Board games are boring. Yes, it’s not the greatest way to start off an article selling the importance of tabletop games hammered out between dads, mums, and their kids. Like it or leave it — win, or lose — I have no real love for the genre. The very last thing as a dad I’ve wanted to do, is play Monopoly, spin the wheel in Game of Life, or face the ...

There’s nothing like biting into a wedge of crispy cold watermelon on a hot summer’s day. For me, it brings back vivid childhood memories of being with my family during scorching heat waves in Australia. My dad would always make sure to pick the ripest watermelon by tapping it. If it made a hollow sound all around, then it was perfect to be devoured on the beach during the day, or ...

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 ...

The big question is: “How do you create a happy home?” I think a lot of people wished they had come from one. Working with young people and families with both older and younger children, I’ve noticed that a happy home can come from any race, occupation, economic status, political persuasion and any other variation you wish to throw into the mix. When you have a strong culture in a home, ...

Self-control is the ability to say “no” when you want to say “yes“! In 1972, Walter Mischel conducted one of the classic psychology experiments of all time. Children were shown into a laboratory and given a plate with a marshmallow on it. They were told they could eat it now, or if they waited a few minutes until he returned, they could have two! The experimenters found that some children had ...

There’s a heavy silence around the connection between teen suicide and social media. Victims of this epidemic are usually in their teens, and come from a variety of backgrounds. While the consensus is that this connection is difficult to find, one study said there was a ‘direct association between heavy social media/internet use and increased suicide attempts.’ Factors include unrestricted access to the internet, resulting in exposure to inappropriate content, and ...

If I wasn’t there when she said it, I wouldn’t have believed it. When my boss asked his 7-year-old daughter what she’d like for her birthday, she said she didn’t want any gifts. Could everyone make a donation to the Leukaemia Foundation instead? Excuse me? After a lengthy conversation, she convinced her parents to have a ‘gift-free’ birthday party and instead, set up an online donation form with the Leukaemia Foundation. ...

A majority of dads bond with their daughters through shared activities. Dad and daughter bonds are linked to what a 2013 Baylor University study called ‘closeness in the doing.’ “This is,” Baylor affirmed, “the masculine style of building closeness.” Mums tend to bond through the “feminine orientation of talking” — an observation the study described as “closeness in dialogue.” Building Memories Leaning on experiential data, Baylor noted, “When asked what key ...

Research shows that there are some basic habits that combine to make a winning formula for families with successful, well-adjusted children who will flourish in life. “Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated,” are the wise words of Confucius. Albert Einstein said it this way: “Everything should be made as simple as possible but not simpler.” And one final word of wisdom from Steve Jobs is, “Simple ...

A recent visit to our local park turned into a day of exploring a previously undiscovered (by us) bush track along the river, complete with swimming holes, waterfalls and a ‘wibbly wobbly’ bridge. Once we started meandering, just couldn’t stop! We soon had to leave the pram wedged between bushes for this little ‘off-road’ adventure, as our curiosity kept driving us forward, the kids wildly excited at every turn. Rope swings ...

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 ...

Homeschooled children can enjoy a more holistic, grounded and in-depth education than their peers in school. Here are several factors behind their lifelong success. Look across a spectrum of homeschooling success stories, and you’ll come across the words freedom and flexibility. Homeschooled children tend to be more successful in life because home education is elastic. This scholastic elasticity makes homeschooling a parental powerhouse packed with potential. In practice, homeschool curricula and ...

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’ ...

Florida’s controversial governor and father of three Ron DeSantis has weighed into the fatherlessness crisis by signing a fatherhood initiative into law. Dubbed the Fatherless Initiative, the core of DeSantis’ HB (House Bill) 7065 is about helping at-risk youth, through ‘mentor programs, education’, as well as ‘one-on-one support to encourage responsible and involved fatherhood in Florida.’ The ex-JAG Republican Governor signed groundbreaking kids’ legislation in April. One of the bill’s principal ...

The Depp case highlights the injustice which men often face in our politicised policing and legal systems, tainted by radical feminist and neo-Marxist ideologies. May it open the conversation to restore basic principles of fairness when dealing with the scourge of domestic violence. “It is in your moments of decision that your destiny is shaped,” are the wise words of Tony Robbins. In the year 2002, my wife and I, and ...

When you analyse the social science about the importance of dads, it is unequivocal. Dads are vitally important to their children’s success in a myriad of ways. As George Herbert said, “One father is more than a hundred schoolmasters.” This is not speculation — it is reality. Joshua A Krisch puts the case well for this in an article titled “The Science of Dad and the ‘Father Effect’“. The subtitle says ...

Developing a close friendship with your spouse and children through mutual shared interests helps to cement the bond as a family, creating lasting lifelong relationships. Many people ask us how we have raised five well-balanced, successful children.  They are amazed at the close friendship we have as a family. Often, we are equally amazed because we know all the mistakes we have made as parents. We feel at times like it ...

Field trips bring lasting benefits for fathers and their children, providing life lessons and character-building opportunities. If like me, you were a kid in the 1980s, chances are you remember watching The Waltons. The two-story white house, Mary-Ellen, John-Boy, the sawmill, Ike and the general store; the yellow rumble-seat car, the ‘recipe,’ the Baldwin ladies, and John Walton Snr calling out “Good night, everybody” at the close of every episode. There ...

Teaching your children to help with chores doesn’t just benefit your family in the present — it has lifelong effects on your children’s confidence and success. My parents did not teach me to help in the home. Now I regret it. I have found out that the science is on the side of the parents to get their children to do chores and help in the home. The ‘benefits are enormous.’ ...

Coronavirus is sweeping across Australia. Here are some tips to boost your immune system — and your loved ones’ immunity — so that you will be prepared if you catch it. Your body is your best friend. You live in your body, so it is important you take care of your body. The 12 Ways to Beat Covid-19 are more based around the concept of prevention as opposed to cure. The ...