Meeting of the Parliament 23 September 2014
I thank Gordon MacDonald for securing the debate. Hopefully, it will be less controversial than our discussions earlier this afternoon.
I was delighted to hear that Dads Rock has won an award for the most outstanding baby and toddler group. It is hard to believe that Dads Rock was established only two and a half years ago, yet it is already an international award winner. It is great to see some of the Dads Rock people in the public gallery.
I extend my congratulations to all those who have been involved in getting Dads Rock off the ground and in ensuring its huge success, as it expands its network of free musical playgroups across Scotland and more dads and more children have access to the Dads Rock experience.
I first came across Dads Rock when it contacted me to help with its search for a playgroup venue in Dunfermline. The Dunfermline group started up in June 2013 and I persuaded my husband to go along with my two youngest children. I have to admit that he was really reluctant to go along—I virtually had to push him through the door—but he must have enjoyed it as he has been going along ever since. My four-year-old son delights in singing the Dads Rock signature tune, “We will rock you”, at the top of his voice all the time.
The Dunfermline group has since been facilitated by Dads Rock Fife co-ordinator Bruce Henderson, who has done a fantastic job working with Dads Rock Edinburgh and getting the group off the ground, reaching out to dads from all backgrounds and keeping the children entertained. Bruce has now moved on to facilitate Dads Rock in Buckhaven and he is working on a new group in Abbeyview, which it is hoped will be launched next month.
The dads who met at Dads Rock Dunfermline have now started their own free playgroup, Dunfermline Dads, and, like Dads Rock, it is going from strength to strength. More dads are attending every week and they have even started up their own five-a-side football team as well.
For most mums, having a baby opens up a new social circle. From buggy walks to baby massage and from playgroups to bookbug sessions, there are lots of opportunities for mums to make new friends and meet other mums who are going through the same experiences. However, as Gordon MacDonald highlighted, becoming a dad for the first time can often be difficult, especially for younger dads, those without family support and the increasing number of stay-at-home dads with primary caring responsibilities. Many dads simply find the whole experience quite isolating, and that is where Dads Rock comes in. It is more than just a playgroup. It is a unique place where dads can speak to other dads about “dad things”, find invaluable peer support while playing with their children and be supported to be the best parents they can be.
Fife Gingerbread has successfully used the Dads Rock model to work with teenagers and more vulnerable parents, and that work is especially beneficial in extending further support to dads outwith the formal playgroup setting. It is more costly, but it offers huge rewards, and it is vital that the work continues to be supported. Longer-term funding is crucial if new groups are to be developed and the Dads Rock model is to be extended into more communities to reach more dads, granddads and male carers.
Culture is also a challenge. The project workers to whom I have spoken on the ground tell me that, in many of our communities, dads can be a bit reluctant to come forward and when they do it takes them a wee while to get involved in the storytelling and especially in the singing. Reaching out to more vulnerable dads is especially challenging, particularly where dads had a difficult time when they were young or where other personal challenges make it difficult for them to develop secure bonds and relationships with their children.
That is why the partnership work is so vital, as it breaks the mould, encourages positive interactions and relationships between dads and their children, gives dads the extra support that they need and recognises that dads are central to the family equation and play a vital role in their children’s upbringing. The results are more creative play, better relationships and a better, happier future for both dad and child. That applies in the pre-school years, when children start school and when children become parents themselves.
I conclude by once again congratulating Dads Rock on its achievements so far. I hope that it continues its brilliant work in reaching out to more dads from all backgrounds across all our communities, helping to ensure that we really do get it right for every single child and helping with the goal that members throughout the chamber have of building a better and brighter future for children, dads and families right across Scotland.
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