Schooling from home may look like homeschooling, but the similarities are only superficial. At a fundamental level, the two are drastically different. Criticising current trends can be like walking into a minefield without a map. One size doesn’t fit all. Despite the assertions of blanket “equality” and blurred distinctions, some distinctions do matter. Everyone is of equal value, but not everyone, nor everything is equal.  For instance, beliefs may align with facts, ...

Gardening can be great fun, but it can also be a time to build into the life of your family. The family that gardens together — developing and cultivating God’s creation — grows together. Me and Gardening Horticulture isn’t a strength of mine. Given the choice, I’d side with Bear Grylls over Sir David Attenborough; watch technology, and war history documentaries, over a Monty Don walk through French provincial gardens.  (Nothing ...

Australia’s child support system was introduced by the Hawke Government in 1988. Since that time, it has undergone various incremental reforms such that the system as it stands in 2021 at times seems to work contrary to the well-being of children and their parents.  According to a renowned expert on such matters, Professor Patrick Parkinson, from the University of Queensland Law School, says the introduction of the child support system in ...

Life is getting more complex, and decision-making under uncertainty is getting harder. As real men, how do we approach important decisions without being paralysed by worry over the outcome? That is the topic of this week’s podcast. My teens like the privileges that come with getting older. But one thing they don’t tend to like is the increased stress they feel with having to make ever more important decisions. They have ...

How much tech time is too much tech time for a Dad? The general rule of thumb through which I measure this is by the degree of immersion. Some technology is a flat-out grind. It’s designed to draw in, keep and convert its prey.    Tech is Designed this Way To be fair, all this is done to incite repeat customs. There’s nothing inherently unethical about this since designers operate on ...

We recently analysed the feedback from 400 participants in our online marriage preparation course. The results to the question, “On which of the following areas would you like more formation/education”, surprised us; the most requested item among eleven options was, ‘Improving Communication’. Communication and Relationships Why the surprise? Everybody knows that communication is foundational to happy relationships. The surprise is that most people we talk to believe that they are already ...

Fatherhood is an adventure like no other, but most men are not ready when they jump and are left trying to catch up right from the start. But fatherhood can be done well. In this podcast, 4 men with 29 kids share some secrets on how. Fatherhood.  It is a word that means so many things.  Joy to some, pain to others and everything in-between. For those of us who are ...

I would love to say that my kids are finely tuned Father’s Day instruments honed to always make the perfect choice. Imagine them as well-trained, hawkish, retail warriors, who, with pinpoint accuracy hit their gift-for-dad target with the prowess of a sharp shooter. We don’t live in a perfect “man cave” world, so, I’d be lying to even suggest it. As much as I love their decision making, my kids are ...

The young boy said in awed tones, “Is it a bird? Is it a plane?… No, it’s my father”. There are numerous types of fathers and dad jokes to suit them. Check out some of my favourites! The Sporty Dad: Seems to be always in gym clothes. Has a bright cheery attitude every day. A can-do attitude. Why did the scarecrow win an award? A. Because he was outstanding in his ...

Happy Father’s Day. Many are getting breakfast in bed, Father’s Day cards and lots of smoochie kisses from their children (as Bandit, the dad in Bluey, would say). Not only that, most dads will receive their yearly supply of socks and undies all on the one day. Even more exciting is that the new Dads4Kids TV community service ad is being played on TV all over Australia. Watch it below if ...

The life story of Professor Gregory W. Slayton is a story that is hard to believe. It is the story of how rejection turned into acceptance and led to the creation of a legacy that still looks impossible. You will be inspired and encouraged, guaranteed. Do you know how to be a better dad today? Do you have the 10-tool toolkit needed to make it happen? You can begin to discover ...

Do you find yourself finishing others’ sentences, pigeonholing people, speaking over them, or multitasking when others are speaking to you? If so, then perhaps it is listening reset time… Would you call yourself a good listener?  Most people would answer positively to that question — but when those who know you are asked that question, will their answer be as positive? From Zero To Listening Hero Real Talk 4 Real Men ...

I know this bloke: he is an old fella, but a single dad. He has been through the mill before; the ‘family court mill’, I mean. Anyway, he now has a 9-year-old little girl who is living with him. She is a beautiful, vibrant, loving, caring little girl. He has no court orders, hasn’t been to the courts, hasn’t applied, just has an agreement with his wife, and the child is ...

Dr. Seuss said, “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” This famous children’s book author was certainly across his subject. Here are 10 good reasons why you should read to your children. Hopefully you are inspired. 1. Dads Bring Something Special to the Reading Equation. Harvard-trained Dr Elisabeth Duursma said, “In most families, mothers are the ones ...

Oprah Winfrey said that you can’t have everything and do everything at the same time. Was she right? Today we unpack work-life balance and ask if it is still possible. And if it is, then how? When the term work-life balance is raised, it usually stirs some sort of emotion in you. There are a few who don’t desire ‘work-life balance’, but on the whole, most men I speak to have ...

Margin is a term entrenched in the financial world. Margin trading. Stock margin. Profit margin — the examples are vast. In situ, it means the sum total between a ‘product or service’s selling price and the cost of production’. In practice, margin is a buffer.   In other words, margin is whatever fills the gap between success and ruin. Margin is what’s left over after both variable and invariable costs have been ...

Dear God, help me to write when I am looking at an empty page. Dear God, help me to be a better person, a better father, a better friend, a better husband. Dear God, help me to become whom You want me to be. Dear God, help me to like Spongebob Squarepants reruns.   Dear God, help me not to get cranky when my daughter leaves a mess wherever she goes. ...

When a crisis hits you out of nowhere, what do you do next? When Guy faced nearly losing a child, he learned 13 lessons before the crisis was even over. Sometimes in life you have experiences that profoundly and permanently change you. Experiences either solidify your existing beliefs, assumptions and expectations, or they challenge and change what you thought you knew. Some are so small you don’t even notice them. Some ...

One of my most favourite things of all time is when one or both of our boys have a day out with dad. Partly because it means I get a day out with myself that usually consists chocolate, girly movies and/or pampering, but also because I notice a distinct difference in my boys every time they return. As if they’ve grown up a little bit, and for the next few days, ...

“Can you help me?” These were the words I first heard when I picked up the phone. “I can’t see my kids and I don’t know what to do. I feel like giving up and I am thinking about killing myself to shut off the pain.” The matter-of-fact way he said these words told me that this was no veiled threat, but a carefully considered option. Men don’t usually tell you ...