The Dad Cave Podcast

Tony Sharp joins Stephen and Mark in the Dad Cave to talk all about Who Let The Dads Out? – A network of toddler groups just for Dads that was set up by Mark and Tony over twenty years ago.

We talk football and fatherhood with Swansea City Head Coach, Luke Williams. Stephen and Mark do a deep dive into his career to date and unpack the reality of juggling a high-pressure job with being a dad of two young boys.

Motivational speaker and dad of four, James Shone, joins Stephen and Mark in The Dad Cave to talk about how a routine health check in 2012 led to him needing emergency surgery for an advanced brain tumour which left him partially sighted. This experience changed the course of his life, forcing him to give up work to adapt to life with a disability, before going on to start the charity “I Can & I am”.

Stephen and Mark are joined in The Dad Cave by Luke Meates to discuss the realities of facing burnout whilst parenting two young children, and what you can do when life gets a bit too much.

Author Phil Knox returns to The Dad Cave to share with Mark and Stephen how his dad dying unexpectedly 20 years ago has shaped his adult life and impacted his own experiences of becoming a father.

Mark and Stephen are joined by finance expert Simon Martin to discuss living costs, financial pressures and budgeting tips for dads.

Mark and Stephen discuss fatherhood and male friendships as they catch up with author Phil Knox who’s recent book “The best of friends” looks at this all important topic.

Divorce and estrangement are on the rise in today’s society - Christian Sana discusses a childhood with an absent father and how he made the decision to reach out and offer forgiveness.

If you would like to support us in our mission to strengthen family life across the nation, please go to cff.org.uk/give

Dave Gordon is the father of two rising stars in two very different sports; water polo and football! He shares with us what it's like to encourage his sons in their individual passions, and how he sees his role as their dad in nurturing their character as well as their talents.

If you would like to support us in our mission to strengthen family life across the nation, please go to cff.org.uk/give

In this episode of The Dad Cave, Tim shares his own mental health challenges following the difficult birth of his daughter, Hannah.

For more info, visit: www.cff.org.uk  |  To support the work of Care For The Family: www.cff.org.uk/give

Robin Vincent, Chief Executive of Care for the Family, joins Mark and Stephen to talk about his children leaving home and how to let go of our children as they grow into adults.

For more info, visit: www.cff.org.uk  |  To support the work of Care For The Family: www.cff.org.uk/give

Dad of four boys, Andy Packett, is our guest for this episode of The Dad Cave. He joins Mark and Stephen as they look at dads and hobbies, and why cultivating common interests with your children can be a great benefit to family life.

For more info, visit: www.cff.org.uk  |  To support the work of Care For The Family: www.cff.org.uk/give

In this episode, Mark and Stephen are joined by guest Dan O’Connor, as they discuss stay-at-home dads. Dan shares from his own experiences as a stay-at-home dad, when his wife went back to work following the birth of their second daughter. 

For more info, visit: www.cff.org.uk  |  To support the work of Care For The Family: www.cff.org.uk/give

Mark and Stephen are joined by guest Claire Burton, from the Kitchen Table Project, to discuss a dad’s role in the family. They consider whether dads are a ‘support act’ or ‘equal billing’ when it comes to family life.

For more info, visit: www.cff.org.uk  |  To support the work of Care For The Family: www.cff.org.uk/give

In this episode, Mark and Stephen take a look at what it means to be a father in this day and age and discuss the question, ‘Is this a golden age for Dads or is this a time of crisis?’

For more info, visit: www.cff.org.uk  |  To support the work of Care For The Family: www.cff.org.uk/give

Mark and Stephen are joined by Founder and Chairman of Care for the Family, Rob Parsons. They discuss the busyness of life and whether it’s ever possible to get a balance between all those things we have to juggle in life. Rob shares lessons he learned when his children were small and when he had a demanding job as a lawyer, as well as wisdom gathered from over thirty years of working alongside families.

For more info, visit: www.cff.org.uk  |  To support the work of Care For The Family: www.cff.org.uk/give

Talking to a world record holder about dads, father figures, and swimming the English Channel Tom Gregory, the youngest person to ever swim the English Channel is in The Dad Cave. Tom is also the author of A Boy in the Water, winner of the William Hill Sports Book of the Year 2018.

For more info, visit: www.cff.org.uk  |  To support the work of Care For The Family: www.cff.org.uk/give

Only a few months into fatherhood, Dan Ridgeon joins Stephen and Mark as they chat about the overwhelming experience of becoming a dad.

For more info, visit: www.cff.org.uk  |  To support the work of Care For The Family: www.cff.org.uk/give

Rich Muller opens up about how life changed when he became a single dad and talks about the struggles and loneliness of parenting alone.

For more info, visit: www.cff.org.uk  |  To support the work of Care For The Family: www.cff.org.uk/give

In this episode, Mark and Stephen are joined by Adam Hewlett as they talk about what it’s like to be a dad when you struggle with mental health and how our wellbeing affects us in the way we parent our children.

For more info, visit: www.cff.org.uk  |  To support the work of Care For The Family: www.cff.org.uk/give

Dad of two, Oli Proctor, joins Mark and Stephen as they look at what it’s like to be a dad raising adoptive children, the ups and downs of the journey and finding ways to share the adoption story as a family. 

For more info, visit: www.cff.org.uk  |  To support the work of Care For The Family: www.cff.org.uk/give

Mark and Stephen are joined by Ugo Eboh as they discuss what it’s like to be a dad raising kids in a mixed-race family, the importance of talking to our children about race, and celebrating different cultural identities.

For more info, visit: www.cff.org.uk  |  To support the work of Care For The Family: www.cff.org.uk/give