Ivan Poslon, father of two daughters, openly discusses the insecurities of fatherhood through his profile Tata priča and advocates for equal parenting, with his content followed by more than 50,000 people.
From Osijek comes a voice that is changing the image of fatherhood in Croatia. Ivan Poslon, a master of kinesiology and a thirty-year-old father of two daughters, one aged three and the other six months, has been sharing his parenting challenges for three years through the profile Tata priča on social platforms. His goal is clear: to prove that a father's role goes beyond merely providing income and that men are equally important in everyday upbringing.
His videos and posts are currently followed by 52,000 users on TikTok and 37,000 on Instagram. The project was conceived while his wife Rebeka, the author of the profile Mama priča, was still pregnant and already active on social media.
Poslon does not hide that he was initially overwhelmed by various concerns. "At that time, various questions and insecurities flooded my mind, which I didn't dare share with anyone for fear of being judged. What troubled me most was that I didn't feel that 'movie-like' thrill when I found out I was going to be a dad, even though I was extremely happy," he told SiB.hr.
The turning point came when a friend revealed that she also hadn't bonded with her child before birth, emphasizing that it's completely normal. "That was a huge relief, and it triggered me to start talking publicly so that other dads would know they aren't alone with similar thoughts," he added. He sums up his motivation with the sentence: "If I help one dad, I've done a lot."
Although the content originally targeted fathers, today it is followed by both men and women from all over Croatia, as well as Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and other parts of Europe. "In the Balkans, there's still a mentality that upbringing and children should primarily be the mom's job, and dad is there to bring in the money. However, since the situation is changing, I was convinced there was at least one other dad in my shoes," Ivan explains.
Particularly resonant are the topics that parents often avoid, for instance, living under the same roof with parents, grandparents overstepping boundaries, and everyday small victories and defeats, like the skill of putting a baby down in the crib without waking them.
The central idea Poslon advocates is that it's perfectly fine not to be perfect or fully ready when you become a parent. "I want to show that a father can be a calm and secure figure for a child while openly showing emotions and vulnerability, instead of suppressing them on the principle of 'men don't cry'," he emphasizes. He rejects the division of emotions into good and bad, arguing that both joy and sadness are equally important. "When you tell a child, whether it's a boy or a girl, not to cry, it's the same as not letting them laugh because laughter is bad."
Such views regularly provoke negative reactions as well. He estimates that about half of his followers still think in traditional ways, and some even ask him if he's a mom or a dad. "Although there are more and more parents who are aware and present and want to be different from their own parents, such questions show how much still needs to change in the perception of what fatherhood really means," he points out. He also warns against the wrong assumption that a mother knows everything because she carried and gave birth to the child, even though she is equally confused. "It's easier to leave the children and household to the woman and go to work."
One of the concrete steps that, in his opinion, should be taken is introducing parental leave for fathers of at least six months. "Spending time with your child changes the relationship. For me, for example, my favorite thing is to lie in bed in the evening and cuddle with the kids, and the hardest thing is to stay calm when they try to throw your routine off track," Ivan describes. He honestly admits that after a tiring workday, it's extremely difficult to stay dedicated and present for the kids when your body craves rest.
He sees Osijek as an excellent city for family life. In the summer, he spends time with his daughters in the city's shady parks and on the Promenade, while in winter they choose theater performances. However, he would like the city to have more spacious bike paths suitable for families and more intimate parks and outdoor events.
When it comes to his online presence, Poslon has no plans to slow down. "There's no stopping, just more posting because I see how important it is for people to hear that they aren't alone, and things are changing. Dads are definitely more involved in upbringing than before, but there's still work to be done in raising awareness, so I don't want to stop creating videos," he says.
To fathers who feel disoriented, he advises seeking friends with whom they can openly talk about their worries, even if those friends don't have children. It's equally important to talk with your wife, because both are facing the same problems, and through dialogue and seeing the situation from her perspective, it's easier to find common solutions. In addition to social media posts, Ivan also stands behind the Dadathlon event, a gathering for fathers and children that attracts more families year after year and promotes active quality time together.
