Many dads feel like they’re ‘falling short’ of what is required to have a successful family. However, brothers-in law who had their own “helpless” experiences with fatherhood helped them set up a startup for parenting.
According to Hank, a couple of fathers felt that many fathers are worried about their ability to raise their children well. They used their personal experiences to create a support company for fatherhood – Hank.
Gregg Stone and Henry King were brothers-in-law. They felt “helpless” when they began a family. Hank was created by Gregg Stone and Henry King last October. It is a place for fathers to share their experiences, but also to get help on being as involved as possible.
Henry King and Gregg Stone, brothers-in-law set up Hank as a support system for dads after they had to overcome the initial challenges of becoming a dad.
Henry felt like he was on the job learning when he had his two sons Leo (above) and Sam (below).
Gregg, Henry and many other new fathers found it difficult to cope with having children. Their daily challenges included a lack of sleep and never ending chaos. They had no other option than to trust their instincts.
Their biggest struggle in becoming dads was their relationship with their children, especially when it started so early.
Henry is a Shepherd’s Bush resident and is also the Young England Kindergarten’s school business manager in Pimlico. According to him, “There’s a common desire to be a good father, to support their family in all possible ways, and to actively participate in the lives of your children. Sometimes dads worry about missing this mark.”
Hank, an acronym for Help, advice, nurture, knowledge, hosts fatherhood-focused events. Expert-led talks range from nutrition and diet, financial planning, and planning your child’s education.
These classes are free to attend or cost a fee. You can tune in online. In true father fashion, they even offer post-session craft beer tasting.
Henry has two children, Sam (six-year-old) and Leo (three-year-old Sam). He said that he and Greg felt helpless in the beginning years of their families.
“We launched Hank after realizing that there wasn’t much support for fathers-to be,” said Hank.
Gregg as well as he were frightened that Gregg would not be able to provide them with the necessary support.
The couple thought about getting children together, but they discovered that there were more help available for mothers than fathers.
Gregg from Battersea owns Arko, an architecture visualisation firm. His words were: “As in life, you don’t know what it is that you don’t know.” As some might lead you to believe, it isn’t all about dirty nappies and tiredness. It is sharing a smile, riding a motorcycle and laughing with others.
“There has been an apparent cultural shift over the past few years, with more people willing to try and looking to improve.
In a written letter, Henry and Gregg wrote to their readers. The couple said that it was like they were learning the ropes – getting by on their instincts, and not having any help from anyone else – when the children were born.
“Every day brings another challenge that you need to be stressed about.”
Hank challenges stereotypes because they recognized the increasing role of fathers today, and have witnessed how their positive contributions to the family are valued. Helping dads is not only about the young years, but also the medium- and long-term.
Henry explained that fathers are now sharing parental responsibilities and that the sessions have helped them identify potential challenges and given them the skills and information they need to overcome them.
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Gregg’s Battersea pub hosted a discussion entitled “How to plan your child’s education”.
These classes allow dads to meet like-minded fathers, and dads-to be who need a break from their busy lives or want expert advice.
Their new company was able to make sure that the sessions were run by experts. Their goal was to get information from trustworthy sources and not just their own.
Classes usually draw between 20-30 dads, so there’s clearly a need! Henry explained that the classes are informal, casual and very relaxed. The possibilities are endless. You’re free to be socially or not. You don’t have to be.
The next Hank session will feature a speaker who is an expert in mental health for dads on April 6.