My dearest friends have sometimes explained that I can be stubborn. My children smile with a knowing look as if to agree. My counter view is that I am resolute. “Dogmatic!” offer the other parties. I claim steadfast. They say “staunch”, and I say “determined.” When things are important to me, I will hold to them tightly. I do this especially with my parenting. I often have a sense of being ...

It’s true! And now there’s a study that proves it. Finally, I have the ammunition I need to convince hubby that our next date night movie should be a rom-com, rather than an action flick. Researchers who conducted a study involving 174 couples found that those who discussed five movies about relationships over a month cut the three-year divorce rate for newlyweds in half. Superior Choice Okay, so the research is ...

Larry Stockstill is a world-recognised multi-talented leadership coach, with over twelve books to his credit. He has six children, five sons and a daughter, and fifteen grandchildren, and he lives in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Larry Stockstill is passionate about encouraging fathers and families, and he writes on integrity, purity, example, pace, purpose, marriage, children, and legacy. He believes in modelling his message and helping leaders develop “from integrity to legacy.” Father’s ...

Welcome to the marriage before carriage dads matter revolution! This was the brilliant bottom line in a series of posts written by Delano Squires this week. Marking USA’s Father’s Day, the dad of four and Heritage Foundation Fellow declared, “There’s no greater vocation than being a dad.” Dependency, power, plunder, and control are reasons why they don’t want men to be men. “There are a lot of people who want men ...

Sadly, the Labor Family Law Amendment Bill 2023 has been passed in the House of Representatives in the Federal Parliament, Canberra. The Bill is now before a Senate Inquiry. Submissions close this Friday, 23 June 2023. We believe it is critical that as many people as possible send in at least a one-sentence email submission to the inquiry on behalf of the children of Australia. Read Professor Patrick Parkinson’s excellent submission ...

The proverb, “Good fences make good neighbours,” has a great deal of wisdom. The concept of having clearly defined boundaries helps us to develop healthy relationships. When people know the limits of what they can demand from a relationship, it allows all parties to enjoy it. Hidden agendas evaporate, and positive feeling in the relationship flourishes. Marriages also benefit from appropriate boundaries. In this case, the boundaries need to form a ...

A number of years ago, I spent five round-the-world trips on a lawyer to represent my case to be a present dad in my children’s growing up. I could sensibly calculate that separation would force the divvying up of my children’s time between parents, but I was determined to protect as much of it as I could, because I believe my children and I need time to maintain our strong, wholehearted ...

If it’s in the pantry, you’ll eat it. I know it sounds like common sense, but it’s true! If we shop well and keep tempting treats out of our reach, it makes it far easier to make healthier choices every day. It’s a fact that one in three cancer cases is preventable through simple lifestyle adjustments, including eating healthier and maintaining a healthy weight, so it’s important we get our dietary ...

What can one do to fight for peace? Get out in the street, march with your feet. What can you do if you oppose war? Lay down your weapon and fight no more. And if your politician is filled with hate, vote for the other candidate. For we really do have a choice if we speak out and raise our voice The sword will fall before the pen if we stand ...

It was Christmas Day 2008, a significant milestone for my wife Jodi and me. Earlier that year, we had been thrown into the proverbial deep end as first-time parents of beautiful twin daughters, so this would be a Christmas like no other. The decorations were divine, we had food with all the trimmings, and the precious presents were beautifully wrapped (by my wife, of course) all ready to go. It was ...

Thanks to a group of West Australian dads, Currambine Primary School is now host to a unique library. Painted red, and watertight, the renovated Telstra phone booth is an outdoor add-on to the school’s existing book-borrowing service. The dads from LADDs birthed the idea. Loving and Devoted Dads are an offshoot of father engagement, The Father Project. LADDs exists to ‘improve child development by inspiring dads to engage with their kids.’ ...

At some point, every couple will have the Forever Conversation — the discussion that explores their long-term commitment. It’s no secret to anyone that the incidence of cohabitation has increased. In fact, a couple who hasn’t cohabited is increasingly rare, even in the Catholic formation circles where we work. For couples in these semi-permanent living arrangements, the natural progression of a romantic relationship towards marriage is slowed. Without the inconvenience of ...

I look on at Dave being an unconventional single dad. While I don’t really know him, he looks to be a caricature of Hollywood stereotypes. This parenting style means that he is habitually bumbling, make-it-up-as-you-go and must-keep-them-happy. Mostly, he is comically entertaining for his lackadaisical approach to his dad status. Lackadaisical means Dave might give a whimsical shrug of his shoulders when his three boys concoct trouble that only a Disney ...

Absolute perfection. Blue sky, soft sand and inviting surf. Day 1 of our beach holiday, and all was well with the world. That was, until Tyson spotted the seemingly abandoned sandcastle. Front and centre, between the red and yellow flags on the busy foreshore. Instinct took over, and he did what any red-blooded 3-and-a-half-year-old would have done… he ran straight through the middle with complete, unadulterated excitement. Come on, what would ...

Channing Tatum might be a lot of things on screen. Off-screen he’s a single dad, and the best-selling author of three children’s books. All three kids’ books were inspired by Tatum’s relationship with his own daughter, Everly. Central to the storyline is Ella (aka Sparkella), who, with the help of her dad, learns the value of acts like how to combat peer pressure, having patience, and telling the truth. Life Lessons ...

In a fast-paced world, our attention is a rare and valuable commodity. Is your marriage suffering from attention deficiency? True confession: some evenings you’ll find us sitting on the couch with the TV playing, and us both on our laptops or other individual devices. We know — it’s not particularly noble and we have a sense of unease with it. But truly, movies and TV simply don’t seem to hold our ...

John is a parent at my daughters’ school. He is an affable dad, but affable is not enough permission for me to throw a hug on him as I make my way to the parent holding bay to wait for the 3:00 pm school bell. He doesn’t give off a hug vibe. I think that handshakes are more of John’s territory. To set the scene, John and I had been emailing ...

When the news of alcohol-fuelled violence came on TV, I just had to write about it. What does this have to do with parents of toddlers? More than you could imagine. In fact, no matter what age your children are, this will touch your heart. Recently, police across Australia and New Zealand united in an operation to curb violence on the streets on Friday and Saturday nights, particularly alcohol-fuelled violence. The ...

Who doesn’t love a good movie? Having worked in the film and TV industry for over 20 years, I certainly appreciate a good story, well told through the medium of moving pictures. Here at Dads4Kids, we love shining a light on great films, especially those with strong fathering themes, and we have done so for many years through this weekly newsletter and our Daily Dad website. See here, here and here ...