Howard County Dads are working hard to provide a place for fathers to have a sense of community and build better men for the future.
In 2018 Joshua Benson was a father to two young children. One of their activities to do on Saturdays was to attend a kid’s reading session that took place for ages under three. Once his oldest passed the age limit of three, the library would no longer allow them to participate together. This left Benson asking, “What should we do now?” Jokingly he told his wife, “There’s a Howard County Moms, but there’s no Howard County Dads.” His wife replied, “Why don’t you make one?” Shortly after, the rest became history.
Howard County Dads started as a website and Facebook group in 2018. The group has grown to over 1,500 members all over the county and state. Some members joined from other states. It quickly became a place where dads could share activities and stories with other fathers. Soon they had their cohort of 12 super dads.
Their plan was to hold fun activities for dads to do with their children in person. In 2019 they started holding events at the local library. In one of their events they went on to build a marshmallow contraption out of donated PVC pipes that when you blew on the other side a marshmallow would come flying out!
This is “where dads can do dad stuff, ” said Benson.
As they did these fun activities they would reestablish that this was not a babysitting program. They wanted to emphasize that the whole point was for dads to bond with their kids. The Howard County Dads organize a handful of events each month.
On the first Saturday of every month, they have a Dads Chasing Excellence event where they alternate homes to host a bonfire, enjoy a sweet smores, and talk about ways to become better husbands, fathers, and citizens. They also have an event called Lap Around the Lake, which is a playground meet-up in Columbia. After a bit of playing in the park they take a walk around the lake. This happens every 2nd Saturday of the month.
Allowing kids to ride bikes and scooters around the lake but also make friends. Giving a chance for other dads to chat, share stories, seek advice, and have a fun time meeting other dads in the area.
As much as Benson has enjoyed being a part of this organization he hopes that one day there won’t be a need for a program like Howard County Dads. This would mean we would be living in a society where genders are treated equally. This includes women to reach equity as men and men should do just as much in the house.
In the meantime, they want to form a community where dads can enjoy the stages and adventures that fatherhood brings. Benson has partnering with a group in Baltimore where he hopes to share resources, advice, and tips on being a dad. While also being able to enjoy the journey of fatherhood.
There’s no requirement to join the HCD in an activity except one, according to Benson. He said, you must be “down to hang — that’s the only requirement.”
To learn more about Howard County Dads, visit their website.
This article was written by freelance reporter Ashley Neyra.
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