Start a Fathers Support Group

Dads who make the decision to stay home and be primary caregivers for their children have great rewards as well as significant challenges. One of the challenges is the feeling of isolation and the lack of adult contact during the day. DIY Father is committed to stay at home dads finding or starting their own fathers groups which can be a great option for meeting their needs and the needs of their children.

How do they work?
The way a father’s group works is that fathers will meet up with other fathers to share concerns and frustrations, to find ideas for being a better father, or just to make friends and create a network of people who can be a support to one another.
Fathers support groups tend to be informal and kind of free wheeling, at least at the beginning. But as they mature, there tends to be more structure and formality. Groups frequently meet in a restaurant, in a hotel, in a community centre or church or in a home.

Why Join A Support Group?
As a part of a support group fathers can network, learn new tools, or seek support when most needed.

Here are some thoughts about Fathers Support Groups and making them successful.

1 - See if there is an existing fathers support groups. Ask around with other stay at home fathers in your area to find out if there are one or more father support groups already nearby. Check back on DIY Father for developments on fathers support group locations in your area, or let us know when you want to start one yourself.

2 - Start to create a group by setting parameters. If you decide to start your own fathers support group, there are some decisions you may want to make. What is the age of the children you want in your group? Will you plan activities for the children only, or also for the fathers? Will there be a regular location, or a rotation system? You can come up with what ever works for you.

3 - Choose a day and time. Do you want to meet weekly or less frequently? You should set a fairly regular schedule so activities will be predictable and accessible for others.

4 - Find other fathers. This is where DIY Father wants to help as it can be hard to do by yourself unless you know a lot of other at home dads. Have a flyer or card ready to hand out as you happen upon other fathers during your days, put up a community notice and don’t forget to let DIY Father know.

5 - There maybe financial expenses. There maybe some financial expenses that you may occur. There may be printing and mailing costs, costs for the location, expenses associated with field trips. Figure out a budget and then share the responsibility for the cost.

6 - Keep a record of the group. As fathers join the group, keep a database of names, contact details, their kids and birthdays, etc. This is very important for getting in touch with participants and keeping them informed outside of group meetings.

7 - Think about some topics. Some topics to think about are parenting issues, discipline techniques, personal health and wellness, family and marriage relationships and more.

Tips:
1 - Keep the group focused. Don’t try to be all things to all people.

2 - Keep the group small. A group of 5 to 10 fathers is about right.

3 - As you are a group of men consider men’s activities like sport outings, for example; a round of golf, while discussing a childrens nutrition.

In conclusion if you do not have a fathers support group in your area, consider stepping up and starting one yourself, we at DIY Father are committed to helping fathers find or setup support groups.

Contact us now