New Year. New Narrative.

Welcome and Happy New Year!

I’m so glad you’ve come to check out my first ever blog post! Whether I’ve pestered you to read it or you’re here out of pure curiosity then I hope you enjoy reading.

I’m not here to tell anyone how to be a father or mother. I’m here to open the conversation about what it REALLY looks like to be a father in todays world and to use this platform to allow other fathers to share where they are at with the journey to create a supportive community.

So let’s get to it.

FearlessFathers, what is it’s purpose? 

‘Changing the narrative of Fatherhood’ is a bold line you may say, but I really believe that peoples perceptions of what a father should be and what they think their role is is often outdated and unrealistic in how we live our lives in the world today.

I look at the whole journey from when the pregnancy is confirmed right through to when the baby is born and beyond and I believe there needs to be more accessible support and conversation between fathers. I lost count of the times I said ‘I just didn’t know about that’.

I don’t deal well with the unknown, so from the moment I knew I was going to be a father I wanted to know everything! From the best bits to the worst bits and the usual practical questions of what nappies to buy? Which is the best buggy? Will I ever sleep again? What is it really like behind the cute Instagram pictures?

If I’m honest I simply wasn’t satisfied by what I could find online and by that I mean I simply wasn’t convinced that the Instagram pages, websites and blogs gave a realistic insight into what the world of fatherhood REALLY looks like, plus I believe that the way people parent now compared to the days of my parents has dramatically changed and there are a lot of stereotypes we need to combat.

Whilst I want this to be relevant to any parent, another reason I’ve started this is because there seems to be so much content out there for mothers and I felt there needed to be a wider variety for fathers to choose from.

So by ‘changing the narrative’ I am saying we have an opportunity to place our mark on what being a father really looks and feels like, to break down those stereotypes and opinions that there is a set way to do it and be kinder to ourselves. We live in a world where the pressure of life (especially) on young people is at an all time high, due to living costs going through the roof, getting on the housing ladder subsequently being near impossible and mental health needs spiralling out of control. We don’t need any additional pressure so lets try and overcome this with open dialect and encouragement.

This is the reason behind the name ‘FearlessFathers’. Through my own personal Christian faith I have a strong belief that we were created to not to be anxious or to worry but to be confident in who we were created to be and the path ahead of us.

Therefore I want this platform to help fathers feel equipped and empowered to then be fearless about this adventure we are on or about to go on.

This is somewhere where you can feel confident to share your opinion, experience or advice to help others on this journey of fatherhood or being a parent.

I can’t wait to share more with you about my story so far over the coming weeks as we begin to delve into life as a father.

Big Love,

Matthew