Men find it hard to seek help when they experience perinatal distress. Simon Day shares his story of postnatal anxiety and talks to parenting advocates about what fathers need to do when they’re feeling down. In late December 2019, our twin boys arrived two weeks earlier than expected. They were happy and healthy, but at … Read more
Stuck for ideas this Father’s Day? Amanda Thompson rounds up a small sample of the best gifts (plus jokes!) for the dad in your life. Dads are great, they’re nice to have around. Or so I’ve heard. I’ve always been a bit vague on the finer points of having a dad since mine was more … Read more
Dads. We’ve all met one. Many of us have one, or had one. Some of us are one. But who are these strange creatures? Spinoff cartoonist Toby Morris has been working on a new project illustrating fatherhood and life as a dad, and we’re presenting a new monthly series sharing some of these moments with … Read more
If you’re a man who isn’t sure that you’re a good partner to the mother of your children, then you’re probably not, says Emily Writes. There’s a thing that happens on Facebook groups and group chats across the country on, or the day after, Mother’s Day. Every year without fail I see it – mothers sharing the … Read more
Spring is just around the corner, so what better time to start work on your own playhouse? Why let a lack of building prowess or your shitty collection of tools stand in your way? Gareth Shute is way ahead of you and shares his journey of mis-discovery. Have you noticed that all the big hardware … Read more
It’s Father’s Day in Aotearoa on Sunday. We asked some of the dads we know to share their thoughts about fatherhood. On Sunday, it’s Father’s Day, a day to celebrate all the good dads. Here at The Spinoff Parents we know it’s not a great day for everyone so we have a post on getting … Read more
Father’s Day is this Sunday and we will be sharing stories from dads in the days to come. In this piece first published on her blog, Spinoff Parents editor Emily Writes writes about how hard the day can be for some. Later today we’ll have a post with crowdsourced ways to get through the day … Read more
Since becoming an at-home father, Adam Mamo has been on a desperate search for his masculinity – after all, he keeps being told it’s gone missing. You needn’t look far back in time to when being a stay-at-home dad wasn’t really a thing. Early practitioners of this dark art were seen merely as fathers without … Read more
No matter how well-intentioned, articles like the Herald’s ‘One week, three kids, how hard can it be?’ do no favours for anyone, writes Angela Cuming. It was just after 7am on a Monday and my husband was simultaneously making breakfast and lunch for each of our three pre-school aged children. That’s six meals. And then … Read more
Stay at home dad of three Cameron Lecky had a fight with an automated checkout machine last week. We’ve all been there, right? The honeymoon period ended last week. My previously impenetrable facade of cool, calm and collected Stay at Home Dad didn’t just crack. It came crashing down like it had been hit with … Read more
Adam Mamo knew that part of being a dad was being able to do dad jokes. This is his inspiring story of how he discovered his inner dad comedian. I thought it would just happen. I’d witness the birth of my first child and my head would click suddenly to the side twice and I’d … Read more
Our stay at home dad columnist Adam Mamo on the joys and challenges of being a stay at home dad. Many months ago I switched dad codes from the full time employed variety to the stay at home type, for a toddler and a baby. The swap not only brought significant challenges but also regular … Read more
At-home dad Adam Mamo is sick of advertising around parenting brands. Why, he asks, does everything have to be so gendered? Being a new parent is stressful, and becoming a fresh target for incessant parent-focused advertising only makes it more so. The very worst ads try to cultivate fears about your child’s health and development, … Read more
After being told I’m so incredibly, breathtakingly lucky that my husband watches our children when I have to travel for work, this post by Brannavan Gnanalingam was like the first pinot gris after a very long day. I too long for a day when we are all allowed to be incompetent as parents. Bring it … Read more
An essay about being a daughter, being a parent, and protecting your future self from the past. By Laurel Hilton. We were driving round the bend in a 100 km/h zone. It was roughly in the vicinity where I did my driving test as a very pregnant 32 year-old, graduating from a Texan to New … Read more
Caitlin Carew’s partner decided he wanted to be at home with the children so she needed to find full-time work. Here she describes what decision they made and how they worked it out together. We were on holiday when my partner made his Big Announcement. Holidays are often when he does his Deep Thinking. He’d … Read more
‘It hurts, and it’s hard, and it’s weird.’ Simon Sweetman writes about the miscarriages he and his wife suffered together, and the love that saw them through on their journey towards parenthood. Content warning: Simon talks about miscarriage in this post. If you have suffered a miscarriage this post may be upsetting for you. If … Read more
How did we ever reach a point where ‘Is it OK to kiss your kids?’ was actually asked multiple times around the world in apparently reputable news outlets? Angela Cuming looks at one of this week’s most infuriating parenting stories. Here are things parents do that I find weird: Smacking their kids Bullying their kids … Read more
After being told I’m so incredibly, breathtakingly lucky that my husband watches our children when I have to travel for work, this post by Brannavan Gnanalingam was like the first pinot gris after a very long day. I too long for a day when we are all allowed to be incompetent as parents. Bring it … Read more
Did you know competitive stroller running was a thing? Runner and dad Chris Ingham talks to marathoner Mike Wardian about how to make running with a baby better for both of you. I used to be a bit of a runner back in the day: I even came second in my school’s cross country in … Read more