I am very aware that this can be a difficult day for many and, if this is you, my thoughts are with you . My son has just given his dad the card and presents, wished him a Happy Father’s Day and then they both went off to do their own thing. This interaction is never quite how I would hope (filled with  and ) but I have to remind myself that is what I want and not what they are! They love each other dearly but it can be a rocky ride at times. My own family dynamic can sometimes create challenges, frustration and friction between myself and my partner. I end up doing the lion’s share of the work around the SEN journey while he takes a back seat and lets me get on with it. I often feel resentment about this, but I do have to remind myself that, however hard I find it, he also struggles too but in a different way. I am also somewhat of a force when it comes to my son, so I have to be conscious of that too! I remember reading something recently that really hit home for me. It went something like this: Traditionally, a father’s role in parenting has been to prepare a child for adulthood, teach them life skills and get them ready for ‘the real world’. A mum might take more of a role with supporting, nurturing and helping with emotional development. (Please don’t berate me for being in any way sexist – there is a long evolution of these roles and they are changing, but it has been this way for a long time and change does not happen overnight.) For some SEN children, the preparation for adulthood may need to take a backseat and they may need more nurturing, emotional support and parenting in a way that has traditionally been the role of a mum. So, this can lead to a dad feeling a little bit lost, redundant and rejected. I am painfully aware of this in my own situation. Sometimes (but not always), dads might struggle more than mums with being a parent of a child with special educational needs (SEN) due to several factors: These factors, combined with the unique pressures of each family’s situation, can contribute to why dads might, in some situations, find it challenging in these circumstances. DISCLAIMER: This does not apply to everyone. This is meant in the nicest way possible and is not at all about blame or in any way being derogatory about dads! It’s just some people’s reality and important to acknowledge.