Enter details of your update here Your order for our ""IN Your Hands"" DVD has been successful! The new dad you nominated will get your gift in the post soon. If you would like to make a donation towards the cost of your gift, or to otherwise support the work of Great Fathers, please click DONATE. If you would like to go straight back to the Great Fathers home page click HERE.
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Tiki Taane, Warren Maxwell and Sean Donnelly talk about what they love about being dads.
We launched the Great Fathers' In Your Hands DVD at the New Plymouth District Council Chambers on the 22 April 2010. It was well-attended by midwives, childbirth educators, early childhood educators and friends. We are now planning further launches around the country.
Great Fathers uses music to reach dads Great Fathers developer and Taranaki father Dave Owens is working on a resource designed around music to provide information and encouragement for men to engage and bond with their new baby. The DVD will be an audio compilation of contemporary songs performed by top NZ musicians Tiki Taane (ex Salmonella Dub), Warren Maxwell of Little Bushmen (ex Fat Freddyfs Drop, ex Trinity Roots), Sean Donnelly (SJD), Rio Hunuku-Hemopo (ex Trinity Roots) with themes tied to fathering. Dave has interviewed the musicians about their experience becoming fathers and fathering. The resource will also contain a 16-page booklet of images and slogans that illustrate the Great Fathersf messages. Dave aims to see the boxed set DVD given to new fathers before the birth of their baby ? ideally by another man. gMusic can occupy an emotional space that connects with people in a way that spoken words and written ideas donft. We want men to visit this emotional space in regards to their new baby,h Dave says. Great Fathers wants to help foster healthy relationships between a father and his infant and foster tighter bonds within families. gMen who have strong emotional bonds with their baby are much more likely to stay in relationship with that child throughout their life and are very unlikely to cause serious harm to their child.h The resource is being developed to appeal to new and expecting fathers aged 16 ? 39 years and to be effective for all men, including those with limited literacy skills. It will include links to useful services. One part of the Great Fathers strategy is to distribute it through childbirth education classes. gOur intention is not only to pilot the DVD resource but all include male facilitators in childbirth education courses so that these courses address the issues men have around the birth of their child and how this affects their life and relationship. gWe intend to separate the men from the women for part of the child birth education sessions and provide the expectant fathers with information and encouragement to fully participate and engage with their new baby right from the start.h He also wants the resource to be distributed through midwives, Plunket, Parent Centres, Barnardos and the many other agencies that provide services to families. The broad intention of Great Fathers is to prevent child abuse; illustrate good role and behaviour models for men as fathers of infants; create positive family environments that foster learning and emotional resilience in children; create strong family units that are less likely to fall apart at the first signs of stress; illustrate how important it is for all family members to have their needs met to help men recognise that fathering is an opportunity and a privilege Aims Great Fathers is aiming to establish a common awareness among New Zealand men and their families that: ? fathering is potentially one of the most enduring and rewarding activities they may ever engage in; ? being an active, conscious father can open up a new side of life to a man; ? participating in the birth of their baby can be a very rewarding and important experience; ? conscious, nurturing fathering ? right from even before the birth ? is important to the wellbeing of their child; ? the way a babyfs brain develops is affected by the emotional environment they are surrounded by and babies are affected ? and can be damaged ? by emotional, verbal and physical violence that occurs to them or to people around them; ? a baby whose physical and emotional needs are met and consistently feel loved, are babies who gain the emotional intelligence that helps them be resilient and cope with lifefs challenges. A pilot edition of the Great Fathers resource will be evaluated by the Bishops Action Foundation ? a social justice initiative in Taranaki. Dave Owens describes himself as a father, writer, editor, social activist, and carpenter. He is heavily involved in a range of community, social and philanthropic initiatives. contact: dave@greatfathers.org.nz
Great Fathers has gone live! We have completed In My Hands - a boxed DVD package designed around music and stories that provides information and encouragement for men to get engaged with their new baby. The DVD is an audio compilation of contemporary songs performed by top NZ musicians Tiki Taane, Warren Maxwell of Little Bushmen (ex Fat Freddyfs Drop, ex Trinity Roots), Sean Donnelly (SJD), Rio Hunuku-Hemopo (ex Trinity Roots) with themes tied to fathering. We have also interviewed Tiki, Warrne and Sean about their experience becoming dads and turned this into a sharp little movie. The DVD package includes a 16-page booklet of images (and comic!) that encourages men to step up to being an active father. We would like YOU to nominate a new or 'expecting' dad t receive a copy. You can do this through our website www.greatfathers.org.nz ?gMusic can occupy an emotional space that connects with people in a way that spoken words and written ideas donft."" We want men to visit this emotional space in regards to their new baby. Great Fathers' intention is to help foster healthy relationships between a father and his infant and tighter bonds within families. We believe that a man who has strong emotional connection with his baby is more likely to stay in relationship with that child throughout their lives. We also believe that such a man is unlikely to ever cause that?child?serious harm. So it's a programme for men - but the benefits go to both the man and his child. The resources (DVD and website) are developed to appeal to new and 'expecting' fathers aged 15 ? 40 years and to be effective for all men, including those with limited literacy skills. The website includes links to useful services. In My Hands is being distributed through childbirth education classes,?through midwives and through parenting support services. In My Hands can also be gifted by you c to a new or expecting dad. You can do this through our website ?www.greatfathers.org.nz We ask that make a Make a donation here on GiveALittle in support of your gift. You can contact Great Fathers through the TALK TO US!! on our website ? www.greatfathers.org.nz
Great Fathers uses music to reach dads Great Fathers developer and Taranaki father Dave Owens is working on a resource designed around music to provide information and encouragement for men to engage and bond with their new baby. The DVD will be an audio compilation of contemporary songs performed by top NZ musicians Tiki Taane (ex Salmonella Dub), Warren Maxwell of Little Bushmen (ex Fat Freddyfs Drop, ex Trinity Roots), Sean Donnelly (SJD), Rio Hunuku-Hemopo (ex Trinity Roots) with themes tied to fathering. Dave has interviewed the musicians about their experience becoming fathers and fathering. The resource will also contain a 16-page booklet of images and slogans that illustrate the Great Fathersf messages. Dave aims to see the boxed set DVD given to new fathers before the birth of their baby ? ideally by another man.gMusic can occupy an emotional space that connects with people in a way that spoken words and written ideas donft. We want men to visit this emotional space in regards to their new baby,h Dave says. Great Fathers wants to help foster healthy relationships between a father and his infant and foster tighter bonds within families. gMen who have strong emotional bonds with their baby are much more likely to stay in relationship with that child throughout their life and are very unlikely to cause serious harm to their child.h The resource is being developed to appeal to new and expecting fathers aged 16 ? 39 years and to be effective for all men, including those with limited literacy skills. It will include links to useful services. One part of the Great Fathers strategy is to distribute it through childbirth education classes. gOur intention is not only to pilot the DVD resource but all include male facilitators in childbirth education courses so that these courses address the issues men have around the birth of their child and how this affects their life and relationship. gWe intend to separate the men from the women for part of the child birth education sessions and provide the expectant fathers with information and encouragement to fully participate and engage with their new baby right from the start.h He also wants the resource to be distributed through midwives, Plunket, Parent Centres, Barnardos and the many other agencies that provide services to families. The broad intention of Great Fathers is to prevent child abuse; illustrate good role and behaviour models for men as fathers of infants; create positive family environments that foster learning and emotional resilience in children; create strong family units that are less likely to fall apart at the first signs of stress; illustrate how important it is for all family members to have their needs met to help men recognise that fathering is an opportunity and a privilege. Aims Great Fathers is aiming to establish a common awareness among New Zealand men and their families that: ? fathering is potentially one of the most enduring and rewarding activities they may ever engage in; ? being an active, conscious father can open up a new side of life to a man; ? participating in the birth of their baby can be a very rewarding and important experience; ? conscious, nurturing fathering ? right from even before the birth ? is important to the wellbeing of their child; ? the way a babyfs brain develops is affected by the emotional environment they are surrounded by and babies are affected ? and can be damaged ? by emotional, verbal and physical violence that occurs to them or to people around them; ? a baby whose physical and emotional needs are met and consistently feel loved, are babies who gain the emotional intelligence that helps them be resilient and cope with lifefs challenges. A pilot edition of the Great Fathers resource will be evaluated by the Bishops Action Foundation ? a social justice initiative in Taranaki. Dave Owens describes himself as a father, writer, editor, social activist, and carpenter. He is heavily involved in a range of community, social and philanthropic initiatives. contact: dave@greatfathers.org.nz dave@greatfathers.org.nz
