“For an increasing number of long-term marriages, it’s no longer a case of ‘until death do us part,’ it’s a matter of until the children depart from the family nest,” writes Rachel Browne in a Sydney Morning Herald article, “Parents wait until children go, then do the same thing.” Suddenly finding your busy life full of activities attached to children, and a home in a constant state of noise, and endless ...

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 ...

As someone who has been through the very difficult travails of divorce and undertaken various versions of shared care over the past 15 years, I understand all too well the confusion, stress and sadness these difficult travails bring with them. I have, however, learned a few things along the way that I hope might be of benefit to those fellow travellers who are about to, or are, experiencing similar life experiences. ...

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 ...

Here is a more in-depth look into over twenty people who benefitted from being homeschooled. The flexibility and depth of home education can help your children go far in life, in pursuit of their passions. For a centuries-old tradition, homeschooling is still trending. Before, and into the 20th Century, the number of successful women who were homeschooled isn’t surprising. Often lamented in many an autobiography is how formal education prioritised teaching ...

A concerned mother reflects on how she can best protect her young sons from the lure of internet pornography. I don’t have a blueprint for this brave new online world, where just typing ‘breastfeeding’ into a search engine produces a minefield of lurid possibilities. Steve Biddulph, author of Raising Boys and Raising Girls, wrote an article in the Sydney Morning Herald that really resonated with me. He highlighted the fact that ...

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 ...

“How was your day?” It’s one of the most common questions couples ask each other and either leads to a dead-end response like, “fine” or “busy” (which usually means “I don’t want to talk about it”), or a long-winded description of meetings, frustrations, errands and other ‘busy’ stuff. It’s what we call a ‘data transfer’ conversation. Such exchanges are important for coordinating our lives and avoiding unnecessary misunderstandings, but they don’t ...

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 ...

It started with an alarm I forgot to set the night before. That meant I was awoken unceremoniously by my little boy precisely half an hour late. Of course, this was the day I had a 9 am deadline and an 8.45 am start at playgroup (where I help set up). Flinging clothes in the general direction of two wriggling bodies, I managed to get the boys dressed between ‘computer stops,’ ...

I was asked to share some of my experiences of being a dad. The only reason that I am doing so is that I was the first to say “yes” to the invitation. Your story is as unique as mine. Your tales of being a dad are equally special. Your own feelings about being a proud dad are as genuine as mine and your dad jokes are likely to be just ...

“Father Stu” is not a movie for the fainthearted, but with the true story of a man who overcame his trauma and his failures to become a solid spiritual father, it has an inspiring message for us all. I go to movie theatres these days in fear and trembling. I just don’t know if I am going to like what I see. Sometimes it is like buying a ticket in a ...

In marriage, we have received a higher calling, to give wholly of ourselves to another human being, exemplifying divine love. Let our marriage be a witness to our spouse, our children and others, of the marvellous love which is possible between a man and a woman. The word ‘vocation’ comes from the Latin vocare, which means ‘to call’. Our primary vocation, the one we all share, is the vocation to holiness. ...

Aussie mum Fiona lives in Switzerland with her hubby and beautiful 15-month-old girl. This Q&A reveals her struggle with postnatal depression and what helped her get through it: What do you love most about being a mum? Being my own boss — no rules to follow except my own Cuddles Dressing my child in adorable outfits What do you find most difficult? I find childcare and housework incredibly boring. This used ...

Life as a parent can get terribly busy and overwhelming, but taking a pause to re-focus can help you attend to your responsibilities in a more peaceful and joyful frame of mind. Your “normal” doesn’t have to be frantic. Sometimes it takes a weekend away to give you a new perspective. As you know, I have been struggling to give the best of myself in all the roles I play. And ...

Despite the failings and traumas handed down from past generations, with the grace of God, we can break free of toxic cycles and build a far better future for our children. Those who grow up hurting from being fatherless can learn from our parents’ mistakes and develop into life-giving, dedicated fathers. Like every single one of our five kids, wearing the dad hat was for me a cliched process of having ...

While homeschooling, a timetable is necessary, but so is the ability to pivot and make space for unexpected events. A balance of routine and flexibility will create a healthy learning environment. Make this an axiom: routine is life, yet without flexibility, a routine life is dull. Without elasticity, routine devolves into a rigid, joyless obsession over ledger ticks and timestamps. Flexibility saves routine from its inevitable dreary end. In the context ...

There is only one of you in the whole world. Take the opportunity to hone your talents and grow where you are planted. I have always believed God places the right people at the right time in your life to counsel you and offer guidance and encouragement when you need it. Lately, I’ve been having a few chance encounters and friendships that have been placed in my life at the right ...

As parents, friendship and community support are essential for getting through the ups and downs of parenting. My personal Facebook newsfeed has been filled with pictures of mums giving Tough Mudder a go. I look at the pictures of mud and shudder because I know that it’s not something I want to do. But I have learned never to say never, because whenever I say never, I find myself a year ...

Fatherless father-of-two Rob Kenney has earned the “internet dad” title after millions tuned into a dad-help YouTube channel he created in April 2020. Kenney’s simple “Dad, How Do I?” vlog now has 3.83 million subscribers with over 18.4 million views. The 58-year-old social media “influencer’s” 30-year-old daughter Kristine Ponten attributes his popularity to COVID-19 lockdowns, stating,  “I don’t think it would’ve gone viral in another circumstance. It is definitely pandemic-specific regarding ...