Hey y’all, this month we honour the fathers and father figures who do the work 24/7.
As Father’s Day rolls around, I find myself thinking about the fathers and father figures who are showing up every day for the children in their lives. The dads helping with homework after a long day at work. The grandfathers picking children up from school. The uncles stepping in when needed. The coaches, mentors, brothers, and male caregivers who are pouring into young people and helping shape who they become.
At EPiC, we spend a lot of time talking about advocacy, education, systems, and community, but this month I want us to pause for a second and acknowledge the men who are doing this work every single day.
Because let’s just call it what it is.
Fatherhood is advocacy.
Let me say that one more time for the people in the back.
Fatherhood… is… advocacy.
Just like motherhood, fatherhood is more than a title. It is more than showing up for holidays and special occasions. It is showing up consistently. It is being present. It is making decisions every day that put children first, even when nobody sees it.
Advocacy is helping your child with homework when you are tired. It is showing up to school meetings and asking questions when something does not seem right. It is making sure your child has what they need to be successful. It is teaching life lessons in the car on the way home from practice. It is reading bedtime stories, helping with projects, attending events, and making sure your child knows that no matter what happens, somebody is in their corner.
That is advocacy.
One of the things we have learned through this work is that fathers and father figures want the same thing that every parent wants. They want their children to be safe. They want them to be successful. They want them to be seen, supported, and given every opportunity to thrive.
That is one of the reasons why EPiC created the Men’s Early Childhood Education Collective.
When people talk about early childhood education, fathers are not always included in the conversation. Sometimes people assume dad is working. Sometimes people assume mom is handling school. Sometimes people simply forget to make room.
Well, at EPiC, we know better.
We know that fathers and father figures play a critical role in a child’s development. We know that children benefit when the men in their lives are engaged, informed, and connected. We know that fathers have questions too. They want resources too. They want community too.
That is exactly what the Men’s ECE Collective is about.
It is a space where fathers, father figures, and male caregivers can learn, connect, ask questions, and build relationships with other men who are walking a similar path. Because parenting does not come with a handbook, and sometimes the best thing you can have is a community of people who understand exactly what you are navigating.
The same can be said for our Men’s Circle of Hope. Now let me be honest for a minute.
We spend a lot of time talking about the mental load mothers carry, and rightfully so. But fathers and father figures carry a lot too.
There is pressure to provide. There is the pressure to protect. The pressure to lead. And the pressure to have all the answers.
And somewhere along the way, many men were taught that strength means carrying all of that by yourself.
Y’all already know where I am going with this, right. That is not strength.
Strength is knowing when you need support. Strength is being willing to learn. Strength is being able to have honest conversations about parenting, relationships, stress, mental health, and life.
That is why the Men’s Circle of Hope exists.
It creates space for men to connect, support one another, and have real conversations about what it means to show up for themselves, their families, and their communities.
Because just like we tell mothers all the time, nobody is meant to carry everything alone.
At EPiC, we believe children do better when families do better. Children do better when communities do better. Children do better when the adults in their lives are supported.
That includes fathers.
That includes father figures.
That includes grandfathers.
That includes uncles.
That includes mentors.
That includes every man who has stepped into the life of a child and decided to show up.
I also want to acknowledge that Father’s Day can be complicated.
For some people, this day is filled with celebration. For others, it may bring grief, loss, difficult relationships, or memories of people we miss. Wherever this month finds you, I hope you give yourself grace.
To all the fathers and father figures in our EPiC community, thank you.
Thank you for showing up. Thank you for learning. Thank you for advocating. Thank you for loving our children well.
The work you do matters. The example you set matters. The impact you make matters.
And even when it feels like nobody notices, trust me, somebody is watching.
Our children are watching. And they are learning from you every day.
As always, Be Excellent. Be Well. Be EPiC.