At a noon meeting, over pizza and soda, they discussed washing bras for their daughters and gathering up courage to deal with talks about sex and menstruation.
A support group for moms? Nope, dads.
"What Daddies Do Best," sponsored by the Children's Center and Work Life Connections, is proving to be a popular support group. Geared toward faculty and staff members with young children at home, the group meets twice a semester.
The group of 11 men may have children ranging from 1-12 years old but they found common ties. At a January 25 meeting, Jerry Montag, registrar, sought advice on how to get his kids to open up more. His question drew familiar nods around the room and a suggestion from William Washington, director of summer camps and conferences.
"You have to keep asking questions and continue to make sure they know you want to be a part of their lives," he said.
What Daddies Do Best next meets March 29, at noon, in Lake Ontario Hall. New participants are welcome; questions can be directed to Sharalle Arnold at the Children's Center, (616) 895-4146, or Sue Sloop at Work Life Connections, (616) 331-8011.
From left to right, Aaron Lowen, economics, Ray Williams, athletics, and Tae-Wan Park, mathematics, create Valentine cards for their children during a What Daddies Do Best meeting / Photo by Courtney Newbauer
