• staying power

    6 July, 2023

    Walk through any quality ’80s film, and the reoccurring theme is staying power. Daniel LaRusso, Rocky Balboa, Indiana Jones, Luke Skywalker, and Han Solo? Staying power. Axel Foley, Ripley (Aliens), John McClane, Mr Miyagi, and Maverick? Again, staying power. Add to this, characters played by some of the 80’s best female actors: Meryl Streep, Michelle Pfeiffer, Kathleen Turner, and Goldie Hawn. Their undeniable hidden strength is staying power. Look at the ...

    Rod Lampard

  • fathering

    23 June, 2023

    Larry Stockstill is a world-recognised multi-talented leadership coach, with over twelve books to his credit. He has six children, five sons and a daughter, and fifteen grandchildren, and he lives in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Larry Stockstill is passionate about encouraging fathers and families, and he writes on integrity, purity, example, pace, purpose, marriage, children, and legacy. He believes in modelling his message and helping leaders develop “from integrity to legacy.” Father’s ...

    Warwick Marsh

  • gestures of love

    9 June, 2023

    Warwick Marsh

  • Channing Tatum

    8 June, 2023

    Channing Tatum might be a lot of things on screen. Off-screen he’s a single dad, and the best-selling author of three children’s books. All three kids’ books were inspired by Tatum’s relationship with his own daughter, Everly. Central to the storyline is Ella (aka Sparkella), who, with the help of her dad, learns the value of acts like how to combat peer pressure, having patience, and telling the truth. Life Lessons ...

    Rod Lampard

  • Strong Daughters

    2 June, 2023

    Who doesn’t love a good movie? Having worked in the film and TV industry for over 20 years, I certainly appreciate a good story, well told through the medium of moving pictures. Here at Dads4Kids, we love shining a light on great films, especially those with strong fathering themes, and we have done so for many years through this weekly newsletter and our Daily Dad website. See here, here and here ...

    Nathaniel Marsh

  • first

    21 April, 2023

    Them Before Us is the name of a breakthrough book about the need for a global children’s rights movement written by Katy Faust and Stacy Manning. The team at Dads4Kids had the joy of helping organise Australia’s first Voice 4 Kids Summit in 2015. Katy Faust was the keynote speaker. This historic event was held in the main committee room of Parliament House, Canberra. Katy Faust’s keynote speech about growing up as ...

    Warwick Marsh

  • Book

    2 April, 2023

    International Children’s Book Day, April 2, honours the 1805 birthday of Danish author Hans Christian Anderson. It is a day to call attention to children’s literature and to inspire a love of reading in your family of destiny. Here is a list of the best children’s books of the 20th century.   Through the centuries, there have been some great bedtime tales for children. James Finn Garner, in his “Politically Correct Bedtime Stories” ...

    Don Mathis

  • miscarriage

    10 March, 2023

    “Something’s wrong,” my wife said. “What’s the matter?” I asked nonchalantly. “I think I am having a miscarriage,” my wife replied, with a touch of panic in her voice. Trying to sound like I was in control, I said, “We had better get you to the hospital.” Together we whisked our four children under 9 years of age to our family babysitter. From there the short 8-minute drive to the hospital ...

    Warwick Marsh

  • daggy-dad movies

    9 March, 2023

    Daggy-dad films are somewhat of a rare breed. This is despite the sub-genre’s classics being among some of the most rewatchable films ever made. A popular pejorative, the word ‘dag’ is uniquely Australian, meaning untidy, dishevelled, and eccentric. Expanding on this, Urban Dictionary describes a ‘dag’ as someone who has no style, or sense of fashion. A daggy dad is not particularly trendy, or avant-garde. He’s often portrayed as aloof, believing ...

    Rod Lampard

  • ordinary day

    27 February, 2023

    Silly giggles, 3 am feeds, bedtime cuddles, wiped tears and heart-to-hearts. These are the moments you’ll treasure when your little one is all grown up. I reckon that if anyone ever does invent a time machine, it’ll be a mum. After all, wouldn’t you give everything you own to have one last snuggle with your little one, while they still think you’re the most amazing person they know? Losing Time A ...

    Annette Spurr

  • reading

    30 January, 2023

    One of my happiest childhood memories is snuggling in bed with mum or dad each night as they read to me. It was these moments that instilled in me a lifelong love of reading. It’s still one of my absolute favourite things to do, even though it’s a rare treat for me these days. What I didn’t realise back then was that this simple habit gave me so much more than ...

    Annette Spurr

  • Why Do Things Hurt?

    13 January, 2023

    A new children’s book examines the mystery of suffering and pain. Exquisitely illustrated, it is an excellent tool for parents to discuss this big question with their children, mentally preparing them for the travails of life. “Life is hard, but we make it harder,” said Ryan Holiday. True words. If we refuse to accept that truth, we make it harder for ourselves and our children. Especially if we don’t tell them ...

    Warwick Marsh

  • men

    1 December, 2022

    A new book from Richard V. Reeves is winning widespread applause for offering hope to men in a post-feminist world. Released in September, ‘Of Boys and Men: Why the modern male is struggling, why it matters, and what to do about it, the father, author, and British-American expat argues for a fundamental shift in the societal attitude towards masculinity. The Guardian highlighted two of Reeves’ major points, first congratulating the author ...

    Rod Lampard

  • dreams

    8 November, 2022

    We all have dreams: to start a business… volunteer in a third-world country… write a book… Dreams are important. And then God answered: Write this. Write what you see. Write it out in big block letters so that it can be read on the run. – Habakkuk 2:2 (The Message) I’ve recently learnt a valuable lesson — to not get too attached to my dreams. Let me tell you my story… ...

    Annette Spurr

  • blood is thicker - custody

    29 October, 2022

    The family law system is unfairly stacked against separated fathers who simply want joint custody of their children. “Custody — Blood is Thicker Than Water” is an inspiring true story of a loving father who fought the system so that he could be a dad to his son. As Dads, we are all our brother’s keepers. In this case, Single Dads are our brothers. We must all do our best to ...

    Warwick Marsh

  • LIFEMARK

    22 October, 2022

    LIFEMARK is one of the best movies I have ever seen. Furthermore, it is definitely the Kendrick brothers’ greatest movie yet! That’s why I am writing to you to encourage you to see LIFEMARK at the movies this week before it disappears from the big screen. Thankfully, LIFEMARK has only dropped down from 74 screens last week to 54 screens. Sadly, in some of those cinemas, it is only showing once ...

    Warwick Marsh

  • Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue

    19 October, 2022

    "Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue" (2010) is the third movie in the Disney Fairies series. It follows the adventures of Tinker Bell (of Peter Pan fame) and her fairy friends on their summer sojourn in the human world.

    Jean Seah

  • living

    30 September, 2022

    Laughter, Sex, Vegetables and Fish — 10 Secrets of Long-Living People is definitely a book title that is going to grab your attention. Many years ago, I was standing in a bookshop in Tasmania, trying to find my credit card so that I could invest in a book on how to live longer. It was a long-life investment! Dr John Tickell is a medical doctor, international speaker, bestselling author, and television ...

    Warwick Marsh

  • The Adam Project

    20 September, 2022

    Netflix’s recent release, "The Adam Project" (2022), blends the issues surrounding family, identity and morality with swashbuckling fight scenes and the wondrous concept of time travel to produce a (mostly) family-friendly film that is a paean to fatherhood, love and self-sacrifice.

    Jean Seah

  • Hostile Territory

    8 September, 2022

    Hostile Territory, the latest offering from actor, director, and writer Brian Presley, has all the right dads-for-kids ingredients. Set in Missouri in the mid-1860s, the 2022 film is an award-worthy western with a crisp contemporary edge. The well-thought-out script follows battle-hardened Union army Captain Jack Calgrove, who, at war’s end, finds his kids gone and his wife dead. As he was presumed KIA, Calgrove’s children were dispatched by the US Army ...

    Rod Lampard

  • Fatherhood

    23 June, 2022

    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

    Jean Seah

News

Dads 4 Kids News is for writers to share interesting insights, news, and stories, to encourage dads and their families.

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The opinions of the various writers are not necessarily the opinion of Dads4Kids. Please do your own research and come to your own conclusions. We welcome feedback and if you would like to submit an article for the Daily Dad, please contact the editor at info@dads4kids.org.au