Krytie TV Posted June 2, 2012 Posted June 2, 2012 I'm not really sure if there's any help for this, but one never knows. I find myself more than just a bit disappointed because I am having such a hard time connecting with someone else around fatherhood. I feel like it's an experience I have to go through all alone. This is not a response to the family, as such. I have NO marital difficulties, in fact it's pure bliss. My children are beautiful and amazing. I just would like to be able to bond with another father but don't know where to start. I have a couple of old friends with children, but they live about an hour away and, to be honest, do not share the same fathering traits and behaviors that I do. We have a mason's organization in the state which I thought might be interesting to try. However, in looking at the site I discovered that you have to have a religious affiliation to be a mason. Obviously, I am not capable of wanting to help others if I don't worship someone other than my family. I dunno, any ideas? Any fathers out there that have ever had this experience? I have looked at meetup and social clubs like that, but safe to say that fathers aren't exactly bonding around the fatherhood experience... I think it must interfere with the golf course?
sb129 Posted June 10, 2012 Posted June 10, 2012 Just saw this. Does your wife have other mums she bonds with? What do their husbands/ partners do? The friends H and I made through antenatal class were friends of both of ours and it was good for us to have other parents to talk to male and female. my H takes our daughter to a weekend swimming class that seems to be mainly a dad- and- child thing, did you say you tried that already?
Author Krytie TV Posted June 11, 2012 Author Posted June 11, 2012 Thanks for the thoughts! Yes, my wife belongs to a mothers of multiples group. The problem is that group is mainly women and generally, the husbands are either workaholics or relatively disengaged. I have met a worthwhile guy here and there, but there are no close connections through that group. I'm sure I could try harder, but to be honest, and this probably sounds lame, we are pretty poor and a bulk of the families we are engaged with come from a lot of money, and as such, have far different priorities and interests. I hear what you mean about the classes, but that happens to be another unfortunate aspect of our situation. Many classes either demand or require having one parent per child when you go (this includes swimming, music & movement, etc). I would rather not leave one of the children home so that I can go by myself with the other, and basically we are constantly a 4-person wrecking crew every class we attend! It really comes down to those that we already know are (or at least portray themselves as) from a different background and interest than we are.
sb129 Posted June 12, 2012 Posted June 12, 2012 Ah yes, twins! That makes the classes doubly expensive too, huh. Do you have a multiple births group in your area? At risk of sounding creepy, what about just hanging at your local playground (with the kids of course!!)? Some weekends our local playground seems to be a mummy-free zone.. I'll admit, women are much better at getting together and talking parenthood through.
The Tallest One Posted July 16, 2012 Posted July 16, 2012 I'm a single father of two young boys. Have couple of friends who are in same boat but don't have many chances to talk fatherhood. It's not easy meeting other fathers and striking up a friendship, it seems the older we get, the harder this becomes.
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