October 5 is set aside as World Teachers’ Day, a time to honour educators around the globe. A Daily Dad reader remembers one teacher who made a difference in his life. 

Never let fame get in the way of fatherhood. This is the quasi-example set by at least seven rock dads who’ve had no problems collaborating with their kids. Headline acts sharing the spotlight is about as down to earth as rockstars being on time, or helping roadies unload their own gear. Ask any genuine musician who they’d prefer to play alongside. Given the choice, most would choose the ‘stay humble, or ...

One of the reasons May 4 was selected as International Firefighters’ Day is because it’s the feast day of Saint Florian, the patron saint of firefighters. It was created in 1999 after five members of a Fire Brigade perished in an Australian wildfire. Observe International Firefighters’ Day with education, with prevention, with a poem.   Hey, Chief! – by Don Mathis “Hey, Chief! Your replacement’s here,” the fireman shouts with a smile as a young ...

April 15 is the day to celebrate traditional circus acts all around the world. A Daily Dad contributor reflects on the ringmaster’s schedule.   I Must Buy a Program – by Don Mathis I came to see the circus. I must buy a program. I want to see the acrobats. I want to see the clown.   When is the dancing bear? What time is the lion? When is the high-wire ...

“To forgive is the highest, most beautiful form of love. In return, you will receive untold peace and happiness.” These are the wise words of Robert Muller. Anne Lamont gets right to the point with a touch of black humour. She said, “Not forgiving is like drinking rat poison and then waiting for the rat to die.” Every now and again someone comes into your life that really personifies the message ...

Some time ago I was busy working in my own office when I heard my wife talking in the next office to a stranger. Being the inquisitive type, I opened my door to shake hands with Bill, who was inspecting the services in our office on behalf of the landlord. Bill, realising he was in the offices of Dads4Kids, started to ply me with questions about parenting. He asked, “How should ...

Mothers are important! Let’s face the facts. You cannot have a father without a mother. Dads4Kids was founded in 2002 with the main purpose to improve the well-being of children by increasing the proportion of children growing up with involved, responsible, committed and loving fathers. Whilst our main vision is to support fathers our broad vision has always been to empower families. A family is made up of a mother and ...

The New Year holds promise for us all. A fresh beginning, a new start, a grand opportunity to start over. We reflect on what we have done and where we have been and what we should do. Sometimes this self-reflection can be discouraging but it is an activity that should be pursued nonetheless for the greater good of all. Many years ago, after some time of reflection and prayer in the ...

The past few years have been an amazing journey for me, promoting International Men’s Day around the world. I have met some amazing men who are profoundly committed to the betterment of men, families and their respective nation’s societies around the world.   International Men’s Day 2018 Promo I have had interactions with men from Canada, USA, UK, South Africa, India, Pakistan, Malta, Israel, Italy, France, Germany, Spain, Hungary, Singapore, Zimbabwe, ...

In 1952 Albert Einstein was asked by a Princeton doctoral student what was left in the world for original dissertation on research? Einstein replied, “Find out about prayer!” I certainly agree with Einstein, but I would also say, “Do some research and find out about the ‘power of love’.” In our modern society we know so much about so many things, but very little about the things that really matter. Let ...

The whole world was gripped by the story of 12 boys and their coach, trapped in a cave for 18 days but then rescued by hundreds of men of all nationalities. The men who rescued these boys had one thing in common, they were all possessors of a thing called ‘toxic masculinity’. One of the Thai divers, a former navy seal, was so imbued with this so-called toxic masculinity, he gave ...

They say a friend in need is a friend indeed. Yes, we need your help. Dads4Kids the organisation I volunteer for is in the process of renewing our website and newsletter. We also want to grow and improve our range of services, but we need your expert advice to do so. All we are asking is that you give 5 minutes of your precious time to fill out the Dads4Kids Online ...

Mothers are under more pressure today than they have ever been. That’s why Dads4Kids is initiating a “Thanking Mothers” CSA TV Ad campaign scheduled for release in the lead up to Mother’s Day on 13 May 2018. Unfortunately, the amazing sacrifice that mothers make is often invisible to Dads and children. Mothers are not appreciated as much as they should be in the broader community either. The team at Dads4KIds want ...

Australia will never forget Easter 2018. While much of the nation was celebrating the death and resurrection of the most ethical man in all of history, the greater part of Australia was mourning the death of ‘ethics in sport’ with no sign of resurrection in sight. The good news is that the 9th Commandment is now law in Australian cricket. “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor (to win ...

Editors Note: Mike Atherton’s deeply moving yet honest article in the Australia about the high cost of the fall from grace for the Australian Cricket Captain called “Smith’s tears a jolt to senses for every father” is reprinted here as a salient reminder to all fathers that our our children take more notice of our actions than our words. The Australian 12:00AM March 31, 2018 By  Mike Atherton There was something deeply ...

Editors Note: Patrick Smiths hard hitting article in the Australian called “Ball-tampering scandal: Lack of leadership spreads rot through the nation” has more than a ring of truth about it and deserves to be read by more people. Hence we publish it here on the Justaman blog. The Australian – March 31, 2018 PATRICK SMITH Don’t cry for once-upon-a-time Test captain Steve Smith. He seems to have that under control for himself. Stick a hose ...

I am one Australian who is going to encourage Australian Dads to hold a family celebration in observance of Australia Day. We have good reason to do so. Australia makes the top ten countries listed in the US News Accolades and comes second in the UN Quality of Life Index. Having said all that, I would argue, having visited 29 of the nations of the world, that Australia is one of ...

TIME is our greatest asset. Theophrastus said, “Time is the most valuable thing a man can spend”. How we spend it is important. This is especially true as a father. Children demand and need our time. Our spouse requires our time, and more generally our relationships require our time. We must avoid wasting precious time. That is why we must be ultra-careful in how we use our time. From the point ...

  I don’t know about your Christmas, but our family had a very enjoyable family gathering. Our whole family gets together immediately before Christmas to allow our family members to meet with their own or extended family on Christmas Day. We started this custom some years ago and it works for us. The good news is that we get to open some of our presents early, something that the children are ...