Joe Gonzales, a first-time father, discovered a sense of belonging on the internet, of all places. Gonzales had trouble adjusting to life with a baby, which can be a very lonely experience, according to other parents.
He and his partner had lived in New York City for the last five years, but approximately a year ago, they moved to Brooklyn after learning they were expecting their first child together.
The 32-year-old told People, “I had been feeling isolated in this new life routine with not many of my friends having kids in the city so I started making TikToks just sharing my experiences. [In] one TikTok, I asked where the dads hang out in Brooklyn and people really said there should be something for them, so I put myself out there by setting a date.”
After opening up, the New Yorker quickly discovered that he wasn’t the only “lonely” father because his TikTok video of his meet-up for dads gained popularity, receiving over 600,000 views and 160,000 likes.
The group, which Gonzales calls “the Brooklyn Stroll Club,” met in McCarren Park for their inaugural meeting and attracted “almost 20 first-time dads from all over New York.”
He said they “hung out and shared stories on what it’s been like [being parents]. It was super simple but left me feeling grateful for the power of dads and social media.”
According to Gonzales, his video describing the first-ever Brooklyn Stroll Club meeting has received very positive feedback, with remarks from other users expressing how reading material like this “heals my inner child.”
The young father, who has only been a father for about five months, attributes his degree of preparedness to his own father and another friend Aaron, whom he characterized as the “most intentional person I know.”
Nonetheless, he feels honored that he has become an inspiration to other parents.
He stated, “Posting these recap photos on TikTok made me even more surprised because I’ve had so many parents from all over saying how much they wish they could have something like this and how it heals their inner child seeing dads getting together,” adding, “I have had so many dads in my comments reaching out saying that they want to be at the next one and the dads that came have been so encouraging about it.”
Gonzales indicated that he’s working on organizing another fathers’ gathering in the New York City area in the hopes of uniting more fathers to celebrate parenthood and reduce the sense of isolation that comes with the process.
He expressed gratitude for the community he’s found among strangers, saying, “ I believe in this generation of dads because they really want to be the best they can.”
