My Dad's Got Mojo Interview

My Dad's got Mojo

Your partner is a good dad right? He loves his kids and works hard, but the question is - is he a great dad? The greatest, uttermost 'mojo' filled dad there is?

Does he encourage his kids to get creative, to discover things, to play, to chat? Does he really listen to them? Or is he always distracted with 'urgent matters' and spend a lot of his family time on the blackberry or laptop. If this sounds familiar then he might have lost his mojo, and this book is the very tool to bring it back.

Many fathers would feel that they do spend adequate amount of time with their kids. They take them to the park, watch them play and are there with them every night at the dinner table. But how much of this time is actually quality time? At the park is dad involved in playing or is he on his mobile phone? When the kids show him their drawing or school work, does he actually look or just say 'That's great.'

My Dad's Got Mojo is the only book for regular guys who want to raise healthier, happier and more creative children. It gives practical advice, and delivers its content in a light hearted way.

Gary Bertwistle, himself a dad, was inundated with requests from fathers around the world wanting more information on Mojo parenting, so he decided to write a little orange book full of stories, tips and tools to inspire dads on to greatness. It was a book about 'dad development' rather than 'child development' and showed fathers how to set the right tone, example and environment for their kids to give them the very best introduction to life.

Gary Bertwistle is the best-selling author of The Keys to Creativity in 2006, Who Stole My Mojo? and What Made You Think of That? Gary spent almost 10 years with Australia's largest radio network, Austereo. During his last 3 years at Austereo he was the Group General Manager for Promotions and Marketing. In 1997, Gary founded Blue Moon Creative (which changed its name to Gary Bertwistle holdings in 2007) and has been working on the speaking circuit, talking to audiences about creative thinking, innovation, problem solving, branding, performance and learning.

My Dad's got Mojo
Wrightbooks
Author: Gary Bertwistle
ISBN: 9781742469546
Price: $29.95

Interview with Gary Bertwistle

Were you surprised to find that working Dads spent as little has half an hour with their kids during the week?

Gary Bertwistle: No, it was no great surprise. You only have to look at how Dads in corporate Australia run their day and their lives to see that unfortunately most Dads aren't making their children the priority that they talk about. At the moment there is a big difference between what is being said and what is being done. Many dads talk about their children being their highest priority and their family coming first but when it comes down to it there are many distractions including their telephone, laptop, meetings and many forms of mobile communication. Dads say their children are a high priority but they're not taking action to make them the highest priority.


What do you suggest is adequate time for a father to spend with his children, on a week night?

Gary Bertwistle: It's a very subjective question. There has been a lot written about the fact that it is not about how much time a Dad spends with their kids but it's more a quality of time they spend. I think it's hard to say what a quantifiable amount of time should be. Due to the stressors of life, Dad might find that due to circumstances he has a half an hour with his kids but if it's a quality half hour with the Dad sitting on the floor, eye to eye with his kids fully engaged in every word, movement and noise they make, then that's time well spent. I know Dads who get home early from work and would spend 3 or 4 hours with their kids, the problem is they are in the house but not with their kids. The number of Dads that approach me during speeches just to say that I had actually rung the bell for them to make them appreciate the fact that although they are at home, they are not actually with their kids. There is no set amount of time for a dad to spend with his kids, the more important thing is that a Dad does spend time with his kids and not just in the same house.

Why do you think fathers spend less and less time with their children, as they children grow up? How can fathers prevent this?

Gary Bertwistle: I am sure there is medical or psychological evidence to support this but my street level version would be that as children take on their own interests the dads don't follow those interests and make the effort to get involved. When kids are young and at Kindergarten it's easy to be involved but as children start developing their own likes and attitudes Dads need to make a bigger effort to show genuine interest, learn more about what the kids are into and find out how they can take part. I don't necessarily agree with this question in that I know many Dads who spend their whole weekend with their children, going to different sporting and cultural events all in order to be around their kids. Once again this is a subjective question and I hope that it's the minority not the majority.


Who do you suggest reads My Dad's Got Mojo?

Gary Bertwistle: Any Dad who wants to be better. The book was written for the good, the bad and the ugly with every Dad in mind. The problem is there are no books that talk with Dad rather than at them. This book was written for Dads with Dads in mind as a guide to provoke one little spark of a concept that may help them go from being a good Dad to an outstanding Dad. It is written for any Dad who wants to be better. It's for any Dad who is not satisfied with being a good Dad, who wants to get better is every aspect of what he does and he just wants someone to talk with him about what things he could consider in order to move up the ladder in his child's mind to become the best dad ever.


What will My Dad's Got Mojo help teach those readers?

Gary Bertwistle: This book is full of useable, practical and simple to use tips and tools for being the best Dad ever. Easy to read and very user friendly My Dads Got Mojo is the handbook that talks with Dads about being a fantastic Dad and being a star in the eyes of our children. It's not a book about kids, it's a book about Dads. From Dads understanding how to communicate better with their children, how to unlock their imagination, develop their creativity and basically do what we can as Dads to develop happier, healthier and more creative kids who think that we are the best Dad ever.