What is Paternity Leave?

Paternity leave is the period that a father is legally allowed to take off work following the birth or adoption of a child bonding time and provide care.

This leave can be either paid or unpaid, depending on the country’s laws or the employer’s policies. Paternity leave aims to support fathers in their role as caregivers, promote gender equality in parenting, and enhance the early development of the child through the father’s active involvement.

Key Aspects of Paternity Leave:

1. Duration: The length of paternity leave varies widely across different regions and employers. It can range from a few days to several months.
2. Compensation: Depending on the jurisdiction or company policy, paternity leave may be fully paid, partially paid, or unpaid. Some countries have state benefits or social insurance schemes that provide financial support during this leave.
3. Eligibility: Eligibility for paternity leave may depend on factors such as employment status, length of service, and specific national or local regulations.
4. Flexibility: Paternity leave can often be taken all at once or in segments, providing flexibility to suit the family’s needs.
5. Purpose: The primary purpose of paternity leave is to enable fathers to spend time with their newborn or newly adopted child, assist with childcare responsibilities, and support the mother during the postpartum period.

Importance: Research shows that paternity leave can have positive outcomes for child development, parental relationships, and gender equality in both the workplace and the home.

Example: In Sweden, fathers are entitled to 90 days of paid paternity leave, which is designed to encourage fathers’ involvement in early childcare and promote gender equality.

How Much Leave Are Fathers Entitled to Around the World?

Paternity leave entitlements vary significantly across different regions and countries, reflecting diverse cultural and policy approaches to supporting new fathers. Here’s a look at how much leave fathers can expect in various parts of the world.

Paternity Leave Sweden

1. Sweden is known for its generous parental leave policies. Sweden offers 480 days of paid parental leave, each parent is entitled to 240 days of paid parental leave. However, single parents are entitled to 480 days.

Paternity Leave Japan

2. In Japan, fathers are entitled to up to 12 months of paid paternity leave. However, cultural factors often result in low uptake.

Paternity Leave Germany

3. Germany offers fathers parental leave paid (parental allowance) for up to 12 months. Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth. 

Paternity Leave Canada

4. Canadian fathers are offered up to 40 weeks of parental leave under the Standard Parental Leave which is 55% of the parent’s earnings.

Paternity Leave France

5. Fathers in France are entitled to 28 days of paternity leave, which includes three days immediately following the birth and an additional 25 days. This leave is paid at 100% of their salary. French Social Security.  

Paternity Leave UK

6. In the UK, fathers can take up to 2 weeks of paid paternity leave at a flat rate, or 90% of their average weekly earnings, whichever is lower. Shared parental leave allows further flexibility for parents to divide up to 50 weeks of leave.

Paternity Leave USA

7. Unlike many countries, the U.S. does not have a federal mandate for paid paternity leave. Depending on their employer’s policies, fathers may be eligible for unpaid leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).

Paternity Leave Jamaica

8. Jamaica has recently introduced paternity leave for public sector workers, offering 20 days of paid leave. This is part of broader reforms to support family life and gender equality. Jamaican Information Service. 

These examples show a wide range of paternity leave policies, from extensive paid leave in Sweden and Japan to Jamaica. Understanding these variations can help fathers make informed decisions and advocate for better policies in their own countries.

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When is Father’s Day 2024?

Father’s Day 2024 is 16th June 2024. The day which started in the United States has continued to grow globally and in popularity each year. Many countries celebrate Father’s Day with dads being recognised and celebrated by their children and spouses.

History of Father’s Day

Father’s Day was first celebrated in Washington State, USA in 1910. It was set up to complement Mother’s Day which was already a commercial holiday by 1908. However, it wasn’t until 1972 that Father’s Day became a national holiday in the United States.

When is Father’s Day 2024 in Other Countries?

Today, Father’s Day is celebrated in 111 countries around the world, however, it’s celebrated on different days for different countries. Father’s Day is celebrated on the third Sunday in June for many countries in the West, like the USA, Canada, United Kingdom, Jamaica and France.

In other countries, Father’s Day is celebrated earlier or later in the year. For example, in countries such as Kazakhstan and Honduras Father’s Day was in March and February respectively.

On the other hand, in countries like Australia (September), Fiji (September), Finland (November), and Iceland (November) Father’s Day 2024 is going to be celebrated much later in the year.

Statistics on Father’s Day

Based on a 2022 survey in the USA, consumers had planned to spend US $20 billion on Father’s Day celebrations including US $3.8 billion on Father’s Day outings, US $3.11 billion on clothing, US $2.69 billion on gift cards and US $2.25 billion on electronics.

According to a 2021 YouGov poll, 55% of Americans planned to celebrate Father’s Day while 53% said they would celebrate with their father, 37% had plans to celebrate with their partner, and 29% with their children.

When it comes to gifts, fathers are more likely to request a card (28%), a special experience with their families (28%), clothing (17%), something homemade (16%), tools (16%) or electronics (14%).

If you want to see more awesome statistics about fathers click here. 

Conclusion

How you plan to celebrate Father’s Day 2024 and wherever you are in the world, make sure to let your dad know that he is special and appreciated.

The post When is Father’s Day 2024? appeared first on Childhood Central.

Before starting to shop this year for your dad, you need to ask yourself a simple question: What sort of things do dads like as gifts?

In this article, you’ll find a list of 30 things dads like that you can buy to suit any occasion, Christmas, Fathers’ Day, birthdays or just a regular day to say you care.

To make sure you know the things dads like as gifts before parting with hard-earned dough, check out our list below.

How did we come up with this list?

We looked at the statistics and found the top gift categories that dads prefer.

What Things Do Dads Like as Gifts?

While Mother’s Day spending outpaces Father’s Day spending, the average spend in the USA for Mother’s Day is US $219 while for Father’s Day, it’s US $190, spending for Father’s Day is still significantly high.

A 2022 survey in the USA showed that American consumers planned to spend US $20 billion on Father’s Day celebrations.

When it comes to other holidays like Christmas, the average spend per person in 2022 was $920 US.

Buying a gift for Dad might be more straightforward than you think. Whether you’re buying dad a gift for Father’s Day, Christmas or his birthday, dads are very clear on what they want.

A YouGov survey showed the things dads like as gifts for Father’s Day. The top gifts that dads want are a card (28%); a family outing (28); clothing items like shirts, socks or a tie (17%); something homemade (16%); tools (16%); electronics (14%) and hobby items like golf clubs, biking equipment, etc. (14%).

A recent survey in the States shows the top gift categories for Christmas are gift vouchers (38%), clothing, textiles, shoes (35%), smartphones, tablets and accessories (23%); and computers and computer accessories (17%).

This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

30 Things Dads Like As Gifts

The recommended gifts below are all within the most coveted gift categories for dads.

1. Amazon.com eGift Card

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2. All Occasion Greeting Cards

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3. CARTMAN 39 Piece Tool Set General Household Hand Kit

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4. Dodowin Contour Gauge Profile Tools

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5. ROMANTICIST 25pcs Extra Thick Stainless Steel Grill Tool

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6. DEWALT DCD771C2 20V MAX Lithium-Ion Compact Drill/Driver Kit

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7. 11 Pocket Brown and Black Heavy Duty Construction Tool Belt

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8. Isner Mile Beard Kit for Men, Grooming & Trimming Tool Complete Set

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9. Convenience Kits International Men’s Premium 10-Piece Kit with Travel Size TSA Compliant Essentials

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10. Smart Watch For Men

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11. Ufree Beard Trimmer for Men, Waterproof Electric Hair Trimmer Beard Grooming Kit

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12. SHIZZO Grill Basket Value Set

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13. Cuisinart CCG-190 Portable Charcoal Grill

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14. Hudson Durable Goods – Professional Grade Chef Apron for Kitchen, BBQ & Grill

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15. Gotham Steel Sandwich Maker & Panini Press Sandwich Maker

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16. L’OR Barista System Coffee and Espresso Machine Combo

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17. ANYLINCON 3 in 1 Wireless Charger Station for Apple iPhone/iWatch/AirPods, iPhone

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18. Fossil Men’s Gen 6 44mm Touchscreen Smart Watch

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19. TESLYAR Wood Phone Docking Station, Ash Key Holder Stand and Watch Organizer

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20. ThisWorx Car Vacuum Cleaner

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21. TRAVANDO Mens Slim Wallet with Money Clip AUSTIN RFID Blocking Bifold Credit Card Holder

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22. Neck Shoulder Back Massager with Heat

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23. JBL Flip 4, Black – Waterproof, Portable & Durable Bluetooth Speaker

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24. Marino Men’s Dress Socks

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25. HISDERN Mens Ties Set

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26. POLO RALPH LAUREN Men’s Classic Fit Polo Shirt

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27. Sougayilang Fishing Rod Combos

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28. WOLT Basketball Backpack Large Sports Bag with Separate Ball Holder & Shoes Compartment

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29. AbcoTech Indoor Golf Putting Green – Mini Golf Set

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30. Amazon.com Gift Card

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The post 30 Awesome Things Dads Like as Gifts appeared first on Childhood Central.

In this article, you will find 30 statistics on fatherhood from across the world.

In our last article, we explored what it means to be a father with three Jamaican dads as they gave us their views on the topic.

However, this article looks at the statistics on fatherhood in some common areas to show you the real numbers behind being a dad.

Father’s Day 2023 will be celebrated on 18th June, 2023. For more on Father’s Day 2023 and the history of the holiday, click here.

General Statistics on Fatherhood

1. There are an estimated 74 million dads in the United States, and 72 million of those are biological fathers.

2. Of the 72 million biological fathers, 5.9 million or 8.2% have never been married.

3. 73.4% of the fathers are married, 12.9% are divorced, 3.2% are widowed, and 2.3% are separated.

4. 3% of Black dads are aged between 15-19 and 24.9% are aged between 20-29 years old.

5. Men aged 40-50 years old with a Bachelor’s degree are less likely to have children than men with a high school diploma.

6. An estimated 1.4 million men are stay-at-home dads.

7. In 2020 there were 6.96 million families with a single father.

8. In 2020, statistics on fatherhood show that there are about 1.3 million Black single fathers, 3.5 million White single fathers, and 1.69 million Hispanic single fathers.

Time Spent on Unpaid Care Work and Childcare by Fathers

Fathers’ share of unpaid work and childcare has increased in recent years but the share of care work that men do at home is still significantly less than what women do.

9. Finland is the only country in the world where men spend more time with school-aged children than mothers. Finnish men spend on average 8 minutes more than women on child care.

10. Globally, statistics on fatherhood show that between 1998-2012, men’s time per day spent on unpaid care work increased by 13 minutes while women’s time per day spent on unpaid care work decreased by 10 minutes.

11. According to the State of the World’s Father, at this pace of change, it will take 92 years to achieve equality in unpaid care work between men and women.

12. However, if men were to do 50 per cent of unpaid care, they would need to increase their time spent on unpaid care work by 50 minutes per day. 

There is however hope for change. Men want to contribute more and have reported that they contributed equally to the share of domestic care work.

13. A comparison of women and men who say they share routine childcare equally shows that in Nigeria, 25% of men said they share childcare equally, while 44% of men in Tanzania said the same, but 13% of Ugandan men said they share childcare equally.

14. Also, 85% of men in high and middle-income countries said that they “would do whatever it takes to be very involved in the early stages of taking care of their newborn or adopted child.

Statistics on Father Involvement in the Lives of Their Children

When it comes to fathers being active in their children’s lives, the statistics on fatherhood show that fathers who live with their children benefit more. The data below are from a Pew Research analysis of the National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG) in the United States which surveyed over 13,000 people between 2006-2008; 6,139 were males.

15. The data show that 93% of dads who live with their children said they talked to their children about things that happened in their children’s day several times a day. This is compared to 31% of fathers who do not live with their children.

16. Similarly, 94% of fathers who live with their children said that they ate meals together several times per week whilst only 16% of fathers who do not live with their children said they ate meals with their children.

17. The majority of fathers who live with their children (63%) said they helped their children with homework several times per week. This is in comparison to 10% of fathers who do not live with their children.

18. Additionally, 54% of dads who live with their children said they took their children to and from their activities several times per week. Meanwhile, only 11% of dads who do not live with their children did this.

There is a greater benefit for fathers’ involvement in their children’s lives if the fathers live with their children than those who do not, and this is also true for fathers of young children.

19. 98% of fathers who live with their children said they played with their young children under 5 years old several times per week.

20. 95% reported that they fed or shared meals with their children under 5 years old several times per week.

21. Meanwhile, 60% of fathers who live with their children reported that they read to their young children several times per week with 25% reporting that they occasionally read to their young children.

22. This trend continued with 89% of fathers saying that they bathed, dressed and helped their young children with toileting several times per day.

Parental Leave and Paternity Leave: Statistics on Fatherhood

Studies have shown the benefits of paternity leave on child development, the family and the individual. However, there are still many countries that do not have established paternity leave laws for fathers to take advantage of. Even more so, very few countries offer paid paternity leave.

23. Only 71 countries guarantee parental leave for fathers only. Fathers are more likely to take parental leave if encouraged to do so by quotas and bonuses.

24. In Nigeria, 14 days of paternity leave is given to Civil Servants while in South Africa, 10 days of unpaid parental leave is granted to men.

25. There are zero laws in the English Caribbean, including Jamaica, for paternity leave.

26. Data from a 2016 OECD Policy Brief show that Korea tops the list of countries that give paid paternity and paid parental leave to fathers; it offers fathers 53 weeks. The Netherlands and Greece offer 2 days while Italy offer fathers 1 day. Meanwhile, the USA, Canada and Switzerland offer none.

Celebration of Dads

It is safe to say that Father’s Day Celebrations are a big deal. Similar to Mother’s Day, dads are recognised with their very own day where their children and family members show them love and appreciation with gifts.

27. A survey of over 8,000 people showed that in the US, 76% of people said that they plan to celebrate Father’s Day.

28. When compared to mothers, fathers a more likely to say that they want nothing for their special day. Based on a survey of over 1,000 people, 19% of dads said that they wanted nothing for Father’s Day while 11% said that wanted a card. Others preferred electronics (7%), alcohol (6%), a day to themselves (6%), chocolate/candy (6%) or flowers (1%).

29. A survey of 8,297 people shows that on average, people aged 24-35 years old in the US plan to spend $250 on Father’s Day gifts.

30. A comparison between men and women shows that 54% of men said they plan to buy a Father’s Day gift for their father or stepfather. However, women are more likely to buy a Father’s Day gift for their husbands and other men in their lives.

The post State of the World’s Fathers: 30 Awesome Statistics on Fatherhood appeared first on Childhood Central.

Margo: Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

Delroy: I am a father of three children, and husband of one wife. I am in my late fifties and have been married for twenty-nine (29) years.

Margo: What do you like most about being a father?

Delroy: I like when we are all together, whether we are on the road or at home. I also like being at their games as their number one supporter, and I like when we go on vacation.

Margo: What has been the most challenging thing about being a father?

Delroy: One of the most challenging things about being a father is to exercise tough love. I just don’t have it in me to be tough on them.

Margo: What has been the biggest lesson(s) you’ve learnt about being a father?

Delroy: One of the biggest lessons I have learnt about being a father is loving my children equally without having or showing favouritism. I also learnt patience and tolerance, and how to slow down and listen.

Margo: How has your own childhood influenced your fathering?

Delroy: My childhood influenced me to be present in my children’s life as I didn’t have much of my father in mine. I also try to give my children some of the things I would have liked to get when I was growing up; that is, things that my mother could not afford.

Margo: What do you think is/are the biggest misconception(s) about Jamaican fathers and what about Jamaican fathers do you want people to know?

Delroy: Most Jamaican fathers are thought of as missing in action and lazy. This is not generally the case as they are sometimes not given a fair chance to contribute to the life of their child/children. I would like people to know that Jamaican fathers can be very supportive in the home as a mother would be.

 Margo: As a new father, have you felt like you needed support? If so, where do you turn to for that support?

Delroy: As a new father, I needed and got support from family, particularly, from my mother-in-law who moved in with us for a few weeks. This was very invaluable.

Margo: Do you think fathers are getting the support they need or do we need to do more as a society to support fathers? If fathers need support, how can we do better as a society to support them?

Delroy: It is difficult to know if fathers get meaningful support. However, I think they will accept any support given; most fathers desire to be good fathers. I believe fathers, or men on a whole, believe financial support is their biggest contribution and if they are not able to financially support the home they sometimes wilt under pressure and disappear.

If you have enjoyed this interview or any of the other two in this series, please leave a comment and let us know your thoughts. Thank you for visiting!

The post Perspectives on Fatherhood – Part 3 appeared first on Childhood Central.

Thank you for taking part in this series on fatherhood and sharing your perspective with Childhood Central.

Margo: Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

Miguel: Well, I’m a fun-loving person. I have a good sense of humour, and I like to put a twist on things; I like to even dig joy from a funeral. I like to even make a mannequin laugh. I tend to look at things a bit differently from the average person. I like nature, music, and poetry.

Margo: What do you like most about fatherhood?

Miguel: Ah, it’s the mere fact that there is no one in this world who authentically loves me more than my child. It’s a joy to just come home and have my child running to me like I’m her hero.

Margo: What has been the most challenging thing about fatherhood?

Miguel: I worry when I send my child to school. I worry if she’s going to come back in one piece or if she’s ever going to come back home at all. I wish I could be there to protect her, you know, being in her classroom like a guardian angel just to protect her, guide her, tell her when, where, and how.

Margo: What has been the biggest lesson(s) you’ve learnt from fatherhood?

Miguel: One of the biggest lessons I have learnt is that there is a difference between a man and a boy. I have really learnt that when you are a father, a parent, you tend to make sacrifices and you understand the true meaning of sacrifice as a father.

Margo: I just want to go back a little to where you said there is a big difference between a man and a boy, what do you mean by that?

Miguel: A boy is basically a child who thinks of childish things and has childish ways and childish responsibilities that he doesn’t really care about. When you are a man, you have to step up to the table and do mature stuff.

Margo: Would you say that fatherhood somehow brought you into your manhood?

Miguel: Yes. It took an interesting twist because it brought out that father inside me that wasn’t so strong before.

Margo: How has your own childhood influenced your fathering?

Miguel: Based on my upbringing, how my mother brought us up, and my experiences as a child, what I experienced, I don’t want any of that for my child. I don’t want that. I want to ensure that she gets a proper education. I also want to instil in her some good values and I think teachers don’t have the time to do all of that; I think it starts from home.

Fatherhood has taught me how to be humble, be a go-getter, and it pushes me to go out there because I have a reason for living and a reason for working. If I could relive my life, what I know now if I knew then – maybe at forty I would be retiring instead of, you understand?

Margo: What do you think is/are the biggest misconception(s) about Jamaican fathers, and what about Jamaican fathers do you want people to know?

Miguel: One of the big misconceptions is that Jamaican fathers don’t really care and that they just want to have children all over the place – like it’s more for bragging rights rather than paying attention to the damage they have caused. I have seen good fathers out here, and we have to focus on the fathers, not the ones that we call sperm donors.

I have seen good fathers, excellent fathers. I see many men every day on the worksite, the reason they are there is not because they want to work, they have responsibilities, and they are working because of the children. So I would say that that’s a good look. There are a lot of good fathers. There are a lot of unsung heroes.

Margo: As a new father, have you felt like you needed support? If so, where do you turn to for that support?

Miguel: To be honest, I’m so fatherly inclined and aware and I got a lot of teachings because I wasn’t a young father. I’ve learnt so much; it’s like I have a diploma. I did not have much of a challenge or needed that much support. I am the father now, and I have to step up to the plate. Where I find a challenge, however, is between my partner and me.

We have different views on certain things. I tend to be overprotective of my child because you always have to keep an eye on children. They are new humans trying to explore, and they don’t know the dos and don’ts.

So in a way, you have to be their remote control, so to speak. I always ensure that my child walks on the straight and narrow. So while I’m overprotective, my partner’s approach is a bit more relaxed, and we sometimes clash in that regard.

Margo: Do you think fathers are getting the support they need or do we need to do more as a society to support fathers? If fathers need support, how can we do better as a society to support them?

Miguel: Sometimes, I think dialogue is necessary. It would help to ask some out-of-the-box questions that people shy away from asking fathers because maybe they think it’s too personal. Sometimes, as men, we are too silent but having conversations is very good; questions are very good because that’s how we learn. Don’t be judgmental; just have a good dialogue with fathers.

Margo: Do you think that a lot of fathers need support but they are not being approached with what their concerns might be and so are not getting the help that they need?

Miguel: Yes, and what happens is that not every man can work out their issues by maybe having a counsellor or someone that they look up to because we all have different personalities. A good approach is to get a feel for the person and try to understand them before you begin that dialogue. It also helps to be down-to-earth; just be flexible and approachable when you talk to them.

Trust me, conversations are good because I have so many friends, and I am the one they turn to. You would be surprised by what men are going through. We are not angels, you know. Men are going through so much, and we do not talk about it; that is why sometimes we punch walls. I also think women who can get to the level of men by being down-to-earth can also reason with them.

Margo: Don’t you think men respond better to other men in terms of opening up and talking? As a father, you are all on the same level, and because of that, they would be more open to you than a female.

Miguel: Well, females are just one aspect of it. Let’s say, a roots brethren just sit and have a reason with them, like a corner reasoning with maturity. I think that is another way, maybe the super way. I have spoken to many fathers, my brethren, and I have been able to get a lot of things out of them.

So both women and men can support fathers, and sometimes a mix of age groups can work too. The important thing is that the person needs to be authentic and can sit down and hold a reason. Men are more likely to open up if they feel comfortable with the person they are talking to.

Another point is that sometimes people just want to talk and express themselves; if that person smokes, don’t tell them that you won’t speak to them if they are smoking, you know what I mean? If a man is smoking and he wants to express himself to you, don’t make a big deal of it.

At that moment he’s there talking to you because it is important to create a non-judgmental atmosphere so that the person can be themselves and be comfortable. If you’re going to get something out of them, I think you can allow yourself to be uncomfortable for that moment.

What did you think of Miguel’s perspectives? Do you agree? Leave a comment and tell us your thoughts.

The post Perspectives of Fatherhood: What Does it Mean to Be a Father? appeared first on Childhood Central.

Today’s interview is with Kristofferson Nunes. Kristofferson is a UWI graduate and a 27-year-old entrepreneur and a father of one. He lives in Kingston with his partner.

Margo: Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

Kristofferson: I’m adaptable, patient and understanding. That’s it, in a nutshell. We all have complexities in ourselves, and I think we have a lot of different passions. For example, growing up, I wanted to be a pilot, then a doctor, then an architect; it was all over the place, but then I realized that’s me.

Margo: What do you like most about being a father?

Kristofferson: I like just seeing the world from his eye level, his perspective, and seeing things that he might fear that I overlook. His growth is very fascinating to me and that’s what I enjoy the most, you know, looking at how time really passes from a child’s perspective.

Margo: What has been the most challenging thing about being a father?

Kristofferson: I think the most challenging thing would be relaxing my ego because now I’m trying to help somebody. Your ego will try to protect you, your pride, and stuff. As males, we tend to have a huge ego but growing a young man or girl, a child; takes humility.

It takes selflessness, and that means putting my ego aside. And if you’re not self-aware, it will be challenging. I think most men’s challenge is not being self-aware. For me, it’s challenging in the sense that the world is fast-paced, but fatherhood shows me one side, how I’m supposed to take the world.

It’s really about slowing down in those moments where time is spent, not trying to get to the next and the next because those moments pass by so quickly. If you sit down and appreciate those moments, you realise that for a young child, their world is very slow.

I think for us as men, the challenge is finding balance. It’s a balance between what I know is good for his world like putting food on the table and having my own hobbies but not neglecting my responsibilities at home, the responsibilities that I have bestowed on myself.

Margo: What has been the biggest lesson(s) you’ve learnt about being a father?

Kristofferson: I think the biggest lesson is listening more, trying to listen more to what’s going on around me because I may not have all the answers. Listening brings so many insights because fatherhood is a journey.

For example, when you go to a new school, you listen to what the teacher says, try to get a feel of the land, feel the school, and listen to the conversations to find out where to go.

In the same breath, as a father, I listen to conversations from maybe families, friends, associates, or my immediate support groups.

I also know that at the end of the day, after I have listened, I make my choices based on whatever insights I want to choose. This is so that I’m not coming from a place of ignorance. I’m making a more informed decision on how I can move forward, make things better, and add to a different foundation than I had before.

Margo:  How has your own childhood influenced your fathering?

Kristofferson: I had a family that sacrificed and worked hard to put food on the table. I appreciate and support it, and I’m grateful for something like that because it shows that self-sacrifice is monumental in relationships, whether it’s with your parents or in intimate relationships. So when I got older and went through the process, I was pulling from these various resources.

I pull resources from my uncle as a father figure or from a friend’s father or other guys I play a ball game with because you can get insights from anybody.

Especially as s father, it’s kind of unfair for anybody to put all the expectations on one person to teach everything because that person doesn’t know everything. Likewise, for mothers, too, it’s good to have a community to pull from different insights and get information.

For me, during childhood, it was just being myself and going into different circles with my friends and their fathers, or their uncles, or their male-dominant figures. I felt comfortable in those households, we shared stories, and I asked questions and it became a habit of being around them.

When I was in high school, my neighbour’s father took me to school every day from First Form to Fifth Form. Can you imagine from First Form to Fifth Form, every morning? I got to have conversations, picked up things, became familiar, and added to these conversations.

On the surface, it may seem like I was just getting a ride to school, but I learned a lot of things on a subconscious level. I learned about discipline, hard work and the sacrifices fathers made for their families.

Now that I am a father, I have to be aware of what I’m doing daily because my child will be emulating or modelling those things not because I’m telling him what to do but because I’m showing him how to be by my actions. You might think that you’re having random conversations, but they pick up what you’re saying, so when they pick up on bad habits and see them with them, it’s like you’re looking in the mirror.

Margo:  What do you think is/are the biggest misconception(s) about Jamaican fathers and what about Jamaican fathers do you want people to know?

Kristofferson: I think that question itself is a troublemaker question, and I will tell you why. In Jamaica, there are pockets of people; that’s why we have the motto, “Out of Many, One People”. We have different cultures within different communities that operate in so many different ways.

On one end of the spectrum, there are pockets of absentee fathers who don’t do anything at all and on the other end, there are fathers who stay at home to take care of the baby and the family while the mother goes to work.

To paint the image that every Jamaican father is bad is unfair and a misrepresentation of what is happening because we have never done a census. We may know what the media carry based on buzzworthy news and their ability to pull drama and anguish from people. They can pull comments and engagement from the public because they want to sell papers, right?  

The narrative should not be “You’re doing your job badly” but should instead be “These are some suggestions.” If you’re trying to chop down an old tree, why not grow a new tree that you know has better roots? It’s like restarting society in a sense; it does not make sense to train an old dog new tricks.

So, if the narrative is true that all Jamaican fathers are trash, the question is, why don’t we start a philosophy to make better fathers? What values are we transmitting to our kids? When they become parents, what results will we see in their kids?

For example, I see my neighbour playing with his son after work every day, looking at the stars with a telescope. I can imagine him using that interest for them to bond together.

Males have their egos and they do things that they don’t want credit for; fatherhood is one of those things. They wouldn’t seek out the chance to so say, “Hey, I want to do that interview,” someone might have to encourage them to share their story, similar to how you have approached me.

I think it boils down to connecting with different communities to find where those fathers are or finding the kids who are progressing and linking back to if they have fathers or not.

Margo: As a new father, have you felt like you needed support? If so, where do you turn to for that support?

Kristofferson: I think support found me initially. In the sense that other fathers extended the invitation to say, “We are fathers here; we know it’s going to be an interesting journey for you; we’ve done this.” So they reached out and extended their hand of advice, support, or thoughts.

With me being a new father, they felt that it was important to recruit me as they figured their support could help me be a better father for the boy or girl that I would be raising.

I think the support is there whether you know it or not. It could be in friends or family, or friends of the family. Sometimes we just need to put away our egos and not be afraid to ask for help.

Margo: Do you think fathers are getting the support they need or do we need to do more as a society to support fathers? If fathers need support, how can we do better as a society to support them?

Kristofferson: I think about the father’s support in my head as building a society. It’s not somebody building it for us. We build it as we go along. We have to navigate as is needed. Whatever you share, it can be used to build a man. For fathers, they need assistance to nurture.  

We can create the environment to do what we want and any environment can have the infrastructure or framework that can be plugged into automatically. It’s similar to the “mommy and me” classes for women and the other resources that are available to a new mother like workshops, apps, websites, and blogs.

The question is, why hasn’t any father pushed that agenda as much? It could be so many factors at play; maybe fathers aren’t interested in that because we have learned certain values that pushed fathers to the household’s financial decisions.

Building up that support infrastructure can be done, for example, when a woman is pregnant and she goes for a doctor’s visit, medical professionals can approach an expectant father to offer resources and support. There are so many opportunities we just have to start it.

If you enjoyed this interview, stay tuned for the next two in this series. Thank you for stopping by and please share and let us think about how we can build up that father support infrastructure.

The post Perspectives on Fatherhood: The Impact of Positive Fatherhood. appeared first on Childhood Central.

Black dads matter in a lot of ways. They provide love, stability and protection for black families. Black dads need to succeed at fatherhood and that’s why they need support too.

June is here, and Father’s Day is almost upon us. Father’s Day has grown in prominence and is almost on par with Mother’s Day in many households around the world.

The growth in celebration of Father’s Day is a good trend that could be attributed to a change in norms, attitudes, and beliefs about what it means to be a father, which goes beyond seeing fathers as mere breadwinners or disciplinarians.

Black Fatherhood

This is especially true for the notion of black fatherhood.

Today, many black dads embrace non-traditional roles within the black family such as caregivers, emotional supporters, playmates, and all-round-fun-hang-out dads. Some are even taking advantage of paternity leave options provided by their place of work.

Fathers are important and we have come a long way in recognising and celebrating that but we need to recognise that black dads need support too. There’s still much work to be done because black fathers often do not get the support they need to help them be the best fathers they can be.

We know from our own lives and research that fathers are important to children’s development. Research tells us that when fathers are more involved in their children’s lives, they have better academic and employment outcomes, and mothers who fathers support are more likely to breastfeed.

Why is Supporting Black Fathers Important?

Support for black dads should be a major topic of conversation because, like black motherhood, black fatherhood comes with its unique challenges like mass incarceration, racism, financial and emotional struggles, often with very little social support.

Fathering is not something a black dad is just born knowing how to do, no father does. Black fathers are and want to be involved in their children’s lives. They know what their roles are but often, they do not get the support they need.

Why do Black Dads Need Support?

Researchers at the University of Oxford found some major reasons why fathers need support.

1. Black fathers want to be involved in their children’s lives, but they often feel pushed into the traditional role of provider.

2. Black fathers face mental health issues that affect their fathering abilities. Many fathers experience depression before and after the birth of their children.

3. Fathers report feeling left out of the bonding process with their children.

4. Black fathers also struggle between balancing their role as providers and being involved in their children’s lives.

What are the Barriers to Support for Black Dads?

For many black dads, there are more than one barrier to support. For example, in Jamaica, fathers have reported experiencing certain barriers that in some ways are similar to the experiences of other black dads worldwide.  Some of these barriers include:

1. Most parenting programmes are designed for mothers and are typically facilitated by women; this creates a barrier for men as they are more likely to talk about their challenges with other men than with women.

2. Black dads sometimes do not have access to parenting programmes such as parenting classes and group workshops because they are often at work during the facilitation of these programmes.

3. Fathers who are not in relationships with mothers are sometimes excluded from having a relationship with their children. This situation is often made worse for some fathers when they move on to a different relationship.

4. Additionally, fathers are least likely than mothers to have their rights recognised by the Courts.

What Can We Do Better to Support Black Fathers?

Knowing the challenges that black fathers face and their importance to the black family, here are a few suggestions for increasing fathering support for black dads.

1. Design more support programmes for and by black fathers.

2. Train health professionals to be more mindful of the needs of black fathers and include them in more activities that are typically geared towards mothers.

3. Offer fathers paternity leave.

4. Increase advocacy for fathers’ rights to be recognised by the Courts.

5. Increase public education on the importance of the father’s involvement in child development.

6. Encourage and train black fathers to build their support and community groups.

7. Provide online solutions to fathering support for those fathers who are not able to attend physical meetings and groups.

8. Recognise that black dads matter not only to their children but also to society.

9. As we recognise and celebrate our fathers in June, let us think about ways to support our fathers to be the best they can be for our children because black dads matter.

The post Black Dads Need Support Too appeared first on Childhood Central.