Fatherhood by Papa B: A Game-changing Guide for Parents, Father Figures and Fathers-to-be

by Bode Aboderin

A relatable and game-changing guide for parents that redefines what it means to be a present-day father. 

Father-of-three, motivational speaker and influencer Bodé Aboderin (AKA Papa B) is on a mission to show the world that Black fatherhood is not only compatible with ambition, but can inspire, nourish and amplify it too. 

Papa B is using his natural flair for motivational speech to share the joyful and transformative journey of starting a family, including the challenges involved and the opportunities to grow along the way. In this passionate parenting book for dads, Bodé reflects on how his own upbringing, alongside stigmas about fatherhood, race, and masculinity, have impacted his experiences of being a father, whilst talking candidly about how to overcome the challenges commonly experienced by parents - from breaking generational cycles and adapting to modern-day family dynamics to communicating with your child and achieving a healthy work-life balance. Fatherhood by Papa B teaches all fathers everywhere to be empowered. 

Explore the pages of this parenting guide to

- 10 chapters that discuss what it means to be a father today 
- A specific focus on shifting the narrative away from stigmas and stereotypes about fatherhood, race, and masculinity.

Fatherhood by Papa B addresses fatherhood in such a way that is hard-working, practical and incredibly down-to-earth. A must-have volume for all parents, father figures and fathers-to-be, Fatherhood by Papa B is set out to exemplify what many studies have that involved fatherhood can also improve a man’s cognitive skills, health and capacity for empathy, whilst building confidence, self-esteem and enhancing emotional regulation and expression. This brilliant book looks at how a father’s own upbringing and well-being can impact and revolutionize the relationship with their child.

Genres: Parenting

224 pages, Hardcover

Published August 23, 2022

Reviews

[Jo The Black Bookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Papa B, also known as Bodé & husband to author & fashion slayer - Candice Brathwaite.  I was not surprised when I heard that Bodé was embarking upon his own writing journey, something told me it would happen & the results *chefs kiss*.

“Fatherhood”, is essentially a guide to navigating fatherhood. Bodé breaks down Fatherhood into 10 relatable topics; Origins; Relationships; Masculinity; Fathering; Child Development; Gender; Discipline; Finances; Work-life balance; and the power of spirituality & support groups.  But what sets “Fatherhood” apart from the generic guides, (which are heavily, & sometimes unnecessarily directed by tons of research), is in Bodé’s vulnerability in acknowledging his past, and his ability to use his past to redefine his own version of masculinity and fatherhood.

I suppose we all have an idea of what fatherhood be, but Bodé probes into the why. Why do we have these beliefs in Fatherhood?  Why do we expect men to go back to work 2 weeks after the baby is born?  Why don’t men want to cook and clean? Why do they feel emasculated when femininity is called into question, if in fact feminine energy is present in us all irrespective of gender?

My favourite parts about “Fatherhood” were the intimate moments of reckoning between Bodé & his father.  I shed a little tear (I lie - it was a few), when Bodé’s father realised that through the generational trauma inflicted on Bodé, he had failed his son.  His preoccupation of fulfilling a toxic parenting style had consequently pushed his son away from him, when all that was required was unconditional love.

If you are considering having kids, I would really love for you & your partner to read this guide together to ensure that your future children will be nurtured in the best way possible. Similarly, if you already have children, please take some time to consider your parenting & views on masculinity.  Men, being a father is not about being a dominant all knowing alpha male.

And women, support your men in becoming the best versions of themselves and the best father’s they can be.

@iam_papab thank you for your contribution on fatherhood, this was such a pleasure to read 🥹

A non-fic must read!

[Malachi]

I feel like this book would have really benefited from a better editor. Things like the page layout, etc, were poor decisions from an aesthetic standpoint but also as a reader they would break up the flow of the writing in a way that was really unintuitive. It seems like the publisher knew the book was a too short to publish as a full book, but wanted to, but didn’t want to spend the money for, say, illustrations, so instead we got weird block quotes that took up two pages.

The content is good, not groundbreaking, but it’s always nice to see a man thinking through his relationship with his father, and with inter generational trauma. A bit repetitive in places (it makes sense that the author is a motivational speaker, it has the feel of a ted talk or something) but if you are new to the concepts the author lays them out well, and is very relatable and approachable in his writing. Really refreshing compared to the last book on fatherhood that I read, which was super misogynistic.

[Paul Hummer]

This book mostly confirmed my priors, which means I'm not sure it was a good book or if it just told me what I wanted to hear. I appreciated that it read more as a memoir than as a parenting book, in the "here's how I stumbled my way to this advice." Still, there wasn't much that I hadn't already thought a lot about and, as a result, didn't really challenge my worldview much. That's more about me than it is about the book, though, so it's hard to recommend/not recommend it.

[Aima · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a Nigerian, this was so affirming to see that there are Nigerian fathers who reason like this and will admit their wrongdoings, do the work, and actually try and lead a life that is impactful towards their children/ partners. I was so shocked; but I have is much respect for Bode for throwing up big question marks around masculinity and all we know about it. EVERYONE NEEDS TO READ THIS

[Brad Loeffler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not at all a roadmap or a new set of guidelines. Just a guy chatting about being a dad, like you two are the only ones in the room. And I appreciate that.

[Ruby Lulham · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice easy read, and a relaxed account of someone’s experience as a man and as a father. I wouldn’t call it “a game-changing guide” exactly, but the content is great and made me and my partner think about our parents and the way we intend to parent.