News & Star Tuesday, June 2, 200920 www.newsandstar.co.uk yyoouurrffaammiillyy22
Photo comp
puts dads in
the picture
AN ONLINE photo project hopes to
help celebrate fatherhood.
Dads are being invited to upload
pictures of themselves with their
children as part of a new online
project to celebrate fatherhood.
Families Need Fathers (FNF) has
launched an online gallery
celebrating the role fathers play in
enriching their children's lives.
The project was launched during
to coincide with National Family
Week, which took place at the end
of May.
Dads are encouraged to submit
photos of themselves with their
children enjoying activities and
special moments together, which
are then collected and catalogued
for visitors to the Me And My Dad
website to enjoy.
FNF said the website aims to
demonstrate the importance of
father-child relationships and
explore the fun activities children
and their dads do together.
Jon Davies, FNF chief executive,
said: "We are delighted to launch
this fun and entertaining project
which celebrates the special role
dads play in their children's life.
"We are asking all dads to submit
photos to the website, whether it is
building sandcastles on the beach
with their child or playing games in
the park. All the photos contribute
to the project and provide
confirmation of dad's important
role."
To find out more about the Me
And My Dad website or to upload a
photo visit www.meandmydad.
org.uk or e-mail Becky Sibert on
becky.sibert@fnf.org.uk.
FNF is a charity that provides
information and support on
parenting issues arising from family
breakdown and support to divorced
and separated parents, irrespective
of gender or marital status.
It aims to help children maintain
a relationship with both parents.
NSPCC advice for
stay-at-home dads
A
series of tips for first
time parents has been
launched by the NSPCC
and looks at the
challenges facing stay-at-home
dads.
The charity said that more than
200,000 men in the UK now stay
at home to look after their
children.
However, a survey by
www.bounty.com recently found
that 60 per cent of fathers feel
confused about their role.
Eileen Hayes, NSPCC parenting
advisor, said: "For those dads who
choose to stay at home, the
reversal of traditional roles can
be a source of tension.
"In many new families mums
will still play the main caring role
and dads can end up feeling left
out.
"So dads need to know they are
valued and able to get involved
wherever possible in looking after
their new baby.
"When a new baby arrives in
the family it is always an exciting
time.
"As well as these great feelings,
it can also be a time of anxiety
and new stresses.
"Just like mums, some dads are
immediately bowled over by the
strong feelings for their baby.
Others can feel a bit overwhelmed
at the start, wondering if they are
ever going to get the hang of it."
From April 2008 to March
2009 the NSPCC Helpline said it
dealt with 4,689 calls from
parents who needed advice with
dealing with the everyday
stresses of childcare.
The charity wants parents to
seek help and advice whenever
they feel they are struggling to
cope and before problems
escalate.
It is calling on the Government
to improve support and
information for all first-time
parents by making parenting
advice a core element of ante-
natal classes.
The NSPCC also wants every
parent of a new baby to get
effective postnatal support from
health visitors as part of the UK
Government's Action on Health
Visiting programme.
Search for
outstanding
family
A nationwide search to find
the most outstanding family
of the year has been
launched.
People across the country
are being asked to nominate
a family they think has
worked together as a team
to make a difference at
home, in their community or
further afield.
The winners of the award,
organised by women's
magazine Candis, will be
chosen by a panel of four
judges including TV
presenters Lorraine Kelly
and Esther Rantzen, actress
Amanda Redman and
supermum Birdie McDonald,
who has fostered more than
1,000 children.
To nominate your own or
somebody else's family
describe the family's highs,
lows, achievements and
ultimate goals in less than
500 words and email it by
June 23 to: familyaward@
candis.co.uk or post to
Outstanding Family of the
Year Award, Candis, Newhall
Publications, Newhall Lane,
Hoylake, Merseyside.
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