Gaining Mom-entum

Gaining Mom-entum on Fatherhood: Love, Learning, & Acceptance

Listen on

Episode notes

Welcome back to Gaining Mom-entum! This week, Abi & Meghan sat down with two of Abi’s long-time friends, Patrick & Thad, to discuss fatherhood. (Note: Thad & Patrick are both cis-gendered males who are married to women.) They both identify as fathers/parents and work as educators. They came into the conversation ready to share and be vulnerable for which Meghan & Abi are grateful. Patrick & Thad share what the term fatherhood means to each of them which leads to a conversation on gendered parenting roles and if there are distinguishing characteristics between a great mother, a great father, and a great parent. They discuss how they parent with their partners and how they try to parent based more on each person’s strengths than defined roles. No parenting conversation would be complete without looking back at one’s own childhood, so they delve a bit into how their fathers, conversations with their fathers, and ideas around fatherhood have shaped the way they parent today. Thad shares his perspective about fatherhood lessons as someone who was adopted and whose biological parents found him in his mid-30s. They discuss sharing their emotions, being affectionate, expressing love to their children, and masculinity. Patrick shares how he is seeing so much more acceptance among the high school students he teaches now than when he was a high school student, but wonders if shifting expectations of gender roles are seen by parents who do not work in the education system. They discuss unlearning gendered ways of being and talking to friends about parenting. The group finishes the convo with Patrick and Thad sharing how they knew they wanted to become parents and what it is they hope their children will say about them when they’re adults. As always, thanks for listening! Share Gaining Mom-entum and follow/comment/review wherever you get your pods. IG: @gainingmom_entum Facebook: Gaining Mom-entum Podcast Email: [email protected] Music: Evan Dysart (Spotify and Bandcamp; Extended Cut of Podcast Theme for Gaining Mom-entum) Artwork: Catherine Cachia (IG: @catherinecachia, catherinecachia.com)