There are a few well-researched, but often overlooked aspects to ensuring solid development in a child’s life. The first crucial component is the positive involvement of a father in the life of the child. The second is related to the marriage relationship between the father and mother.

Jason Smith and his wife Paulina, in their Purposeful Parenting scheme, have designed various rites of passage for their teen children centering on fun, responsibility and service as they mature into adulthood. Read on to glean some ideas about how to shape your teen's destiny with such memorable moments.

“One father is more than a hundred schoolmasters.” Is it time we learned this maxim, stopped pretending the father gap can be filled by government resources, and instead encouraged more men to step up and be loving, protective, and faithful providers for their families?

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.

“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.

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.

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.

“Should parents stay married for the children?” And, “Is a ‘good enough’ marriage good for kids?”

As we cultivate our character, we become the man we can be. And our children will thank us!

What will Trump’s America be like for kids? In answering this question, three issues come to mind. For the sake of alliteration, let’s call them: guns, gender and gestation.

Hang in there, divorced dads. Keep pursuing connections with your kids. Remember that they’ll be adults and what you do now can help create a strong relationship then.

"Family Court Hell" by Mark Harris is a harrowing account of one man’s ten-year odyssey through the British family court system following the painful dissolution of his marriage.

As my son is a big fan of all sorts of vehicles, the Brisbane Emergency Services Expo looked like a grand plan for a couple of hours of fun and learning. Hordes of other families had the same idea...

Warren Farrell, known for his provocative insights into gender dynamics, uses this book to argue that societal, legal, and media portrayals often marginalise fathers, leading to detrimental effects on family structures and child development.

Parenting toddlers is challenging at the best of times. When you are sick (not to mention when your spouse and child are sick along with you!), the challenge is multiplied by several magnitudes. But your children still need to be fed, cleaned and occupied. How do you handle this?

Turn the screens off and get outside with your kids! It could be as simple as kicking a ball in the backyard or a visit to your local park. Resist the temptation to make it elaborate or expensive – the simpler, the better!

There are many ways for us to spend time together, but I believe the most bonding of these is when we read together. There in my lap, she feels safe, secure, close and loved. What more could a toddler want?

"Children of the State: Stolen for Profit" presents a devastating compilation of statistics and analyses of failed family and child protection systems. The overwhelming socioeconomic consequences of misguided family and child protection policies reach deep into every community.

Parenting – and teaching – takes oodles of patience, which one is usually short of when sleep-deprived, as parents of toddlers usually are. So, how do we keep our cool and model patience to our toddlers?

We spent three happy hours exploring the animal farm, and even had time to visit a strawberry farm nearby afterward!