A small piece in today's Times in response to the government's plan to produce a guide to fatherhood for dads-to-be.
Do I think it's a good idea in principal? Yes. Will they be accused of 'nanny-state- meddling? Yes.
But here's the thing. It's usually the same people that level accusations of social meddling at government who then shout loudest that something should have been done when there are cases of abuse that have not been prevented by social services, or when pensioners die alone in the cold. Or complain about absent fathers and single mums destroying family values.
I think we have to accept that, in the absence of more traditional mechanisms of social care and education, the government can and should have a role to play. This is not to say that every proposed scheme is well thought out or even necessary.
Society is changing. There are more men in the role of primary carer for children. There always have been some men in that position and it would be good to see them recognised a bit more. The likelihood is that a government information scheme isn't the most enduring way of giving men information about fatherhood.
But it has also been demonstrated that when fathers are informed about breast-feeding (and they have finally stopped their juvenile giggling), their partners are twice as likely to still be breast-feeding their baby at six months.
Dad Info is a scheme that already exists with enthusiastic backing from the Royal College of Midwives. They produce a small information card for dads which are handed out by Midwives. As much as the card has good information on it, it is often just the fact that the midwife is giving the father to be something that makes it significant.
Right, that's enough for now. I'll get back to wheelchair adventures and cute animal pictures soon...
Do I think it's a good idea in principal? Yes. Will they be accused of 'nanny-state- meddling? Yes.
But here's the thing. It's usually the same people that level accusations of social meddling at government who then shout loudest that something should have been done when there are cases of abuse that have not been prevented by social services, or when pensioners die alone in the cold. Or complain about absent fathers and single mums destroying family values.
I think we have to accept that, in the absence of more traditional mechanisms of social care and education, the government can and should have a role to play. This is not to say that every proposed scheme is well thought out or even necessary.
Society is changing. There are more men in the role of primary carer for children. There always have been some men in that position and it would be good to see them recognised a bit more. The likelihood is that a government information scheme isn't the most enduring way of giving men information about fatherhood.
But it has also been demonstrated that when fathers are informed about breast-feeding (and they have finally stopped their juvenile giggling), their partners are twice as likely to still be breast-feeding their baby at six months.
Dad Info is a scheme that already exists with enthusiastic backing from the Royal College of Midwives. They produce a small information card for dads which are handed out by Midwives. As much as the card has good information on it, it is often just the fact that the midwife is giving the father to be something that makes it significant.
Right, that's enough for now. I'll get back to wheelchair adventures and cute animal pictures soon...
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