Dads of Disability, by Gary Dietz

 Title: Dads of Disability

Publisher: Gary M. Dietz

Date: April 15, 2014

Paperback: 248 pages

Language: English





 A touching heartfelt book filled with stories and poems that will tug at your heart strings and make you realize how strong an individual is and just how wonderful all children can become.

The minute I picked this book up, I couldn't put it down. I remember receiving it in the mail and wondering if it was going to be as good as the description. I was wrong. It wasn't as good as the description, it was better.

The great thing about Dads of Disability is that most of it is from a father's perspective. Being a mother, I was able to go out there and find a plethora of books for moms with children, but there aren't too many out there for fathers. Even though this one is based on children with disabilities, it can still help fathers have an understanding of what other men feel like and are experiencing.

Just to give you an idea of what the stories are like, I have picked a couple of my favorite to share. My first one, ironically being the first one in the book, is about a first time father who had to be there for his son alone, due to the fact that his wife had major surgery. To hear a father's perspective on taking care of a newborn is amazing. The fact that he was the one who had to do the skin to skin contact and how much he loved it, showed a softer side that most people don't get to see in men.

Another story that set with me is about a father who was in the Marines. He had a "Man up" attitude toward his son who has a couple of disorders. He had to realize that his son had to be treated with a softer touch and not his typical "hard knocks" way of thinking. Reading how he had to get to this realization, was awe inspiring.

The third story that set with me is from a woman's perspective on how she assumed her husband felt or even knew how to take care of their children. They, their daughters, both have sensitivity issues and her husband would always tell her to leave them alone. Let them come to you. She always assumed he didn't know what he was talking about. She was the one who carried them. She had them. She knew how to take care of them. Come to find out, through it all, his advice was the best. He knew and understood their children better than she had assumed. Even though he is the man, doesn't mean that he doesn't have the same understanding, caring and nurturing feelings that a mother has.

Dads of Disability is a book that everyone can learn from. Whether you have a child with a disability or not, you will find this book to be a really great read.

This book was given to me by the author in exchange for my honest review.