Tag: books

Viewpoint: why do single dads face casual sexism when they travel?

* This article first appeared in Telegraph Travel in time for Father’s Day. More on this theme from my book [pictured above], Inside Fatherhood.

We went to stay with Spanish friends during the last school holiday.

It worked well for a family trip with two other kids for my two girls to play with, the freedom of an unstructured routine and an insider sense of the local culture.

But, most of all, as a man who has travelled alone with his kids since they were young, there was another man there who both understood the challenges of modern fatherhood and shared my passion for showing his children the world.

I often struggle to find this kind of camaraderie on a family holiday.

The sense of isolation I have felt at times as a divorced father, who shares custody jointly with the girls’ mother, has made for some uncomfortable travel experiences.

Suspicious minds

It’s not the just practical aspects, such as who keeps an eye on the children while I go to the bathroom.

More frustratingly, a man alone with two little girls can be viewed with curiosity, sometimes suspicion.

Immigration officials at a major European airport once stopped us, asking to see birth certificates to prove the girls were actually my children.

More commonly, I’m subjected to other holidaymakers quizzing me about why I’m alone.

“Can I ask,” one relative stranger once enquired as I was nonchalantly loading my plate at the evening buffet, “is your wife dead?”

Last resort

But I really spat the dummy when a restaurant manager rather publicly warned me not to take my youngest daughter, and then aged just five, into the gents.

“If she needs to go, then I’ll just have to take her to the ladies,” she bristled.

I politely suggested through gritted teeth that she should go and get a copy of her DBS certificate first.

So, as thoughts turn to celebrating our devoted dads for Father’s Day this weekend, isn’t time we gave single dads a break?

Read the full article here.

My Father’s Day Legacy At The Fatherhood Summit

 

I was invited to the Fatherhood Summit recently.

The event, arranged by Who Let the Dads Out (WLTDO), brought together people to discuss the role of fathers and modern masculinity in general.

My book, Inside Fatherhood, had just come out and I was interviewed on stage by WLTDO founder Mark Chester, about my fatherhood legacy as we celebrate 80 years of Father’s Day this June.

There were some great discussions on the day, many based around the debate of a golden age of fatherhood or a time of crisis.

I waded in with some pancake mix — watch the video to find out more.

Sign up now! It’s my book launch in Chester

Book launch news.

The venue is booked and the invites ready to go.

I’m hosting a launch event on May 17 in Chester for my new book, Inside Fatherhood, to mark 80 years of Father’s Day this June.

Here’s some background:

Join us for a launch evening of thought-provoking discussion with some of the men I interviewed for the book, sharing their experiences of fatherhood and advice for the next 80 years.

It’s an upbeat appreciation of the importance of fathers. No dry speeches, nor long readings. Pay-as-you-go drinks.

Sign up for this free event at this Eventbrite link.

Writing a book about fathers showed me why I need my dad

My book just came out.

I should have been celebrating, or better still doing some promotion. But I’ve done nothing since publication on March 23. I’ve barely opened the pages.

Why? I’ve written a guest blog post for the website This Dad Can to explain.

Here’s a sample of the text:

Just as the book was due to be published, my own dad was taken seriously ill. He has spent a long period in hospital and, while now stabilised, has been diagnosed with a major dementia.

I now carry around with me every day the knowledge that he will never get better — only decline cognitively. The irony is not lost on me that, while I was busy talking to men about why dads matter, my own father was slowly fading away.

But I’ve also got a responsibility to the ten men featured in the book to let their stories be heard. They shared their stories with me and wanted a wider audience to learn from their experiences.

So the promotion starts. I’m arranging a book launch in Chester for Thursday, May 17 — sign up here.

And, as we move towards the 80th anniversary of Father’s Day, I’m going to celebrate why we all, myself included, should appreciate the important role our fathers and grandfathers play.

Because dads care too.

Read the full story at This Dad Can.