Dads, Papas and Father Figures (DPAFFpod)

Simon was incredibly open and shared his experience of postnatal depression. This sounds sad, it wasn't. Listen in and have a chuckle!

If any of this episode resonates with how you are feeling, reach out to Samaritans by calling 116 123, visiting https://www.samaritans.org/ or by emailing jo@samaritans.org 👍

One of the hardest episodes to edit yet. Simon and I chatted for nearly 2 hours, and it flew by, so editing it down to around 1 hour was hard!

*AI SHOW NOTES / SUMMARY*Simon discusses his family dynamic, including his partner Carolyn, their son George and their dog Luna. He shares that being silly and making George laugh is the most rewarding thing for him. Simon also talks about their favorite activities, such as playing together, going to science museums, and collecting Lego. He emphasizes the importance of embracing silliness and not growing out of things that bring joy. Simon also mentions the TV show Bluey and how it resonates with their family dynamic. Simon opens up about his experience with postnatal depression and the challenges he faced during fatherhood. He discusses the emotional toll of going through IVF and the anxiety he felt about being a worthy father. Simon also shares his struggles with mental health and the importance of seeking help and talking about these issues. Stephen relates his own experiences and emphasizes the need for open conversations about mental health and the support of friends and family. In this part of the conversation, Simon and Stephen discuss their experiences with friendship and fatherhood. They reflect on the challenges of maintaining friendships as adults and the importance of making time for meaningful connections. They also share stories of their children's acts of kindness and their own moments of success and failure as fathers. In this conversation, Simon and Stephen discuss various aspects of fatherhood, including the challenges of balancing personal interests with parenting responsibilities, the importance of creating a nurturing and inclusive environment for children, and the need for flexibility and understanding in parenting approaches. They also share some dad jokes and reflect on the societal expectations and stereotypes surrounding fatherhood.

KEYWORDSfamily dynamic, silliness, making kids laugh, favorite activities, science museums, Lego, Bluey, postnatal depression, IVF, fatherhood, mental health, support, open conversation, friendship, fatherhood, maintaining relationships, acts of kindness, success, failure, fatherhood, parenting, challenges, balance, nurturing environment, flexibility, understanding, dad jokes, societal expectations, stereotypes

Happy fathering!

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Theme Music by Skilsel (https://pixabay.com/users/skilsel-22933514/)