There’s an old adage in the world of parenting advice: Kids spell LOVE as T.I.M.E. Kids don’t need things nearly much as they need a parent’s attention and availability. It’s a classic mistake that we make all too often; we give them stuff we’ve bought instead of the thing they most need from us — our interest and investment in them. Or we do things for them instead of with them ...

The culture of your family will be based on 3 things: What you allow What you don’t allow What you demonstrate/how you live your life I know what you’re thinking: that is way too simple, and way too obvious. Yes! Just the way I like things. At least when things are simple, I can pretend to understand most of them. Although these 3 elements are simple and seem obvious, the number ...

Some of the most fascinating research being done right now to help kids be positive and resilient deals with the idea of strengths. Do you know what your children’s strengths are? Can you name them? Take a minute and think about that. Do you ever talk with your children about their strengths? Children who know their strengths and use them regularly are more resilient, less likely to experience depression or anxiety, ...

Research shows that there are some basic habits that combine to make a winning formula for families with successful, well-adjusted children who will flourish in life. “Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated,” are the wise words of Confucius. Albert Einstein said it this way: “Everything should be made as simple as possible but not simpler.” And one final word of wisdom from Steve Jobs is, “Simple ...

I know that I gravitate to the happy, good things that each day of adventure delivers. Still, there are those occasional times when I struggle as great joy butts squarely up against sadness. I can have tears leak out while wearing a delighted smile. The simultaneous happy-sad thing doesn’t happen too often. Typically, it comes of wondering where my children are right now, wanting a moment to walk a bit with ...

If mothers and children are to be properly supported, educators and employers must recognise the vital role of fathers as caregivers too. “Schools and companies need to understand that dads can be parents too.” An article recently published by Employee Benefit News rightly argued that ‘companies need to support working dads as caregivers.’ Despite its war-on-the-patriarchy, gender-neutral, wonky woke tone, EBN’s argument, put forward by associate editor Deanna Cuadra, hit the ...

Laughter, Sex, Vegetables and Fish — 10 Secrets of Long-Living People is definitely a book title that is going to grab your attention. Many years ago, I was standing in a bookshop in Tasmania, trying to find my credit card so that I could invest in a book on how to live longer. It was a long-life investment! Dr John Tickell is a medical doctor, international speaker, bestselling author, and television ...

Ahhh… reminiscing. Remember when your first child was born, and you held that precious bundle of possibility? Remember the emotions that welled up inside, the pride and joy of this beautiful new life? The thoughts that passed through your mind that you really weren’t sure what to do, because this brand new baby was completely reliant upon you. But at the same time, the dreams you had for him/her you were ...

It’s become one of the major focuses for business in the last few years. Sports teams are constantly talking about it and whenever there are issues in society, it becomes a major focus. So what about the family? The basic building block of a strong society? It’s interesting that the majority of us have never given it a second thought. It is possible to have the family you want — the ...

Taking the time to bring our children on a challenging adventure in the midst of majestic nature can build their self-confidence while strengthening family bonds. Adventure is key to personal and community growth. Mt Wellington is my playground. The mix of seasons might be regarded as its personality. Sometimes it takes an effort to make ground — its tearing broodiness very apparent in the angry, chilling wind and murky shadows cast ...

Homeschooling has enriched this family’s life, reducing stress and creating room for personal flourishing. My name is Heidi; my husband Ben and I are currently on a homeschool journey with our three children aged 7, 10 and 12. I am a qualified teacher and I was teaching casually at the school that my three children attended until late 2021. My husband and I decided that our lives needed to change; we ...

Well-formed fathers are essential to the flourishing of families and society. With your help, Dads4Kids has been supporting fatherhood for twenty years. We will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the beginning of the Dads4Kids newsletter next week on Father’s Day, Sunday 4 September 2022. From our research, the Dads4Kids newsletter is the largest and most comprehensive weekly fatherhood newsletter in the world. You, as one of our dedicated readers, are the ...

Our culture pressures us to keep working and consuming. It takes a conscious effort to step back, take a breather and re-prioritise, but doing so is really worth it for good health and peace of mind. “We have more ‘things per person’ than any other nation in history. Closets are full, storage space is used up, and cars can’t fit into garages, having first imprisoned us with debt. Possessions then take ...

Deciding to home-school can feel like a massive undertaking, but it is worth it. Here are some gems from a father’s firsthand experience. As the primary educators of their children, stable parents are best-placed to form their offspring, and have access to many resources today. Merriam-Webster’s base definition for homeschooling is “to teach one’s child at home.” Whether you’re a parent who is new to homeschooling or you’re a parent against ...

Here is a more in-depth look into over twenty people who benefitted from being homeschooled. The flexibility and depth of home education can help your children go far in life, in pursuit of their passions. For a centuries-old tradition, homeschooling is still trending. Before, and into the 20th Century, the number of successful women who were homeschooled isn’t surprising. Often lamented in many an autobiography is how formal education prioritised teaching ...

I have warm memories of my Dad telling my brother and me stories, each night before we went to sleep. Stories of adventures in faraway lands, strange encounters with tigers and black panthers in the wild jungle. True life snake stories (my favourite) and stories about stockmen and horses in the Australian outback. These stories were always riveting and greatly encouraging. Looking back, I realise that the reason they were ‘warm’ ...

When you analyse the social science about the importance of dads, it is unequivocal. Dads are vitally important to their children’s success in a myriad of ways. As George Herbert said, “One father is more than a hundred schoolmasters.” This is not speculation — it is reality. Joshua A Krisch puts the case well for this in an article titled “The Science of Dad and the ‘Father Effect’“. The subtitle says ...

Putting aside your ego and having the humility to seek advice or help, or learn more from others, is essential in maturing as a father and helping your family as a whole. Chris Gardner credits the power of being teachable for raising him and his son out of homelessness. The single dad at the centre of the movie The Pursuit of Happyness wasn’t always a fan of asking questions. Retrospectively, Gardner ...

Developing a close friendship with your spouse and children through mutual shared interests helps to cement the bond as a family, creating lasting lifelong relationships. Many people ask us how we have raised five well-balanced, successful children.  They are amazed at the close friendship we have as a family. Often, we are equally amazed because we know all the mistakes we have made as parents. We feel at times like it ...

Working together with your spouse in parenting and disciplining your children makes it all the more effective. Now to introduce our second pup. His name was Chance and he was a very handsome Black Labrador. Chance was a “by the rule book” pup and loved people’s company on his terms. Chance also had a stubborn streak that had him withdrawn from the program, so he became our pet. Lesson 3: Two ...