This diagnosis has caused us to reflect not just on our wedding vows, but also on the words we say to each other every day. Do we still say: I choose us?

Without spending intentional, quality time with each other, we quickly get out of sync. When we do, our patience wears thin, our tones get harsh, and bickering over small things increases. The speed at which disconnect can occur always shocks me. 

by Assal Habibi  Observing a pianist at a recital – converting musical notations into precisely timed finger movements on a piano – can be a powerful emotional experience. As a researcher of neuroscience and a pianist myself, I understand that the mastering of this skill not only takes practice, but also requires complex coordination of many different brain regions. Brain regions – that are responsible for our hearing, sight and movement ...

by Bill Muehlenberg Fatherlessness is a growing problem in the Western world. Whether caused by divorce and broken families, or by deliberate single parenting, more and more children grow up in Australia without fathers. Concerned groups have argued that a mother and father are crucial in the raising of children. Father absence has been shown to be detrimental to the well being of children. The following is a summary of the evidence for ...

by Rachael Ward New dad Matt Carter knew something wasn’t quite right when he suddenly became overwhelmed with sadness as soon as his two babies started crying. From there it just snowballed. He experienced several breakdowns before finally telling a maternal and child health nurse he was struggling. The now father of three was eventually diagnosed with postnatal depression, a condition he didn’t even know could impact men, as it is ...

by Dan Hart As the US celebrated Father’s Day recently, two recent studies confirm that fathers play a central role in the mental health and behaviour of their children. In a report that compared dozens of studies conducted between 1987 and 2022, the America First Policy Institute (AFPI) found “clear correlations between children raised in fatherless homes and developmental challenges ranging from bad grades, anxiety, and suicide to violent behaviour, drug ...

As a parent, I make a lot of mistakes. But my kids are gracious to forgive if I’m humble enough to admit my mistakes. Canadian-born Hollywood actress Mary Pickford said: You may make mistakes, but you are not a failure until you start blaming someone else. My Sad Brag – I’ve Made More Mistakes Than You If you’re a parent, you have made more mistakes than you know. Don’t you feel ...

This week a television crew from the Japanese public broadcaster came to Sydney to interview family law specialist Justin Dowd, a former President of the NSW Law Society. Japan is considering a move away from mum-custody towards “joint parental authority” — which recognises that it’s in the best interests of children to have both mum and dad remain involved in their care. The Japanese crew came to Australia because they acknowledge ...

Australian mateship is a cornerstone of our culture, but an increasing number of Australia men say they’re lonely. A new app aims to bring them back together. January 2023: Whether it’s used to describe friends who are always free for a beer or soldiers on the battlefield, the term ‘mateship’ is a symbol of unconditional support, especially when times are challenging. But, there’s a gap between the iconic idea of mateship ...

By Bettina Arndt — The Sydney Morning Herald, April 28, 2014 A belief that children under three should not stay overnight with their separated or divorced father has underpinned our family law system for years. Has it all been a mistake? Bettina Arndt reports. Editor’s Note: Little has changed in the last ten years. Now, more than ever, changes are needed in Australia’s family law system. Across Australia, fathers are being ...

New research validates age-old wisdom: the simple habit of gratitude can transform a jaded marriage into a joyous encounter. By Marilyn Rodrigues A University of North Carolina study highlighted the association of gratitude with a happy marriage. Cameron Gordon, the study’s lead author, said that the goodwill generated by grateful spouses creates a “reciprocal feedback loop” of marital harmony, helping spouses to view their interactions even on bad days in a ...

There’s a temptation to focus on the joy and wonder of birth and the bond between a young baby and its mother. But it’s undeniable that the experience for dads is inherently different, whether it’s pregnancy, birth, taking care of a tiny infant, or parenting a toddler, youth, tween, and teen. Two Mindsets After decades of our society striving towards gender equality, I still see that men and women approach parenting ...

While much in the way of traditional gender roles has shifted in modern times, most women I know still want a man who can be the rock in the relationship. But just what does being the rock entail? I asked this question in the Community, and this is what a few of the men had to say: Jamie said: “To me, that means being mature, guided by reason and my family’s best ...

Australian Bureau of Statistics reveals men and women equally likely to experience emotional abuse. One in Three Campaign “Wednesday’s new ABS report revealed that, in the 12 months prior to the 2016 Personal Safety Survey, women and men were just as likely to report experiencing emotional abuse by a partner — otherwise known as coercive control,” says Greg Andresen, Senior Researcher with the One in Three Campaign, Australia’s national campaign to ...

Homeschooling has enriched this family’s life, reducing stress and creating room for personal flourishing. My name is Heidi; my husband Ben and I are currently on a homeschool journey with our three children aged 7, 10 and 12. I am a qualified teacher and I was teaching casually at the school that my three children attended until late 2021. My husband and I decided that our lives needed to change; we ...

Editor’s Note: Last weekend, Tony Miller attended the Dads4Kids Men’s Leadership Summit, where he was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his lifetime service and sacrifice for the men, families, and children of Australia. See the photo above. He did not know it was coming. It was our secret. He was happily surprised. Tony’s 27-year-old son Cassidy Miller had encouraged him to come. We are so glad he did. ...

Editorial Note: Songs capture moments and sometimes the moments live on. ‘Love is a Battlefield’ is such a song from the eighties that people still sing today and for good reason. The truth hurts and the truth heals. Listen if you dare. ~~~ We are young, heartache to heartache we stand No promises, no demands Love is a battlefield We are strong, no one can tell us we’re wrong Searchin’ our ...

Editor’s Note: This great article by Josephine Agostino from Kidspot, hosted by News.com.au, is reprinted here as a service to the many single parents who are robbed of their children and their rights as parents. ___ “The only pictures I’ve seen of my kids in that time are on their school reports… I don’t even know where they live. Sadly, I am resigned to the fact I will never have a ...

After a divorce, both the mother and the father become single parents. The default assumption in society is that the mother takes on the bulk of the parenting, but our children deserve both parents in their lives as far as possible. Sitting at my desk on Monday morning, I open up my inbox and there I find waiting for me is the Dads4Kids/Fatherhood Foundation newsletter. “You beauty,” I think to myself, ...

Editor’s Note: We had a chat with Leith Erickson, founder of the Australian Brotherhood of Fathers, this week and offered to help bring awareness to some of their exciting projects, to support the cause of single fathers. Please find below a thrilling project we believe worthy of your consideration. ___ Photographer Stephen Walton of Sydney has been following the suicide awareness campaign #21fathers since its release. Failing System Stephen contacted the ...