With 25% of Australian households with young children led by single parents, the family dynamic is shifting. And it’s not shifting in the way many people would expect… Single dads are growing twice as fast as single moms, meaning dads are finding themselves in lots of situations they wouldn’t have dreamed of in the past.
All over Australia, dads are cooking up healthy meals in the kitchen, doing their daughters’ hair, and playing with Barbie dolls. The video below gives an inside look at how these dads handle the challenges of single fatherhood. It also shows the many ways they have managed to bond with their small children. These dads don’t just face typical parenting duties, like helping with homework. They also have to take gender stereotypes head on.
Single dad to three Jeffery laments that he is asked about mom whenever he takes the kids out to eat in public. When he says that he is there by himself, he is then faced with a litany of questions and a heavy dose of judgment. While the gender stereotypes are certainly there, single dad Tyrell is quick to rebuff them, stating, “I really don’t see how gender plays a part.” Tyrell’s parenting skills have not gone unnoticed. His local community awarded him with Father of the Year, thanks in large part to his bond with his daughter.
Anyone who watches him in action quickly realizes that a dad can be just as warm and nurturing as a mom can be, and Tyrell is just what his daughter needs while growing up. Even though dads are just as capable as moms, that doesn’t mean they can’t use some help along the way. It takes a village to raise a child, and single dads in Australia find their village with Sole Fathers United.
This group of single fathers, which includes Tyrell and Jeffery, meets several times each month. The men share ideas, such as how to do hair. They even get cooking lessons from a chef. The chef teaches them how to prepare various types of meals, and even shows them how to hide those evil vegetables in tasty dishes so the kids won’t even know they’re there. Check out the video below and share it with your friends. This beautiful story needs to make its way around the internet so everyone can see just how deep a father’s bond can be with his children.