One of the key needs on which the Fathers Network is built is the generalized idea that men are not good at asking for help. So, when a man who is not good at asking for help has a child with special needs, that dad can wind up feeling isolated. And so, the Fathers Network is there to assist men in connecting to other men.
Often, that lack of willingness to ask for help comes from the messages they receive when growing up. Last week, on June 17, I posted an article called 7 Toxic Phrases that Parents Need to Stop Saying to Their Sons. Included were phrases like You’re Too Sensitive and Boys’ Don’t Cry. Eliminating those kind of phrases and helping boys and young men develop emotional intelligence will hopefully help the next generations of men realize that it’s ok to be vulnerable, ask for help and have the skills to do so.
Read the article on emotional intelligence here.