This Father’s Day, let’s celebrate #RealDads  

Do you remember a while ago I wrote this post for the Baby Dove #PerfectMum campaign – the one about there being no perfect mums, just real ones? Well, now, in honour of Father’s day this weekend I wanted to talk to you about dads, and Baby Dove’s #RealDads campaign.

We talk a lot about how we hold mums to an unachievable standard, put them on a pedestal and then moan when they take a tumble off it (usually through lack of sleep and personal space) but we don’t really talk about the pressures placed on dads, and make no bones about the fact that they are there.

Dads, in my opinion – and this is coming at you from someone who has had a terrible experience with her own dad – get the raw end of the deal frequently. Not only are they expected to obtain a certain standard or be labelled the “dead beat dad” but they are constantly fighting the losing battle where they are treated like secondary parents, irrespective of whether they are present 24/7 or on a weekend.

My own husband is a wonderful father, he is everything that I could possibly have wished for in a co-parent for my children and I honestly have faith that if anything happened between us and we were no longer together, he would continue to be just as good a dad as he is now and we would work together as a team when it comes to the kids.

Yet despite Adam being a wonderful daddy to our children, he’s often met with judgement on his parenting, just like any mum. If he takes time off to go to football on a weekend instead of being with the children, he will be criticised, but if he is at home with them, he is “babysitting.” He can’t really win can he? We do certainly have a gender bias against fathers in this country – you only have to compare how many public toilets have baby changing facilities in the men’s room.

The discussions at school gates can be so judgemental too – what this dad did, what that dad didn’t do – he must be incapable right and needs Mum to step in and pick up his slack? No! The truth is, Dads are people and they are going to make mistakes, make errors of judgement – rile the kids up at 7pm as you are trying to take them to bed, looking at you Mr Shearsmith – and they are going to forget to bring the book bag to school or forget it’s a non-uniform day just like any mum will on some days. It doesn’t mean that they are incapable, that they can’t do it without mum – it just means that they are perfectly normal parents.

Baby Dove has asked mums to trust their own way of parenting because only YOU know what is best for your baby – and now they are asking dads to do the same, to not be made to feel like a secondary parent or judged unfairly by society. They are on a mission to help ease the pressures and anxieties pushed onto new parents because the most important thing is having happy parents and a happy baby.

Funnily enough we’ve always been big fans of Dove, my mum has used their body wash for years as she has sensitive skin, but Dove know that no matter how sensitive her skin is, baby skin is even more delicate. That’s why Baby Dove is dermatologist tested, paediatrician approved and safe to use every day even on newborns – ideal for that first bath (or shower: the picture below is of Adam giving Edith her first ever shower. A moment I will honestly treasure forever and that shows the wonderful bond between a real dad and his child).

The truth is, there are no perfect parents – be they mamas or dadas, we’re all rocking it out and doing our best. There is no official manual of how to do this parenting malarkey and I am a fan of the saying that “parenthood is the scariest hood to go through” because it IS. This Father’s Day, Baby Dove are encouraging you to share your love and support for #RealDads. Just look at this adorable video:

– let’s cut them a break, acknowledge them for the awesome people and parents that they are.

H x

P.s – Baby Dove is available in two ranges: Rich Moisture range and Sensitive Moisture (fragrance-free) range.