Fathers Groups
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Sept 2008
Hello fellow parents,
I am a recently single Dad who has a daughter of 4 years. We
currently have a close and loving relationship. She will begin living
with me full time beginning this Oct. I am looking for advise/support
in the following areas: a) contacting other single parents,
particularly fathers about this challenge b) locating a childcare coop
in the Oakland/Berkeley area c) the feasibility of starting a
childcare coop in my neighborhood.
thanks,
alan
Hi. Call Bruce Linton. He runs the Father's Forum and would be
a great resource. I don't have his number with me, but he's in
Berkeley and there is probably a Father's Forum website.
Good Luck
Feb 2005
East Bay Dads is group of fathers with babies, toddlers and
pre-schoolers in the Oakland / Berkeley area. We meet every
Monday morning with our kids at a local park, museum, or other
place. Most Thursday mornings there is a hike for dads with kids
still young enough to go in a front- or backpack or jog stroller.
The group is free and open to anyone (some of us are full time
stay-at-home dads, others work part time and/or have flexible
work schedules). We welcome all dads in the East Bay to check
the schedule at www.eastbaydads.org
and come meet up with us!
Evan Weissman
May 2002
Hi - I'm a stay at home Dad. I'm interested in playgroups or
classes for my 6 month old son (only child). Many groups I see
refer to Mommies so I'm not sure if a Daddy is ok too. Any
suggestions on where my son and I can go so he can 'socialize'
with other babies, while I socialize with parents (moms or dads)?
A mixed group (ie moms and dads) would be great, as I don't want
to be the odd man out (literally).
Thanks!
John
Although not a playgroup per se, I know dads who attend Music
Together classes with their small children. There are many
classes offered each week, and I'm sure you could find one where
there is at least a sizable minority of dads. Website:
www.eastbaymusictogether.com. My 8-month-old daughter really
enjoys the classes.
Liz O.
I'm a grizzled veteran of 5 years of stay-at-home-daddom in
Berkeley and here's what worked for me: first, I joined the
Neighborhood Parents Network (527-6667). They have new member
orientations that you can attend to meet other new parents, and
they have a variety of playgroups. Obviously, most playgroups
will be run by moms, but many moms (although not all) are open
to having dads in the group. I am part of the only playgroup for
stay-at-home dads in the East Bay (that I know about, at least)
and we always welcome new members.
Another good resource for meeting parents is East Bay
Moms, which sponsors hikes for parents and children - you can
find information about them at eastbaymoms.com. Go to your
local playground and talk to the parents there; get to know the
other moms and dads in your neighborhood who hang out at the
park. But you'd better get used to being the odd man out
because most of the time you'll be the only dad in a playgroup;
that's just the way it is. Despite that, the Berkeley/Oakland
area is a great place to be an at-home dad because often you'll
find other dads at the playground or at classes, and the moms
you meet are usually very dad-friendly.
Richard
The June issue of ''Parents' Press'' (which I, admittedly, work
for, so I'm biased) will be out and available free of charge at
libraries, kids' stores, markets, etc., about the 26th of this
month.
One of the features is about the Grateful
Dads over in Marin who do fairly strenuous hikes together with
their babies and toddlers in backpacks. There's also a sidebar
about the Father's Forum in Berkeley and other organizations for
dads and kids. If none of these meet your needs, consider
posting a message here on the parents' network and organizing
your own group.
Good luck; I'm very glad to see fathers banding together in this
way.
Melanie
I don't know how I missed your initial message, but I'm the
''organizing tendency'' for an outing group for dads and kids here
in the East Bay, very loosely associated with Bruce Linton's
Father's Forum. As our kids get older, we're sort of becoming a
playgroup! We used to hike more....
Remainder of 2002 Schedule (meetings are at 10AM unless noted):
June 16 - Aguatic Park ''Choo-Choo Park'' playground
July 20-21 - Camping at Samuel P. Taylor - All Parental Genders
Invited!
August 18 - Niles Canyon Railroad, Sunol - Steam Trains - late
start, 10:30+
September 15 - Bay Trail hike, starting at the Albany Bulb
October 20 - Crab Cove, Alameda - late Start?
November 17 - Lake Merritt - playground at the bird sanctuary
Nothing in December
We are now using E-groups for communication,
http://www.egroups.com/group/EBayDads-Kids If you join, you'll
get reminders 2 weeks and 3 days before scheduled events, and
you'll be a part of various side discussions that periodically
erupt.
http://users.lmi.net/~ryoung
May 1998
Two great men do Fathers Groups in Bay area if you want facilitation:
Bruce Linton 644-0300. He has new book out and is presenting and signing also
at the Habitot, the new Childrens museum downtown Berkeley, I think it is June
6th.
Other person is Marti Sochet 930-9350.
Sherry
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