Related Articles from the News
Conversations with a Two-Year-Old
Many years ago there was a TV show called ‘Kids Say the Darndest Things’. This was based on a daily radio show by Art Linkletter, which aired between 1945 and 1969. But, look out folks, in 2014 we can forget TV and even radio and go straight to YouTube for the latest incarnation, which centres on a real dad, ...
Christmas Time – Family Time
It’s that time of year again. You can go to the shopping mall and listen to carols while you shop. You can even get your photo taken with Santa. Christmas can be a very difficult time of the year for single fathers or for children who can’t see their mothers or fathers. Mostly it’s the children who can’t see their ...
Good Dads, Great Dads
‘Good Dads Great Dads – Footsteps Worth Following’ is the name of a fantastic book by Mal White. The forward says it all: “I dedicate this book to my three sons; Jordan, Jesse and Josiah. You have taught me how wonderful it is to be a dad.” The ‘In Memory’ part really got to me: “To my dad, I wish ...
Win-Win Decision-Making
Life has its challenges, and being a father compounds those challenges. Someone has got to be the leader in the family. The buck has got to stop with someone. Herein lies the challenge. I believe that fathers are called to be leaders in love. Being a leader requires making decisions on behalf of those you lead that are open to ...
Family Factories
My father gets a faraway look in his eye that’s unmistakeable. As his craggy face turns towards the horizon and his eyes seek out the glint of snow-capped peaks, we all know what he is thinking. Mountaintops have always had that magnetic effect on him. The feature story in a Reader's Digest began with the above quote. It was a ...
Fatherhood and Explosive DNA
I can remember getting off the boat at Circular Quay, Sydney. I was 8 years old and my brother was 6 years old. My mother had 'taken' us away to Scotland because of marital disharmony, and we had lived with our grandmother for two years in Edinburgh. This was the second time. When I was young I thought all children ...
Moving House Stress
We recently moved house. The house we had been renting for 13 years was sold, and there was no other option. According to the USA Employee Relations Council, moving house is the third most stressful event in life, following death and divorce. Other lists put it lower, but whatever the case, it usually makes the top ten of life’s worst ...
Fathers as Love Leaders
You may wonder why I am so committed to encouraging you to be the best father you can be for your children. I could say that it’s the mountains of sociological studies that show a direct link between fatherlessness and dozens of social problems. Sociologists from all over the globe, through empirical studies, link increased rates of crime, health problems, ...
Best Advice for Dads
The last day of the Absent Get Fatherhood Back Tour was spent in the “State of Excitement” which of course is Western Australia. This was the tagline found on every WA number plate in years gone by and it still applies today especially in the area of fatherhood. Justin Hunt, the Absent director, and I had two well attended ...
A Christmas to Remember
As Christmas is once again upon us, I would like to share a story that I guess explains what Dads in Distress is all about. It happened a few years ago in the very early days of forming DIDS, and certainly inspired me to continue the work. I was sitting in a DIDS meeting sharing my story. It was early ...
