Tuning into dads on Father’s Day
With Father’s Day approaching on 3 September, one way to celebrate dads and hear tips about parenting strategies from a male point of view is through the world of podcasts.
Australia is well served in this respect, with a growing number of content creators focusing on dads issues.
The Fathering Project podcast is hosted by CEO Kati Gapaillard, with new releases coming roughly once a month. With 43 episodes in the can since launching three years ago, the most recent instalment features an interview with gay father Sean Szeps, author of, Not Like Other Dads.
“I was a parent who was desperate to consume as much content as possible to ensure that I was prepared. There are different types of parents and I was the one who bought physical books,” he says. “A lot of the parenting books are directed towards women.” Sean was specifically after queer parenting memoirs, because “it’s a genre that I love to read.” A professional marketer and “data guy”, Sean saw a gap in the market and decided to fill it himself.
Other 2023 podcasts from The Fathering Project include a discussion on Masculinity, Fatherhood and Mateship with Dr Jason Frishman, founder of JourneyMen, and finding the balance of work, life and parenting with Indigenous man Greg Bridge from the Gija people of the East Kimberley region. Based in Perth, Greg is author of Yes Health Matters in the Workplace and Growing Up Together.
The Dads Group has released 36 episodes of its podcast in 12 months; its last drop on 30 August discusses the perplexing world of social media, cyberbullying and how dads can navigate the online world with former high school teacher and Mayor of Byron Shire, Simon Richardson, who set up Safe on Social to help organisations foster a positive online culture.
The Dads Group podcast often speaks with leaders in the Men’ Health sector, including Healthy Male, PANDA (Perinatal Anxiety and Depression Australia), SMS4Dads, Movember, the former minister for Health, Greg Hunt, and the co-host of Direct Advice for Dads podcast, Dan van der Meer.
Direct Advice for Dads takes more of a humourist approach and is an offshoot of the DAD blog, which gives advice for expecting and new fathers. Recent topics include How to “digital detox” for Dads, What parenting’s actually like, Work vs. family overwhelm, and Can you fix fussy eating?
Australian comic Hamish Blake has just restarted his podcast How Other Dads Dad – a series of interviews with prominent Australian dads including Stan Grant, Adam Hills, Rob Stich, Max Gawn, Pat Cummins and – headlining Season 2 on 25 August – Joe Brumm, creator of the global hit children’s animation, Bluey.
The Yarn Barn podcast is hosted by the founder of the Australian Dads Network, Liam Sorrell. Liam presents The Journey of the Dad: Unravelling the Self in the latest episode of the Yarn Barn, and transports the listener to Parentsville, “where a group of strong, caring Dads grapple with their identities beyond parenthood.”
The Yarn Barn is yet another extension of the Australian Dads Network, a space, says Liam, where guys can become the best version of themselves and get the tools they need and where dads can come together and navigate through the challenges of being a dad.
“We are doing this to remove isolation,” he says. “Isolation breeds mental illness and suicide. The more we become isolated, the more that risk grows. This group has created a sense of connection.”
DadPod with Charlie Clausen and Osher Gunsberg was voted Australia’s second most awesome parenting podcast at the 2022 Australian Podcast Awards. Now in its third series, DadPod documents the new dad adventures of its hosts.
