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.

In contemporary Australian society, fathers are increasingly depicted as insignificant or inherently flawed within family life. This cultural trend, often described as 'dad bashing', reflects a broader pattern of diminishing the value of fatherhood.

As institutions adopt new cultural norms, parents can no longer outsource character formation. The home, not the system, is now the decisive arena shaping strong, resilient sons and daughters.

Valentine’s Day isn’t just for romance. It’s a powerful opportunity for dads to intentionally affirm their daughters and sons, shaping their identity, security and understanding of love for years to come.

Dads, spark your children’s imaginations! Stoke their curiosity! Be the fantastical father who fires up their brain synapses and inspires them to find their place in the world. You won’t regret it.

Dr Nielsen’s work at Wake Forest has concluded that women perform better in what they refer to as the 3Ms = Money, Men, and Mental Health, if the father-daughter relationship is strong.

Even if nurturing wasn’t a strength for your dad, you can learn from others, and pass it on to your kids. Men do feel, and we do nurture. Let’s just do it… now! With our arms, words, eyes and ears, we can give our kids the physical and verbal affirmation that lasts a lifetime.

I delight in that time that is exclusively ours. Time spent one-on-one with either of my daughters is a rare treat for dad and daughter. Making exclusive time for my children is critical for us. Our relationships are so much better for it.

Apparently, a strong-willed child (I parent one) needs their soft underbelly affirmed five times for each critique.

My heart lifts when I see my daughters cradled in healthy conversations with my parenting helpers.

People like Joe are the inspirational reminder to stay simple when giving a sense of worth to my daughters in our precious moments of connection.

For the uninitiated, Swiftie Dads are a phenomenon. They’re fathers whose daughters are massive Taylor Swift fans. According to GQ, these dads don’t just chaperone their kids to concerts; they’re dad-sized “groupies” who don the merchandise, sing the songs, and play along. Gone are ‘bored dads at a One Direction concert.’ These dads are ‘ecstatic about Taylor Swift concerts too’, added GQ. Although I am completely sceptical about the darker whole ...

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 ...

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 ...

The phone rang. It was my Dad, the one and only Warwick Marsh. “Hey Nat, do you want to interview a friend of mine from Kansas City?” “Sure, tell me more!” was my quick response, as Dad knows I love meeting and interviewing people. Dad continued, “Dean Briggs is His name. He’s a big deal in the global prayer movement, and has written a book called Brave Quest.” Sounded interesting to ...

“Inaugurated in 1957, the Australian Father of the Year has been awarded annually to high-profile, famous fathers, from prime ministers and politicians to sportsmen, business leaders, entertainers and musicians acknowledging the support, guidance and love they show to Australian children.” So says Wikipedia. I am not famous or high-profile. The smear-the-opponent style of politics means that I will never go there, and my dad jokes hardly rate as entertainment. A long ...

Taylor is the popular girl at my daughters’ all-girl school. All schools have popular kids. This popular girl holds some sort of easy charm, often leaving some girls pining for that social standing. Normally I wouldn’t be too fussed about the popular girl; however, I believe that Taylor is stepping onto my parenting turf. And, when it comes to the well-being of my children, I am fiercely territorial. I try to ...

I hold a lofty ideal for my daughters. Lofty and simple. I want them to be sure in believing that they are wholesome people of value, who can tend generously to others and themselves. If I am doing well as a mindful dad, then I am setting my daughters up to be caring companions to friend, family and foreigner. As they develop the skills to rely less on me and fend ...

Three grieving dads in the United Kingdom are walking around the country attempting to raise awareness about teen suicide. Mike, Andy, and Tim lost their daughters, Beth, Sophie, and Emily, to the UK suicide epidemic. They chose fundraiser walking as a way of challenging the culture and honouring their daughters’ memory. So far, the suicide-bereaved fellowship of three have raised over £880,000, with the hope of reaching £1,000,000. A number far ...

A majority of dads bond with their daughters through shared activities. Dad and daughter bonds are linked to what a 2013 Baylor University study called ‘closeness in the doing.’ “This is,” Baylor affirmed, “the masculine style of building closeness.” Mums tend to bond through the “feminine orientation of talking” — an observation the study described as “closeness in dialogue.” Building Memories Leaning on experiential data, Baylor noted, “When asked what key ...