At the start of the year I wasn't worried about Dads and the Work-Life Balance. It was all hustle, work hard and always be on the grind.
That’s the mentality I started out with stepping into the professional world of work. Becoming a stepdad certainly refuelled “the success at all costs” mindset as I was navigating the waters of my early working life. Burdened with what I perceived as failure at that point. Earning the right to be step-dad was a responsibility that added renewed purpose to what normal life meant to me back then.
When the curtain came down on normality as we know it earlier this year. I couldn’t believe what was unfolding. Work felt like every possible thing that could go wrong just was. And at home, we were another household beginning that home schooling journey. Learning to redefine our family’s understanding of time! Work time, time off, time together, time alone. I realised it was time to hide the anxiety, time to bury myself.
Time to think fast, time to plan, time to press RESET and time to act. It was time to survive.
Recognizing the creeping presence of my own anxiety. I knew I needed to acclimatise and create some structure and establish a routine. Some self-preservation and protection just to avoid the brick wall and creep of overwhelming pressure that comes with feelings of failure.
There were moments where I’d feel waves, the emotion rising through me like warm water filling my toes up through my waist.
But stepping outside myself I achieved some things during lockdown. We had four “lock down” birthdays and celebrated them all stretching the celebrations to three or four days at a time. Decorations left up, balloons everywhere. We watched movies, had meals, played games, went for walks. Above all there were some really lovely family moments.
Despite the challenges and setbacks, as I watched everyone together, just being at home, getting through their routines, doing stuff and balancing the day to day demands. It was quite magical!
Above all, I love being Dad. It’s my pride, those three letters define me. As I’m sure they do for many Dads. There was a point in my life when nothing mattered more in my life then having my own family.
It is that moment of realisation where the chase takes on a new meaning. It’s not about me anymore. It’s about them it’s about us and embracing the new definition to my life. I want to be a better person.
I’ve always grafted, every job I’ve ever had. Three paper rounds as a 12 year old kid, cleaning the windows of my neighbours’ flats, you name it I did it. But lockdown reminded me that I need to do the best I can, just to be there when the kids need me, even if they don’t, I’d just like to let them know I’m there.
So, is it really possible to separate work from family when all your work is for the benefit of the family? That's the real conundrum when it comes to dads and the work-life balance.
As we embrace the daily demands of life, dealing with our own pursuit of happiness, I hope that my choices move our family forward together. Subsequently, I hope that our children develop a work ethic they apply to their lives, and embrace all the ups and all the downs with equal measure. I hope that separating the noise from the outside world becomes easy as they grow and the safety of home becomes the environment that shapes the confidence they take into the world.
During these strangely unbalanced and uncertain times, the balance of working and life has got to be about ensuring the kids are happy. I’ve lost count of the number of zoom meetings and chats our youngest has strolled into and just wanted to sit on my lap. Or my son has run in his boxers to grab something he’s just pushed through the office printer.
To be honest pre lock down I was really conscious of things like that that happening. Now, I just don’t care. This is who we are.
Have you seen that BBC clip of the government advisors’ interview being “bombed“ by his toddler daughter wandering in whilst mum unleashes panic to get her out of shot. In the process unveiling the staged backdrop of the interview to the world? If you missed it here it is.
Everyone has their own normal ours is less the traditional family stereotype. A Stepdad first, then my son came along, then married, and I’ve learnt to live in our 21st century family without a stereotype to reference. We’ve learnt to just make decisions and work through things together.
I take a huge amount of pride watching my wife take the lead as a work colleague. Women have had a tough gig throughout the ages. I love the fact that my two girls and my son can see Mum and Dad shine brightly in all that she does, trailblazing a path for them to follow – in a way of their choosing when they are ready to step out and take on the world.
There is no one size fits all approach or rulebook to the rights and wrongs of doing this stuff. NO do’s and don’ts book of parenting’. But allow me to offer some of my own thoughts in the hope that I can offer one pearly ball of wisdom that someone, somewhere can benefit from.
Life is hard - So choose your hand and pick wisely.
As the generations that had to deal with far worse time will say, "The grey clouds will pass and then the sky will be filled with the sun."
Wishing you all great times ahead as you figure out Dads and the Work-Life balance.
On the 25th of May 2020 George Floyd was killed by a police officer in broad daylight. Another senseless murder of a member of the black community, it sparked a chain of events that caused people to take notice. It caused people to think about the racism black people have suffered. It has added fuel to the Black Lives Matter movement and raised it's worldwide profile. Now more than ever it feels like there has been a shift in consciousness, like people both black and white people have had enough of the systemic racism that poisons our lives. This is why it is so important for us to talk to children about #Blacklivesmatter. If we are going to make things better it starts with educating both ourselves and our children.
In addition to writing this post I also spoke about this topic on the BBC Bitesized Primary Parents Survival Guide Podcast. Here is a 30sec clip from the show, and thank you to the Bitesized team and Eli Sessions for having me on the show.
Click here to listen to the full Podcast - How to talk to your children about Black Lives Matter
There is no point trying to broach a subject with your children that you know little about . If you want to be able to answer their questions and have an insightful conversation with them, you need to know what you’re talking about. Throughout this blog piece there are one or two resources to help with this but stay curious and keep exploring. There is so much out there.
Whether you realise it or not, being a white person grants that person certain rights that are not extended to black people. Tackling racism is also about challenging the stereotypes of white privilege which we see everyday. These stereotypes are linked to institutional or systematic racism and changing them will be pivotal in changing attitudes as a whole. If you are white this is one of the hardest parts of racism to grasp and come to terms with. Partly because white or black we’ve had so many years of accepting white privilege as the norm. So when you talk to children about #blacklivesmatter it’s important to remember to include this side of things.
We live in a diverse world with people of different races and cultures. We need to demonstrate and make our children aware of these from an early age. The more they see and know about diversity and race the more they will understand it. A really good way way to start this is through reading. We read books to our children from a very young age and with any luck they carry on reading into adulthood. Here are a list of books compiled by Kidadl that tackle diversity, race and the issues surrounding racism. Read some for your children, suggest titles they can read themselves and be prepared for the conversations they start.
Racism can be a very difficult topic to discuss, especially when looking at the uglier side of it. Topics like hate, cruelty and the violence can be shocking and scary for adults let alone children. Be mindful and sensitive to this and discuss as age appropriately as you can. We must realise that some topics will need to be revisited as our kids become more mature and gain experience. There is no need to frighten them unnecessarily. But this is also not a reason to not have difficult conversations.
It’s one of the fundamentals of life but it doesn’t hurt to reiterate this when it comes to race. We need to educate our kids to treat others in the same way we would like to be treated regardless of race, religion colour or creed. Children are not born racist they learn racist behaviour from the people around them. If we can eradicate this we are half way to eradicating racism.
This point is taken from our How to be a good Dad post? Children constantly look to their parents to see the way they should behave. Even when you think they are not paying attention, they are. When dealing with a subject as sensitive as racism you must try to behave in a way you would like them to behave. If we can’t demonstrate anti-racism as parents how can we expect our children to?
As a parent educating themselves about racism we are lucky to have some incredible films and TV shows that I regard as essential viewing. They cover different times, different subjects, different aspects, and different problems. I have included this basic list. Watch as many as you can, absorb them, imagine the atrocities were committed against you. Hopefully it will drive you to fight against racism and talk to children about #BlacklivesMatter.
It’s important that we hear from those of you out there living it. Have you got black or multiracial children? Have you’re kids experienced racism? What other resources can help with this topic?
Please leave your comments in the section below and share this post and other Dadvengers Posts with other dads and parents. The more the merrier. And remember, Mums, Grandparents, Carers, Parenting Professionals you are an integral part of this. We can’t improve things for dads and help make changes without you. So please help, even if it’s just sharing a post or making a suggestion.
Look forward to hearing from you
Dadvengers
Here are Mr W’s top homeschooling tips during lockdown. Being a primary school teacher from the north of England these simple tips should take a little bit of the stress out of the homeschooling process.
The most sensible answer is to follow the guidance your school has set. I know from my fortunate position behind the scenes at school, that all staff at every school are working hard to develop the best home-school tasks; to maintain learnt knowledge and further develop the kids’ thinking. Whilst it’s difficult to manage work with little to no contact, every teacher I know wants the best for their children; it is the vocation they signed up for. If they can help, I know they will try!
But I know it can be challenging to complete school-work at home without specialist resources, or experience in education and certain topics might feel like a mystery – especially if you didn’t learn it at school yourself!
Here are my top ideas to engage your children in some positive learning experiences at home:
I often talk to parents about ‘incidental learning’, although I am sure It is known by other names too. Incidental learning is encouraging children to apply their learnt skills around day-to-day tasks and engaging them in topics of their interest. For example, you might use maths to add up the weekly shop, or discuss what helps the flowers grow in the garden. Could they learn about magnetism by playing with the fridge door? Back at school before lockdown (and the current lack of sport), a favourite of my class was keeping track of football scores and calculating how many games were needed to win the league!
Incidental learning is a brilliant way to reinforcing basic, key understanding. I’ve heard it described as ‘providing a hook to hang ideas on’ and it gives children great contextual information about how the world around them works.
Incidental learning can reinforce that you do actually use the skills you learned at school! (even if you might not regularly recite Shakespeare!).
I spend a lot of time amongst family friends – I am missing the board games and other family activities that we enjoy together. There is so much beneficial learning (especially for younger children) that comes from these activities. From an academic viewpoint alone, board games encourage reading, developing new vocabulary and basic maths skills.
More importantly, in my opinion, playing with family and friends has a great impact on a child’s social skills. A key conversation around education at the moment is the rise of the iPad generation, or extended screen time. It has been argued that screen-time leads to under-developed social skills and poor self-regulation (the ability to stop and think before acting impulsively). Whilst no one wants to make their children lose every time (I hope!), dealing with disappointment or managing frustration is such an important skill for both adult and kids.
Family games are a great way to build these skills.
Children at secondary school can be more independent in their learning and good resources can be found in course guides and online. Both BBC Bitesize and the new Oak Academy have excellent reviews amongst the professionals I have spoken to, and YouTube’s great for targeting specific learning in most subjects.
Equally, there are a lot of excellent apps and games that can be found linked from education websites – whilst we’re keen not to spend hours behind a screen, the internet is such an excellent resource; it seems a shame to waste it. It’s also an excellent way to engage learning for more repetitive tasks, such as times tables or spelling.
The next of my Homeschooling Tips during Lockdown is an important one. As educators we completely understand that some things just can’t be taught at home. Equally, some topics are really challenging to deliver in a classroom and some concepts just require lots of repetition. This can be a particular challenge with older children due to more specific/high-level content, though some concepts in the primary curriculum are not simple either.
If they’re struggling, encourage your kids to practise what they can do and to get really good at that instead. If you both get stuck, then focus on what they can do. Practicing skills and becoming more secure in existing understanding will only help them catch up faster when they return to school. It also provides an excellent foundation for further learning and solving problems using the skills they already have.
Everyone has a passion and whilst I am looking forward to this experience being over, I also know that a lot of families are able to spend a lot more time together than usual life-commitments allow them. This is a perfect time to introduce your children to your own passions and show them the side of you that gets excited about them!
The best teaching I have ever delivered in a classroom is when I’m in love with a subject. I look forward to afternoons spent discussing Greek Myths, Ancient Egyptian mummification, and building Iron Age Roundhouses. When I speak to older pupils, I’m also told that these are often the lessons they remember most.
Share what you love, and try to inspire the same! Though I take no blame for any ‘old music’ arguments!
I hope these Homeschooling Tips during Lockdown help you navigate these interesting times. Stay home and Stay Safe!
For more tips and posts aimed at helping dads make sure you head to the Dadvengers Blog. And if you would like to contribute please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
At Dadvengers we are eager create a network and form a sense of community and ‘Dad Chats Live’ will help us do that. It will a place where dads and all parents can talk and share views on the world of parenting. No topic will be too big and no topic too small. Your kids may not be born yet or you may be grandparents. It doesn’t matter, as long as you want to talk and listen to views and stories from the world of parenting you are welcome.
The chats are growing every week and along with the development of our podcast, one day we hope to take these chats on tour. The aim being to open the conversation about dads in the parenting world. A conversation which has in previous years been very stereotypical. Gone are the days when dads didn’t change nappies or play with their daughters dolls houses. In 2020, dads want to be more hands on with their children and together we can help them achieve this. At the end of the day we could all do with a little help to be the best parents we can be.
At present the ‘Dad Chats Live’ are still in their experimental phase so we are still finding out when is best.
During the Coronavirus lockdown the chats are taking place Live on Instagram, Fridays at 9pm(GMT).
If you would like to have the platform to chat at one of the sessions please email info@dadvengers.com That way if the session is busy we can schedule a time to cover your specific topic. Also if you would like to be a guest writer on our blog please get in touch with your idea via the same address.
We look forward to hearing from you, see you Friday.
Dadvengers
The short answer to the question is no there isn’t a golden set of rules to being a good dad. Every man is different, every child is different, every family is different so how could there be a formula that works for everyone. That said I do think if you try and stick to some ideals and guidelines you’ll be in a much better place. I’m going to give you my 10 top tips and from there hopefully you’ll be able to muddle through like the rest of us. Whether you are a dad to be, a new dad, a dad of a teenager, or a dad to an adult, these tips apply to everyone, and it is never too late to adopt them. Who knows, you may even be praised for it.
Before you read any further I would like to make one thing clear. You WILL get things wrong and you WILL make mistakes. This doesn’t mean you aren’t a good dad. It means you are human, just like the rest of us. There is no such thing as a perfect dad, but there are dads who try their best for their children and that’s all anyone can ask.
Finally, don’t judge how simple some of the things on this list are. Some of them come naturally to some and are alien to others. If it seems easy to you, count yourself lucky and work on one of the other tips. Nobody takes to all of them straight away.
Our children have their own personalities, interests, abilities, likes and dislikes. Spend time getting to know your children at the various stages of their lives. Don’t ever think that you know all there is to know about them, they are constantly changing. You aren’t the same person you were five, ten, fifteen or twenty years ago. You have learnt things, changed your mind, tried different things and so will they. If you don’t know your children, how do you expect to connect with them.
This may sound silly but it is so important. When you have fun with someone it forms a bond. If I ask you to think of someone important in your life and then think of a good time you had with them, 9 times out of 10 you will remember a time when you were playing and joking around. That’s because these fun times have formed a bond between those involved. The more fun times you have with your children the stronger your bond with them will be. This leads to better communication which bring me to my next tip.
This tip is not just good for being a good dad, it’s a life tip that can be applied to all areas. Communication is the best way to avoid conflict and keep a relationship moving forward. If you cannot communicate, talk to each other, express your feelings with each other, it’s hard to get anything done. Think of all the cliches about dads not being around or knowing about their children’s lives, or achievements. Then think of the affects on the children because of these cliches. Lots of these can be avoided by good communication.
This is not the same as point 3. As a parent it’s easy to disregard what your child might be saying and assume you know best. The thing is, sometimes we jump in too fast and miss the point they are trying to make, or we miss an opportunity to provide another way of looking at things. Listening first without saying anything can open up a whole new area of conversation, or opportunity for learning.
This is an important one and you would think it’s a given, but it’s on the list to reinforce something we can all become better at. How can we expect others to treat us well if we don’t treat them well. It starts with educating our children and if we all do our part it will make for a better world with better people in it. Remind your children of the consequences of their actions and acknowledge desirable behaviour positively. Remember, great fathers are firm but fair.
Often the older generation of men find it harder to openly show love and affection for their children. Being a dad doesn’t mean you have to hide your emotions related to love and caring. The more love you show them the more your children will feel they can turn to you when they need you. We all need others at some point in our lives but who do we turn to? Those we love and trust the most. If you follow the first 5 steps hopefully that could be you.
No matter what age our children are they will all need to learn to do things by themselves. Whether it’s learning to walk, learning how to wash their clothes, or learning how to apply for a mortgage. Have the courage to let them do things on their own. This doesn’t mean you can’t be there for support or to catch them if they fall. It’s just a reminder that if your children don’t learn to do some things themselves they will always rely on you. And unfortunately you can’t always be there.
Children constantly look to their parents to see the way they should behave. Even when you think they are not paying attention, they are. And they latch on to emotional responses more than others. For that reason you must try to behave in a way you would like them to behave. As parents, many of us have a one rule for us and another for them attitude, but remember one day they will become adults. When this happens they will more than likely adopt the rules you applied to yourself. If you weren’t being the best role model as an adult you can’t expect your child to be better than you.
Being a parent is difficult. Watching your child grow up and go through life can be a frustrating, annoying, disappointing and tiresome time. The most important thing to remember at times like these is to have patience. Parenting is a long road and some days will be stormy but tomorrow is another day. Another opportunity to give something another go and get it right or do it better.
This one is often overlooked. So much of being a parent is about teaching our kids what we have learnt but we often forget they can teach us things too. The world is an ever changing place that we all have to adapt to as it changes. Our children will learn some things before we do. Think of how many of us have had to teach our parents how to use a mobile phone, tablet or computer or Facebook. We don’t know everything so be open to learning something new. Only the other day through conversations with my kids I learn’t that I have a slight Trypophobia. Who knew!!
It’s important that we hear from those of you out there living it. Are you becoming a father soon? Do you feel like you’re not being a good dad? What resources could help?
Please leave your comments in the section below and share this post and other Dadvengers Posts with other dads and parents. The more the merrier. And remember, mums you are an integral part of this. We can’t improve things for dads and help make changes without you. So please, please, help even if it’s just sharing a post or making a suggestion.
Look forward to hearing from you
Dadvengers
As many of you already know I am a huge supporter of hands on parenting. Especially with a focus to encourage more dads to get involved in this style of parenting. Therefore I'd love you to check out more Dadvengers posts and find out more about what we're doing. Dadvengers Assemble – Dad of the Week is a place where I will be celebrating hands on dads that are out there representing for all dads. Hopefully this will encourage more fathers to follow suit and encourage those who already do, to shout about it.
Daddy Mark – Nominated by Claire
Reason: Claire and Mark are in the middle of yet another sleep regression and potty training period. Mark’s had a mad few weeks at work, but he’s managed to keep their daughter entertained in the face of sleepless nights and several tantrums, meaning Claire can go to work in the evening without stressing about what’s happening at home. He’s a star and Claire and their daughter love him
Daddy Dave – Nominated by Claire
Reason: Dave is always heavily involved in parenting but recently Claire received the terrible news that her mum has been diagnosed with terminal cancer. Dave has stepped up and been responsible for nursery drop offs, pick ups, making packed lunches, cooking dinner, bedtime routines and dealing with midnight potty calls.
Daddy Jon – Nominated by Karen
Reason: Jon surprised his daughter Charlotte by taking her to see Matilda in the West-End. What a lovey gesture. Jon has been making a genuine effort with his daughter and it hasn’t gone unnoticed. Keep up the good work Jon, more dads need to be open enough to rock on down to a musical with their kids and have a good time.
Daddy Alex – Nominated by Sophie
Reason: Alex serves in HM forces and has sacrificed precious time with our daughter to follow a new career, meaning a lot of time away from home. He’s missing her so much while he’s away but reminds himself it’s for her future. They love to FaceTime look forward to the weekends when they get their daddy daughter time.
Daddy Max – Nominated by Bella
Reason: Max Rogers has been looking after his 3 kids while his wife and Pussycat Doll Kimberly Wyatt has been on tour with the girls. This weeks Hall of Famer is so immersed in daddydom that he doesn’t even know what day of the week it is. Well done sir, keep representing.
Every week I will add a photo here and on Instagram of a Dad who has exhibited hands on parenting during the week. For this to work I’ll need you to submit your nominations to me each week. You can do this in two ways…
These rules may change as Dadvengers Assemble grows so please keep an eye here for the latest stipulations.
Here are a few examples of the kind of thing I’m looking for. Don’t be restricted by these they are just to show previous things I’ve been sent and start the submissions coming in. As you can see there are some great dads out there doing their thing, let’s encourage more to do the same. It will only help our children develop into happy healthy people who have communicative relationships with their fathers.
Earlier this summer, while doing some research into my Dadvengers Initiative, I stumbled across an article. It was about a dad who started a parenting group to stop dads being lonely. Dad La Soul is nearly 2 years old now and is specifically aimed at Dads, Step Dads, Grandads, male carers and their children. The group currently meets once a month in Worthing and also in Hurst Pier Point with a new group starting in Brighton next month. The lovely thing about it is that each month a local dad leads a workshop that the rest of the group take part in. These workshops can be in anything from Dj’ing to Robot building to film making and draw upon skills that local dads have acquired over the years.
So to really find out what the group was like I decided to attend with my daughter and get a feel for what their ethos is. While there I managed to talk to the groups founder Dan Flanagan who is very passionate about helping dads. We spoke about all aspects of the group and how it’s helping combat the lack of support for hands on dads.
When his son was about 3 years old, Dan realised that due to working in the corporate sector he wasn’t spending much time with his family. He’d be up and out early in the morning and back with only minutes left to enjoy with his son. So he decide to leave his job and set up Tot Rockin Beats an intergenerational afternoon rave. This was a great success and out of it was born Dad La Soul. The aim being to help dads remember how to play with their kids. And subsequently, create a network of dads through groups that meet on a regular basis.
I must say it’s refreshing to see dads really getting involved with this group. It highlights how much dads want and need groups like this. Of course there will be people out there who think it’s not for them but Dan challenges those non believers to attend a Dad La soul event. And to be fair, I think they would be pleasantly surprised. On the day I went we did a silent disco beach clean followed by a seaweed tasting festival. All on a beautiful summer’s day at Worthing beach.
To hear more of what Dan had to say and find out what he thinks is the hardest part about being a dad in 2019, check out the video below:-
I think dads groups are a great idea and there is definitely a need for more of them. Which is why I’m going to look into starting a Dadvengers one in London over the next few months. As well as that, I’m also going to dedicate a page on my website to promoting dads groups that have been established all over the UK. So if you know of one please get in touch or leave a comment in the section below.
It’s important that we hear from those of you out there living it. Are you a dad that attends a dads group? If so what’s it like? Can you recommend a good dads group in the UK? Would a dads group appeal to you?
Please leave your comments in the section below and share this post with other parents, the more the merrier. And remember, mums you are an integral part of this. We can’t improve things for dads and help make changes without you. So please, please, help even if it’s just sharing a post or making a suggestion.
Look forward to hearing from you
N
In this post I would like to address the question ‘Why go to baby groups?’. It’s already something that parents ask whether they are male or female, and whether they attend groups or not. Each demographic has their reasons for not wanting to go and I have written a post that tackles the reasons men give for not going to baby groups. If however you don't need convincing and are looking for a Dad and Baby/toddler group in your area. Check out our definitive list of the best Dad and Baby groups in the UK.
I didn’t go to baby groups when my 2 were that age, but looking back and now leading a baby group on the television, I can definitely see how it would have benefitted them, me and other dads. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying it’s a 100% must to attend a baby group, but there are benefits in going. None of them solely restricted to clubs and groups, just sometimes facilitated more easily in this situation.
As many of you with young babies know, going to a group for the first time is not easy. It’s almost like your first day at school. So many questions run through your mind beforehand. What will I do there? Will my baby enjoy it? How many people will be there? Do dads go to this group? Will my baby cry the whole time? Who benefits from this? Will people judge me? The list goes on and on.
However, there is an equally long list of the benefits that you and your baby may gain from going and below are just a few of these. For each benefit I have added a link to one of my Baby Club Diaries. This will show how activities we do at baby groups are benefiting you and your baby
Check out my Baby Club Diaries – Playing with Paper
Language and numeracy are being introduced to babies all the time. Often you won’t even realise you are doing it. What’s nice about taking part in activities at a baby club is that they often highlight the words, numbers, actions, colours, objects very specifically. Making you think about what the focus of the activity is. Once you start applying the way you think at a baby group to everyday interactions suddenly everything is an opportunity to learn or reinforce words and numbers.
Check out my Baby Club Diaries – Playing with Gloves
At a baby group your child will be introduced to a host of activities, toys, and landscapes that they will have to interact with. This will mean they have to move and react to their surroundings which will in turn aid physical development. Your baby may see another baby walking and be inspired to try. Your baby may get very vocal at a baby group, therefore developing muscles in the face and mouth which are eventually used for speech. This is just the tip of the iceberg, there are so many things happening at a baby club that will help in this respect.
Check out my Baby Club Diaries – Playing with a Ball
As a dad, it can sometimes take a little longer to form a strong bond with your baby. This is normal and no dads should feel strange if they are experiencing this. For that reason, a dad spending time with his baby in a setting without his partner can help that bond form. Baby groups are perfect for this and though it may be a struggle at first, the bond formed by persevering is more than worth it. Also more dads need to be hands on from the start as it makes a huge difference to the family dynamic. One that everyone will benefit from.
Check out my Baby Club Diaries – Playing with Socks
Singing songs is one of the best ways for your child to learn something at an early age. That’s why singing is often done at baby groups. But what makes singing extra special is that it’s not only rhythm and coordination that benefit. It can also help with all of the benefits mentioned above.
Check out any of my Baby Club Diaries and you’ll see how singing can help.
It’s important that we hear from those of you out there living it. Are you a dad that attends a baby group? Do you avoid baby groups because you’re a dad? Would a baby club help you? Can you recommend a good baby group for dads in the UK?
Please leave your comments in the section below and share this post with other parents, the more the merrier. And remember, mums you are an integral part of this. We can’t improve things for dads and help make changes without you. So please, please, help even if it’s just sharing a post or making a suggestion.
Look forward to hearing from you
N
Often when talking about hands-on dads the conversation naturally finds its way to dads and baby groups. It’s a big topic and after speaking to a few people, there are some things we need to put out there. Hopefully this will help increase numbers and get more of a male presence at groups in the UK.
The short answer is yes they do go to baby groups. However, I don’t think the number reflects how many dads are being hands-on. I’m sure if you compared dads who take their kids to an after school club with the number of hands on dads you’d get a much better correlation. Someone should conduct a survey, I couldn’t find anything online. What we need to do is look at why some dads aren’t making it to their local baby groups (if there are any. Check here to see if there is one near you.). Once we know the reasons, then we can take steps towards making groups more accessible to fathers.
It’s not easy going to a baby group for the first time. Like anything new we all have our apprehensions. Below are some of the reasons and… erm… excuses (just being honest lads) that dads give for not attending baby groups. For each reason I will make suggestions for overcoming the problem. But please do add your own thoughts, feelings, experiences and advice in the comments below. I’ll even add some of the more pertinent comments in this section to make sure they are seen.
There are many reasons dads should go to baby groups and I have outlined some of the main reasons in the 'Why Go To Baby Clubs' post. In the mean time if you would like to see how activities performed in ‘The Baby Club’ can help your baby, head on over to my Baby Club Diaries. You’ll be surprised how everyday play with your little one can help development. Finally if you would like to try out a Dad and Baby Group near you, Check out our definitive list of Dad Groups in the UK.
It’s important that we hear from those of you out there living it. Have you avoided baby groups as a dad? Do you regularly go to baby groups as a dad? Have you had a good/bad experience as a dad at baby groups?
Please leave your comments in the section below and share this post with other parents, the more the merrier. And remember, mums you are an integral part of this. We can’t improve things for dads and help make changes without you. So please, please, help if it’s just sharing a post or making a suggestion.
Look forward to hearing from you
N
