How to get dads to man up and volunteer at kids' preschools

A preschool reading-with-dad event is a nice way to rope in fathers and get them involved with their kids. But moving it off-site to a bowling alley or airport? Now that's taking a page from the "man's playbook."

By edinajo

September 9, 2011 at 4:21PM

A preschool reading-with-dad event is a nice way to rope in fathers and get them involved with their kids. But moving it off-site to a bowling alley or airport? That's taking a page from the "man's playbook." (Insert your Tim the Tool Man grunt or "More Power!" reference here.)

That was the solution early childhood leaders in Redwood Falls came up with five years ago, and the quarterly reading-with-dad events have been smash hits ever since. The weeknight events have drawn 20 to 50 father-child pairs, on average, which is substantial for a community with 560 children five and younger. An annual favorite is the reading event in the hangar of North Memorial Air Care, where the helicopter pilots are featured readers.

"We had pizza out in the hangar and did some lap reading while we were eating," said Teri Smith, coordinator of the Redwood Area Early Childhood Coalition. "The two pilots read some stories to the children while (the pilots) were in their uniforms and everything." Dads and kids then got to sit in the helicopters before doing a bit more reading and leaving the event with one or two books to take home.

The reading event was highlighted by the Minnesota Fathers & Families Network, which released a survey Thursday about barriers keeping fathers from being more involved in their kids' child care activities. The survey itself wasn't that shocking -- who didn't know that workplace demands made it hard for dads to be involved. But network leaders said it was nonetheless important because it (1) established that the barriers are well-known, and (2) that there are creative solutions like the reading event that other child care centers can copy to address the barriers.

Smith said reading events also have taken place at a bowling alley -- where kids sit on their dads' laps and read while they are waiting for their turns to bowl -- and with high school football players, hockey players and cheerleaders serving as guest readers. Smith said the high school athletes also benefit from seeing dads reading with kids -- a healthy image for their own futures.

I was skeptical about the need for these kinds of stereotypical enticements for fathers. The survey report indicated that the child-centered and feminine decors of child care centers -- and the lack of male workers -- made fathers feel unwelcome. Seriously?! Sounds like a lame excuse if that's all it takes to prevent fathers from spending time in their kids' child care centers once in a while.

But leaders of the father network said there's nothing wrong with using father-friendly activities as reminders that they need to be involved -- especially when the payoff is smarter kids who are more self confident. Smith said the Redwood reading events have been so popular that moms have called wanting to attend, but have been turned away. Single moms are encouraged to send their kids with uncles or grandparents if the fathers are out of the picture.

"We're really trying to make dads feel special," she said, "and we want the children to know that dads play a key role."

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edinajo