Verity @mummasparks talks about one of her favourite Father's Day designs for 2019

As part of our new Father's Day collection, among the new designs that we included was our Strong Dad's Club T-Shirt. We have received some wonderful feedback about this design from our customers and I am so pleased it's become one of our most popular gifts because the meaning behind it really means so much to me personally. I am lucky enough to have two strong Dads in my life today. When I think about their unique strengths as positive fatherhood role models, it's no surprise where the inspiration came from.

More than a Step-Dad

My parents divorced when I was very young and I no longer have a relationship with my father. In fact, Mum and I grew only closer in the years that followed. But when my Stepfather Jon, entered our lives when I was 12, he took on the role of Dad so easily and so naturally that it felt as if he had always been there from the start. Jon was married before he met my Mum and was already a Father, with 3 children of his own but that didn't stop him from making me feel included in the new shape our family had taken. Because he and Mum went out of their way to make sure we shared new experiences together, and because he made sure I knew I could look to him whenever I needed anything, I always felt valued as an equal to his own children. Since becoming a parent myself, I feel I am able to appreciate this even more and as far as my Daughter Tilly is concerned, Jon will always be her Grampy.

An equal partnership

My husband Lex and I split our responsibilities as parents right down the middle. I know that's easier said than done because more often than not in any family, one parent usually ends up taking on the majority of the parenting. But in our case, I honestly think we have it as close to 50-50 as we can possibly get it. When we decided to start a family, I was already a co-director in the family business I shared with Mum. At this point, Lex was working elsewhere but as we began to look at how we might change things in the future to meet all of our needs it eventually became obvious. The best way to make it all work was for Lex to come into the business in a role that suited his personal strengths and that's when he began developing and overseeing the company website. By the time Tilly arrived, we'd agreed to split our time between each caring for her and being at work. With additional childcare help from Mum, we were also able to make sure that we had time together both at work and at home. The benefits of this have been so wonderful. Tilly has been able to spend quality time with both of us consistently over the past four years and neither of us have missed out on seeing her reach her milestones along the way. With Lex being so keen on sports, she's had plenty of time outdoors and has been able to learn new development skills from him that I may not have been so good at, like throwing and catching. Even with her starting school this September, we plan to carry on sharing our work and parenting duties equally and I am excited to see what this next chapter of our life as a family holds.

There are so many things that make a Strong Dad. Each has his own special something, that makes him invaluable to the ones he loves. As we head towards this Father's Day, I'd love to know what makes your special Dad so strong for you and your family.

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