Hi there!
My name is Gert Mikkal, and I’m the person behind this website. In 2017 I became a first-time dad and decided, that my boy deserves to have an awesome father!
I have had some experience with little children as I’m a medical doctor. That said, I can think of only two things this occupation prepares you for fatherhood. Firstly, I’m quite used to being sleep deprived. Secondly, I’m not afraid to change diapers.
When I started my journey, I noticed that most parenting sites mention fathers as an after-thought. They also tend to be a little too emotional for my taste.
I mean there’s nothing “lovely” when you haven’t slept for two days, and a baby throws up on your white shirt. Just have to man up and deal with it!
So I decided to create this parenting website that brings out the perspective of fathers and isn’t too touchy-feely.
My Mission
My mission on this site is to help you take care of the baby safely from day one and become an awesome parent.
How I Create Content?
Fatherhood may feel intimidating at first because you have this small new person to take care of. And then there are some complex rules and mysterious equipment. So you need a trusted resource for unbiased information to get you started.
All the content you will find on this site has been planned and edited by me to ensure DadProgress meets the highest quality standards. Some pieces may also be written by other people to get a fresh perspective, but I always edit the content myself.
When it comes to informational content, I try to use as many scientific sources as I can to give you an unbiased opinion. I can’t give you medical advice, but you get some practical suggestions based on my experience as a general practitioner and as a parent.
It is not always possible to get all the products I mention here, so I also rely on extensive feedback from real customers of these items.
That said, I try to get my hands on as many products as I can. For example, when I review a single product, I always use it at least for a month before writing about it.
On the picture, you can see two other chief critics when it comes to our baby products:)
Safe Environment For Our Children
I work in a medical field, so the concern for safety comes naturally to me. Our children deserve a safer environment.
Safe & More Durable Products
Accidents happen, but if you buy items that meet all the current safety standards, you significantly lower the risks. I also believe that things should be as durable as possible.
By reducing the renewal rate, we produce less garbage to clog our nature. Even if you don’t plan to use the strollers or baby swings forever, you can always pass them on to other parents. Less garbage means cleaner air for our children.
Fewer Chemicals
Everything around us is made of chemical substances so parents can’t exactly avoid them. That said, it’s essential to buy baby care products (e.g., baby soaps and shampoos) from a trusted manufacturer, so you don’t expose your little one to harmful ingredients.
Many great baby products can be made of renewable and less-polluting materials which again help us to be more kind to Earth.
Why Should You Read DadProgress?
If you’re interested in how raising children works from a dad’s perspective or looking for a site that doesn’t get too mushy (well…sometimes I can’t help it:) about parenting, you’re in the right place.
My recommendations are based on recent scientific papers or expert opinions which means you don’t have to worry about nonsense science. You can concentrate on your kid and leave the research to DadProgress
You get unbiased recommendations on baby products. They are based on real user experience.
Nobody is born a great dad; it’s a journey. Enjoy my site!
P.S If you find any factual errors or have some comments/suggestions, shoot me a letter: Gert.Mikkal [at] dadprogress.com