Talking about new dads is a work in progress
Adding to the growing list of quality and informative podcasts tailored to men, a new podcast mini-series for new dads has hit the airwaves, produced by Movember and the Diamantina Podcast Network.
Dad in Progress, launched in early March, is hosted by new father Raph Dixon, who takes listeners on a nappy-soaked journey into new parenting, mixing his own experiences with those of new dads, parenting experts and psychologists.
“What it means to be a dad has changed and it’s kind of up to us to work it out,” he says.
“Being a dad is a work in progress. It’s the hardest thing I’ve had to do, really stressful.”
“It’s an ongoing process and we’re still figuring it out. Our grandads knew exactly what to do – they went back to work, made money and basically went back to living a similar life to the one they had before.
“As society has evolved, dads want to be more involved in the upbringing of their kids – but who do we look to for advice? What you don’t realise is that everyone else is thinking the same thing, and when you bring it up, men are keen to talk about it. It’s as simple as that. Having open and honest conversations with the people around you is the best thing you can do to make being a parent easier and make you a better parent.”
Dad in Progress navigates the challenges of parenting and life changes encountered by new dads in a five part series that features TV host Osher Gunsberg, comedian Aaron Gocs, soccer star Archie Thompson and Clarke Gayford, partner of NZ prime minister Jacinda Ardern.
Episodes cover the initial impact of becoming a parent and discovering that the ground rules have changed. “I feel like the rule book and advice hasn’t kept up,” says Raph.
He then goes onto explore how blokes can keep their career on track while being a present father; changes to relationships and sex life; how men can still make sure they retain some sort of social life and how to balance being a dad while looking after themselves.
“We know that transitioning into fatherhood can be tough,” said Movember Global Director of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Brendan Maher. “A baby is born in Australia every minute and 44 seconds, which means every week, thousands of men are becoming dads – and might be feeling overwhelmed about their new responsibilities.
"Dad in Progress is about fatherhood in the real world, celebrating the highs and sharing the challenges, without sugar-coating it.”
A recent Movember survey reported that one in four (26%) Aussie men felt socially isolated when they first became a father. The Movember-funded survey was conducted by Ipsos MORI with men in Australia, USA, Canada and the UK and asked men aged 18 to 75 about their experiences of becoming a father. It found that one in five Australian men (22%) said they had lost close mates after becoming a dad.
“Becoming a dad is daunting for a lot of men. While it can be one of life’s most rewarding experiences, this research shows it does have an impact on men’s mental health, particularly in the first 12 months. With this podcast, we want new fathers to feel less alone and know that no-one is perfect, we’re all dads in progress,” said Maher.
Dad in Progress is available on iTunes, Spotify and wherever you go to listen to your podcasts. To find out more visit movember.com/dadinprogress.
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