Members of the Dads of Redland Bay group. Photo: Supplied.
“When we had our first child, my wife had the option of joining several mothers’ groups, and I was left wondering – where are the fathers’ groups in the Redlands? There weren’t any, so I hunted around, got in touch with Dads Group, had a chat, and started a local group.”
Samuel Hallett’s initiative now sees a small group of fathers of young children gathering every week in a local park to hang out with their children and with each other, offering mutual support and advice.
“There are just a few of us so far, pretty committed dads already,” says Samuel, “but we’re expecting the numbers to grow as the word gets around.”
The group has proved invaluable for sharing experiences of parenting, passing on handy hints and reassuring individual fathers that they’re not the only ones facing challenges. Just socialising and talking with an informal peer group has its benefits.
“Sometimes conversations serve to confirm that you’re doing the right thing anyway,” Samuel says. “That’s really supportive when you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed by it all. It can be basic stuff like how to settle a baby, dealing with sleep issues, or tantrums.
“We’ve just had our second baby and I’ve turned for advice to dads of two children on how best to deal with the situation – we can tap into each other’s wisdom.”
The kiddies also benefit; socialising with other children is a definite plus, and seeing a group of dads cooperating provides an excellent role model.
“Just playing with your kids and observing how other dads play with theirs is really helpful,” Samuel says.
The dads’ group provides mums a break from childcare and also helps share the load of decision making and information gathering; dads can turn to each other for advice rather than depending almost entirely on their partners.
An unexpected benefit is the ripple effect into the mothers’ networks. Being local, both dads’ and mums’ groups tend to use the same parks and playgrounds, which means that kiddies on an outing with mum are likely to meet friends they’ve made in the dads’ group outings.
If you and your small one would like to get involved, check out the Dads of Redland Bay Facebook and attend one of the park meetings – just look for the sign or the dads wearing the group’s t-shirt.
