Men Behaving ‘Dadly’
Dads are Devoted (or D.A.D.) is a new information pack especially for young fathers, to help them navigate the first 12 months of their new baby’s life. ‘D.A.D. is all about building confidence and self esteem, and helping a young man be the dad he wants to be,’ says Major Joanne Jellyman, who developed the project while serving as associate national mission director for Employment Plus.
Joanne noticed that young dads between 16-20 years old, often not in stable relationships with their baby’s mother, were not being encouraged to step up to the role of fatherhood. ‘Sometimes their own parents are saying, “Just get on with your life”, and the mum may not actually trust him with the baby. These young guys aren’t going to read books or ask questions, so they don’t have knowledge or power,’ says Joanne. ‘Deep down, some of them really want to be good dads, but they’re not given permission.’
The D.A.D. pack was designed entirely by learners from the Employment Plus computer graphics course in Christchurch, under the guidance of their tutor Olga Volkova. It contains 13 brochures, including one for every month of the child’s first year, and 10 checklists.
D.A.D. is deliberately written for young men who may not read books, don’t have the budget for the latest baby ‘gadgets’, may not be in a relationship with the mum, and as a result, may not be engaged with fatherhood.
Developed in consultation with Salvation Army early childhood educators, the focus is on practical topics provided in bite-sized chunks, such as dealing with crying, getting the baby registered, finding cheap alternatives for toys, immunisation and teething woes, right through to dancing with your baby and how to heat up breast milk. Every brochure ends with a prayer of thanks for the baby.
‘We’re wanting to speak into the lives of young dads and say, “Yes, dads are devoted, that’s what you can be,” ’ sums up Joanne.
D.A.D. is available for $10. Contact Employment Plus on 04 802 6269 ext 24879 or email Glenton Waugh.
Downloads for use in your newsletters
> D.A.D. GIving Young Dads Confidence Ad (PDF, 640KB)