reaching out to new dads

Reaching Out to New Dads

Stay At Home Dads & Parent Representatives for Ingham Great Start Collaborative

Chris Singer MC Rothhorn

My Daddy Story: MC Rothhorn

•  Before having Kata in 2002, had talked with partner that I would stay at home ~ 2006.

•  Mori born in 2004. MC bread winner until 2006.

•  Great start parent and learning father full-time since then.

My Daddy Story: Chris Singer

•  First time father – started out scared out of his wits

•  Freelance writer & blogger http://www.easybabylife.com/chris-singer.html http://sahdinlansing.com

•  Website & Social Media Consultant http://harambeeconsulting.com

Objectives

1.) Understand ways to determine if your program is dad-friendly.

2.) Learn what motivates some dads to participate in a program.

3.) Learn practical ways to find new dads and better promote and publicize your programs and services.

Our assumptions:

1.) We don’t have all the answers for every dad. Dads are single, divorced, gay, widowed, stay at home (by choice or not), work from home, etc…

2.) If you’re here today – it’s because you want to be here! It’s also why we are here as well. Feel free to ask questions as we go along. We want you to be part of the conversation.

3.) No dads have ever attended an expectant parenting class that treats dads as equal partners in the birth.

Is 2010 the “Year of the Daddy?” •  Saints QB Drew Brees and his 1 year old son Baylen

•  President Obama putting a serious focus on fatherhood

•  Great variety and quality of ‘daddy blogs’

•  Stay at home dads are more common and more accepted than ever.

Why new dads? National Fatherhood Initiative Study called: “Pop’s Culture: National Survey of Dad’s Attitudes on Fathering”

•  Findings:

•  80% of new dads lack significant experience with a baby 6 months or younger

•  60% of these men have either a negative or non-existent model for their own father

•  Dads feel unprepared for fatherhood (just under ½ agreed & just under ¾ strongly agreed)

•  Fathers feel replaceable (majority agreed)

•  Identified 6 major obstacles to being a good father

Six obstacles identified by dads:

•  WORK OBLIGATIONS

•  MEDIA/POPULAR CULTURE

•  FINANCIAL PROBLEMS

•  LACK OF KNOWLEDGE

•  CHILD’S MOTHER

•  LACK OF PARENTING RESOURCES

•  Feeling welcome

•  Feeling valued

•  Non-punitive & non-judgmental

•  Convenience of location & time

•  Wife/partner/friends

•  What else???

What motivates dads to participate?

Is your program dad-friendly?

•  What are you offering and how does it fit with what dads want – to feel prepared, equipped and irreplaceable.

•  Marketing materials – Men perceive “parenting” as “for moms”

•  Do you have male facilitators?

•  Do you solicit comments/ideas from past male participants?

•  How do you structure activities? Are they active and hands-on.

Where are the dads? Promote to:

•  Gyms •  Barbershops •  Athletic facilities •  Diners/restaurants •  Churches •  Schools •  Partner with other organizations:

•  Head Start •  Hospitals •  Parks & Recreation

•  Social Media •  Facebook •  Twitter

Our current efforts…

We approached the Expectant Parent Organization where Chris & his wife took birth classes.

•  Their responsiveness blew us away.

•  Set up a meeting to discuss our ideas.

•  They immediately invited us to partner with them to facilitate a dads component for their new infant birthing classes.

•  April/May will be the first classes.

www.epobaby.org

Any questions, comments?

Thank you for coming to our workshop!

Chris Singer •  E-mail: chrisrsinger@gmail.com •  Blog: http://sahdinlansing.com

Feel free to contact us:

MC Rothhorn •  E-mail: inghamGSCparents@yahoo.com

Ingham Great Start Collaborative Birth To Five

http://www.cacvoices.org/organizations/birthtofive www.migreatparents.org