BEING DAD BLOGS

Patrick Houser Review

Reviews 04/08/2009

The Being Dad DVD is a brilliant presentation and a triumph on at least two fronts. It is a fantastic ‘fly on the wall' filmic piece. It is beautifully filmed and there is never a hit that the expectant and new dads being filmed are aware of the camera. This means they felt safe and trusted the filmmaker to a degree that they could open up to the ‘invisible' camera and say what was on their minds and, even more importantly, what was in their hearts.

The other element of this film which is extraordinary is that these fathers are provided an opportunity to speak about what virtually every other man in their position wishes they had the possibility to, but rarely does. They give a voice to their fears, hopes, desires, love, passion, inadequacies and more. They ponder, compare notes, laugh and yes they expose their deepest emotions as well.

As an educator and author on fatherhood my hope is that the modelling this film provides will start a grassfire which expectant dads will be caught up in. One which will give permission and even create a demand for dads to come together in similar environments for peer support and honest communication during this all important time of family building. ‘Fathers make a world of difference' and this film demonstrates the commitment today's fathers have to their families. I highly recommend it for childbirth professionals, mothers and fathers to watch together, as well as just guys; and discussing after! Five Stars*****

Patrick Houser, author Fathers-To-Be Handbook, co-founder www.fatherstobe.org , freelance writer, workshop leader, educator and lecturer on the foundation of the family.