A book review of "Surviving Separation: Understanding Family Law Without Confusion" (released in January 2025) by Graham McFarland. This is a practical, Australia-focused guide that aims to turn confusion into a step-by-step roadmap.
David Maywald
My kids are only 2 and 3 1/2 and, already, their competitive spirit is alive and well. I think it’s important to nurture it in a healthy way and teach them how to use it properly.
Annette Spurr
The Labor Party Family Law Amendment Bill 2023, which passed in Parliament this Thursday, 19 October 2023, created a day of mourning for Australian children.
Warwick Marsh
It is truly amazing that in this one little life is a personality just bursting to get out, complete with interests and quirks, distastes and dreams, humour and chutzpah, and so much more.
Kurt Mahlburg
Sometimes, single people ask us for suggestions on how to find a suitable marriage partner. Here’s a thought we often ask them to consider.
Byron and Francine Pirola
Apparently, a strong-willed child (I parent one) needs their soft underbelly affirmed five times for each critique.
Greg McInerney
One day, I won’t be there to catch them, and I need for them to know how to dust themselves off and keep going.
Annette Spurr
Here's the thing about adventures: not only are they educational and great fun; they create incredible, never-to-be-forgotten memories that you and your kids will cherish forever.
Nathaniel Marsh
As an adopted daughter myself and now a birth mother, I will always be an advocate for adoption. I want women to know that there is an option.
Kurt Mahlburg
This diagnosis has caused us to reflect not just on our wedding vows, but also on the words we say to each other every day. Do we still say: I choose us?
Guest Writer
Why no one dares talk about how the new family law bill empowers women to destroy men using false allegations.
Bettina Arndt
Boys are more prone to separation anxiety than girls and struggle more with understanding that mama loves them and is coming back. Thus, the genuine, gut-wrenching cries both my boys have subjected me to at bedtime.
Annette Spurr
It is possible to break the cycle, whether it’s a low-level habit or a full-blown addiction. We can be set free from this. It is even possible to live a life of purity.
Greg O'Neill
Humans were designed for adventure. Boys and men, especially, are hard-wired for it. That’s why each year, Dads4Kids holds a Dads and Kids Fun Camp.
Nathaniel Marsh
Our men have to be proactive and address mental illness head-on and ensure that programs are implemented to deal with the aim of curbing suicide rates.
Dr Jerome Teelucksingh
It amazes me that someone so tiny, barely two months out of the womb, is so eager for connection. Treasure every moment. Look your baby in the eyes.
Kurt Mahlburg
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.
Don Mathis
Is the easy way always the best way? Or might we be called to something more than what we inherited from our families?
Byron and Francine Pirola
NASA naps last for around 23 minutes and have the potential to save sleep-deprived dads on autopilot.
Rod Lampard
My heart lifts when I see my daughters cradled in healthy conversations with my parenting helpers.
Greg McInerney
What do you believe about your children? Are you speaking and acting in a way that will build and train the children that you really want?
Annette Spurr
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
Surviving Separation
A book review of "Surviving Separation: Understanding Family Law Without Confusion" (released in January 2025) by Graham McFarland. This is a practical, Australia-focused guide that aims to turn confusion into a step-by-step roadmap.
Copycat Kids
A few years back I let go of a muffled swear word after pacing mile after frustrating mile of city blocks with my daughters looking for smart black flats that bucked the trend of imitation tramp. Ever alert to any parental blemish that might be used as evidence against me, ...
Parenting Tips – Golden Oldies That Actually Work
It’s too easy to get lost in a whirlwind of teenage emotion and lose your focus as a parent. A lack of confidence and clarity will undermine anyone’s efforts. These six “go-to” strategies are my favourite (most recited) tips for parents. They aren’t new strategies. They are the golden oldies ...
World Circus Day
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. ...
The Small Things Matter
I’ve never met Nigel Marsh (no relation) but he seems like a top bloke. He’s a committed husband and father of four, has worked in advertising agencies for over 30 years, is a published author and award-winning podcaster, and back in 2011 he delivered a brilliant TED speech that can ...
Dad Versus Conflict
Learning from conflict will make any dad a better one. “A joyful heart is good medicine”, wrote Solomon, “but a crushed spirit dries up the bones” (Prov 17:22). In his context, Solomon understood ‘joyful’ to mean delight, celebration, a form of cheerfulness, the shining of something bright. There’s a reason ...
Prayer for Couples in Times of Trouble
We had a request recently from someone looking for a prayer for a couple going through tough times in their marriage. While we were very happy to oblige, it struck us that for many couples in this situation, prayer is often far from their thoughts, and yet, it is one ...
Time and Space
Bill runs his own business devoted to strengthening the relationship between children and parents. He artfully taps into the desire children and parents have for wholehearted connectedness. Bill simply prompts parents to maintain time and space in the relationship schedule for it to thrive. Bill shares with his parent and ...
Why Memories Matter
I was told a very inspiring true story recently that I would love to share with you. I only hope I can do this story justice. A lady was told she couldn’t have children, so without trying she found herself pregnant quickly! She was overcome with awe, amazement, wonder, gratitude, ...
Power of Forgiveness
“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 ...
How to Respond to New Dad Disorientation
New dad disorientation tends to affect most men faced with the daunting task of finding their fatherhood feet. Thrust into the dad-life, first-time fathers, like their newborns, have a period of adjusting to new routines, and a new identity. The technical term is ‘post-partum disorientation’. Although similar, PPD is not ...
Mid-Life Madness and other Stressors
As mid-lifers in the midst of working through some of our ‘issues’, we are acutely aware of how easy it would be to let our individual stuff derail our marriage. It’s normal for a person in midlife to be irritable and volatile. Some react with depressive symptoms, others get angry ...
Parenting Balancing Act
I am amused by the serious instruction of friends, “Do what you love and what feels right for you.” Their career counselling advice amuses me because they haven’t regarded that what I love and what feels right can sometimes yell wildly at each other in conflict. In the red corner, ...
The Illusion of Toxic Masculinity
During the past five years, it certainly seems that toxic masculinity has become a cliché. Unfortunately, it is not a harmless cliché: it has repercussions for masculinity, gender relations and the mental development of our boys and men.
The Time Factor – What it Means to Your Kids
The more I pull back from my kids time-wise, the more they pull back from me, physically, mentally and emotionally. I am a firm believer that if you care about someone then you would not let anything stand in the way of spending time with them. – unknown I remember ...
Celebrate International Children’s Book Day with 100 Years of Kid Literature
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 ...
Bruce Robinson: Three Keys to Being a Great Dad
“I wish I had been a better Dad and spent more time with my kids.” These were the words that many men spoke, often with tears, when Dr Bruce Robinson told them they didn’t have long to live. Dr Bruce Robinson is a respiratory specialist. When people have a lung ...
Forgiveness is the Life Blood of Marriage
“Forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Lk 23:24). These words of Jesus as he was being crucified were meant not just for his executioners, but for all of us. His love transcends all our limitations and failures and calls us into life. We all have someone to ...
A Dad Who Teaches Kids to Survive School Shootings
Protecting children is a parent’s prerogative. While the cold reality is parents cannot protect kids from getting hurt by the world. Parents can, and should, prepare their kids for the world. Even though I’ve learned a lot from the school of hard knocks, I would have learned more had my ...
Easter Musing
This year I am grateful that the Easter Bunny won’t be stopping by. The shambolic mess that the break‑and‑enter bunny left last year has left me thankful for a reprieve. There are many things that I celebrate at Easter… family traditions, the ceremony and stories of Easter accounts and the ...
Managing Social Media – Parents’ Number One Challenge
Sexting, pornography, paedophiles and bullying. Too often I find these issues impact teenagers way before parents are even aware of them. That’s why I like to see parents educated and proactive when it comes to keeping their kids safe online. My first key point is this – When it comes ...
Dads Asking Questions
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. ...
Kirk Cameron on Fatherhood, Adoption & Leading by Example
For Hollywood dad, Kirk Cameron, modelling manhood is dad-life proper. Get past the Americana exterior, and the former atheist’s down-to-earth grasp of back-to-basics parenting has gravitas. Known for his role as Mike Seaver in the seven-season sitcom, Growing Pains, Cameron is also a father of six. Four of whom he ...
Myths about Arguments
When it comes to marriage, relationships and arguments, there are a lot of myths out there. Here are five of the most common. Myth 1: Good Couples Don’t Argue The presence or absence of arguments is not a good indicator of the health of a marriage. Some couples who don’t ...
The Emotions of Parenting
I am Joy. I am the happy-go-lucky character that sets out to stir my children into happiness when Sadness mopes forlornly into their day. I parent to have my daughters be afflicted with my happy contagion. That was before the Joy character of the Inside Out movie set me to ...
Who Matters Most?
My kids and I were watching a Disney movie recently. In the movie, a dad, who was coaching his child’s sport team, yelled at his son. After the coaching session, the boy asked his Dad, “Why did you yell at me but you didn’t yell at all the other kids?” ...
