After decades of writing books for dads that changed families across the nation, Jay Payleitner is taking on grandparenting in his newest title, "A Grand Way to Live: Faith, Wisdom, and Joy for Every Grandparent (A 90-Day Devotional)".
Guest Writer
There’s no better sound in the world than my daughter’s rapid-fire giggle. And as it turns out, the laughter she experiences during these crucial chapters of her childhood comes with benefits that will leave a lasting imprint.
Kurt Mahlburg
Our romantic memories are the fabric of our couple history. When we reconnect with these memories, we reinvigorate our love and emotional connection in the present and set a positive tone for our future together.
Byron and Francine Pirola
This DEI-based system is a key part of the reason why family men are killing themselves in such numbers – a system designed to chew men up and spit them out. Any decent suicide prevention program would ask what can be done to protect men from this fate.
Bettina Arndt
If you had told the 18-year-old version of my dad that someday he’d think babies were more interesting than football, he would have laughed his head off. But the truth is, as life pushes on, we don’t just abandon our dreams; our dreams change.
Guest Writer
As C.S. Lewis wrote, don’t lock up your heart in a "coffin of your selfishness". Instead, love those closest to you with openness and vulnerability. Familial love like this might just be the closest one can get to Heaven on earth.
Nathaniel Marsh
Not only is love a multipliable resource — it is a multiplying force. Such is the beautiful arithmetic of parenthood. Expanding your family expands your heart.
Kurt Mahlburg
Today, St Valentine's name evokes thoughts of flowers and romantic dinners. Yet St Valentine’s true legacy speaks to something far more profound: the sacrificial nature of authentic love.
Byron and Francine Pirola
Australia’s politicians are frightened of the very monster they created in family law, the literally hundreds of taxpayer-funded women’s legal services, advocacy groups, refuges, and an armada of feminist academics and activist judges.
John Stapleton
This article by Christian Jurinka, "Driving With Dad", brought back some happy memories. Like Christian's, my dad let me steer the car while seated next to him. I was only 12 years of age. I felt so proud. In some ways, it was the rite of passage ceremony I never had, but desperately needed.
Warwick Marsh
One of parents’ constant struggles is trying to be there for our children while also meeting our own needs. What if the solution isn’t found in separation? Instead of asking when we can take a break from our children, we can instead ask a very simple question: How can we do this together?
Guest Writer
According to ordo amoris, there is a natural hierarchy in how love and compassion are distributed — beginning first with family, followed by neighbours, community, fellow citizens, and then extending outward to the rest of the world.
Kurt Mahlburg
Just as financial capital gives us resources to invest and grow, relationship capital gives us emotional resources to draw upon when life gets challenging. Every moment of genuine connection, every shared laugh, every quiet “stare” builds up this reserve.
Byron and Francine Pirola
The year 2025 marks the 50th anniversary of the passing of the Family Law Act, the single most impactful and destructive piece of legislation to ever pass the Australian parliament.
John Stapleton
If you can, share some memorable stories with your own children. Jodi and I often share memorable stories from our childhoods, especially those involving extended family members.
Nathaniel Marsh
A week ago, our little miracle man was born. For those unfamiliar with our journey, my wife and I struggled with infertility for over three years, during which time we adopted a beautiful little girl in the United States.
Kurt Mahlburg
In the modern and digital age of instant gratification, where we can easily waste hours scrolling YouTube shorts, TikToks, and reels, the idea of reading a book may seem very daunting, yet it’s one of the best ways to grow our knowledge, our focus and introduce us to new ideas.
Kurt Mahlburg
Is defensiveness crippling your relationship? Do you feel regularly on edge, reactive and punchy? While the intention of our instinctual reaction is to protect ourselves from harm, three things happen in a chronically defended state.
Byron and Francine Pirola
For three decades, Don Mathis has penned a birthday poem for his son. Charlie Mathis turns 32 on 1 February. Written with love, from Dad.
Don Mathis
As a father, prioritising exercise is one of the best things you can do for yourself and your family. Not only will you reap the physical and mental health benefits, but you’ll also strengthen your role as a positive influence in your kids’ lives.
Warwick Marsh
When your backyard feels boring, you’ve walked your neighbourhood one too many times, or another trip to the shops just won’t cut it for your toddler, here are 10 ideas for local family outings that won’t bust the budget.
Kurt Mahlburg
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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
A Grand Way to Live: Faith, Wisdom, and Joy for Every Grandparent
After decades of writing books for dads that changed families across the nation, Jay Payleitner is taking on grandparenting in his newest title, "A Grand Way to Live: Faith, Wisdom, and Joy for Every Grandparent (A 90-Day Devotional)".
Is Your Marriage ‘Good Enough’?
“Should parents stay married for the children?” And, “Is a ‘good enough’ marriage good for kids?”
International Men’s Day, November 19
The theme for the 2024 International Men’s Day is ‘Positive Male Role Models.’ It is a time to celebrate good examples of men and to raise awareness of men’s well-being.
Cultivate Your Character: Become the Man You Could Be
As we cultivate our character, we become the man we can be. And our children will thank us!
What Will Trump’s America be Like for Kids?
What will Trump’s America be like for kids? In answering this question, three issues come to mind. For the sake of alliteration, let’s call them: guns, gender and gestation.
Together Again… For Stronger and Better
Contrary to popular belief, separation does not always end in divorce. Well supported, the process of separation can help a couple address their problems, reconcile and be together again stronger and better.
Divorced Dads: Keep Pursuing Your Kids
Hang in there, divorced dads. Keep pursuing connections with your kids. Remember that they’ll be adults and what you do now can help create a strong relationship then.
Five Reasons Taking Time Out is Important, and the Art of Listening to Your Wife
Can I share a secret with you? Only on the condition that you promise not to tell anyone else. The secret is: “My wife makes me look good.” She supports me in my work, and also notices when we need some healthy downtime!
4 Habits of Dads Who Get It
Over time, our staff learned to identify some of the best dads based on some tell-tale comments. When we heard them talk about certain fathering habits or topics, we knew those guys really get it. They incorporate traits and attitudes that translate into great fathering.
Work Stress and Marriage
Stress is contagious. In this age of high expectations and long work hours, it’s easy for a man to bring his worries and frustrations home and spread them all over the household. What can we do?
Classics of the Fatherhood Movement — “Family Court Hell”
"Family Court Hell" by Mark Harris is a harrowing account of one man’s ten-year odyssey through the British family court system following the painful dissolution of his marriage.
Adventure Calls
Even though life can be a grind, the truth is life should be an adventure. As men, we should heed the call of adventure and answer it as much as possible. Our lives, and that of our families, depend on it.
The Most Important Job in the World
Birth rates across the West are plummeting, and our economies will suffer untold carnage in the years ahead — all because we have failed to assign value to the unseen work, that most important job of child-rearing. Still, we have an opportunity to turn this mess around.
Marriage or Matrimony?
Couples who marry in the church, and not just at the church, have a very different idea of what marriage should be. Marriage, or Matrimony, for them is a covenant, a sacred promise made, not only to each other, but also to the Church.
Classics of the Fatherhood Movement — “The Respondent: Exposing the Cartel of Family Law”
Greg Ellis’s book, "The Respondent", stands as a poignant and candid exploration into the labyrinth of family law, where personal lives are often shattered by systemic biases and legal machinations.
Emergency Services Expo: Fun in the Sun
As my son is a big fan of all sorts of vehicles, the Brisbane Emergency Services Expo looked like a grand plan for a couple of hours of fun and learning. Hordes of other families had the same idea...
Women Need Friends, Men Need Family: UK Study Confirms Importance of Social Networks
From my own experience growing up in a fractured family, good relationships with both family and friends are critical for health, wellbeing and success.
A Sibling for Squish
For Squish in particular, the arrival of number two will be a game-changer. Here are three things she has to look forward to — three things that will change her life for the better.
Three Tips for Trust
Relationships thrive when trust is strong. But how do we build it in the first instance, and then recover it if we’ve lost it? Here are three tips to help you build trust and hold on to it.
Classics of the Fatherhood Movement — “Father and Child Reunion”
Warren Farrell, known for his provocative insights into gender dynamics, uses this book to argue that societal, legal, and media portrayals often marginalise fathers, leading to detrimental effects on family structures and child development.
Parenting While Sick
Parenting toddlers is challenging at the best of times. When you are sick (not to mention when your spouse and child are sick along with you!), the challenge is multiplied by several magnitudes. But your children still need to be fed, cleaned and occupied. How do you handle this?
Get Outside
Turn the screens off and get outside with your kids! It could be as simple as kicking a ball in the backyard or a visit to your local park. Resist the temptation to make it elaborate or expensive – the simpler, the better!
The Top 5 Benefits of Reading to Your Toddler
There are many ways for us to spend time together, but I believe the most bonding of these is when we read together. There in my lap, she feels safe, secure, close and loved. What more could a toddler want?
What Will Your Child’s Marriage Look Like?
Have you ever thought about how your marriage looks to your children — or about how your attitudes toward marriage are influencing them? Your modelling influences your children’s perspectives and practices in their own marriages.
Classics of the Fatherhood Movement — “Children of the State: Stolen for Profit”
"Children of the State: Stolen for Profit" presents a devastating compilation of statistics and analyses of failed family and child protection systems. The overwhelming socioeconomic consequences of misguided family and child protection policies reach deep into every community.
Staying Calm with Annoying Toddlers
Parenting – and teaching – takes oodles of patience, which one is usually short of when sleep-deprived, as parents of toddlers usually are. So, how do we keep our cool and model patience to our toddlers?
