It sounds like the premise for some wacky romantic comedy in the "OMG, She's Pregnant!" genre (think Knocked Up, 9 Months, the upcoming What to Expect … ). But the new social networking website I'm referring to is neither romantic nor comedic (not intentionally, anyway) — it's real, and it's called Modamily: "The first online community to facilitate introductions between responsible, like-minded adults committed to co-parenting a child."
Yes, you read that right. And yes, it's exactly what you're thinking — Modamily is basically a cross between a sperm bank and an online dating service.
Gee, that's a swell idea! What could possibly go wrong?
What's that? A great many things could go terribly, horribly wrong, you say?
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Funny, the folks over at Modamily had a hunch you might have some reservations. So they went ahead and answered those nagging questions before you could even ask them. For example, perhaps you're a bit worried that the co-parent whose profile looks so promising online will turn out to be something … less than you were expecting:
How will I know that the person is not a 'psycho'?
Of course, just like any site, we recommend you do some due diligence if you're planning taking further steps with someone, but we will have some verification options where you can have your photos, income, education, and occupation verified to make you a better candidate. We will also recommend that if you decide to enter into an arrangement with someone you both see a lawyer to hammer out the details.
Or maybe you haven't even gotten that far yet. Maybe you're still kind of trying to figure out how exactly how you and your chosen co-parent … uh … become co-parents:
Is the idea that people who find each other on Modamily later hook up and actually have sex until the woman is pregnant – or through insemination?
The fundamental concept behind Modamily is that we provide a network where members can meet other like-minded people who dream of becoming a parent. There are many ways to become a co-parent, and what Modamily does is help our members find someone that wants to raise a child in a similar fashion as they do. Modamily simply matches up the parents based on their desires and they decide how best to proceed from there.
Ah, language vague enough to make future lawsuits nearly impossible. Very clever, Modamily!
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Also clever to plaster Modamily.com with photos of the shiniest, happiest parents and kids you ever did see. Yes, your co-parent will look like a guy who just stepped out of a J. Crew catalog! Of course he'll be an Ivy League-educated professional with a passion for helping neglected animals — that's what it says in his profile, right?
Look, at least after a bad date you get to never, ever see that person again. If you co-parent a child with a person who essentially turns out to be a "bad date," you're stuck with them on some level or another for good.
Would you ever consider trying a website like Modamily to find a co-parent?
Image via Tom & Katrien/Flickr
