He grew up wondering why his dad left.
Now, as a father himself, Eldred is trying to become the dad he never had.

In this Father’s Day special of In mOther Words, Steph sits down with Eldred for a deeply honest conversation about fatherhood, father absence, provider pressure, emotional shutdown, and the family patterns we quietly carry into parenting.

Eldred shares what it was like growing up after his father left, watching his mother carry four children, and becoming the eldest son who had to grow up too quickly.

Now a father to Eden, he reflects on what it means to show up differently. Not just by providing. Not just by building a future. But by being present, emotionally honest, and willing to heal the parts of himself he does not want to pass down.

This episode is not about blaming fathers. It is about asking what fathers carry, what mothers absorb, what children internalize, and how one generation can choose to stop handing the wound down.

“No amount of money can buy my time with you.”

In this conversation, we explore:

• Growing up without a father figure
• What father absence can do to a child
• The emotional weight mothers carry after separation
• Provider pressure and the guilt of not doing enough
• The fear of repeating your parents’ mistakes
• Why some fathers shut down emotionally
• The question: “Am I worthy of rest?”
• Intergenerational trauma and healing before parenting
• What it means to be emotionally present as a dad
• Becoming the parent you once needed
• A father’s message to his son

This episode is for you if:

• You grew up with an emotionally absent parent
• You are a mother carrying more than people see
• You are a father trying to show up differently
• You are a parent trying to break generational patterns
• You have ever wondered what your childhood is teaching your parenting
• You are learning that presence is not the same as provision

Join the conversation

What is one thing you wish your father, your partner, or the father of your child knew how to say?

We’d love to hear your reflections.

Instagram: @inmotherwordsofficial @dredwee
Watch on YouTube! https://youtu.be/DQXqV4JAJLI

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