CHILDLINE: Look, Say, Sing, Play campaign helps build stronger bonds for dads and male carers

Father’s Day is not always perfect as it can be a difficult time for some children.

This coming weekend is Father’s Day – Sunday, June 16 – which can be a difficult time for some children.

Perhaps they’ve lost their dad, or relationships within the family make it difficult to mark the annual event.

Our counsellors are here to offer support to children and young people who might be struggling this Father’s Day, and the moderated message boards on the Childline website are a safe space where anyone coping with a loss or a difficult time can speak to others their own age about what they’re going through.

As well as supporting children, the NSPCC does a lot of work with families and new parents across the North East and the whole of the UK.

One campaign designed to build stronger bonds between parents and babies is Look, Say, Sing, Play, which was launched in 2019 but has just had a series of new resources designed solely for dads and male carers.

Parents are encouraged to Look at what their baby is focusing on and how they react, Say what they’re doing and copy the sounds their baby makes, Sing along to their favourite tune and Play simple games and see what their baby enjoys.

Originally, just 10% of sign-ups to the campaign were from dads or male carers, and research found fathers preferred to have outdoor and more physical activities that they could enjoy with their children.

As a result, Look, Say, Sing, Play with Daddy has just been released, including an activity book featuring a four-week programme of activities that parents can do with their young children, with several options of varying activities suggested for each week.

Feedback from dads has been really positive, praising the fun activities and knowing “It’s great playing like this because it brings us close together and it helps us to bond”.

Our counsellors are here for every child who needs to talk about their father, but we hope Look, Say, Sing, Play with Daddy will help build special bonds between fathers and babies for years to come.

To find out more about Look, Say, Sing, Play go to www.nspcc.org.uk or search online for NSPCC Look Say Sing Play.