Scans actually showed significant biological differences in the dads’ brains as they grew into the role of fathering their infants. We can be the fathers our children need, and at just the right time. That should give us confidence and a sense of purpose as dads.

Dads, you are important in the lives of your children. Whether you have contact with them or not, you are important. Make your presence count. See what your children are up to, listen to what they are going through, and speak words of encouragement to them.

Even young kids need time with dad. They need to learn from us. They need to grow with us. It is not always easy, and we are usually exhausted, but it is so important to give that little bit of extra energy to enter their world.

I have previously written about how children are wired to need both a mother and father. This is a fact that has come into much sharper focus for me as our little Squish has begun regularly calling out our names.

Until the 1970s, men were banned from the birthing suite. But fathers are now moving from breadwinner and disciplinarian to involved parent.

Phones, and screens in general, are kryptonite when it comes to active listening and being fully engaged with our families. For better or worse, they’re part of modern life, but every family needs to find ways to manage these pesky attention-stealers.

Since 2004, Dads4Kids founder Warwick Marsh and a fantastic team of volunteers have hosted the annual Dads4Kids Fun Camp. As the name suggests, it’s all about dads and their kids camping together and having fun.

Listening to ‘Unplanned’ made my wife and I deeply grateful for Squish, and deeply grateful to her birth mother and father for staring down every challenge they faced to give this beautiful baby the gift of life.

It has dawned on me in recent weeks that the time to model “the good life” for Squish is not when she starts talking or begins school or reaches adolescence — but today.

One day, I realised that these wonderful awakenings would not last forever. One of these wondrous leaps would be the last one, and it would never happen again.

The early years are the most dynamic time of life, producing more than a million neural connections each second. For parents or caregivers, this time offers a wonderful opportunity to impact children’s lives.

Children with dads who are involved in their upbringing tend to do better socially, emotionally, and academically than kids with uninvolved fathers. Research also shows kids with involved dads tend to be more confident.

The first four weeks of being a new dad will be one of the scariest times of your life. To make this a little less scary, we’ve compiled a few tips on how to get through it.

New studies suggest that having a sense of purpose makes dads healthier, happier, and stronger as individuals and as fathers. Robert Byrne said, “The purpose of life is a life of purpose.”

The gift of having a sense of purpose is that it reminds us of the future we want for our children, and it shows us how we can work toward that future today.

It has officially begun: Squish is eating solids. Watching her navigate her first few mouthfuls of food, after months of a milk-only diet, was predictably entertaining.

Dads4Kids continues to go from strength to strength, and we have some exciting things in store for 2024. Bookings for our next Courageous Online Fathering Course, which has been life-changing for so many dads, are open.

Being a parent can be a tough task — but a variety of tricks can help make the battles of childcare a little less stressful. While many methods are well-known and practical, others are more controversial.

Singing these two carols to Squish has helped me think about Christmas through the eyes of a child for the first time in decades. And it’s a beautiful thing.

Maybe you never asked to be a single dad, but there is much joy ahead with your kids if you can navigate these tricky waters well. You’re not alone. Not by a long shot.