Dads no joke: National Fatherhood Conference heads to Winnipeg
Sold-out conference connects fathers with services and programs
All things dad will be discussed at the second Canadian national Fatherhood Conference in Winnipeg this week.
The conference, which is already sold out, is for anyone interested in engaging fathers in their community.
Provincial co-ordinator for Dad Central Ontario Brian Russell said the goal is help service providers help fathers connect with the knowledge and support for healthy development of children.
"I think in general we are looking at fatherhood in a way that's very positive and we are seeing that men play this important role in kids' development," he said.
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As a father of teenagers, Russell said he knows there are challenges, particularly in finding a balance between work and parenting.
"I think even just as our kids grow and develop they have different needs at different times and you have to be flexible and meet their needs in different ways because every kid has their own needs at different times," he said. "It's being creative with how we respond to those needs."
However, most of the time there are a lot more services, websites and resources directed at mothers than there are for fathers.
"I think a lot of guys they do feel some kinds of different expectation about what it means to be a parent than maybe moms do," Russell said.
Carmen Paterson-Payne, provincial co-ordinator for Dad Central Manitoba, previously worked as parent educator in Manitoba and said she also sees a lot of resources targeting mothers but less specifically for fathers.
As families and the expectations on parents change, she said people are looking for information on connecting with and supporting fathers.
"Families are changing. We don't have the extended families that we used to. Fathers are taking an active role, mothers are working full-time," she said.
"Practitioners across the province are wanting to know how to become more father-friendly in their organizations and how to work with them."
The conference runs at Canad Inns Destination Centre on Wednesday and Thursday.