Navigating Father’s Day Without a Father

With Father’s Day around the corner, I think about the little ones who may not have a “father” to celebrate. Maybe their family just does not have a dad, maybe they lost their dad; there are a multitude of reasons why a family may not celebrate Father’s Day, or celebrate differently with different kinds of preschool activities. Here are some helpful parenting tips for families looking for alternatives to traditional Father’s Day festivities.

Answering Questions

With traditional holidays come questions like “where is my dad?” “why don’t I have a dad?” and so on. Based on your situation and your little one’s age, be gentle, open, and present. These can be hard questions for grown-ups too! If you know these questions are coming, be prepared and create a space that not only feels safe for your little ones to ask them, but also feels safe for you to answer them. It can be a cozy spot on the couch or in their room while playing a game. Answer to the best of your ability, and always remind them that they can come to you if they want to talk more. For additional parenting tips on talking about hard topics with your little ones, click HERE.

Other Father-Figures

Does your little one have any other father-figures in their life? Encourage your little one to think about the important people in their life who take care of them: grandparents, uncles, aunts, babysitters, or any other caretakers. As a bonus preschool activity, your little one can make cards or gifts for the people they want to thank and celebrate!

Reclaim the Day

If Father’s Day is something you are looking to avoid altogether, then our parenting tip is to completely reimagine the holiday! Plan something special with the whole family — maybe everyone gets to pick one activity and that can create the itinerary for the day, or maybe you go out to the park for a picnic or fill your day with a ton of DIY preschool activities — it can be anything because it’s your family’s day! Create a new family tradition to teach and practice gratitude for the incredibly special family you are a part of, and reassure your little one that they are loved and valued no matter what their family looks like.

I have a friend who lost their dad when we were 16, and I always try to remember to reach out on Father’s Day to let them know I’m thinking of them. It’s so important to remind your little ones, as well as your friends who find this holiday a difficult one to celebrate, how much they are loved. At the end of the day, our best parenting tip is to remind you that feeling love from our family and friends is what these holidays are all about!