Name:  Brandon Hay

Age: 37

Occupation: Founder of Black Daddies Club & Training Manager at Building Up

How many children do you have?

Three

How old were you when you first became a father?

21

How would you rank your relationship with your father?

3 out of 5

Briefly describe the relationship with your father.

My relationship father was good, we started to have a stronger relationship later on in life. I migrated from Jamaica at the age of 10, and moved to Canada, My father lived in Jamaica, and it wasn't until I was older (around 16) my father and I had a deeper relationship. I was one of seven children for my father, who mostly were with different mothers, so there was the challenge he faced in terms of trying to carve out time to spend with each of us.

How has this shaped the relationship with your children?

My relationship with my father has helped me shape my relationship with my three kids by motivating me to be more engaged in their lives. Trying my best to have an open dialogue with them around various different topics such as dating, Black masculinity, gender, amongst other things. More importantly, I try to let my kids see that I also have flaws as a human being and that they are loved by me and their mother.

What do you enjoy the most about being a dad?

The motivation of being a father, as well as how much they keep me humble and have given further purpose to my life.