S4E17: The Evolution Of The Daddying Movement (ft. Allan Shedlin)

This episode features a conversation with my guest, Allan Shedlin.

Allan Shedlin has devoted his life's work to improving the odds for children and families. He has three daughters, and five grandchildren, as well as numerous "bonus" sons/daughters and grandchildren. Trained as an educator, Allan has alternated between classroom service, school leadership, parenting coaching, policy development, and advising at the local, state, and national levels. After eight years as an elementary school principal, Allan founded and headed the National Elementary School Center for 10 years. In the 1980s, he began writing about education and parenting for major news outlets and education trade publications, as well as appearing on radio and TV. In 2008, he was honored as a "Living Treasure" by Mothering Magazine and founded REEL Fathers in Santa Fe, NM, where he now serves as president emeritus. In 2017, he founded the DADvocacy Consulting Group. In 2018, he launched the DADDY Wishes Fund and Daddy Appleseed Fund. In 2019, he co-created and began co-facilitating the Armor Down/Daddy Up! and Mommy Up! programs. He has conducted daddying workshops in such diverse settings as Native American pueblos, veterans groups, nursery schools, penitentiaries, Head Start centers, corporate boardrooms, and various elementary schools, signifying the widespread interest in men in becoming the best possible dad. In 2022, Allan founded and co-directed the Daddying Film Festival & Forum to enable students, dads, and other indie filmmakers to use film as a vehicle to communicate the importance of fathers or father figures in each others' lives. Allan earned his elementary and high school diplomas from NYC’s Ethical Culture Schools, BA at Colgate University, MA at Columbia University’s Teachers College, and an ABD at Fordham University. But he considers his D-A-D and GRAND D-A-D the most important “degrees” of all.

In this conversation, we discuss the nature of the evolution of the daddying movement, and highlight the Daddying Film Festival & Forum as a grassroots movement that his helping to push the movement forward.

Contact Allan Shedlin at Dadvocacy Consulting Group.
Read my guest blog post titled, "A Dad's Struggle To Move Beyond Miscarriage"

If you are a male partner looking for support following a loss of pregnancy, or you are with  a male partner who could benefit from support, the Dads & Miscarriage Facebook community is here to help.

As always, thank you for spending part of your week with us!

Theme Music
Dreamweaver by Sound Force
From Premium Beat

Show Music
Breakfast for Dinner by Dr. Delight
Postman Postup by Sam Barsh
From Soundstripe