dad's and lads
(and lassies!)
dad's and lads (and lassies!)
Dads and Lads (and Lassies!) is a group for dads and their kids. It was started when some of us just had daughters. Now we have a great mix of lads and lassies. It is open to all dads, male relatives and male carers with children from birth to about mid primary (P4/5). The group is run on the last Saturday of every month in the church toddler room. There is plenty of space to allow the children to play and also for the dads to cook some breakfast and to look at the papers, whilst still allowing us to watch and interact with our children.
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The group has had an impact on our community as we have each widened our circle of friends.
We are part of the worldwide network of ‘Who Let The Dads Out?’. This is a network of dads groups which provides support and encouragement for those working with dads and male carers. There are currently around 10 groups in Scotland, although there are loads of other dads groups that are not yet officially affiliated.
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Testimonials about what Dads and Lads (and Lassies!) means:
"A few hours I can look forward to where I can catch up with friends and watch how much my children have progressed in the previous month. It also means bacon rolls."
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"Dads and lads is a chance to get some relaxed chat with other dads with coffee / bacon rolls / papers and kids enjoy playing with each other in the background. It’s a nice relaxed way to start a Saturday, and gets me out of housework which is a real bonus."
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"Well apart from the obvious lure of bacon rolls on a Saturday morning(!), to me, this has been a great opportunity to meet other dads in our general location."
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"When I moved into this area, I wanted an opportunity to build some friendships with other dads on a Saturday morning. Dads and Lads (and Lassies!) is just that. Bringing my young son along means that my wife can enjoy a well deserved long lie after a hard week’s work! Brownie points for me."
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"There are often plenty of ways for mums to meet but not so many for the dads. Dads and Lads (and Lassies!) is a great environment to meet up, ideal for spending a bit of time with your kids but at the same time getting to enjoy other dad’s company."
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There are always opportunities to link with wider men’s groups in the church through BCC Soul Men. Speak to us if you are interested in finding out more.
Dad, Lads (and Lassies!) was set up with the original vision of creating an opportunity for the dads in the church to meet together. With the busyness of life we never had the opportunity to meet up, together with our children, to relax and to share experiences with each other. The group has been running now for over nine years and although the original vision still remains it has broadened somewhat to include Dads from the local community.
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Many dads in our group are now involved in the life of our church through involvement in organising our annual fireworks display; helping with building work; joining in with fund raising efforts, and attending family services. We have also had a few social occasions both in local restaurants and each others’ homes which has given us the chance to get to know each other that little bit better.