I'm giving my dad flowers this Father's Day. You should do it too

I gave my dad a bunch of flowers. While it may seem like a small gesture, for me it’s a symbol of change and the start of a movement to challenge outdated ideas about masculinity and encourage dads to receive love and care more openly.

Flowers may not be the most traditional Father’s Day gift, but it’s time we change that. When I gave them to my dad, I was nervous. He is an old-school Caribbean man. He came to the UK in the 60s, worked incredibly hard and never took a day off sick in his life. Flowers aren’t something we’d normally do, and I didn’t know how they’d be received. But that’s exactly the point. As men, we need to be more comfortable with giving and receiving love, care and support.

We hear time and time again of men experiencing loneliness, isolation and poor mental health and the devastating consequences that can have, but many are reluctant to speak out. A Bupa survey found that almost half of all men have experienced poor mental health at some point in their lives, yet research from the Priory Group found that 40% of men have never spoken to anyone about their mental health.

According to the Health Survey for England, one in five men reports feeling lonely at least some of the time. The difficulty is that we’ve created a culture where many men find it easier to give love and care than to accept it. We need to challenge the outdated stereotypes that still exist around masculinity and expression, and there’s no better way to do that than to say it with flowers.

Our campaign is about reminding people that receiving love, care and appreciation doesn’t make you weak; it makes you human. We’re encouraging people to give flowers this Father’s Day and share photos and posts on social media to help normalise it. It isn’t just about the gift; it’s saying I see you, appreciate you and you matter. It reminds us that affection, love and care are important for everyone.

While it won't change everything overnight, one small change like this can make a big difference. It’s a small act of appreciation, connection and recognition, and we know that those small gestures can really change how someone is feeling and might just be what they need to open up and talk.

Loneliness isn't just about being alone. It's also about feeling unseen, unappreciated or disconnected. Many men have been taught to be providers, protectors, and problem-solvers, but not always how to ask for or receive support. Strong men need friendship. Strong men need connection. Strong men need support. And yes, strong men need flowers too.

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Elliot Rae is the Founder of Parenting Out Loud.

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