Do you sometimes feel isolated as a father? Are you a single dad looking for father support groups? Or perhaps you are a man looking for guidance on how to become a better father? If you are a dad looking to connect with other fathers, through father support groups, and learn from shared experiences then you have come to the right place!
My name is Sean Galla, an experienced facilitator for online father support groups. With over 10 years of experience in online father support groups, I know first hand how helpful these groups can be to new dads looking for guidance or dads looking to get support from fellow dads. These groups have helped hundreds of men to become better fathers and foster better relationships with their children.
In this article, I will take you through everything there is to know about father support groups.
Table of Contents:
What are Father Support Groups?
Father supports groups, also referred to as dad support groups are forums where fathers can meet and talk about fatherhood. These platforms offer new fathers, experienced fathers, and even single fathers an avenue to speak to men in the same position and learn from men with experience as dads. It is the perfect place for anyone looking for advice or help to become a better father or foster better relationships with his children. If you wonder about how to start a support group, continue reading.
Generally, most parenting support groups target mothers. This leaves fathers out of the equation. Most men do not know where to go for parenting help. Having a new baby can be isolating for most men. If there is no help and guidance or parenting groups to go to, men tend to cave under the pressure as most of them lack the parenting skills required to be role models and good guides to their children. Father support groups ensure men have a safe space to express their parenting challenges and frustrations and get help for the same.
Why Father Support Groups?
Before the year 2000, it was easier for mothers to get full custody of children than fathers. This was because it was believed mothers were more nurturing than fathers. Similarly, people assume that fathers are not interested in being actively involved in their children’s lives. This cannot further from the truth.
Many fathers are interested in being actively involved in the lives of their children. They want to be the ones to teach them survival skills, build their self-esteem, and encourage them to become the best they can be. Unfortunately, most men do not have role models in their society to teach them how to become all these things to their children. Father support groups offer the help men need to become better fathers.
Father support groups focus on offering support to all fathers interested in joining the platforms. Being part of a father support group can positively impact your mental health.
The Benefits of Father Support Groups
Different men will give various reasons for joining men’s divorce forum. Some fathers join these groups for networking purposes, others for learning, and others looking to get help when fatherhood becomes tough.
Father support groups offer guidance
Being a father is not easy, and certain circumstances can make it even tougher. A support group is a right place for widowed fathers to get back on the right track. It offers guidance and support from other fathers who have previously been widowed.
Some father’s rights groups become effective divorce support groups for men by offering guidance to divorced dads and teaching them their father’s rights after a divorce and how to remain in their children’s lives even after losing custody. Regardless of the challenge you are going through as a father, a support group holds the answers you seek.
Some father support groups have a fatherhood program that offers single father help to first time single dads or single dads who need help.
Dad support groups offer friendship
If you are a dad who feels isolated or can’t seem to find a role model to learn from, a support group for dads can connect you to other fathers. These groups are all about positive parenting and being the best dads. You will learn from others and foster a strong friendship with like-minded people. As a networking platform, an online support group like MensGroup.com will connect with you other fathers who can offer career guidance and advice as part of fatherhood support. You can also get help from an online divorce support group if you recently have gone through a divorce.
A Father support center is a resource hub
If you are looking for resources and information on how to become a better dad, fatherhood support groups can be excellent places to look. In these groups, you will find resources on child care and balancing fatherhood and your career. You will also find information about fathering children with medical needs and even how to address discipline issues.
Where to find Father Support Groups?
Father support groups come in different forms. However, they all fall under two categories, either online or offline groups.
Offline Father Support Groups
These are physical meetings that happen at a pre-set location. Fathers meet in person and share experiences as they learn from each other. If you do not mind physically meeting and connecting with other fathers, these meetings may be the right choice for you. Most of the time, these meetings happen in communities or neighborhoods. The sessions can be once a week, once every other week or even once a month.
The most significant disadvantage of physical meetings is the unavailability of help round the clock. Unless you connect outside the group with a few fathers from the group, you can only share in the group during the meeting as there is no other way to meet.
Online Father Support Groups
Online father support groups are online-based platforms that offer fathers a place to connect with other fathers virtually. Online father support groups open up to a wide range of fathers from different walks of life. This gives you a better chance to learn from different people and get different views on fatherhood issues.
Most online support groups offer anonymity to members, making them perfect for any father who prefers to learn and get help anonymously. Some dad groups are purely chat-based platforms, while others like Mensgroup.com avail virtual video meetings.
5 Popular Father Support Groups of 2020
Fathers4Kids
This is a resource for fathers concerning getting equal parenting rights. Members can choose to visit the offices to get help or go online and benefit from the numerous courses offered for dads. With this fatherhood program, fathers learn how to establish paternity, get visitation rights, and even represent themselves in custody court. This father support group helps fathers prepare court documentation and access to DNA testing and free notary services.
National Fatherhood Initiative
This is a National Initiative Program geared towards keeping fathers interested in their fatherhood journey. They aim to create a world where every child enjoys having a 24/7 father. They equip fathers with skills that enable them to become better fathers and present fathers, even when handling a busy work schedule. Their program aims to give every child a responsible, involved, and committed father.
The Fathers’ Rights Movement
https://fathersrightsmovement.us/
This is a fatherhood support program that works to empower fathers by teaching them their rights and educating the public on the importance of fathers in society. The group has many chapters throughout the United States with pages on social media platforms. Here, dads can get resources like state documents and books on child care, child custody, and how to become better fathers to their children.
Natural Resources Dads Group
https://www.naturalresources-sf.com/
This is a support group open to dads to be, working dads, stay at home dads, dads to infants, and dads to older children, teenagers, and adults. It invites dads to share their questions, challenges, and expectations of becoming or being a father. The group shares resources and encourages dads to learn from each other as they explore what it is to be a dad and how they can become better dads. Support group topics include parenting strategies, navigating changing identities, self-care, partner support, and balancing work and life and anything else concerning what it is to be a father in the modern-day. meetings take place at pre-set dates but have been halted in line with the guidelines infighting the COVID-19 pandemic.
MensGroup
Mensgroup is an all men online support platform. The main goal of this platform is to create an online community where men can be comfortable enough to share whatever they are going through, including the challenges they face as parents. Apart from getting positive support as a father, you will meet men who can guide you and help you to become a better version of yourself, which ultimately impacts your life as a father. This is the perfect men’s group for anyone looking for all-rounded support and building relations that will positively impact their life.
Learning from other men on Mensgroup will fast track your journey to becoming a better father. You will learn to become a better communicator, and this will impact your fatherhood positively.
Members meet virtually via chat, text, or video to share, educate, and inspire.
Conclusion
The idea that fathers should be stoic and tough is outdated. Fatherhood is about being gentle, cooperative, supportive, and sensitive. Mensgroup.com is a platform that helps dads explore their identities and thus find their place in their children’s lives. It encourages dads to be real and vulnerable, even as they learn to be disciplinarians. All these are recommended attributes if dads are to make real connections with their kids.
*Sources: 1. Parent Support Group Programs 2. The Damage of Dad-Shaming 3. The Evolution of Parenting: Five Biggest Challenges Faced by Parents Today 4. 5 Top Parenting Challenges and How to Deal with Them 5. GOING SOLO: SINGLE FATHERS REVEAL WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE A LONE PARENT 6. The Rise of Single Fathers: A Ninefold Increase Since 1960 7. Fathers' Custody Rights During Divorce
