On this Father’s Day edition we are celebrating all things Dad-ability and I’m joined by 2 dads from the Whatability dad community in Jake and Campbell who offer different perspectives. Jake has worked in the disability sector for 10 years and in his current role at Whatability he uses his learned experience in supporting families and kids with high needs and disabilities to help him in his everyday role as a dad to 3 kids under 5. Campbell is dad to 15 yr old Charlie who is neurotypical, and 13 yr old Will who is autistic (ASD3) and non verbal. Campbell has seen first hand the positive difference Whatability has made to his son, his family unit and his happiness as a dad. Let’s celebrate Fathers Day with double the dads and a big thanks to the team at What Ability for the important work they do in our community.

Mind over mood. Change how you feel and act by changing the way you think. What might be a more helpful way to think about this situation? What would you advise a close friend with the same thought? Are you overestimating the likelihood of something bad happening? You are not alone. It’s totally normal to have automatic thoughts and let emotions drive how we think sometimes but we can train our mind to ensure we respond versus react! By understanding how we think we can then challenge our beliefs and thoughts to form a stronger pathway that leads to a more effective, helpful and realistic outcome

In this first season finale I reflect with pride 365 days after first checking myself into a mental health hospital on my learnings, progress and gratitude. I didn’t think I could change, felt out of control and felt hopeless and hopeful at the same time. A year on I’m now the strongest mentally I have ever been and feel equipped with skills and knowledge I need to be the best dad I can be for my family.

On this episode I have a very honest and refreshing chat with Dan Lawley, who shares his thoughts on the importance of acceptance and educating yourself as a dad. We discuss navigating social situations when your kids develop self awareness of autism by teaching strategies of focusing on respect and what they can do, and finally Dan shared why he is adopting a practical approach of engaging more on the positives and what his daughter loves doing

Do you ever feel isolated? Lonely? Wish you good connect with another dad that just gets it? I have an epic chat with the incredible team behind Kindship the first social networking app built by and exclusively for parents raising children with disabilities, delays, and neurodiversity. We talk about how to find positive and supportive connections so you don’t have to go or alone

A manifesto is defined as a declaration of one’s beliefs, opinions, motives, and intentions. It is simply a way for a company or person to write and declare what is important to them. I decided to write a personal manifesto in the form of a ‘Letter to Leo’ that serves also as a note to self and commitment to how I want to show up as a dad for him

On todays episode I share my struggle and experiences with social anxiety. Why do we struggle with social anxiety as dads of disability? Why is it so commonly experienced? What can we do to break the cycle of avoidance and make confronting our social encounters easier?

Just because someone carries it well, doesn’t mean it’s not heavy. There is a lot of heavy lifting going on by dads in juggling all of life’s demands everyday. On this episode I talk about what makes it so heavy for dads of children with disabilities, and then share some practical ways to lighten the load we are carrying through talking it out, finding the good and reframing failure.

On part 2 of my chat with single dad Mav, we get stuck into his thoughts on the value of happiness, he reveals his personal mission statement for navigating challenging times and the importance of modelling as a parent when things go wrong.

We have an incredible double header episode with my friend and dad Mav Peri. Other than being a good human Mav is a single dad to 2 boys with disabilities and yes I know what you’re thinking? How does he do it? Mav and I chat about the answer to that question, his unique story and growth journey through personal reflection, how he learned to harness negative emotions and build his vulnerability muscle. Grab your pens and some paper as this is a master class with Mav worth taking notes.