Ed Cole left a lasting legacy teaching men how to maximise their manhood and put their families first, accepting that fatherhood was their primary responsibility. Isn’t it an awesome privilege to be a father? When you witness the birth of your first child, it truly is a humbling experience. Unfortunately, no one hands you a manual to help you. That is why it is so important for us as fathers to ...

An inventive dad from the UK is using an FV106 Samson tank as the family car. Father-of-three Gary Freeland purchased the armoured recovery and reconnaissance vehicle for £20,000. Ever since, the light track FV106 has been the family’s favourite errand runabout. He told The Sun, “The tank is the best way to get the kids to go somewhere. They can’t wait to help me with the shopping when they know I ...

Our culture pressures us to keep working and consuming. It takes a conscious effort to step back, take a breather and re-prioritise, but doing so is really worth it for good health and peace of mind. “We have more ‘things per person’ than any other nation in history. Closets are full, storage space is used up, and cars can’t fit into garages, having first imprisoned us with debt. Possessions then take ...

Deciding to home-school can feel like a massive undertaking, but it is worth it. Here are some gems from a father’s firsthand experience. As the primary educators of their children, stable parents are best-placed to form their offspring, and have access to many resources today. Merriam-Webster’s base definition for homeschooling is “to teach one’s child at home.” Whether you’re a parent who is new to homeschooling or you’re a parent against ...

As fathers, we will leave a legacy for our children, whether good or ill. Start working on your legacy today, that your children may have a brighter tomorrow. I can remember, as if it were yesterday, the last day I spent with my Dad. We had an enjoyable day together meeting with business leaders in the Sydney CBD. Three days later, the police knocked on my door to notify me of ...

It was 12:00am on Sunday, the 1st of September — Father’s Day, to be precise. There I was, frantically gathering clothes and bits ‘n’ pieces according to my wife’s somewhat disjointed instruction.  She was roaming about the house with a hot wheat sack across her rather overgrown abdomen. I couldn’t believe it. Had the moment finally arrived? After nine — closer to ten long months, was I finally going to be ...

“It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there’s no knowing where you might be swept off to.” These are the inspirational words of Bilbo Baggins in The Lord of the Rings, written by J.R.R. Tolkien. The fact that Tolkien was one of the biggest-selling adventure authors of all time with 150 million copies sold gives extra credence ...

Why does it seem so hard sometimes to have peace in the house? I have struggled many times over this. We pray every day, try to organise the day and set the course — that is, we the parents. As a father, the head of the household, I should be steering the ship on the course I think we are going — why do we hit so many rocks? We used ...

Believe it or not, any victory for mothers is also a victory for fathers, and ultimately for children. Sall Dover, a new young mother, after protesting on Twitter about the forced use of the Orwellian phrase “birthing parent”, has scored a victory for motherhood. It takes a man and a woman to create a child, and a mother and a father to raise a child. All the social science research shows ...

Keeping the flame of love alive in your marriage through the years, is the best gift you can give your children — a daily example of how to cherish their mother, no matter what life brings. “It will never happen to me”; “No way — too much fun to have”; “Hey boys, did you hear about Johnno getting hitched? (cue gasps of shock and unbelief)… he’s mad.” Who can remember as ...

Apparently, fear is a great motivator. To change a behaviour, people will try to move away from or avoid a fear. People will also change their behaviour when motivated by moving toward an incentive; however, it is fear that is running with me. I have ticked off some crazy mountain climbs that dulled my fear of scaling peaks. I overcame the dreaded apprehension of separation. Through school and beyond I gradually ...

Jordan Peterson issues a fresh challenge to men, to follow their highest impulses and become the strong husbands and fathers they are meant to be; to find and fulfil their purpose in life, in service to the community and the world. I first wrote about Jordan Peterson on 18 February 2018 after his breakthrough interview with Kathy Newman about his new book, 12 Rules for Life. That interview reached 7 million ...

Who remembers the days of youthful enthusiasm, going to the gym with your mates, endless levels of energy bursting at the seams? Perhaps for the fortunate ones, those days still abound. I recall as a young teenager heading off to the gym, board shorts and singlet — the singlet was a pre-requisite: showed off the muscle definition (or lack thereof in my case) — and water bottle in hand, ready for ...

May this list of brilliant homeschooled scientists, mathematicians, inventors, writers, poets, musicians, sporting greats and politicians throughout the centuries serve to inspire parents to take the plunge into home education. Homeschooling is parent-facilitated education. Gandhi once said, “There is no school equal to a decent home and no teacher equal to a virtuous parent.” His words epitomise the power, beauty, and duty attached to the vocation of home education. From hands-on ...

Fatherhood is a journey full of unforeseeable developments, but if you gather like-minded friends around you who can provide support along the way, and practise humility while learning how to best love and care for your family, you can triumph over the challenges which come your way. “Life is strange with its twists and turns”, is a quote from a famous poem written in 1921 called ‘Don’t Quit’ by Edgar A ...

Remember when that song first came out, Butterfly Kisses — the one about the father watching his daughter growing up? How soon the days, the months, and the years go by. My daughter is approaching 10 years old (going on 19). It seems just like yesterday I was kissing my daughter goodbye on her first day of kindergarten. My baby girl is growing up, and I don’t like it! Independence One ...

We may become overwhelmed by our family responsibilities and job expectations. Recall the adage that less is more, and prioritise your main role, in which you cannot be replaced. “You can’t have it all,” used to be a saying to describe women juggling careers and motherhood. Mothers are caught in the conundrum of trying to be present for their children while having a successful career, all at the same time. It ...

I have warm memories of my Dad telling my brother and me stories, each night before we went to sleep. Stories of adventures in faraway lands, strange encounters with tigers and black panthers in the wild jungle. True life snake stories (my favourite) and stories about stockmen and horses in the Australian outback. These stories were always riveting and greatly encouraging. Looking back, I realise that the reason they were ‘warm’ ...

Thoughts have been running through my head about what makes a dad and what makes a father. It isn’t enough for me to sit still on such immense questions. I have even steered some of my dad-mates into the banter with a genuine desire to land a correct answer. “Dad” or “Father”? To me, there is a heartfelt warmth to being a dad. Father sounds more formal, somewhat elusive and too-busy-for-play ...

Recently, I was able to catch the 2021 comedy-drama "Fatherhood", starring the irrepressible Kevin Hart of "Jumanji" fame. The film centres on single dad Matt Logelin, left alone with his baby daughter Maddy after Matt’s wife Liz unexpectedly dies following childbirth. It is based on a true story