When your kids push your buttons, Dad, how do you respond? It starts with that inner attitude of respect, Dad. When they're at their worst, that's your moment to be at your best.
National Center for Fathering
Masculinity should be gauged by a man’s commitment to virtues, not by a pointless tradition of emotional unavailability or a fear of appearing maternal.
Guest Writer
Joseph should get more than a nod at Christmas, because even for Jesus, fathers are not an accessory; they are a necessity.
Guest Writer
Considering Christmas is only three sleeps away (yikes!), I’d like to share “The Greatest Gift”, a beautiful song featuring Andrea Bocelli.
Nathaniel Marsh
Whatever your Christmas looks like this year, remember that clutter and chaos have always been part of this ancient celebration — and that God is with us in our mess.
Kurt Mahlburg
Would a father who focused only on making his family as happy as possible be an overly indulgent one?
Guest Writer
Warren Farrell, once a leading figure in the National Organization for Women, pivoted his focus to men’s issues after recognising overlooked aspects of male experience. In “The Myth of Male Power”, Farrell argues that society has misunderstood the nature of power concerning gender.
John Stapleton
A friend of mine challenged me with statistics about the importance of reaching out to your neighbours and building family and community in your own neighbourhood. He gave me three good reasons why hosting a Christmas Street Party for your neighbours is a really good idea.
Warwick Marsh
When I found out I was venturing into dadhood earlier than planned, I pretty much cried for two weeks straight. But this challenge was exactly what I needed.
Guest Writer
Have extremists taken over? Are all men really bastards? “Who Stole Feminism?” by Christina Hoff Sommers is a critical examination of what the author terms “gender feminism,” as opposed to “equity feminism.”
John Stapleton
The mission of Dads4Kids is to equip, encourage and inspire fathers, and one of the ways we do this is through our Courageous Online Fathering Course. Round up some mates and register for the next Courageous Fathering Course starting 7:30pm (AEDT) 6 February 2025.
Nathaniel Marsh
Our culture has embraced many myths about fatherhood that make men hesitate to settle down, marry, and start a family. It’s time to bust those myths — beginning with these four.
Kurt Mahlburg
Married men, here are six ways to show your wife and children that you appreciate her.
National Center for Fathering
“Divorced Dads: Shattering the Myths” by Sanford Braver is a seminal work that challenges many widely held beliefs about fathers post-divorce. Braver, a professor of psychology, embarked on this study with the aim of debunking myths through empirical research.
John Stapleton
Even if your pockets are empty (as mine often are), consider yourself abundantly blessed to have family in your life. If you can, ride around town with your family this December, with the windows down, play Stapleton’s "Millionaire", and make sure you play it loud.
Nathaniel Marsh
"My Brother, My Brother, My Brother" is a play for our sons that celebrates the forgotten beauty of masculinity, starring Odysseus, Joshua Bruce and Tom Dray.
Guest Writer
Moments of laughter are delightfully frequent in our household. I’m not sure if that’s normal but I believe it should be, because family and fatherhood are among the funnest things in the world.
Kurt Mahlburg
When kids come along, Dad and Mum need to be even more intentional about coming together, communicating, and strengthening their marriage. What you need is a plan. A plan for making time for romance even though you’re both a little tired and distracted.
National Center for Fathering
John Hirst’s long-form essay Kangaroo Court is an incisive critique of the Australian Family Court, analysing its operations, the social impact it has had, and the broader implications for justice and family law.
John Stapleton
Together with our International Men’s Day Facebook campaign and the organic explosion of International Men’s Day across the world, we, with your help, are saving thousands of men across the world from premature death from suicide.
Warwick Marsh
By being mindful of the example we set — both in the habits we encourage and the behaviours we avoid — we’re not only guiding our children’s actions today, but also building the foundation for the kind of person they will grow up to be.
Kurt Mahlburg
News
Dads 4 Kids News is for writers to share interesting insights, news, and stories, to encourage dads and their families.
Most Read
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
When Your Kids Are at Their Worst, Be at Your Best
When your kids push your buttons, Dad, how do you respond? It starts with that inner attitude of respect, Dad. When they're at their worst, that's your moment to be at your best.
Father’s Day: Cloudy Memories
For Father's Day, a poem about clouds and the memory of one's father.
One Small Step for Chris Woods – One Giant Trek for Mankind
“One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind,” are the immortal words of Neil Armstrong when he stepped onto the moon. Perhaps that is what Chris Woods was thinking when she decided to walk across Australia to help men, and particularly fathers.
‘A Remarkable Woman’: Chris Woods Treks 3,100 Km for Men’s Mental Health
The long journey from Darwin to Adelaide has just been completed on foot by Chris Woods. Her astonishing story and commitment to putting others first is a remarkable achievement, but one done with a big smile on her face.
The Facts on Fatherlessness
Fatherlessness is a growing problem all over the Western world. We urgently need to address the twin problems of fatherlessness and family breakdown. Until we tackle these problems, our children and our societies will continue to suffer.
How Do We Solve the West’s Fertility Crisis?
The West’s fertility crisis is ultimately an identity crisis. If Western civilisation is fundamentally oppressive, why would we want to perpetuate our existence? If we Westerners are destroying the planet, why should we continue populating it?
How to Encourage Men on Father’s Day: Keep These Guys in Mind!
Father’s Day is for all the dads you know, so let’s consider broadening the boundaries of Father’s Day to include a few more men who could use an encouraging word. Here are a few men to keep in mind on Father’s Day and questions to help inspire a meaningful message.
Little Red Wagon
Fond memories of childhood and beyond, encapsulated in a little red wagon.
Five Father’s Day Ideas for Single Dads
Being a single dad isn’t all work. In fact, sometimes it’s great fun. So, with Father’s Day coming up, here are five ideas to keep in mind that will be good for you and your kids. Some of these ideas pertain to this Father’s Day, and others will have an impact for years to come.
Working from Home with Infants
In my role, I am blessed to be able to work from home, making it possible to be present for my toddlers all day, every day. However, this arrangement comes with its own challenges. Here are some strategies that enable me to multitask well.
Celebrate Dads This Father’s Day to Help the Children of Australia Thrive
Dads4Kids wants to make a big deal out of dads on Father’s Day this coming Sunday, 1st September 2024. Watch our brand-new latest Father’s Day Community Service TV ad below. It is essentially ordinary people from 18 to 78 years of age, talking about their Dads.
A Pregnancy Miracle!
Three years and three months after we began trying, Angie is finally pregnant! In the end, Angie and I cannot take credit for this miracle of pregnancy. There are no silver bullets, but there were three things that seem to have made a big difference in our case.
The Names We Use Matter
What we call each other and how we address each other impacts the sense of trust and safety in our relationship. Let’s make the names we use for each other a blessing.
Father’s Day Without the Kids
Spending Father’s Day without the kids can be tough. Read on for alternative ways to spend Father’s Day and still make the day special.
Brisbane Open House: Culture, History and Emergency Services
Once a year, usually in July, buildings of historical or cultural significance around Brisbane open their doors to the public for free, with guided tours and exhibits. This event is known as Brisbane Open House. We took the opportunity to learn more about firefighters and the police.
Iron Sharpens Iron
This concept of men being sharpened like iron, or improving themselves, is a key component of Dads4Kids' mission to "transform the nation by inspiring fathers to help their children be the best they can be."
Three Tips for Cross-Cultural Travel With Your Baby
With so many rapid geographical and cultural changes, the learning curve has been steep, both for us as parents and for our 13-month-old daughter. Here are three tips from our travels so far for navigating cross-cultural travel with your baby.
The Father’s Blessing – A Blessing for All of Your Children
I attended the Dads4Kids Men’s Leadership Summit last weekend (9-11 August 2024) and had the privilege of giving the Father’s Blessing to all who were there. As requested, here is a copy of the blessing.
Seven Years – But Who’s Counting?
Some time ago, we were chatting with a man in his late twenties. He had been living with his girlfriend for some years, and she was restless: she wanted a commitment to marriage and family. After seven years together, he was still uncertain.
If You Are a Single Dad, You Often Feel All Alone
Whatever you do, know that you’re not alone. Know that being a proactive single dad is a blast. Be a man, be a father, get muddy and let the washing pile up.
Stepping Back in Time: The Medieval Festival
Every July, the Abbey Museum in Caboolture, Queensland hosts the Abbey Medieval Festival, an extremely popular event that attracts thousands of visitors. As their website states, they aim for guests “to experience life in the Middle Ages in Europe and the Middle East, from AD 600 to 1600.”
Putting Your Family First
“Family is not an important thing; it is everything,” are the wise words of Michael J. Fox. You must put family first and be there for them. It will pay off in the end.
The Blessing of Extended Family
This weekend, Squish met her Australian cousins for the first time, and the experience was as fun as we had anticipated, for babies and parents alike. To set the scene, let me tell you a bit about my family.
God is Close to the Lonely
Towards the end of July, we celebrate World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly. This year (2024), the theme is loneliness and references Psalm 71:9 — “Do not cast me off in my old age”.
Raising Children as a Single Dad: “Is There Enough of Me to Go Round?”
Witnessing my father’s interaction with my own kids prompted me to reflect on my relationship with him. It is possible that my book, "Single Dad", is a way of exploring what I missed out on.
Fire Engines, Garbage Trucks, and Other Things that Go
My toddler son loves playing with his toy vehicles, particularly fire engines, garbage trucks, police cars, ambulances and trains. So when not one, but two fire trucks rolled up to our friend’s nursing home as we were celebrating Christmas, my husband realised it was a fabulous opportunity.
