A Dad Is Born

Two programmes in two days. Let’s hope this is the beginning of a national dialogue about fatherhood, and the importance of fathers, as well as mothers, in the lives of their children. What was particularly striking was the admission by one of the three men that the negative experience he’d had of being fathered had a strong impact on his attitude to becoming a father. Similarly one of the men in the previous night’s programme was concerned that he might replicate his own father’s hurtful behaviour. These impacts are identical to those acknowledged by all the young men with whom we’ve worked. It would not be difficult to conclude that fathers matter, for good or ill. As a society we just need to minimise the ‘ill’ bit. Easily said ...