beer with other parents (sans baby, of course), here are our favorite places to find dad groups:

Boot Camp for New Dads

Caring for a newborn may seem to come naturally to some people, but it’s always a really smart idea to take a class or two to really hammer in the basics of infant care. And here’s the only online infant care class for dads, by dads. “Veteran” dads (with their own little ones as helpers) act as coaches and instructors for new “rookie” dads, teaching swaddling methods, bottle feeding, rocking, diapering, bathing and all the basics new dads need to keep their little one healthy, clean and safe—and in just a three-hour crash course.

But the best part of this class? The community! You’re in the class with a group of other new dads and their babies, and what better way to make new parent friends and build a support system than to learn and bond together?

City Dads Group

If you live in a major US city, check out the City Dads Group that’s local to you. Some may be defunct at the moment, but others are thriving, and you can always revive the group for your city to help build that community for others. Whether it’s playground meetups, trips to the zoo or a backyard cookout, City Dads Group helps father figures get together to exchange advice, swap stories, make friends and support each other in their parenting journeys.

Dad’s Only Group

Looking for a “guys only” space? With over 155,000 members, this private Facebook group is basically the world’s largest dad group. Gather virtually with other dads to ask questions, share stories and connect in a positive, no-judgement-allowed environment.

If you’d prefer a slightly smaller community that’s still wide-spread and diverse, check out Dads Talk Group, a similar Facebook community with fewer than 21,000 members.

Best Websites for Dads

Sometimes you need a quick resource, and while a Google search will bring up a seemingly endless list of articles and websites, it can feel like they’re not targeted to a dad’s perspective (not to mention the amount of info out there is overwhelming). To cut through all the alienating “mommy blogs,” here are our favorite parenting content sites that are specifically for dads.

Fatherly

Gear guides, relationship advice, health information, arts and crafts ideas: Fatherly has it all. Everything you ever wanted to know about parenting (from the trying-to-conceive stage through the teen years) is among the Fatherly articles, and with videos, podcasts and events included, it’s obvious why they’re the leading content site for dads.

Fathers.com

We love this dad-specific website because it features specific categories for different types of fathering situations, so whether you’re an adoptive dad, a single dad, a stay-at-home dad, a stepdad or a dad of a special-needs kid, there’s an article to support, guide and encourage you to raise a happy and healthy little one.

National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse, also known as Fatherhood.gov

The NRFC is a government-funded organization dedicated to providing programs, activities, events and educational resources to dads, counselors and local government programs. Check out their DadTalk blog for posts on real-life fatherhood, including finding work-life balance when you’re a work-from-home dad, managing parental burnout, screen time guidance for little ones and helping your child develop a lifelong love of reading. And don’t miss out on their Dad Jokes page (because every dad needs a hefty supply of groan-inspiring jokes)!

Wilderdad

If you’re the type of dad who loves adventuring, you’ll love the content at Wilderdad. Gear guides, adventure ideas and fitness tips will keep you and kiddo out and about (and thoroughly entertained). Get outside, have fun and stay wild!

Dads Adventure (Base Camp)

Created by the same team of dads from Boot Camp for New Dads, Dads Adventure features a series of helpful articles for self-guided learning. The articles touch on all imaginable aspects of fatherhood, and we especially love their infant care section, which includes videos of real, experienced dads demonstrating the lessons (swaddling, nail clipping, relieving gas, etc.) with their real babies—and with a few dad jokes, too.

Postpartum Support International

Postpartum depression (PPD) and anxiety aren’t just birthing parent issues. It can also affect partners, either by their own PPD symptoms and struggles or by their partner’s symptoms. Postpartum Support International, the nation’s leading organization for PPD/PPA support, includes special content, resources and support for dads dealing with depression or anxiety in the fourth trimester.

Best Dad Influencers to Follow

Dad groups aren’t always accessible, especially if you live in an area that doesn’t have an active group or if your schedule is really busy. But it’s still invaluable to have other dads to learn from, laugh-cry with and feel connected to, so here are some of our favorite dad bloggers and Dad-stagrammers (yes, you read that right) that are all about giving other dads the inside tips and tricks to stepping into parenthood with confidence.

Dad Verb

New dads rejoice! Andrew Tiu, the dad behind Dad Verb, takes his own parenting experience and puts it into helpful videos covering everything from baby gear and home tech reviews to dad life how-tos and vlogs following his own life as an average American dad. “The reason I started Dad Verb was largely due to the lack of content for dads,” Tiu says. “In that regard, I never felt fully supported and desired more options for dad-focused communities to bolster support.” In his quest to bring more dad-focused content to the internet, he’s created a growing community on both the Dad Verb YouTube channel as well as the Instagram account.

DaddyDoinWork

Doyin Richards, founder of the Anti-Racism Fight Club, created the DaddyDoinWork Instagram account as “a celebration of fatherhood in all of its positive forms.” You’ll find heartwarming, hilarious, often educational videos from dads of all walks of life enjoying their little ones in their own way. And for the dads of his community, Richards has this piece of advice: “What you do might be different from what moms do, but that doesn’t make it wrong. Be true to who you are and create memories with your kiddos in your own special way.”

Beleaf in Fatherhood

As a father of four, Beleaf in Fatherhood creator Glen is definitely experienced in the world of being a dad. Glen is sharing his family’s stories on YouTube and Instagram to help increase representation and celebration of confident Black dads.

NYCGayDad

José Rolón is a gay, Latinx single dad with three kids who’s doing the work to shine a light on intersectional fatherhood. Check out his show Parenting Wins from In the Know where he talks baby products, baby care and general parenting adventures, and keep up with his own personal fatherhood journey on Instagram and TikTok.

Terrell & Jarius

Dad duo Terrell & Jarius Joseph are documenting their path to raising two kids while being active LGBTQ+ advocates, proving that fatherhood is so much more than just showing up—it’s about thriving in the face of adversity. “Our channel is all about normalizing LGBTQ+ Parenting and redefining what marriage and family looks like,” their YouTube channel states. “We know how important representation and visibility is; especially for younger people. So we are here to do our part.”

Best Books About Fatherhood

We all know there are literal hundreds of parenting books out there. Some are heartwarming, some are straightforward and some are geared to help families with specific needs. Out of all the books out there that try to coach new parents, these are the best ones that put dads’ perspectives front and center.