When a father takes his child out in public, he isn't babysitting and he certainly isn't giving his wife the day off. He is simply being a parent. Yet the persistent, well-meaning comments from strangers suggest society still has a long way to go in understanding modern fatherhood.

Marcus and Rob unpack the realities of solo parenting, from the exhaustion of long weekends without backup to the sudden disappearance of the afternoon nap. Rob shares his experience holding the fort while his husband took a much-needed retreat to Bali, highlighting the relentless nature of parenting without a moment to hit the gym or unwind. Meanwhile, Marcus navigates the logistics of scheduling family portraits and musical theatre auditions around his 50/50 custody arrangement.

The conversation then turns to the age-old proverb that it takes a village to raise a child. With families spread across the globe, grandparents embracing the grey nomad lifestyle and the traditional community structures of the past evolving, the hosts explore what a modern village actually looks like. From overseas surrogates to the cool dads at daycare, they reflect on the intentional effort required to build a support network today.

Chapters

00:00 The privilege of solo parenting
01:21 Assumptions about dads in public
03:03 Shifting perceptions of fatherhood
04:02 Accepting help as a single parent
05:46 Winning family portrait competitions
08:49 Holding the fort while your partner travels
10:04 Surviving weekends without afternoon naps
12:14 Auditioning for a musical theatre role
13:26 Does it really take a village?
16:26 When your babysitters become grey nomads
18:12 Defining the modern parenting village
20:25 Building a community takes intention
21:41 An international network of surrogates
22:55 What is missing from your village?
24:32 Closing out with a dad joke

What to listen to next

Dads vs The Manosphere | Marc Fennell
Surviving Dad Burnout

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Find us

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Everything else: manofmany.com/podcasts/daddies

Credits
Hosts: Rob Stott and Marcus Hurley
Producer: Amelia Navascues
Videographer: Jordan Yankov
A Man of Many production. New episodes every Thursday.