Mike Dyson on Redefining Fatherhood and Masculinity
11/21/23 • 42 min
Hi mamas. This week I talk to Mike Dyson, Founder of the Good Blokes Co. In his work, Mike empowers men and boys to breakdown restrictive gender norms and to step up as leaders of a healthier culture of masculinity. Mike facilitates Men's leadership retreats, father/son, mother/son and rites of passage camps all over Australia. He also works in schools training teachers to make conversations about masculinity fun, engaging and meaningful for teenage boys and giving parents the tools to get their boys talking.
In this episode, Mike and I chat about his own experience of becoming a father and the nuances of masculinity and fatherhood. We also cover:
· Breaking Down Gender Norms: Mike's passion for empowering men and boys to challenge and redefine traditional gender norms.
· Leadership and Growth: Insights into Mike's own journey into fatherhood at 25, facing negativity, and how he grew through the challenges.
· Men's Socialisation: We explore the tough expectations placed on men and the impact of these on their role in the family.
· Corporate Fatherhood: A look at the corporate world's rigid view of paternal roles and the push for true gender equality.
· Redefining Masculinity: How men can adjust to fatherhood by shifting lifestyles and embracing nurturing roles.
· Solidarity Among Men: The critical need for support networks for men to discuss and share their experiences openly.
I hope you enjoy this episode, and I encourage you to share it with the men and fathers in your life too.
Here is where you can find out more about me (Yara), how to work with me and some resources:
*** Waitlist for The Rebirth, Group Coaching for Mamas *** This is my signature 3 months online group coaching container for mothers which covers family of origin, inner child work, nervous system basics, anger, boundaries and much more.
Free Values Aligned Living Workbook
Find out more about Mike in these places:
Looking for support for anger while you mother? To access my Why Am I So Angry Workshop click HERE
Hi mamas. This week I talk to Mike Dyson, Founder of the Good Blokes Co. In his work, Mike empowers men and boys to breakdown restrictive gender norms and to step up as leaders of a healthier culture of masculinity. Mike facilitates Men's leadership retreats, father/son, mother/son and rites of passage camps all over Australia. He also works in schools training teachers to make conversations about masculinity fun, engaging and meaningful for teenage boys and giving parents the tools to get their boys talking.
In this episode, Mike and I chat about his own experience of becoming a father and the nuances of masculinity and fatherhood. We also cover:
· Breaking Down Gender Norms: Mike's passion for empowering men and boys to challenge and redefine traditional gender norms.
· Leadership and Growth: Insights into Mike's own journey into fatherhood at 25, facing negativity, and how he grew through the challenges.
· Men's Socialisation: We explore the tough expectations placed on men and the impact of these on their role in the family.
· Corporate Fatherhood: A look at the corporate world's rigid view of paternal roles and the push for true gender equality.
· Redefining Masculinity: How men can adjust to fatherhood by shifting lifestyles and embracing nurturing roles.
· Solidarity Among Men: The critical need for support networks for men to discuss and share their experiences openly.
I hope you enjoy this episode, and I encourage you to share it with the men and fathers in your life too.
Here is where you can find out more about me (Yara), how to work with me and some resources:
*** Waitlist for The Rebirth, Group Coaching for Mamas *** This is my signature 3 months online group coaching container for mothers which covers family of origin, inner child work, nervous system basics, anger, boundaries and much more.
Free Values Aligned Living Workbook
Find out more about Mike in these places:
Looking for support for anger while you mother? To access my Why Am I So Angry Workshop click HERE
Previous Episode
Seeds For Your Garden - Maternal Instinct: Fact or Fiction?
In this solo episode I explore the concept of maternal instinct which fell back onto my radar in recent weeks following a viral video featuring Maggie Dent and Kate Richie. I discuss my own thoughts on this topic, recent research on the neurobiology of the mother and father brain, patriarchal implications; and emphasise the importance of understanding parenting to be a skill that transcends one’s sex or gender and is not dictated by biology alone.
**Additional Reading at the bottom of these show notes
Here is where you can find out more about me (Yara), how to work with me and some resources:
*** Waitlist for The Rebirth, Group Coaching for Mamas *** This is my signature 3 months online group coaching container for mothers which covers family of origin, inner child work, nervous system basics, anger, boundaries and much more.
Free Values Aligned Living Workbook
If you’d like to read up on some of the literature I used to inform this episode, please see the titles below and there are many more available on google scholar:
Abraham, E., Hendler, T., Shapira-Lichter, I., Kanat-Maymon, Y., Zagoory-Sharon, O., & Feldman, R. (2014). Father's brain is sensitive to childcare experiences. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 111(27), 9792-9797.
Ruth Feldman [email protected] (2012) Bio-behavioral Synchrony: A Model for Integrating Biological and Microsocial Behavioral Processes in the Study of Parenting, Parenting, 12:2-3, 154-164, DOI: 10.1080/15295192.2012.683342
Conaboy, Chelsea. "Maternal Instinct Is a Myth That Men Created." International New York Times (2022): NA-NA.
Cabrera, N. J., Volling, B. L., & Barr, R. (2018). Fathers are parents, too! Widening the lens on parenting for children's development. Child Development Perspectives, 12(3), 152-157.
Feldman, R. (2017). The neurobiology of human attachments. Trends in cognitive sciences, 21(2), 80-99.
Feldman, R. (2015). The adaptive human parental brain: implications for children's social development. Trends in neurosciences, 38(6), 387-399.
Scatliffe, N., Casavant, S., Vittner, D., & Cong, X. (2019). Oxytocin and early parent-infant interactions: A systematic review. International journal of nursing sciences, 6(4), 445-453.
Bakermans‐Kranenburg, M. J., Lotz, A., Alyousefi‐van Dijk, K., & van IJzendoorn, M. (2019). Birth of a father: Fathering in the first 1,000 days. Child Development Perspectives, 13(4), 247-253.
Feldman, R., Braun, K., & Champagne, F. A. (2019). The neural mechanisms and consequences of paternal caregiving. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 20(4), 205-224.
Looking for support for anger while you mother? To access my Why Am I So Angry Workshop click HERE
Next Episode
Jessie McGarry on Young Motherhood, Self-Reparenting, and Embracing 'Figureoutable'
Hi mamas. This week I talk to Jessie McGarry, Doula and Founder of The Bright Birth Company. Jessie is a mother of four (she was pregnant with her fourth child at the time of recording) and walks with women on their pregnancy, birth and postpartum journeys as a doula, providing soulful guidance and reminding women they have all the power they need within them. She also mentors other birth workers to create thriving, nourishing businesses supporting over 40 births and working with over 100 women on their pregnancy and postpartum journeys.
In today's episode, we delve into Jessie's mothering journey with a particular focus on her experiences as a young mother, having welcomed her first child at 23. Jessie share what she found challenging about this, as well as the benefits that her youth provided — like open-mindedness and adaptability — and the impact this had on her parenting experience.
We also cover:
The challenge motherhood brings with regard to the inner work required in the journey, and the work of reparenting yourself as you parent your children.
The role of play, fun and silliness in motherhood, and some practical methods you can use to connect with your inner child and find out what it is that they are needing more of in your life.
Trusting in your ability to figure things out and learn as you go, and the gift that it is to your child when you can show them you doing this, so that they have permission to also be human and make mistakes.
Jessie’s journey to becoming a doula and her love of her work.
Jessie has a refreshing approach to motherhood, and I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did.
Here is where you can find out more about me (Yara), how to work with me and some resources:
*** Waitlist for The Rebirth, Group Coaching for Mamas *** This is my signature 3 months online group coaching container for mothers which covers family of origin, inner child work, nervous system basics, anger, boundaries and much more.
Free Values Aligned Living Workbook
Find out more about Jessie and access her resources in these places:
https://www.thebrightbirthco.com.au/about/
Looking for support for anger while you mother? To access my Why Am I So Angry Workshop click HERE
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