Subjects: 1. Talking to children about mental health. As it’s children’s mental health week, we want to know how you plan on talking to your children about mental health and their feelings. Or if you’ve already started, how have you gone about it?
2. Has your understanding of mental health changed since becoming a parent? We all know that becoming parents changes our outlook on life, has how you look at mental health changed since having kids? Are you more open and honest about your feelings, or do you feel like you have to keep them in for the sake of your children?
3. For our lighthearted topic this week, we want to know, what’s your favourite form of self care? With there being a focus more than ever on looking after ourselves, we all have different things that make us feel good. What’s your go to for self care?
A previous Dad Chats guest Leslie-Ann Beary wrote a great blog piece for us that's all about communicating with Children about their feelings. We were also lucky enough to have her join us and talk about the topic. The piece covers
If you'd like to read the full article please click on the link. Or you can watch the Dad Chats Session with Leslie-Ann Beary.
Subjects: This week were joined by special guest Susie Robbins who is a play advocate from @resolvetoplay. She talked about why it’s important to play with your kids from a young age. We know that in previous generations men stereotypically were not as involved in the early years experiences including play. However we now know that it enhances a child's development when they are, and in this session we find out why.
Plus we hear from you (our community) on the subject and learn about some of your favourite games you like to play with your kids too.
As with all our guests Susie was also kind enough to write us a blog piece on the subject. And in her summary highlighted the following 5 reasons as the big advantages of play with your kids.
If you'd like to read the full article please click on the link. And feel free to feedback your thoughts on the chat or the article in the comment sections at the bottom of each page.
This week we talk all about the aspirations we have for our kids. Other than wanting our children to be happy and healthy, what do we want for them? Do we want them to be a star athlete? A world renowned doctor? An artist? Musician? We all have hopes and dreams for our children - we want to know what they are.
We also talk about what healthy aspirations are for our children - with reality TV and social media influencers being such hot topics at the moment- is that what our children want to do? Would we support them if they wanted to go down that route? Do we want to encourage them into more traditional careers?
Lastly, we talk about your chosen career path. Is it what you wanted it to be? What did you dream of being when you grew up - did you get there? We want to hear it all!
Subjects: 1. What aspirations do we have for our children? We all want our kids to be happy and healthy, but it’s also natural to want more for them too. What dreams do you have for yours?
2. What do the youth of today aspire to be, and is it healthy? With the rise of the reality tv star and the social media influencer so many of the younger generation want to go down the same path. They see it as an easy route or a short cut to success. Are the next generation losing sight of the more traditional career paths.
3. If you could have gone down a different career path, what would it have been? Have you had a sliding door moment that changed your whole career path?
For more dad Chats head to the main Dad Chats Page. Or type a topic or keyword into the search bar at the top of the page. If we have discussed it, it will pop up there. Dad Chats happen most Friday nights on Instagram from 9-11pm. They are open to Mums, Dads and anyone with a keen interest in parenting and improving their parenting journey.
Dad Chats Live - 27 November 2020, the best support and resources for dads.
This week we were joined by the brilliant Kieran Anders from @dadmattersuk. Dad Matters is a brilliant community organisation who aim to help dads have the best relationships possible with their families. They also support dads with anxiety, stress and mental health issues. One thing that Dad Matters is great at, is signposting dads to the right support at the right time. So we were really happy to have Kieran join us and share information about the different resources available for dads.
Next up, we delved into the benefits of good support, for ourselves, and our families. We all know it can be hard asking for support, and when we do and end up somewhere that gives less than desirable help - that can just make things worse. So we wanted to hear about your experiences of getting good support, and what difference that made to you.
Lastly for our lighthearted topic we chatted about he times our kids have surprised and supported us. No matter how big or small, it is always great when our kids let us know they're on our side. We loved hearing these stories!
1. Support and resources available for dads
2. The benefits of support for dads
3. Light-hearted topic - the times our kids have surprised and supported us.
Do you know why Nigel started the Dadvengers Initiative? It is all about supporting dads to be the best they can - Nigel wrote a post about it called "The Dadvengers Initiative - Supporting Dads on Their Parenting Journey" which tells you all about it.
Supporting dads is what we are all about! We have a few other posts and Dad Chats on the subject that you might like:
Did you enjoy this chat? Is there a topic you'd like us to delve into? Get in touch and let us know what you want us to talk about!
This week on Dad Chats Live we delve into the important topic of caring for children with special needs. We asked you to help us understand what it is like parent non neuro-typical children and learning from our community on this subject was amazing. Whether you;re a parent of a child with special needs, working with families in this situation, or you just want to educate yourself - this is a chat you shouldn't miss.
Big thanks to @istunners and @rosie_marie_ernest for sharing their story which you can continue to follow at @ernests_our_autism_journey_ Also, huge thanks to Aaron (@Aj21.93) father of @princessaariah for sharing his emotional story with us! An eye opening and sobering listen.
Have you got a story to share with us about caring for children with special needs? We'd love to hear from you - click here to get in touch.
Topics:
1. Caring for children with speical needs or medical conditions. The difficulties of being a parent can be compounded by this. How do you cope? How does your child cope?
2. Teamwork when raising kids. Raising kids is always easier when you work as a team. Do you manage to do this? Or it is a bit of a struggle with differences in parenting styles?
3. Our lighthearted topic this week is... strangest things you've pulled out of your child's orifices! We've all had those "why was that in there" moments. Let's hear them!
this topic is important to you - you might want to check out the Podcast Episode with Richard Whitehead MBE
Richard tells us all about parenting his autistic daughter, not just about the challenges they face together, but also the wonderful sides of parenting a child with special needs.
Use the player above to listen to Dadvengers Podcast Episode 5
As this month is Black History month we wanted to include the topic in one of our chats. So this week we talked about educating our kids about diversity. An important chat that touches on what some people find a difficult subject! The three topics were:
1. How and why we should teach our children about diversity. And the best ways to go about this?
2. How do we educate ourselves on the subject. If as parents we don't learn about race and diversity and inclusion how do we expect to be able to help teach our children?
3. Our light hearted topic this week was times that our kids have made us laugh the hardest.
If you enjoy this chat and want more resources on the subject make sure you check out our blog post on How to talk to children about #blacklivesmatter . It's a piece that was directly inspired from the murder of George Floyd, and is a good resource for those wanting to educate themselves on issues of race before beginning with their kids.
You might want to check out the chat we had in the days post George Floyd. It was an incredible chat with dads from the US and UK at a time when all the world was talking about the same thing. Still one of our best chats to date.
Also, there are some great podcast episodes that talk about racism and diversity - including how different dads talk to their children about this subject. Check them out...
Dad Chats Live - 25 September 2020, Baby changing facilities for men.
Despite it being 2020, and there many a huge amount of hands on fathers in the UK, there is still al lack of baby changing facilities for men. Many places only have baby changing in the ladies bathrooms - this isn't ok! How are dads meant to be encouraged to be hands on if they can't comfortably change their babies when out in public? So this week, we asked your experiences of baby changing in public. We wanted to hear about the fails, the funny times, and the frustration this causes us dads. We also asked for your suggestion of what can be done to make this better for us all.
Following the great chat about curling parents, this week we delved into another parenting style... tiger parents. If you've never heard of it, tiger parents use an authoritarian approach to push their child toward academic excellence or success in high-status extra curricular activities. These parents are often very pushy, and extremely strict. So we asked for your thoughts on this parenting style.
For our light-hearted topic we wanted to hear about the times you've laughed at your children, when you shouldn't have! We've all been there... our kids do something that we really shouldn't find funny, but we can't help but laugh anyway. Our community shared their hilarious stories. If you're in need of a laugh, this is the dad chat for you!
Topics We Covered:
1. Tiger Parents.
2. Baby Changing Facilities for Men.
3. Times that you have laughed at your children when you shouldn't have.
Dad Chats Live - 18 September 2020: talking about approaching grief with children, crying in front of your kids and your dream man cave?!
Grief is something that will impact all of our lives, and no matter how much we want to protect our children from that, it will impact them to. So this week we chatted about approaching grief with children. We talked about the impact of grief on our kids, how we talk to them about it and we got some great advice about this subject. From how we talk to our kids about grief, to helping them navigate the difficult emotions it brings up. A must watch.
Next up, we talked about crying in front of our kids. Years ago, men would avoid crying in public as it was believed to be a sign of weakness. That opinion has changed dramatically over the last 20-30 years, but would you cry in front of your children? This is something that some dads still wouldn't feel comfortable doing. So, we asked if you have cried in front of your children, how they reacted, and why we think it is an important thing to do.
Last up, for our light-hearted topic, we asked what our community would have in their dream man cave - and we got some great ideas!
Topics we covered:
1. Dealing with Grief. No matter whether it's a pet, a friend, or a grandparent it is tough for everyone involved. Let's open the topic right up. Tell us all your thoughts and feelings.
2. Crying in front of your kids.
3. Our light hearted topic this week is... What would you have in your dream man cave?
Did you enjoy this topic? Find more great Dad Chats Live here.
Dad Chats Live - 28 August 2020, back to school and nursery.
It is that time of year again, the back to school dread it kicking in! Maybe your kids are going into a new school year, or starting school or nursery for the first time? Whatever the situation you're in, we all know that this can be a stressful time for kids and parents alike. So, we threw open the conversation to find out what is worrying you the most about the school and nursery return. In talking about this, we got some great advice on how to deal with the worries we have.
Next up we delved back into our own school years. We asked about the help and support you got from your parents when you were at school. Did they give as much support as you do to your kids? do you remember doing homework together? Or
For our light-hearted topic we talked about those moments when we realise we are turning into our parents! Have you said something, or done something, that made you stop and think "I am turning into my mum / dad"?
1. Going back to school or nursey or starting for the first time. We've touched on this briefly but next week a lot of children will be attempting to go back to school or nursery. There are lots of angles to this including how the kids are feeling. We want to hear it all.
2. Did our parents help us with school to the extent that we do now? Can you remember your parents helping you finish your homework or colour the front cover of project?
3. Have we noticed taking on our parent's mannerisms or tone as a parent? Have you caught yourself saying something and thought my mum or dad would have done exactly that?
If you're worried about the transition to school or nursery, Nigel has written a great blog packed full with advice on Being Supportive During The Transition To School or Nursery. The piece has advice for the nervous dads, the organised dads, loving dads, thoughtful dads and nervous dads. We think we'll have you all covered in there!
Dadvengers - Being supportive during the transition to school or Nursery
If you're worried about the transition to school or nursery, Nigel has written a great blog packed full with advice on Being Supportive During The Transition To School or Nursery. The piece has advice for the nervous dads, the organised dads, loving dads, thoughtful dads and nervous dads. We think we'll have
Did you enjoy this weeks chat - do you have a topic you'd like us to cover? Get in touch and let us know!
