We know what gender stereotypes and expectations encourage us to do, and that’s not to talk about our struggles. It’s not to be vulnerable and not to admit when we need a bit of help and support. And we know what these expectations and stereotypes can lead too.
In recent years, there has been a culture shift. A movement of men who are challenging those stereotypes and rethinking what it means to be a man and a dad.
MusicFootballFatherhood, a parenting and lifestyle platform for men, is part of that growing movement.
At MusicFootballFatherhood we are all about open conversations around fatherhood – conversations around the ups and downs of parenting and how we can think about doing things a bit differently. We have a popular blog, a podcast and we host regular events for our community to come together around a range of topics.
An extension of MusicFootballFatherhood is our new book, DAD: untold stories from the frontline of fatherhood. We have launched the crowdfunder for the book today, International Men’s Day, and we need your help.
WHAT IS THE DAD BOOK?
DAD is a deeply moving collection of stories that represent the diversity of modern fatherhood and seeks to start a conversation that challenges the traditions associated with masculinity. This is a ground-breaking book. Never before have a group of men come together to bare their souls and speak so openly and honestly about their fatherhood experiences.
The book includes powerful stories around widowhood, stillbirth, miscarriage, post-natal depression, divorce, childbirth trauma, work-life balance, shared parental leave, gay fatherhood and surrogacy, raising a child with a disability, blended families, black fatherhood, raising a mixed-race child, being a single dad, faith and fatherhood and raising a child with autism.
The book will be released in Spring 2021, with pre-orders available shortly beforehand.
WHAT WE WANT THE BOOK TO ACHIEVE AND WHY IT’S SO IMPORTANT
We know that men and dads don’t always have the space to speak openly about their experiences. We believe DAD can change the world:
- The role of the dad has changed massively over the last decade, gender stereotypes and expectations are evolving all the time but the mainstream media hasn’t caught up. This book will help change the narrative about modern fatherhood.
- Traditionally, men are taught not to open up and talk about their experiences. DAD can be the start of a new conversation and encourage dads across the world to be more open and honest about their fatherhood experience. This book will help to enable better conversations within families and communities.
- Mental health of men is still overlooked with suicide remaining the biggest killer of men under the age of 45, and 12.5% of men in the UK suffering from depression and anxiety. DAD is a cathartic book that will help men and dads realise they are not alone. This will help contribute to better mental health.
WHY DO WE NEED YOUR HELP?
We approached publishers, but they told us that there was no audience for the book. They couldn’t see how the public would purchase a book where everyday dads shared some of their most personal stories. We know this is NOT TRUE! We know there is ABSOLUTELY the need for real dads to share their experiences. We believe that this book will change the conversation around fatherhood, men and masculinity. This book will help so many people and we can’t wait to share the stories.
WE NEED YOUR HELP! We are currently putting the book together and need support with the production and promotion costs. We want DAD to be a professional product that gives justice to the stories it shares. We also want to ensure that DAD reaches the people that need it most. Self-publishing is a complex thing to do, but with your help we can give DAD the platform it deserves.
We appreciate every donation we receive. We know times are hard at the moment and we really appreciate your support.
You can donate via our crowdfunder here: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/wearedad
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SUPPORTING US!
