Adventures in Dadding

Imagine discovering you’re about to become a parent, even though doctors told you the chances of making a baby were close to zero. Now, a soon-to-be first-time father is charting a course through the perilous and choppy waters of living with a pregnant woman. He’s dodging hormonal right hooks, evading emotional explosions, saying all the wrong things (like "Are you okay?"), and trying to figure out how the hell you install a car seat.

It begins immediately. There’s no transition period, no trial run, no supervised training, no e-learning module, and no simulation. As soon as the midwife hands you your newborn baby, you are responsible for keeping it alive. Picking up moments after Dear Dory ends, Dear Arlo: Adventures in Dadding continues the story of one dad and his journal as he strives to survive the first year of parenthood, blundering his way through bottle-sterilizing, night feeds, and some cataclysmic nappy changes—all while a pandemic sweeps across the planet.

Toddlers are savages. They scream, shout, rebel, slap, destroy, throw food, and purposely withhold their love and affection–just to watch your soul snap and your spirit shatter. And all before eight a.m. And yet, they’re also misunderstood creatures: funny and beautiful–endearing little marvels that brighten up your day. But mostly they’re savages.