Life is going to throw plenty of hard things at your family that you never asked for. Dad, your job is to be ready for those moments by choosing some challenges now, while you still can. Family strength doesn't happen by accident. It's a decision.
Guest Writer
When Ty found out he was going to be a dad, it was not in the way he had imagined. The news of an unplanned pregnancy hit like a tidal wave. Equal parts love, fear, and uncertainty.
Guest Writer
In opening our homes to those of the next generation, we not only provide a safe place for them to meet; we also model the beauty of family and elements that form a good one, including faith, hard work, sacrifice, and love.
Annie Holmquist
“The growth that comes between a father and a son is a two-way street; it makes a life complete.” This is a line from my poem “Children That Belong to Other Men”. Such is the reflection of “Celebrating Men and Boys”, the 2025 theme for International Men’s Day (19 November).
Don Mathis
We are excited to tell you that International Men’s Day is coming up on Wednesday, 19 November. The theme this year is "Celebrating Men and Boys". We are running an extraordinary global livestream on International Men’s Day with guests from all over the world.
Warwick Marsh
Teaching our kids self-control is important — showing them how to respect others, handle strong emotions, and prioritise others above themselves. And our actions are even better teachers than our words.
National Center for Fathering
Success in marriage can be as simple as looking for the right things. If we believe a person is kind and thoughtful, we’ll more readily notice their kind and thoughtful acts.
Byron and Francine Pirola
This week saw this fascinating announcement from an American advocate, Robert Garza, who is intent on fixing the family court system not only across America but in countries across the world.
Bettina Arndt
My dad liked to water the lawn. No matter where the Army stationed him in his 20-year career, the post would have a Yard-of-the-Month contest. Daddy would mow, water, seed, fertilise, and put new topsoil on the yard.
Don Mathis
Men’s health in Australia is in dire straits. On average, men in Australia die 5 years younger than women. Sadly, every day, 50 Australian men (under 75 years of age) and boys die from preventable causes.
Nathaniel Marsh
Reading to children gets increasingly more difficult in an age of movies, the internet, and hectic schedules. But fighting against these constraints and picking up a book with your children is well worth the effort, for even a few minutes here and there gives both parent and child “an irreplaceable gift”.
Annie Holmquist
Parents are our first educators because we learn through them how relationships work, and that forms the foundation for our adult relationships. No matter how wonderful our families are, they’re all limited and wounded somehow – it’s part of the human condition. The reality is, we’re being formed from childhood for both good and for trouble.
Byron and Francine Pirola
Many of the problems aired during the March for Australia are impacting most on the ordinary Aussie blokes who are already at the bottom of the pile. Men are most likely to be kicked to the curb by the pressures being caused by the current high levels of immigration.
Bettina Arndt
The good news is you don’t need to break down on the Nullarbor Plain to enjoy an adventure or admire the heavens sitting by a campfire. If you’re near the South Coast of New South Wales, plan to join us at the upcoming Dads4Kids Fun Camp at Coolendel, 7-8 November 2025.
Nathaniel Marsh
What Poland, Hungary and Georgia share in common is an honest accounting of the demographic reality in front of them, and a conviction that national prosperity depends on stable marriages and families.
Kurt Mahlburg
Every-day offences and deficits in our character make it necessary for every couple to practise mercy as a regular, even daily habit. When we fail to do this, minor upsets accumulate into overwhelming piles of resentment and shame that seem to be insurmountable.
Byron and Francine Pirola
Through consistent love and the support of other wise men, single dads can walk in confidence and leave an impact that lasts generations. Here are five essential principles—three “do’s” and two “don’ts”—that can help single fathers navigate this important calling.
National Center for Fathering
Words have power, especially when it comes to parenting. Used with thoughtful intention, words can build up and create. Used carelessly or worse, recklessly, they can tear down and destroy. One word that seems to have gone out of fashion is the ‘D’ word, Discipline.
Nathaniel Marsh
When I look at my toddler and her little sidekick, I’m acutely aware how fast the years will slip by before they’re off to school. My wife and I have been practising a few simple strategies to make the most of this fleeting season and really enjoy our kids at their cutest.
Kurt Mahlburg
As recently reported by "The Daily Mail", Stevie Payne, the brother of champion Melbourne Cup jockey Michelle Payne, who also appears in the 2019 biopic film "Ride Like A Girl", has found love.
Nathaniel Marsh
Billy Graham once said, “A good father is one of the most unsung, unpraised, unnoticed, and yet one of the most valuable assets of our society.” That’s especially true of single fathers.
National Center for Fathering
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
What Every Dad Can Learn from a Gravel Driveway
Life is going to throw plenty of hard things at your family that you never asked for. Dad, your job is to be ready for those moments by choosing some challenges now, while you still can. Family strength doesn't happen by accident. It's a decision.
Married Mothers Are Happier
A report in The Atlantic found that, among female demographics, married mothers enjoy the highest levels of happiness, connection, and purpose — a finding that challenges the modern myth that marriage and motherhood are a burden for women.
Making the Connection…with Arguments
Rightly or wrongly, arguments happen. Whatever the trigger, according to author and therapist Sue Johnson, arguments between lovers are essentially a ‘protest against disconnection’. The subtext of every argument is a question: Do you care about me? Love me? Know me?
Imperfect but Present: Why Our Kids Don’t Need Perfect Dads—Just Growing Ones
Here’s the truth that gives hope: Your child isn’t looking for a perfect dad. They’re looking for you. Present. Real. Honest. Willing to grow.
Get Unstuck, Get Growing, Get Upgraded
Andrew asked pertinent questions, listened intently, and tapped into his vast experience to help me get unstuck, get growing, and get upgraded. He has a way of getting to the crux of an issue, and I’ll be forever grateful for his wisdom and counsel.
A New Dad’s Guide to Supporting Mum
Are you a new dad? Congratulations! And here’s something important to remember: In many ways, you’re also suddenly a new husband — or parenting partner.
The Riskiest Place for Our Marriage
Awhile ago, a viral video clip came to our attention. In the video, a marriage counsellor is responding to the claim that 85% of affairs begin at work.
Dad: Make Sure Your Kids Feel the Love
Saying “I love you” and “I’m so proud of you” can be a tremendous blessing and a real benefit to our kids. That doesn’t mean it’s always easy or natural for us, but we can grow in that direction.
Charlie Kirk: ‘Feminism Has Become Much More About Hating Men Than Empowering Women’
Gender activists have unleashed a Marxist-inspired campaign to redefine, reconfigure, and eventually destroy the family. Feminists launched a crusade to vilify men and fathers. In response, Charlie Kirk disparaged the anti-family effort in strong language.
Keep On Keeping On
When it comes to fathering, sometimes it's two steps forward, one step back. Always remember, even if you get hit back a step after two steps forward, you’re still one step ahead from where you were before. Dads, keep on keeping on!
Charlie Kirk, Husband and Father
Charlie Kirk was a huge advocate of marriage and children. It’s one thing to promote these values, and it’s another to live them out — to truly excel as a lover, protector, and provider.
The Cohabitation Myth
Cohabitating couples can be very generous and loving, but it can never be a total and unconditional gift of self while it is understood as a temporary relationship.
Two Challenges for Single Dads
As a single dad, your situation may not be ideal, but your kids can still thrive and succeed.
Greatest Secret for Success as a Father
If you want to be truly great in your life as a man, as a leader, as a husband, as a father, in employment, in business or in any endeavour, the secret for SUCCESS is HUMILITY.
Some Reasons Why Some Men Are Successful Fathers
They believe that being a father is the greatest privilege given to any man, and so take their fatherhood seriously.
Declining Divorces: A Cause for Celebration?
Recently published data on marriage and divorce in Australia have caught media attention: according to the Australian Institute of Family Studies, the crude divorce rate has dropped to 2.3 per 1,000 residents (2023).
3 Reasons Fatherhood is Hard
Single dads often carry tremendous weight. Some of the toughest times in my entire parenting journey happened when I was a single father. But I have also experienced joy in my life that, apart from being a parent, I never would have known existed.
Boys Deserve a Fair Go
Across Australia our education departments publish annual reports which list achievement gaps – by indigenous status, socio-economic status, disability, geolocation and language background – but never by gender. Yet the data is there showing girls are streaking ahead of boys in almost every subject in final year exam results.
No Man Is an Island (Part 2 of 2)
Happy Father’s Day to all the dads, grandads and father figures! I hope you’re able to spend precious time with friends and family today and celebrate the positive influence dads have. No man is an island — we need a supportive community to flourish and grow.
Crocodile Tears: The Art of Playing Victim
I watched as my toddler's head gently touched the floor. And right on cue, with impeccable timing, she wailed: “I hurt my head!” — before summoning her best crocodile tears.
Rekindling Romance in a Politically Correct Age
The princess longs for a good man who adores her, the knight for a lady worthy of such worship. Romance of this sort builds character and makes for better men and women.
D.A.D. — An Acrostic Father’s Day Tribute (Part 3 of 3)
Dad Acrostic Dictums: An acrostic is generally a poem or phrase in which the first letters spell out a word. It will soon be Father’s Day. How many of these old sayings apply to you? How many apply to your dad?
No Man Is an Island (Part 1 of 2)
Dads4Kids' recent Men’s Leadership Summit was an incredible weekend of encouragement, practical training and peer-to-peer mentoring. We were inspired to stand fast in the faith, to be courageous and strong as men. In the company of great men, well, there’s nothing quite like it.
The Importance of Downtime for Fathers and Families
When I was single, I had more downtime than I cared for. Now, as a father of two very young children, I treasure any time I have alone. It is only in such moments that I am able to step back, gain perspective, and think strategically about my life, my family, and our big-picture goals.
Embracing Hope in Our Marriage
Marriage is a sacrament, a path to holiness where we’re called to mirror Christ’s selfless love. Yet expectations turn it into a transaction: “I’ll love you if you meet my standards.” Hope, on the other hand, is like holding our desires with open hands. It’s rooted in trust, not control.
D.A.D. — An Acrostic Father’s Day Tribute (Part 2 of 3)
Dad Acrostic Dictums: An acrostic is generally a poem or phrase in which the first letters spell out a word. It will soon be Father’s Day. How many of these old sayings apply to you? How many apply to your dad?
















































