Nell, our Dad.info Digital Editor, tells us about her busy day…
I’m driving over to Eastbourne today, to work with Ian Soars (MD of Fegans Services). Our growing list of Dads on our Dad.info email list deserve a video update and so today is filming! Having packed my car full of tripods and microphones (and thrown my kids into school and childcare), I’m off.
It is baking hot in the garden, where we set up outside. Ian and I have only met up once in person since March 2020, so we share stories and catchup and then straight into filming, after a delicious homebaked muffin and a cup of tea. Ian is sharing some parenting tips for our Dads. Dad.info works to bring parenting and happy home skills based on our qualified counselling and parenting advice to men who are responsible for children. We always try and make our content, snappy and data rich so that if people share a little of their valuable time with us, they leave feeling more confident.
Being a parent is tough, but there still aren’t enough places for men to talk about what fatherhood means. At Dad.info we celebrate every father AND support anyone having a tough time.
Ian’s tips, especially his last – keep your temper, and lose your dignity, resonate with me and time whips past. Before I know it, it is ten to one and Nicky Soars, Ian’s wife and our Trust Fundraising Manager is reminding us that time is up. I quickly grab a couple of photos of Ian, as I am always being asked for them when Ian talks on behalf of Dad.info, and I say goodbye.
As I drive away, I feel quite reflective. Working as we have been for nearly 18 months, separately from the team, I’d almost forgotten the joy and creativity that comes from collaborating. Here’s hoping we’ll be face-face far more often this term.
Back at my desk I review some beautiful posters we have had made for Dad.info (please be in touch if you have space on a noticeboard for me to share one). My team of incredible communicators, Ann-Marie, Gaëlle and Nadine have looked and queried how I have described Dads who aren’t resident, they are absolutely right, so I change it.
I back up all my footage. Don’t want to lose my work from this morning! Then just time for a quick peek into the forum, where so many Dads come every day to ask questions on all aspects of parenting, whether they are struggling with a new-born, an awkward mother-in-law or a tricky separation. There are a couple of questions best answered by a parent support worker, so I share those.
Now time for school pick up, so back to my own family duties, armed with more parenting ideas from Ian and the whole team at Dad.info.