To the Dads Who Stay, Who Show Up, and Who Do Their Very Best – Happy Father's Day

Let’s hear it for the dads.

The ones who hold it all together, even when it’s falling apart.

The ones quietly researching late into the night, learning everything they can about their child’s condition, because love looks like knowledge when you’re parenting a child with complex needs.

The ones who’ve become expert physios, sleep whisperers, and speech therapy assistants.

The ones who bring humour to the hardest days, who can still make their child belly laugh, even after a sleepless night or a difficult appointment.

Let’s celebrate the dads who advocate just as fiercely as the mums. Who come to the hospital appointments, sit through the EHCP meetings, and ask all the right questions. The ones who push for what their family needs, even when the system makes it near impossible.

Let’s celebrate the dads who stay in the background sometimes, not because they’re less involved, but because they know when to step back and when to step in. The ones who pick up extra shifts, who cook dinner so their partner can breathe, who don’t always get the social media shout-outs, but are quietly holding everything up.

Let’s not forget: parent carers often walk a tightrope between survival and strength. And in many families, dad is the net underneath, ready to catch everyone when it gets too much.

To the stepdads, the grandads, the bonus dads, and father figures; thank you too. Your love counts. Your presence matters.

We see you.

We celebrate you.

And we’re so grateful you’re in this village.

Happy Father’s Day.

From all of us at the Complex Parenting Group.