Research reveals the amazing science behind creating a strong, lasting bond between parent and child, helping the child develop into a secure, well-rounded and independent person. “I think it should be cool to be a good partner, a good spouse, a good father… If I’m one of the people who helps make that cooler, I think that’s great,” are the prescient words of mega-selling recording artist, John Legend. John is right, ...

Want to know the easiest way to give your kids a confidence boost? It’s the most sure-fire simple way to increase your child’s positivity and resilience. Here it is… Enjoy them. Spend time with them. Let go of your agenda and be with them and listen to them. That’s it. Presence Taking the time to savour the moments we have with them — to really enjoy our kids — is something ...

A new children’s book examines the mystery of suffering and pain. Exquisitely illustrated, it is an excellent tool for parents to discuss this big question with their children, mentally preparing them for the travails of life. “Life is hard, but we make it harder,” said Ryan Holiday. True words. If we refuse to accept that truth, we make it harder for ourselves and our children. Especially if we don’t tell them ...

Board games are boring. Yes, it’s not the greatest way to start off an article selling the importance of tabletop games hammered out between dads, mums, and their kids. Like it or leave it — win, or lose — I have no real love for the genre. The very last thing as a dad I’ve wanted to do, is play Monopoly, spin the wheel in Game of Life, or face the ...

The words and gestures you use have the power to either lift people up or bring them down. Choose wisely, especially in your daily interactions with your family. Yesterday I went to get my watch battery replaced at the local shopping centre’s Mr Repairman Service and received a surprise. The man who served me did a great job. He had 18 years’ experience. You could tell he really knew his job. ...

Dad’s log. Day 3 of our 8-day expedition of exploration… my crew of two settled excitedly into their temporary resort environment. Their sense of holiday time gives them cause to make the argument that five serves of vegetable and two of fruit does not apply. “But, Daa-aad… it’s holidays… we ought to be having fun!” is their reasoned argument against not tending to the standard chores. Somehow the crew have morphed ...

Housework: It’s often a topic of debate among couples, and truth be told, we’ve had our own dramas in this area over the years. We have very different values and expressions when it comes to housework. Byron is particular about floors and will often be found with a broom, mop or vacuum cleaner in hand. Francine is more motivated around food preparation — she’s more likely to be at the supermarket ...

I’m a first-time Nonna — however, my relationship with my new granddaughter is a long-distance one (my son and daughter-in-law live in California). But last week, they came home on vacation! I got to hold her tight against my chest and hear her breathe, I got to feel her soft skin, I got to smell her and listen to her voice. I got to look into her big blue eyes — ...

It can be tempting to pursue fulfilment and accolades at work, but you are irreplaceable in your family — a conscious decision to put them first will reap the most precious rewards. Wisdom is usually discovered in retrospect. Such is the case with me anyway. I usually stumble into wisdom, and therefore can take no recognition for it. My one strength is that I pray a lot, so providence must take ...

It happened in the shoe section at Big W. Casually browsing through the sandals, Tyson kneeling at my feet. He dropped a heel, paused and said: ‘b@&&er.’ Mortified. Where on earth did he learn…? Oh. Confession time: Amongst my many and varied flaws is a weakness for the odd expletive. Something that seemed harmless enough… until I heard that word come out of my ‘epitome-of-innocence’ 3-year-old’s mouth. The other customers in ...

“Children need your presence more than they need your presents,” are the wise words of Jesse Jackson. Both Dads and kids need a purpose to develop the art of presence. To assist you in this art, we have gathered together 40 things that Dads can do with their children. This is particularly relevant over holiday periods. Almost 80% of them don’t require any money, but they do require effort and execution. ...

A good way to prepare for the New Year is to reach for a SWOT analysis, unpacking the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats for the year ahead. Although ‘fail to plan, plan to fail,’ is a tired, tedious old phrase, the truth it conveys still offers a solid punch, motivating enough incentive to set down on paper a map sharp enough to smash out some realistic goals. SWOT is a man’s ...

The big question is: “How do you create a happy home?” I think a lot of people wished they had come from one. Working with young people and families with both older and younger children, I’ve noticed that a happy home can come from any race, occupation, economic status, political persuasion and any other variation you wish to throw into the mix. When you have a strong culture in a home, ...

“Christmas is the day that holds all time together.” These are the words of Alexander Smith. To understand the wonder of Christmas, we must first understand the story. Let’s start with the facts, straight from Wikipedia. I will intermingle some of my favourite Christmas videos to keep you inspired. History of Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions ...

Psychologist and renowned speaker Dr Jordan Peterson has some home truths for parents. Parenting is certainly challenging, but it is a tremendous privilege and responsibility that should not be subsumed by competing priorities. Bette Davis said, “If you have never been hated by your children, you haven’t been a parent.” She is correct; being a parent is tough. Being a dad is even harder, because the buck stops with Dad! My ...

I have a confession to make. I’m a ‘marriage junkie’. Before I go any further let me warn you: this is a blast from the past in more ways than one. You see, I have written about this before, and I wish I could say I am getting better, but it is not the case. So why am I a marriage junkie and what exactly is a “Marriage Junkie?” Maybe it’s ...

‘Shhhh… not in front of the kids!’ We’ve all been there: In the car with a captive audience… or at the dinner table. An argument erupts and the question is: do you save it for later? Or just let it all out in front of the kids? Studies conducted at the University of Rochester, NY, found that it’s okay for your kids to see you argue, as long you work it ...

International Men’s Day 2022 was marked by people all over the world on 19 November, demonstrating their support for men and boys everywhere. “I’d like to say a massive thank you and give my support to all the men who do their best each and every single day for their loved ones, for society, for humans in general, to make the world go round. Thank you, it’s very much appreciated.” These ...

I match up as a handyman as Arnold Schwarzenegger would as a ballet dancer. For me, anything more complicated than stapling four pieces of paper is a project. It requires plans, an almighty amount of careful thought and concerted visualisation. Therefore, offering to build my daughter a robot costume for the Book Week parade a couple of years ago was both terrifying and exciting. The terrifying thought came of my own ...

We remember sitting with a young couple who were locked in combat. She was prone to reactive outbursts and he was mystified as to what he was doing to trigger it. As we probed her about her family of origin, the penny dropped: she was repeating a relationship pattern that she had established with her mother. With this new insight, the couple was able to identify her conflict preconditions which equipped ...