Alright then, just sign here and you can take him home. Home? Taking him home? And not just him, but my wonderful and rather tired and sore wife. There’s a lot involved in taking your baby home from hospital. You’ve got to have somewhere for them to sit in the car, somewhere for them to sleep at home, and a decent supply of nappies, cloths, creams, and so forth. We had ...

We may have found a cure for most evils; but we have found no remedy for the worst of them all, the apathy of human beings. The above quote is from Helen Keller, which makes it all the more pertinent. Helen Keller was both deaf and blind, but somehow broke through her massive impediments in communication. Helen Keller was the first deaf and blind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts ...

What is a Dad? The poem below says it all: A dad is someone who wants to catch you before you fall but instead picks you up, brushes you off, and lets you try again. A dad is someone who wants to keep you from making mistakes but instead lets you find your own way, even though his heart breaks in silence when you get hurt. A dad is someone who ...

“My Daddy’s a Champion” was the headline at the top of the Daily Telegraph, one of the biggest selling daily newspapers in Australia several years ago. The story inside the paper was even better. I have never met Daniel Geale, but you can tell he is a lot more than a prize fighter. Daniel is also aspiring to be a great Dad.   I will let you make up your own ...

Some time ago, I was busy minding my own business in my office, when I heard my wife talking in the next office to a stranger. I opened my door to shake hands with Bill, who was inspecting our fire services in our office on behalf of the landlord. Bill, realising he was in the offices of Dads4Kids, started to ply me with questions about parenting. He asked, “How should I ...

The team at Dads4Kids is so thankful to the three daring dads who featured in the Decorate Dad Challenge video. One of those amazing dads is Ashton Reed. Last Thursday, Ashton and his three beautiful children agreed to be featured in the TV story about why he took the Decorate Dad Challenge so seriously. To the joy of his children, they had the opportunity to decorate Dad all over again for ...

Millions of Australian Dads will hear and see Dads4Kids‘ Best Daddy musical Community Service Advertisements over the next 12 months. They will be inspired to become who their children already think they are: ‘The Best Dad in the World’. Dads4Kids sees the whole year as a time to strengthen family relationships and encourage Dads, not only around Father’s Day. These CSAs will be seen on free to air TV over the ...

I have organised many events for dads over the years, but last Tuesday’s ‘Dads4Kids Family Webinar’ lifted the bar to the next level. I felt like I got hit by a freight train! I am still trying to process the challenge. Please watch the webinar below to understand what I mean.   All contributors to the Dads4Kids Family Webinar were amazing. Dr Allan Meyer, author of Valiant Man, talked about the ...

This article is taken from newsletter Number 929. That means that every week since Father’s Day, September 2002, Dads4Kids has sent a newsletter out for 929 weeks in a row to encourage you and all our many readers to be the best dad possible for your children. The goal of Dads4Kids is to equip you, resource you, and challenge you to accept excellence in fathering as the norm, not the exception. ...

We need women. That’s a line that all men can agree on, but not always for the right reasons. Feminism only gained ground in the 1890’s when men became vocal supporters of a woman’s right to vote. In those days, in a court of law, a woman did not have the same rights as a man. Thankfully, this has changed, but as always, the pendulum has swung too far. Now, in ...

Some time ago, a young father sent me this incredible story about David Campbell. David is the son of the iconic Aussie singer Jimmy Barnes. David Campbell happens to be a singer himself, and a co-host on the ‘Today Extra’ show on Channel Nine. Read the full story here. Watch the performance below, of a father and son capturing the raw emotion of this story. If you don’t know anything about ...

If you are a Dad, it is hard not to feel a bit overwhelmed at the present moment. The coronavirus news seems to beat down at us from every quarter. Our children and our wives are looking to us for leadership in the midst of our current situation. What is our response to them? Firstly, we need to keep the saw sharp. Who is the saw in this analogy? You are the ...

Many years ago, I was awoken by the incessant ringing of my wife’s mobile phone. It was 12.30 am, so we knew something was wrong. The message was frightening. Steve Stylianou, a good friend and father of three, had collapsed with a suspected heart attack and was rushed to hospital. The request was simple – just pray! We mumbled our prayers as you do when you have been woken from a ...

What is Dad to do in the middle of a coronavirus epidemic? Firstly, he has to try to analyse the problem and gather information to protect his family, and particularly his children. A great man once said, “The truth will set you free.” What exactly is the Coronavirus? Coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle ...

We all have to move forward. The good news is that Dads4Kids is on the move. Earlier this year, Paul Lassig joined our team as the Dads4Kids Development Manager to take Dads4Kids forward. If we stop moving forward, we get stuck in the past, atrophy and die. It is the same for you and me as fathers. We have to keep challenging ourselves to get better, be more honest, and develop ...

Some time ago, Steve De Keijzer told me a humbling but wonderful experience he had with his 16-year-old daughter. Steve’s daughter had an assignment from school to write a story on a person who had a profound impact on her life. She chose to write about her dad. Steve’s story is printed in full below: “My 16 year-old daughter came home recently and told me of an assignment that she had ...

Some time ago, a young man approached me to see if I would mentor him and his wife on how to raise a great family. I have known this man and his wife for about ten years. He is a very successful businessman who is also active in his local church. In my estimation, he is a great father and a devoted husband. As a matter of fact, I would give ...

Some time ago, I attended a seminar where I was handed a little cellophane bag tied with a blue ribbon, full of unusual goodies with a tag titled ‘Leadership Survival Kit”. I had never received a Leadership Survival Kit before, so I picked it up to have a good look. I like to think of myself as a leader, but more importantly, I want to survive. As a father with five ...

Sometimes you get a treasured text from your child that signifies a milestone in your relationship, or just a job well done. I remember in 2004, when we ran our first Dads and Kids Bush Camp at Wollondilly River, my daughter was 11 years old at the time. She graciously agreed to come away camping with a group of dads and kids for a ‘fun’ weekend away. She brought along a ...

I have always felt that our society is at a tipping point when it comes to the restoration of fatherhood in our society. Part of that is my innate tendency to optimism. For me the glass is always half full. I can remember sharing as the conference organiser in the Main Committee Room of Parliament House at the very first National Strategic Conference on Fatherhood in 2003, saying very much in ...