Last week it was the 2 year anniversary of George Floyd’s murder. We feel it is so important to keep talking about George Floyd and keep working to raise awareness, make changes and educate ourselves and others on race.
In this week's Dad Chats we spoke about whether we feel anything has changed in the last 2 years in regards to Race and Racism. Are people still talking about what happened to George Floyd, and working to make change? Is race, racism and diversity a topic of discussion in your household? What more can we do to educate, and make change? This is a massive topic, and one that we know we can't cover all of in one chat - and you know we will come back to it again...
This dad chat was really enlightening. Thanks to @iam_papab and @markgs21 for coming up to speak on the subject and everyone who joined in on the comments. Let's keep the conversation going.
This is subject close to our hearts here at Dadvengers, and we have lots of content across the site about this important topic.
Check out just some of these great Dad Chats, blogs and podcast episodes that talk about race:
OK folks, this is a big one for all parents. The parent guilt... it can crop up at any time, no matter how well we are doing, that nagging guilt creeps in. So we opened the floor to you and asked what are the moments that have given you that guilt and how you deal with it. We feel this is another topic that isn't discussed enough, we shouldn't feel ashamed of the guilt we all get. In fact, we should talk about it to share the burden and also get some support from our fellow parents.
It was great to hear from our community on these chats. We were joined by @liam_king_88 , @bennklewpatinond and @markgs21, @offshoots_rhys, @domjamesfenton, @kidzcoolit, @gordypope and @nickakebab about the guilt they feel as parents, and how they tackle it. As always a massive thanks to everyone who joined the conversation in the comments to.
Dad Chats is a fantastic resource for talking about all areas of parenting. Just some of the things we have covered are:
You can also use the search feature on the website to find chats and blogs about topics of your choice!
Did you enjoy this chat? Do you have a topic you'd like us to discuss? Get in touch and let us know!
Dad Chats Live - 15th May 2022, discussing men's mental health.
This week we talked about a topic that is really important to us. A big part of what we want to do here at Dadvengers is to improve the conversation and support around men's mental health. What better week to talk about that than Mental Health Awareness week?!
We held an open mic talking all about mental health and delved into the experiences and opinions of our community on this important subject. Thanks so much to @rad_the_dad , @presentfatherhood , @dad_with_a_crazy_family and @adrianm_30 for coming up and being so open and honest about their own experiences and opinions on Mental Health 🙏🏼
We feel passionate about creating a space where we can talk about men's mental health in a safe and supportive way. This chat touched on the unsafe spaces that are out there and how dangerous that can be to someone who is reaching out. If you are looking for mental health support, make sure you're finding it in the right places - you can find some safe places to look for support on our site.
We have a tonne of amazing resources on mental health - here are just a few of them:
Dad Chats On The Subject:
Blog Posts About Mental Health:
Dadvengers Podcast Episodes:
Did you enjoy this chat? Find more of these brilliant Dad Chats here.
This week we delve into a topic we are really passionate about - diversity and inclusion. Here at Dadvengers we are advocates of raising awareness of this important topic - so this week we jumped back in!
The 22nd April is Stephen Lawrence day, and this year we wanted to mark the 29th anniversary of Stephen's tragic murder by talking about the importance of diversity and inclusion. We jumped into the topic with some of our community. Chatting to @adrianm_30 , @_ashtalwar_ and @markgs21 who shared their experiences and thoughts was great. Thanks for joining us and sharing guys!
From how we talk to our children about this topic, to suggesting resources for helping our children learn about diversity and inclusion, we cover it all - check out the video here...
If you want to hear more about this topic, we have loads of great resources across the site. From blog posts to more Dad Chats, there is loads for you to find. Use the search feature to find more. And don't forget we have the Podcast where you can hear about other parent's experiences on this topic. You can head straight to the episode of your choice using the links below...
Last night we had a discussion surrounding disciplining our children... and what a great chat it was!
Let's face it, disciplining our children is a topic that can split parents completely and could lead to heated debates! But this chat was full of support and sharing of tips and information. No matter how old our children are, there are times when we need to guide them with a little discipline. But sometimes as parents it can feel like we aren't sure of the right way to go about it. As with so many aspects of parenting discipline in something that is a really personal choice and is tailored to your own child's needs, Our community know this and delved into this topic with support and kindness. As a result this live was brilliant for getting some useful tips for all parents - it really is a must watch!
Thanks to everyone who joined this live chat 🙏🏼
If you're looking for more parenting topics you're in the right place! We have had great chats about Tantrums and the dreaded Parent Guilt. As well as topics to help our kids like Communicating With Children About Their Feelings, and Why Its Important To Play With Your Children. If those aren't what you're looking for just use the search feature to find whatever you're after!
As you know, we welcome all parents to Dad Chats, and this week we decided to focus on single parents. Although... that led to a discussion - are you a single parent, or a co-parent? What's the difference, and where do you fit in!?
We know not all of our amazing dad's are with their kids full time, so this week we delved into single parents and co-parenting. We chatted all about the up's and down's of the single parent life. From coping mechanisms, to helping the kids adjust to separated households. we delved into it all.
It was great to hear from the single / co-parents in our community, and we are so thankful to them all for their honesty in this great chat. Another unmissable Dad Chats Live!
1. Becoming a single parent can be understandably daunting. If you’re a single parent, what were/are some of your worries or concerns?
2. As a single parent, you are also likely to be navigating dating and being in new relationships. How would you go about introducing your new relationship to your children and including them in your childrens lives?
3. For our lighthearted topic, we want to know what would be one piece of advice you would give to someone who had newly become a single parent?
This week, we had an open mic night to talk about International Men's Day 2021.
Did you know it was International Men's Day this week? Did you even know there is an International Men's Day? We won't lie... we weren't aware of it until this week! And we didn't see much about it in the media, or across socials - did you?
You know we are all about supporting men at Dadvengers, and that means celebrating the good as well as talking about the difficulties we face. So, this week we held an open mic to talk about the great things men do - the difficulties we face, and how we deal with them on a daily basis. Some of our brilliant community members popped up to share their thoughts on the subject - and this has led to another great chat!
We feel International Men's Day 2021 didn't get as much focus as it should have - so we talked about why that might be, and how we can change that... watch this space team... we know about it now and 2022 will be a different story!
Talking about celebrating great men... have you heard our podcast?! On it we talk to 20 great men, who share their life and parenting stories with us. You can find all episodes of the Dadvengers Podcast Here or by clicking on slider below! If you'd prefer videos - all of season 2 have accompanying videos over on you-tube... check them out!
Did you enjoy this chat? Got any topics you think we should cover...? We'd love to hear your topic suggestions. Click Here to Contact Us!
This week's chat marks the end of Black History Month 2021, so we revisited this important topic. We chatted to our community about what they'd learnt this month,
We talked about the importance of sharing resources with other parents, and how some of our community shared resources with their children's nurseries to help them educate other young minds. The chat covered what we had learned ourselves this month, how we strive to learn more, and how we can educate people in the right way.
Then, we had a good conversation about the language we use, and how even when we think we are being helpful, it can be unintentionally harmful. These conversations are so important to make sure we are supporting all Black and Ethnic minority communities in the right ways.
As always we thank every member of our community that got involved in the chat - it was great to hear from you all!
As you know, we don't just talk about race, racism and diversity during Black History Month. This is something we are passionate about discussing all year round. So we have some great chats and resources across the site. If you're looking for more we recommend watching our dad chats on: Talking about Race, Racism and Diversity, The George Floyd Murder One Year On, and Educating Our Kids About Diversity - and Why It's So Important.
Nigel's great and informative blog post entitled "How To Talk To Children About #BlackLivesMatter".
And of course, the brilliant podcast episodes that discuss this issue, these episodes include: John Lashley (Brooklyn Brownie Company), Elliott Rae, Amos Hurst and Nihal Arthanayake. Click on the picture below to head straight to the episode you want to listen to first.
1. Since our chat at the start of Black History Month, have you tried to talk to your children about diversity, race and racism more?
2. Have you begun to educate yourself more, or tried to educate those around you?
3. We asked at the beginning of the month for your favourite resources for kids and/or parents. So we want to ask again for any new resources you’ve found!
After the impact of the pandemic on students, it is more important than ever for parents to find ways to support education.
According to a study by The Fatherhood Institute, during Spring 2020 (during lockdown) 78% of fathers spent more time with their children and 68% spent more time than usual on home-schooling and helping with homework.
Research* also shows that involved fathers can significantly improve the progress of their child’s education. To help give your child the best start in life, Ian Thompson, a father of two and a Maths tutor at Tutorful, the experts in online tutoring, gives his top tips of how dads can support their child’s education:
New research reveals that 78% of secondary school parents feel the pandemic harmed their children's education. With parents believing that their child is a whole school year behind (9.5 months). Online tutoring platforms like Tutorful has over 11,000 tutors to choose from. Parents can choose one to help gain back lost time, and support education.
The benefits of using online tutors include:
You have to find the tutor that suits your child best. With relevant experience and the personality that works with them. Sometimes when I teach we spend the first lesson just getting to know a little bit about their school experience. However, in many instances, just a few lessons can give a young person back their confidence. For me, as a tutor, that is a life changing event.
Asking your child to teach you about a subject can help you test them in a more creative way. They can choose a topic that they have recently learned about in school. Any questions they are not sure about you can find out together. Get them to help you search online or by reading a relevant book. Allow your child to have fun as the role of the teacher. You could get them a whiteboard and pens. Let them set the rules - make it fun!
Discussing classwork outside of the school environment will immediately give you an informal insight into what they are learning. The amount of homework set and what subjects they find difficult. Give your son or daughter plenty of time to show you what they can do. Remember, things have changed a lot since we went to school and kids are taught in different ways not! So don't be too quick to say that's not the right method. This can also be a great tool for revision. Teaching someone else will help them remember everything they've learnt, and can work better than re-reading notes for some kids.
An adventurous way to learn is through educational games that can help children with non-cognitive and cognitive skills. Whether it’s an entertainment video game, or games that teach skills like coding. Game based learning often motivates children as there is a competitive element.They can help with grammar, new concepts and building knowledge.
Take your child to the theatre, art exhibitions or workshops to teach them that learning is not limited to the classroom. There are lots of free events that you can find on platforms like EventBrite. For example, if they are a history buff, take them to a museum or archaeological site. Exposing children to activities outside of their school curriculum can help them discover passions and talents that they might never have known otherwise. The trips contribute to a well-rounded educational experience. They encourage children to use their imagination and help them express their feelings and opinions with you as their sounding board.
Ahead of exams - sitting in a bedroom, surrounded by the same four walls, isn’t always the best place to revise. The good news is that revision doesn't have to be boring! And bad days do not have to correlate with GCSE revision.
Why not offer to take your child to a cool cafe or coffee house? Grab a hot drink, log into the wifi and start studying! Something as simple as a change of setting can be great for the brain. A change of setting can be great for the brain. Often it motivates us to explore new ways to achieve our goals. Letting your teen choose where to go will be empowering. Which will help them to feel like they’re completely in control of their success.
The chances are, they’ll also see adults working with their laptops too. Sending a hugely important message that hard work is something that we choose to do, to achieve success throughout our lives.
Not a fan of a coffee shop? If the weather is good, why not try a park? Or a finding a quiet, pretty spot in the country side? Fresh air, and a change of scenery can be great for learning.
If your child has been working hard on a subject (even if they are struggling with it) make sure you acknowledge their efforts. Children, whatever their age, want to feel seen by their parents and acknowledgments show you care.
Although children need to pass exams to progress in education. Remind them that character traits like determination, resilience and perseverance aren't counted in tests! These are all signs of success that aren't measured by the exams they take. And will also help them longer term when they reach the workforce.
If you think your child needs positive reinforcement, a reward can be as simple as cooking their favourite dinner. Or watching a movie, allowing more screen time, or maybe a small token gift? But don't forget, simply saying words like "I'm proud of you" is a great reward for a child. And these can be morale boosters to help them stay positive.
There are certain life skills that can help your child develop that can be taught from an early age. From learning the basics of cooking e.g. how long to cook an egg and pasta; to gardening like growing your own food and herbs. Also teaching them about local wildlife or doing the laundry. And as they get older understanding the cost of living like a loaf of bread, milk, bills etc. This can help prepare children for when they move out or go to university. And it will help them feel better prepared to set them up for success.
I wasn't always a teacher and didn’t expect at 18 years old that one day I would become one! However, somebody in education gave me a chance and realised I had the Math knowledge and the ability. The only thing lacking was confidence.
I owe a huge thank you to my friend Paul. One day he gave me a whiteboard pen as I walked into a room. Then he said that he had an appointment to go to. He threw me in the deep-end, and left me in a room to teach 20+ students. The rest, as they say, is history.
It took me a while to find what I wanted to do, and be. But, I did and I love it. An important part of being a teacher, is remembering that not all children will learn at the same pace. Or in the same way. The most important way to support education, is to give your child space to shine.
Are you looking for more ways to support education? Or maybe you want to learn about Great Ways For Dads To Connect Through Educational Support? Maybe your little ones are transitioning to school or nursery and you're starting the formal education journey?
Whatever you're looking for, we have some really great information about education across the site. From more great blog posts, to brilliant Dad Chats about Education.
