Real stories. No filter.
Honest writing about fatherhood, surrogacy, mental load, raising twins, and family travel. The stuff nobody else is saying.
88 stories
What Being a Present Father Actually Means (Not More Time)
Being a present parent means giving your child your full attention while you're with them — not being physically available at all times. Here's the difference.
Depleted Dad Syndrome: What It Felt Like at Seven Months
Depleted dad syndrome is the chronic exhaustion that builds when a father gives continuously without recovery.
Dad Guilt: Why It Hits Hardest When You Are Doing Fine
Dad guilt is the persistent sense of not being enough as a father. What it is, why it is not the same as bad parenting, and what actually helped.
The Gay Dad Surrogacy Journey, Start to Finish: 9 Stages
Everything you need to know about surrogacy as a gay dad — cost, timeline, legal, agency decisions, and the real emotional journey told in 9 stages.
What Changes in a Man When He Becomes a Father
Becoming a dad doesn't just change your schedule. It rewires you — your attention, your fears, what you can and can't watch on a screen.
The Daily Mental Load of Raising Twins as a Dad
With twins it's not just double the tasks — it's two separate sets of everything to track, compare, and remember, running in your head at the same time.
Raising Twins as a Dad: Two of Them, All at Once
Twins aren't one baby times two. They're a different sport entirely. The honest reality of raising two at once — the triage, the math, and what actually
Is Parenting Harder Than We Admit? Yes, and Saying So Is Fine
We're allowed to call parenting the best thing we've done. We're not allowed to call it the hardest.
Going Back to Kenya: Taking My Kids to Where They Began
My kids were born on the other side of the world. Going back isn't a vacation — it's bringing them to a place they don't remember but came from.
Gay Dad Parenting: What It Is Really Like, Day to Day
The real texture of raising kids as a gay dad — the assumptions, the paperwork built for someone else's family, the "where's mom" questions, and the ordinary life underneath all of it.
Gay Dad Surrogacy Timeline: What Each Stage Actually Takes
How long surrogacy takes for gay dads — step by step from decision to baby. Real timeline from a journey that took 3+ years and five embryo transfers.
Surrogacy Requirements for Gay Men in the US
What gay men need to qualify for surrogacy in the US — medical, legal, and financial requirements explained honestly by a gay dad who went through it.
Traveling with Twins: What Nobody Tells You Before You Book
Two car seats. Two passports. Two opinions about everything. A twin dad's honest guide to family travel — what actually works and what nobody warns you
Surrogacy and Mental Health: The Weight Nobody Preps You For
Surrogacy gets sold as logistics and milestones. The emotional reality — the waiting, the unacknowledged grief, the isolation, the hope you can't control
Flying Solo with Kids: A Gay Dad's Survival Guide
Single parent. Two kids. Airport security. Here's how to actually survive flying alone with young children — the honest, practical guide.
Surrogacy Insurance: What Gay Dads Need to Know
Surrogacy insurance is one of the most confusing and potentially expensive parts of the process. A gay dad who learned the hard way shares what you
Surrogacy Emotional Support: What Gay Dads Actually Need
The emotional side of surrogacy nobody prepares you for — grief after failed transfers, isolation during the wait, and what actually helps you get through
The Twin Dad Travel Checklist That Actually Works
After years of overpacking and underpacking and forgetting the one thing that mattered — here's the twin dad travel checklist I actually use.
Gestational vs Traditional Surrogacy for Gay Dads: What You Need to Know
Gestational surrogacy uses a separate egg donor and surrogate. Traditional surrogacy uses the surrogate's own egg.
The First Big Trip: Taking My Daughters to Italy
I was their age when I lived in Italy. Years later, I returned as a dad with my twins — showing them my school, my streets, and the life I never thought
Finding a Surrogacy Agency as a Gay Dad
Finding the right surrogacy agency as a gay dad means looking beyond the rainbow flag on the website.
The Stay-at-Home Dad's Blueprint for Building Something While Raising Everyone
Building a business while being the primary caregiver means your workday happens in stolen windows, nap margins, and the forty minutes after bedtime
Why I Take My Kids to Places That Challenge Them
Comfort zones are fine. But the moments my daughters have grown the most have always happened somewhere unfamiliar. A gay dad on intentional family travel.
No Place Like Home
From running away from who I was to building a home I never imagined. A gay dad on identity, belonging, and the moment his daughters taught him how to
Navigating Screen Time and Tech Boundaries as a Modern Parent
How to manage kids' screen time without guilt, panic, or constant conflict. A modern fatherhood guide to tech boundaries that actually hold.
Raising Leaders: How to Build Leadership Skills in Your Kids
How parents can build real leadership skills in kids through responsibility, empathy, confidence, and everyday decision-making at home.
Surrogacy for Single Gay Men: The Honest Guide
Surrogacy as a single gay man — what's harder, what's actually simpler, the money and legal realities, and how to carry it alone, from a dad who finished
How to Support a Friend Going Through Surrogacy
What actually helps when a friend is doing surrogacy — what to say, what to avoid, how to show up through failed transfers, and how to celebrate the
Donor-Conceived Children: What Gay Dads Should Know
Raising donor-conceived kids as a gay dad — why openness beats secrecy, when to start the conversation, and how to be the honest place your child brings
Choosing a Surrogate: What Gay Dads Need to Know
How to choose a surrogate as a gay dad — why it's a relationship not a transaction, what actually makes a good match, the screening that matters, and
Choosing an Egg Donor for Surrogacy: A Gay Dad's Honest Take
How to choose an egg donor for surrogacy — what actually matters, known vs anonymous, and why it's more emotional than you expect, from a gay dad who made
Random Thoughts
Random Thoughts: The Sh*t We Don't Talk About by Joseph Tito — unfiltered essays on parenting, queer identity, burnout and midlife. #1 Amazon Best Seller in Gay Biographies.
Pre-Birth Order (PBO) Explained: A Gay Dad's Guide
What a pre-birth order is, why it matters so much for gay dads, where it's available, and how it secures your parentage before your child arrives — in
International Surrogacy for Gay Dads: What I Learned Doing It
Why some gay dads go international for surrogacy, what the savings really cost in complexity, the legal and ethical homework, and the honest version —
Twin Milestones: When One Twin Is Ahead of the Other
Twin milestones don't follow a single timeline. A twin dad's honest guide to tracking development without falling into the comparison trap.
Parenting Twins: Lessons in Patience and Persistence
Practical and honest parenting twins tips for dads, from routines and patience to surviving the daily chaos of raising two kids at once.
Surrogacy Agency vs Independent: A Gay Dad's Honest Comparison
Agency or independent surrogacy? What each path actually involves, the real tradeoffs beyond money, and how to tell which one fits — from a dad who
How to Be a Present Father in a Distracted World
Being present as a father isn't about quantity of time — it's about quality of attention. A real dad's guide to showing up fully in a world designed to
Surrogacy Contracts: The Legal Guide for Gay Dads
What a surrogacy contract actually covers, why you both need independent lawyers, and the clauses that matter most — in plain English, from a gay dad who
Things I Judged Before Becoming a Dad (And Deeply Regret Now)
Every judgment I made about other parents before I had kids — the screen time, the bribery, the cereal for dinner — and the deep, specific regret that
Overstimulated Dad: When One More Dad! Is Too Much
When every sound, every touch, every 'Dad!' feels like too much. The overstimulated dad experience nobody talks about — and what actually helps.
Why Dads Feel Overwhelmed: It Is the Volume, Not One Thing
Dad overwhelm isn't about one big thing. It's the volume — the endless small decisions nobody sees you carrying. What it actually is, and what helps.
Why Dads Feel Like They Are Failing When They Are Not
The gap between how hard you're trying and how much you're sure it isn't enough. Why so many good dads feel like they're failing — and why the feeling
Superdad Secrets: There Is No Such Thing
Everyone wants the superdad formula. The real one is that nobody has it — and the "superdad" label is its own kind of trap. What's actually underneath it.
Real Fatherhood: What Modern Fatherhood Actually Looks Like
The gap between how fatherhood looks online and what it actually feels like in the kitchen at 6:47am. A real dad's honest perspective on modern fatherhood.
The Mental Load of Fatherhood Is Real. We Just Don't Say It.
The invisible weight dads carry — the planning, the worrying, the remembering everything. A father's honest look at the mental load of modern fatherhood.
Is Surrogacy Legal? What Every Gay Dad Needs to Know
Surrogacy laws vary wildly by state and country. A gay dad breaks down where surrogacy is legal, where it's complicated, and what you need to know before
What No One Tells You About Being a Parent Until It's Too Late
The identity crisis, the phantom worry, and the night you realize you'll never fully relax again.
Why Dads Get Lonely After Kids — And Lose Their Friends
The loneliness of fatherhood nobody talks about. Why dads lose friends, feel isolated, and what it actually takes to rebuild connection after kids.
Surrogacy Cost for Gay Dads: The Real Numbers
What surrogacy actually costs for gay dads — honest ranges for agency, surrogate, donor, medical, and legal fees, plus the international question, from a
Parenting Burnout: From a Dad Who Hit His Limit
Parenting burnout in dads is real and under-reported. A father who hit his limit shares the warning signs, the shame spiral, and what actually helped him
Gluten-Free Panettone Tiramisu – From Dry to Divine
How to transform a dry gluten-free panettone into a divine tiramisu. A dad and his daughter Stella share the recipe that saved Christmas dessert — and
What It's Really Like Raising Kids as a Gay Dad (The Honest Truth)
A real, unfiltered look at raising kids as a gay dad — the everyday moments, the questions, and what it actually feels like.
The Story Behind The Twin Diaries: Stella and Mia Meet Papa
Why I wrote a children's book about surrogacy for my twin daughters — and why representation in children's literature matters more than I realised.
Would I Do Surrogacy Again? A Gay Dad's Honest Answer
After years, five embryo transfers, and $150K+ — would I do surrogacy again? A gay dad's honest, complicated answer.
The First Year of Fatherhood Nobody Prepares You For
The first year of fatherhood is survival, identity shift, and the most profound love you've ever felt — all at once. Here's the honest version.
What It's Really Like Being a Gay Dad of Twins
The real, unfiltered truth about being a gay dad of twins. The joy, the chaos, the questions, and what nobody prepares you for.
Mother's Day
What Mother's Day feels like when you're a gay dad. The questions, the complexity, and the honest answer Joseph Tito gives his daughters.
Brave or Natural?
People call gay dads brave. But is it bravery — or just love doing what love does? Joseph Tito on the word he hears most and what it actually means.
Twins
On having twins — what the word means before you have them, and what it means after. A gay dad's honest reflection.
Kenya
Joseph Tito on Kenya — the country where his twin daughters were born via surrogacy, and what it means to him.
Meeting My Baby Girls
The moment Joseph Tito held his twin daughters for the first time. What it actually felt like — not the movie version, the real one.
Exiting with the Twins: Getting My Daughters Home to Canada
What happens after your babies are born via surrogacy in Kenya? Joseph Tito walks through the passport, DNA, and citizenship process for getting his twins
The Arrival
The day Joseph Tito's twin daughters arrived via surrogacy in Kenya. The birth, the first moments, and what it felt like to finally become a dad.
Having Twins: The Surrogacy Journey Birth Story
The birth of Joseph Tito's twin daughters via surrogacy in Kenya — the hospital, the first moments, and what it felt like to finally become a dad.
The Surrogate
The story of Joseph Tito's surrogate — the woman who carried his twin daughters in Kenya and what her generosity meant to him.
The Trip to Mombasa, Kenya
Joseph Tito's account of the 27-hour journey to Mombasa, Kenya — two weeks before his twin daughters were born via surrogacy.
Meeting My Surrogate and Feeling My Babies Kick
The moment Joseph Tito met his surrogate in Kenya and felt his babies kick for the first time. A raw, emotional account from the surrogacy journey.
Preparing for the Twins
The final weeks before Joseph Tito's twin daughters arrived via surrogacy — the preparation, the anxiety, and the strange calm before everything changed.
Baby Names
How Joseph Tito chose the names Stella and Mia for his twin daughters — the process, the meaning, and the weight of naming two people.
The Baby Registry
Building a baby registry as a single gay dad through surrogacy — what you actually need, what you don't, and what nobody tells you.
The Two-Week Wait After Embryo Transfer
The two-week wait after embryo transfer is the hardest part of surrogacy. A gay dad's honest guide to surviving it.
My First Purchase
The first thing Joseph Tito bought for his daughters before they were born — and what that purchase meant.
The Waiting
The part of surrogacy nobody talks about — the waiting. The months between transfers, between calls, between hope and reality.
Catholic Guilt
Asking my best friend to be Godfather to my babies brought up a lot of old Catholic guilt. A gay dad reflects on faith, identity, and the weight of old
Testing My Fertility Before Surrogacy: What I Found
An unexpected chapter in my surrogacy journey — what I discovered about my own fertility, and what it took to get from there to here.
Choosing Hope Over Hurdles: Why I Chose Kenya
Why a single gay Canadian dad chose Kenya for surrogacy — the decision-making process, the cost comparison, and what it took to choose hope over every
Holy Sh*t. I'm Going to Be a Dad.
The moment it became real. A gay man's raw account of the day he found out surrogacy worked — and everything changed.
The Fourth Embryo Transfer: Choosing a New Donor
After three failed transfers, Joseph Tito chose a new egg donor and tried again. The decision, the doubt, and what it meant to start over.
The Third Embryo Transfer: When Hope Gets Harder
Three transfers in. Two failures behind him. A gay dad's honest account of what it takes to keep going when the process keeps saying no.
The Second Embryo Transfer: Single Parent, Second Chance
After the first transfer failed, Joseph Tito went back for a second attempt — alone, scared, and more determined than ever.
Embryo Transfer Results: The Call That Changes Everything
The moment you find out if the embryo transfer worked. A gay dad's honest account of the call, the grief, and what comes next.
The First Embryo Transfer: What to Expect
What the first embryo transfer in surrogacy actually feels like — the hope, the waiting, and the emotional reality of this pivotal moment.
The First Fertility Clinic Visit: Where Love Meets Science
What the first fertility clinic visit is actually like as a gay dad pursuing surrogacy — the emotions, the process, and what to expect.
The Egg Donor
Choosing an egg donor as a gay dad — the process, the emotions, and the weight of a decision that shapes your child's life.
The Clinic
Inside the fertility clinic that guided the surrogacy journey. The medical facility that supported the entire process.
Embarking on a Journey of Love and Science
The moment Joseph Tito committed to surrogacy — the intersection of love and science, and what it means to build a family through both.
Why I Chose Surrogacy: A Gay Dad's Decision
Why a single gay man chose surrogacy to become a father. The real reasons, the fears, and what nobody tells you about making the decision.