Fatherhood

2020 has been an extraordinary year. To add to the coronavirus, the world has been reckoning with the pandemic of racism, sparked by the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis Police. A global protest has followed, the scourge of racism discussed in the media and open forum. In the US federal leaders have acknowledged calls to scale back a militarised police. In the UK, statues have fallen and colonial scandals called out. But are we doing enough toward a truly progressive future?  A vocal leader and campaigner in London and the UK has been Andrez Harriott. A multi-million-selling musician with his group Damage, he's a criminologist, youth worker and founder of The Liminality Group working at the sharp end of youth offending and justice. Not your typical RnB star then! His social feeds have been an inspiration - frank discussions on race and justice, and a consistent call to keep the conversations going. Fatherhood first spoke to Andrez for the KERB Life food podcast, when he was helping young people gain work experience following incarceration. He's been an inspiration ever since. I joined Andrez over Zoom last week to talk about racism, justice, and how to confront the pain we feel, talk with our children about race and work toward a more inclusive future. And how people of colour can gain the reparations deserved - and the equality and safety which must become the norm. Follow Andrez's work at his company's website tlguk.co.uk and through his Twitter and Insta @andrezDMG. All through Black History Month he's been paying tribute to black leaders and innovators and highlighting names which deserve more recognition in our history books... Music by DJ Mandray for balancetwo (plus a snippet of that Damage Ghetto Romance beat and a clip of Samuel L Jackson reading James Baldwin in the excellent I Am Not Your Negro film https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m000kbk6/arena-i-am-not-your-negro)

As the UK backs into another lockdown scenario, we've been asked to work from home again. Are there opportunities to be found in changing our work patterns en masse?  It's slow going, but the conversation around shared parenting and the stereotypical two weeks off then back to work for dad is evolving in recent years.  And the potential is clear - family cohesion, workplace equality, mental health, children's access to loving parents. This week we meet Ian Dinwiddy - who mentors stressed fathers toward a greater work / life balance through his company Inspiring Dads. Ian  Under discussion: expectations for fathers; dads providing (and indeed receiving) emotional care; shared parental leave; how to balance your own life - and of course the pandemic situation. Find Ian at inspringdads.co.uk and through his own podcast Lockdown Dads. Music by DJ Mandray. A Fairly Media production.  

All night crew! - dreamscape special coming your way... This one's a repost of a conversation I had with my son Samuel a few moons back. It felt quite apt as we talked about his dreams and nightmares -  and of course this current pandemic life has felt like a waking nightmare at times.  Plus lockdown sleeps have taken on a psychedelic tint for many of us - https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/lockdown-coronavirus-dreams-vivid-strange-sleep-emotional-state-a9486206.html But world crises or not, I've always been fascinated by what happens when you leave your kids' side and the lights go out - how do they cope in that liminal space, where do they go in their minds? It's a pretty vivid place if my son's dream is anything to go by... So join Fatherhood in the dreamscape, with music and sound design from DJ Mandray for balance two. We'll be back soon with some new recordings from weird and wonderful world of parenthood.

Summer holiday season is here and it's been scorching in the UK. And despite the pandemic (perhaps because of it?) British beaches have been packed. With half an eye on our suntan and the other half mindful of staying safe in the water, this week we're playing a story from Cornishman Malcolm Jones, retired lifeguard, lifetime surfer, father of three. We first published this a couple of years back before Fatherhood relaunched in lockdown, so pull up a deckchair and relax with the sounds of British Summertime, all recorded on the North Cornwall coast (wish we were there again this year..) Music by DJ Mandray for balancetwo, with additional guitar by Than Gill. Plus we've couple of snippets to help place Malcolm's story: Mr Sandman by Pat Ballard / I Feel the Earth Move by Carole King / Magic Carpet Ride by Steppenwolf / The Jean Genie by David Bowie. Please support the RNLI www.rnli.org

This week we're joined by a father and son duo - Artyom and Andrew Liss.  It's fascinating to hear two generations discuss their relationship (amicably of course) while sitting side by side, even more so when you factor in life's twists and turns. Artyom was born and raised in Soviet-era Ukraine, effectively losing his father to illness while still a young man. Then his job in Moscow kept him away from Andrew, now 17, for long periods in his early years.  We talk parents, parenting, independence and how it is growing up between East and West with a strong Russian influence - one now felt across the globe, politically at least. Thanks to both for taking part - and if you'd like to hear more from Artyom so check out his own show on aviation (as a qualified pilot he's up in the sky whenever he can) - The Two Thousand Feet Aviation Podcast https://2kft.buzzsprout.com Music by DJ Mandray, and do find Fatherhood on social media for grownups @fatherhood_pod

Regular listeners will know we've an archive of episodes in the 'before time' - prior to relaunching since the pandemic and lockdown.  Our goal since has been to bring stories of value to look toward a better future for our kids. In that spirit, we've dusted off a recording from April 2019, joining Extinction Rebellion as they took control of Waterloo Bridge for a week of persistent protest against the climate crisis. With parents and kids alike, we discuss how the next generation's voice is inspiring many of us to consider the planet's health - and how we 'responsible' older folks can set our own example of taking a stand in the name of positive progress. For more info visit www.rebellion.earth, and I hope you enjoy the sounds of peaceful protest and togetherness recorded last year. Of course who knew what was to come?  But now everything has changed, and pollutive travel has ceased for example, perhaps the messages can finally get through? (though our sudden reliance on Amazon / online deliveries and all that packaging is troubling.) Here's to grasping the roots of change...

On the second leg of our lockdown world tour (TM) we're driving our sleds to Tromso, Norway - and the Artic Circle. We're here to meet Rasmus Gyltnes, Instagram's @arcticdad. It was a post of Rasmus holding his baby daughter high in the air, surrounded by the icy expanse of Norway, which caught our attention - especially as we're stuck in suburban Essex... We talk about connection to our natural surroundings, and how to raise future generations to co-exist with nature, looking after one another. And how extreme conditions can bring out the best in us. Rasmus tells us about parenting, Norwegian style, it's freedoms and also strange Big Brother-esque constraints - some families looking over their shoulders at controversial social services policy.  And as the season of 24-hour sun rises in the far north of the globe, there's some much-needed sleep tips into the bargain... Follow us @fatherhood_pod on Twitter or Insta, and do check out a gloriously extreme lifestyle and some stunning scenery at Rasmus' account @arcticdad. Brought to you by Fairly Media - music by DJ Mandray  

Lockdown has forced us all inside and us podcasters into remote recording mode. So to flip the script and recognise an opportunity, we're embarking on a VoIP-powered Fatherhood World Tour. It's only right to start in America, where the death of George Floyd after brutal treatment at the hands of the police has sparked global outrage and a demand for a better, more equal world, led by the Black Lives Matter movement.  Activism and community organisations play a crucial role in US civic life and progressive movements - so join us in Detroit, Michigan to speak to campaigner and mentor Calvin T Mann. President of youth support group Encourage Me I'm Young and non-profit Good Fathers Only, Calvin is an advocate for building family unity to enable a generation of young men to become positive figures in their children's lives and the wider community. Sound like a good place to start. We discuss his upbringing in a Motown family, realisation of the importance of his own role as a father, and the potential of positive fatherhood experiences (with reference to authors Warren Farrell and Dr Jawanza Kunjufu) Calvin's own YouTube podcast - Daddy Talk - can be found here or via his website https://emiyworld.com

Schools have been shut in the UK (for all bar key workers and those in need) since lockdown took effect in March. And one of the many disruptions of coronavirus has been to turn the majority of parents into home educators. And it sure ain't easy...  So Fatherhood has reached out to the home education community to hear some of the tips and potential benefits. We hear from Sara Heard - chef, storyteller and educator - on what a typical day looks like with her primary-age son. And Dawn Waterhouse, who's guided both her daughters right through the secondary school system, all while running her homeopathy business from home. https://www.dawnwaterhouse.co.uk In this episode we'll hear how the techniques of full-time home educators can help parents with children no doubt shook by the change to their usual learning environment. And also how parents can stay sane and positive while taking on the new role of chief educator.  Now it seems the gov't in the UK is preparing schools for a return in June - but it won't be for all ages and some may prefer not to go back until the virus situation is under greater control.  If so, hopefully this episode will help keep the energy up for summer - and maybe help some parents considering a longer term change. Do subscribe to the podcast and share on Twitter and Insta - you'll find us there @fatherhood_pod Happy listening and below are few of links to some introductory home ed resources: https://www.gov.uk/home-education https://www.home-education.org.uk https://www.educationotherwise.org

Sit back with the calming bedside manner of Dr Jay Achar - infectious diseases expert, epidemiologist and veteran of Medicines Sans Frontieres' work during the ebola outbreak in West Africa. Fatherhood speaks to Jay from his home in Sweden (where the gov't decision not to enforce full lockdown measures has caused heated debate) to hear how unity and a healthy dose of realism are vital in tackling an epidemic. In the episode we hear why Dr Achar feels humankind's propensity for inertia gets in the way of pandemic preparedness (one of his own lecture topics at Imperial College no less) and when he thinks we will get back to normal (spoiler: it's complicated...) And for a glimpse into how families worldwide are coping, we feature a number of diaries recording using the global open-source platform, coronadiaries.io. Music as ever by DJ Mandray for balancetwo - you can donate to MSF here https://www.msf.org/donate - and for more diaries visit https://coronadiaries.io - thanks!