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Fathers Say

New website for dads helps mums out too..

A website set up to help single dads have a great relationship with their kids is being used by a growing number of women - and we can see why! We've had a good look round and already printed off bookbinding instructions and ingenious ways to make 'snitches' for the kids to play 'quidditch' with (it's a Harry Potter thing apparently, not a type of pasta as we originally thought..).

The site www.dadcando.com was created by single dad of four, Chris Barnardo and is packed full of things to make and do as well as offering emotional support for single dads as they strive to develop new relationships with their kids.

Almost a third (31 per cent) of people registering their details on the site are women. Also 62 per cent of comments posted on the site are from women and over half of those (38 per cent) are married mums.

Commenting, Chris Barnardo said: “Although we created the site to tell single dads how important they are, how their children see them as heroes and how they can have wonderful relationships with their children, mums have an equally important role to play and the site doesn’t discourage women from using it. In fact, we welcome it.”

One reason for women finding the site so appealing could be that mums have traditionally played a more creative role in the family. They will have a major influence on house furnishing, decoration, clothing and what the family will eat.

Whereas a dad might consider entertaining the kids by taking them to the cinema, a pizzeria or football match, a mum may well opt for something more creative, like drawing or baking or making something and www.dadcando.com is full of exciting things to make and do, which may help account for its appeal to married and single mums.

Dadcando.com has loads of exciting making and doing projects. Some will take only five minutes, with others, whole afternoons will dissolve away. Some of the projects need only a piece of paper, while for others you will need some old packaging junk and some basic "making equipment". All the Project Instructions are free and have been carefully designed so that in most cases the bits you need cost nothing.

“Also, comments left by women suggest that they are telling their new single dad partners and even their ex partners about the site,” concludes Chris.

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Books for fathers - here are some titles that might be useful for new dads, or dads who feel they need a bit of a steer..

Full Time Father – How to Succeed as a Stay at Home Dad
by Richard Hallows
£9.99,
White Ladder Press
ISBN 0 9543914 6 2


From Lad to Dad - how to survive as a pregnant father by Stephen Giles. £7.99, White Ladder Press
ISBN 0-9543914-7-0


Kids & Co. - winning business tactics for every family by Ros Jay.£6.99 White Ladder Press

Mother@Work members can benefit from discounts on these titles by logging in and going to the members Book Club.