This is a story about my bookshelf. Not usually that important, but all my special mementos, significant memories and special people are displayed on it.

How can today’s young men ensure that they don’t raise children with daddy issues? I have a few ideas that any man can implement to become a good dad.

Most dads have a couple of essential one-liners in their toolbox. This week, choose one or two of these 15 one-liners your kids need to hear you say.

When it comes to the election of Australia’s political leaders, be informed and get involved as much as possible. After all, to quote writer Brian Smith, ‘strong families are an amazing antidote to overreacting governments.’

Being a good dad is a distance run. The fathering marathon is a long, trying journey, and we must be disciplined if we hope to finish successfully. But we can.

Stories are even more important to children, especially when seen with Dad. There are some good family-friendly movies out at the moment. Let me give you my top three choices.

Fatherhood, far from being “toxic”, is an incredible protective factor that majorly reduces a whole variety of risks for children. The benefits of fatherhood extend far beyond the home, impacting children's health, safety, and future success. Keep that in mind next time someone uses the phrase “toxic masculinity”.

Bruce Robinson argues that every father must learn to give unconditional love to his children, and is explicit about dads telling their children about their unconditional love for them. I agree, but it is darn difficult.

When I became a father for the first time, a little under two years ago, my priorities and perspective on the world changed in ways I was not expecting.

Parenting two under two is a rollercoaster, and some days, we’re just holding on for dear life.

While we are far from experts on toddler tantrums, there is one principle my wife and I have agreed on in recent days: pick your battles. We want to avoid as many unnecessary power struggles as possible, and preserve our emotional energy for the battles that really matter.

The most crucial elements in drag racing are achieving a fast and consistent launch, maximising traction, and maintaining a smooth, straight-line run to the finish line. The same can be said of fathering.

Fatherhood might feel all-consuming, and in many ways, it is. But here are three reasons you can take great heart in your fathering and stay the course.

As I think about my own children, I’m concerned about the world they will inherit. Generation Alpha (those born from 2010-2024) kids are stepping into a world of slower economic progress, higher inflation, mountains of inherited debt, and many uncertainties besides.

Andrew Gray and his producer Glaucco Tomaz are doing excellent work, creating content to empower men and usher in a renaissance of healthy masculinity. I picked up a few great dad tips from him, and I hope you do, too!

One of the key ways fathers shape their children is through play. Studies show that dads spend a larger percentage of their parenting time engaged in play, often favouring more physically active, rough-and-tumble interactions, like me with Squish at the beach.

There’s no better sound in the world than my daughter’s rapid-fire giggle. And as it turns out, the laughter she experiences during these crucial chapters of her childhood comes with benefits that will leave a lasting imprint.

If you had told the 18-year-old version of my dad that someday he’d think babies were more interesting than football, he would have laughed his head off. But the truth is, as life pushes on, we don’t just abandon our dreams; our dreams change.

Not only is love a multipliable resource — it is a multiplying force. Such is the beautiful arithmetic of parenthood. Expanding your family expands your heart.

Australia’s politicians are frightened of the very monster they created in family law, the literally hundreds of taxpayer-funded women’s legal services, advocacy groups, refuges, and an armada of feminist academics and activist judges.