Alice charity and Darren supporting Single Dads
“Dad is tired, Dad is trying, Dad is stressed, but Dad won’t give up. Shoutout to all the Dads giving it all”
I saw this quote on Facebook last week, and it got me thinking about the last few months and the progress that we have made with the Dad Community project in a short space of time. Many of the Dads I speak to each week feel a bit like they have been left behind.
Even in the 21st century it is quite uncommon for the Dad to be the primary carer. At first just standing outside the school gates waiting to pick the kids up can feel isolating, the Mums chatting away, while you do not truly feel like you can relate to the other Dads because they’ve just finished work early so that they can pick their kids up as a treat.
You’ve only got to go on Google and you can find Mums and Toddlers groups close by, or Mother and Babies groups, yet when you search for Dads groups, the results are a Facebook community or a website where you can seek basic support from somebody over the other side of the world…or at best another part of the country.
Speaking to the amazing Dads every week, I am humbled by their day to day struggles and at the same time proud of their achievements.
When Steph and I first sat down to talk about this project, we knew that it was not only needed, but a long time overdue. Single Dads needed other single Dads to speak too, they needed to know that they are not on their own, that other people understand how they are feeling, and can relate to the problems that they face.
There is nothing wrong with struggling, and there is nothing wrong with getting support from other people. But what is important is that it is the right support. With the right support you can talk about the day-to-day challenges, and share your ‘proud Dad’ moments.
Exciting things are coming with this project, and slowly we are building a community of Dads where they can speak honest and openly and feel valued and heard.
