Watch
Here is a collection of snapshots showcasing inspiring and powerful films and animations created by young dads for young dads. They cover crucial topics such as mental health & wellbeing, systems and services, and parenting courses.
PARENTING COURSES
Pregnancy, Birth and New Baby
EPISODE 1:
So, you’re going to be a parent!
[Please register to gain access to the full series]
Finding out you are going to be a dad can be both exciting and scary! To help you, our young dads – who’ve all been there before – have created a short 6-part course covering the essentials you need to know about pregnancy, birth and bonding with your new baby!
Episodes 1-6
1. So, you’re going to be a parent!
2. Trimesters, scans, and due date
3. Healthy, happy pregnancy
4. Together through pregnancy and being a birthing partner.
5. Going into labour
6. The first few days
Gain access to our complete series of Parenting Courses by registering now. You won’t regret it! Welcome to THE DAD CLUB!
Feeding Your Baby
EPISODE 1:
Breastfeeding
[Please register to gain access to the full series]
“Here are the clues – crying, fist sucking, murmuring and rooting! This can only mean one thing; your baby is hungry!” To help you become a lean, keen, milk-feeding machine, our young dads, who’ve all been there before, have created a 3-part Feeding Your Baby parenting course, covering the essential information you need to know about breastfeeding, expressing milk and using formula. Whatever way you feed your baby; this course will support you through the messy but fun world of baby feeding.
Episodes 1-3
1. Breastfeeding
2. Expressing milk
3. Infant formula
Gain access to our complete series of Parenting Courses by registering now. You won’t regret it! Welcome to THE DAD CLUB!
0 – 6 month parenting
EPISODE 1:
I’m a Dad now – Do’s and Don’ts
[Please register to gain access to the full series]
“Well congratulations, you are now officially a DAD!” It’s time to roll your sleeves up and get hands-on with your baby. To help you become a black belt in practical parenting skills, our experienced young dads have created a 5-part parenting course covering key skills you will need to master in the first 6 months of being a parent. With handy tips on holding, changing, and bathing baby, and much more, this course is perfect for new dads finding their feet!
Episodes 1-5
1. I’m a Dad now – Do’s and Don’ts
2. Holding baby
3. Changing a nappy
4. Bathing baby
5. Safe sleeping
Gain access to our complete series of Parenting Courses by registering now. You won’t regret it! Welcome to THE DAD CLUB!
6 – 12 month parenting
EPISODE 1:
The milestones
[Please register to gain access to the full series]
So, you’ve mastered the baby basics, and your baby is growing fast! It’s never too soon to plan ahead and get ready for the next stage in your Dad-adventure! And it won’t be too long before your baby gets more adventurous too as they learn to sit, shuffle and explore the home. To help you become a black belt in practical parenting skills, watch our 5-part parenting course covering what you can expect when your baby reaches 6-to-12-months old. Our young dads share their insights about:
Episodes 1-5
1. The milestones
2. Childproofing your home
3. Sitting, rolling, crawling, and walking
4. Managing crying
5. Sleeping
Gain access to our complete series of Parenting Courses by registering now. You won’t regret it! Welcome to THE DAD CLUB!
Paediatric First Aid
EPISODE 1:
Are you emergency ready?
[Please register to gain access to the full series]
From coughs and colds to bumps and bruises, it’s a fact of life that your baby is going to feel unwell from time to time. As a loving and caring dad, it’s your job to sooth, support and monitor your child’s health and know what to do in case of an emergency. It’s time to become ‘Doctor Dad’ so watch our 6-part course on Paediatric First Aid, which covers the following topics:
Episodes 1-6
1. Are you emergency ready?
2. Prioritising treatment and a head-to-toe check
3. Choking
4. CPR
5. Minor injuries
6. Looking after a sick child
Gain access to our complete series of Parenting Courses by registering now. You won’t regret it! Welcome to THE DAD CLUB!
MENTAL HEALTH & WELLBEING
Grief and Loss
Episode 1
What is grief and why is it important?
When people think about grief and loss, they often think about the death of a baby or child. However, grief can also affect dads who have lost contact with their children following separation or family breakdown. In this episode, young dads share their personal experiences of bereavement and child contact loss, while professionals explain why these experiences can have a significant impact on mental health and wellbeing.
Content Warning: This episode contains discussions of baby and child loss, miscarriage, infant death, parental separation, parental alienation, homelessness, depression, suicidal thoughts, alcohol misuse, and the loss of contact with children. Some viewers may find this content distressing.
Episode 2
What you might feel, go through, and experience
Grief affects everyone differently, and there is no right or wrong way to experience it. In this episode, young dads discuss the emotional impact of losing a child or losing contact with their children, including feelings of guilt, helplessness, anger, depression, isolation and uncertainty. Mental health professionals also explore common models of grief, explain why men often struggle to talk about their feelings, and highlight the importance of processing loss in a healthy way.
Content Warning: This episode contains discussions of child bereavement, grief, depression, guilt, isolation, relationship breakdown, parental separation, emotional distress, alcohol misuse, and the impact of losing contact with children. Some viewers may find these subjects upsetting.
Episode 3
How to get help and what help might look like
Seeking support after a significant loss can be incredibly difficult, but no dad should have to face grief alone. In this episode, professionals explain the support available to parents experiencing bereavement, prolonged grief and PTSD, including counselling, trauma-focused CBT, EMDR, Talking Therapies and specialist bereavement services. Dads also share their experiences of seeking support, navigating child contact arrangements, and finding ways to move forward while continuing to live with loss.
Content Warning: This episode contains discussions of baby and child loss, bereavement, PTSD, trauma, grief counselling, child contact disputes, court proceedings, emotional distress, and the long-term impact of separation from children. Some viewers may find this content upsetting or triggering.
Further Support
Birth Trauma
Episode 1
What is Birth Trauma and why is it important?
Birth trauma can affect anyone involved in pregnancy, labour, birth or the postnatal period. In this film, young dads share their experiences of traumatic births and discuss how birth trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can affect fathers as well as mothers. You’ll also learn what birth trauma is, how common it can be, and why it’s important that dads’ experiences are recognised and understood.
Content Warning: This episode contains discussions of emergency caesarean sections, premature birth, complications during labour, medical interventions, babies requiring urgent treatment, blood loss, and fears relating to the safety of a partner or baby. Some viewers may find this content distressing.
Episode 2
What you might feel, go through, and experience
Birth trauma can affect people in different ways and the signs are not always obvious. In this episode, young dads discuss the emotional impact of traumatic birth experiences, including anxiety, sleep difficulties, feelings of isolation, detachment, and changes in mental health. Mental health professionals also explain the signs and symptoms of birth trauma and PTSD, and why reaching out for support is so important.
Content Warning: This episode contains discussions of PTSD symptoms, nightmares, anxiety, emotional distress, feelings of isolation, difficulties bonding, mental health struggles, and barriers to seeking support. Some viewers may find these subjects upsetting.
Episode 3
How to get help and what help might look like
Seeking support can be difficult, but help is available. In this episode, mental health professionals explain the support options available for dads experiencing birth trauma, including NHS Talking Therapies, peer support, counselling, CBT and EMDR. Young Dads also share their recovery journeys and discuss how accessing support helped them move forward after their experiences.
Content Warning: This episode contains discussions of birth trauma, PTSD, mental health treatment, traumatic memories, emotional distress and recovery from difficult birth experiences. While the overall focus is on support and recovery, some of the content may still be upsetting for viewers affected by birth trauma.
Further Support
Perinatal Mental Health
Episode 1
Perinatal mental health from the perspectives of young dads
With 1 in 10 Dad’s and 27% of Mam’s/Mum’s likely to experience mental health issues during pregnancy and early parenthood, looking after yourself is an important part of looking after your baby.
Episode 2
Just ask for help
With 1 in 10 Dad’s and 27% of Mam’s/Mum’s likely to experience mental health issues during pregnancy and early parenthood, looking after yourself is an important part of looking after your baby.
Episode 3
Understanding perinatal mental health and post-natal depression
With 1 in 10 Dad’s and 27% of Mam’s/Mum’s likely to experience mental health issues during pregnancy and early parenthood, looking after yourself is an important part of looking after your baby.
Episode 4
Supporting your partner and caring for yourself
With 1 in 10 Dad’s and 27% of Mam’s/Mum’s likely to experience mental health issues during pregnancy and early parenthood, looking after yourself is an important part of looking after your baby.
Episode 5
Self-help and suicidal thoughts
With 1 in 10 Dad’s and 27% of Mam’s/Mum’s likely to experience mental health issues during pregnancy and early parenthood, looking after yourself is an important part of looking after your baby.
Episode 6
Bereavement and loss of a child
With 1 in 10 Dad’s and 27% of Mam’s/Mum’s likely to experience mental health issues during pregnancy and early parenthood, looking after yourself is an important part of looking after your baby.
It’s OK Not to Be OK!
Dads, Lads, and Loneliness: young men’s experiences of loneliness and social isolation. Watch video here >>
It’s OK Not to Be OK!
Systems and services
Children’s Social Services
EPISODE 1:
Reflecting on experience
Episode: 2
Episode: 3
Sometimes young dads, their children and families are required to engage with social services and attend Child in Need or Child Protection proceedings. This can be a frightening time for young dads, especially if they don’t understand the process. Hear from our young dads as they share their experiences and insights.
Young Dads Involvement in Children’s Social Care Proceedings
Episodes 1-3
- Reflecting on experience.
- Advice to other young dads
- Understanding social care conferences.
Gain access to our complete series of Parenting Courses by registering now. You won’t regret it! Welcome to THE DAD CLUB!
What to expect when social services are involved with your family
EPISODE 1:
Being a Dad: Young Fathers’ experiences in their own words
Episode: 2
Episode: 3
You might have a lot of questions if social services are involved in the care of your child. This 3-part video series was commissioned by the Fatherhood Institute and CASCADE for the ISAFE: Improving Safeguarding through Audited Father Engagement intervention (find out more here), and funded by Foundations (the What Works Centre for Children & Families). Hear from young dads who are supported by the North East Young Dads and Lads and learn more about how to manage your relationships with social services in an effective way:
Episodes 1-3
- Being a Dad: Young Fathers’ experiences in their own words
- Dealing with Social Workers
- “If I was a Social Worker…”.
Gain access to our complete series of Parenting Courses by registering now. You won’t regret it! Welcome to THE DAD CLUB!
Clarity Through The Courts
Clarity through the courts – an introduction
[Please register to gain access to the full series]
Not every young dad can live with or see their child every day. Problems may arise if Mam and Dad can’t agree, especially about who a child should live with, who should spend time with a child, and when and how often each parent should see their child. When this happens, dad might decide to make an application through the Family Courts either on his own or with the help of a solicitor.
If you are a young dad in this situation, our 7-part Clarity through the Courts course will support you to understand and explore your options, introduce some of the key terms you might hear, explain what happens in Private Family Courts and tell you about some of the professionals you might encounter.
The series focuses on the following episodes 1-7
- Clarity through the courts – an introduction
- Parental Responsibility
- Family Mediation
- CAFCASS
- Preparing for court
- The initial Dispute Resolution Hearing?
- The Final Hearing
Gain access to our complete series of Parenting Courses by registering now. You won’t regret it! Welcome to THE DAD CLUB!
Systems and services
Children’s Social Services
EPISODE 1:
Reflecting on experience
Sometimes young dads, their children and families are required to engage with social services and attend Child in Need or Child Protection proceedings. This can be a frightening time for young dads, especially if they don’t understand the process. Hear from our young dads as they share their experiences and insights.
Young Dads Involvement in Children’s Social Care Proceedings
Episodes 1-3
- Reflecting on experience.
- Advice to other young dads
- Understanding social care conferences.
Episode: 2
Episode: 3
What to expect when social services are involved with your family
EPISODE 1:
Being a Dad: Young Fathers’ experiences in their own words
You might have a lot of questions if social services are involved in the care of your child. This 3-part video series was commissioned by the Fatherhood Institute and CASCADE for the ISAFE: Improving Safeguarding through Audited Father Engagement intervention (find out more here), and funded by Foundations (the What Works Centre for Children & Families). Hear from young dads who are supported by the North East Young Dads and Lads and learn more about how to manage your relationships with social services in an effective way:
Episodes 1-3
- Being a Dad: Young Fathers’ experiences in their own words
- Dealing with Social Workers
- “If I was a Social Worker…”.
Episode: 2
Episode: 3
Clarity Through The Courts
Clarity through the courts – an introduction
[Please register to gain access to the full series]
Not every young dad can live with or see their child every day. Problems may arise if Mam and Dad can’t agree, especially about who a child should live with, who should spend time with a child, and when and how often each parent should see their child. When this happens, dad might decide to make an application through the Family Courts either on his own or with the help of a solicitor.
If you are a young dad in this situation, our 7-part Clarity through the Courts course will support you to understand and explore your options, introduce some of the key terms you might hear, explain what happens in Private Family Courts and tell you about some of the professionals you might encounter.
The series focuses on the following episodes 1-7
- Clarity through the courts – an introduction
- Parental Responsibility
- Family Mediation
- CAFCASS
- Preparing for court
- The initial Dispute Resolution Hearing?
- The Final Hearing
Gain access to our complete series of Parenting Courses by registering now. You won’t regret it! Welcome to THE DAD CLUB!
Disclaimer
Copyright 2021. DigiDAD is the property of the North East Young Dads and Lads Project CIO, a charity registered in England and Wales. Charity No: 1172924. Company No: CE009920.
Registered office: BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Arts, South Shore Road, Gateshead NE8 3BA.
