There is only one of you in the whole world. Take the opportunity to hone your talents and grow where you are planted. I have always believed God places the right people at the right time in your life to counsel you and offer guidance and encouragement when you need it. Lately, I’ve been having a few chance encounters and friendships that have been placed in my life at the right ...

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 ...

Editor’s Note: We had a chat with Leith Erickson, founder of the Australian Brotherhood of Fathers, this week and offered to help bring awareness to some of their exciting projects, to support the cause of single fathers. Please find below a thrilling project we believe worthy of your consideration. ___ Photographer Stephen Walton of Sydney has been following the suicide awareness campaign #21fathers since its release. Failing System Stephen contacted the ...

Here are some excellent Australian support groups for men going through the painful process of divorce. No man is an island. By supporting single dads, we also support their children, their new romantic partners and other family members. We all need friends. Robert Louis Stevenson said, “No man is useless while he has a friend”. Sadly, many men feel bereft of friends, especially if they are single dads going through a ...

Fatherless father-of-two Rob Kenney has earned the “internet dad” title after millions tuned into a dad-help YouTube channel he created in April 2020. Kenney’s simple “Dad, How Do I?” vlog now has 3.83 million subscribers with over 18.4 million views. The 58-year-old social media “influencer’s” 30-year-old daughter Kristine Ponten attributes his popularity to COVID-19 lockdowns, stating,  “I don’t think it would’ve gone viral in another circumstance. It is definitely pandemic-specific regarding ...

The challenge of being a dad really increases when your only daughter turns ten years old.  This happened to me many years ago, but it could be very relevant to you right now. We had four boys, and then my wife got her wish and daddy got his dream. The stork brought a beautiful bouncing baby daughter. She had red hair and a mind of her own, and perhaps at times ...

Life with a baby turns regular activities into entirely new and wonderful experiences. It’s hard to believe so much time has passed. My son, Seth, is now ten weeks old, and so intelligent he’s bound to make a future Prime Minister. (Not that I’m biased!) Recently, I reflected on my experiences during Seth’s birth. A heap has happened since then. He’s grown, developed skills, changed appearance, and I’ve learned there is ...

Field trips bring lasting benefits for fathers and their children, providing life lessons and character-building opportunities. If like me, you were a kid in the 1980s, chances are you remember watching The Waltons. The two-story white house, Mary-Ellen, John-Boy, the sawmill, Ike and the general store; the yellow rumble-seat car, the ‘recipe,’ the Baldwin ladies, and John Walton Snr calling out “Good night, everybody” at the close of every episode. There ...

An examination of various parenting styles and reflection on our own modes of parenting, can be very beneficial in honing our parenting skills for the sake of our children as they grow and mature under our guidance and discipline. Two of the best parenting styles are ‘democratic’ and ‘authoritative’. The bare-bones definition of the democratic parenting style is, ‘Allowing a fairness and respect to develop between child and parent. It involves ...

Seeing your child grow up and get married is bittersweet, but embrace the changing seasons as part of being a parent. Being the father of the bride is an honour, a momentous occasion, a fresh opportunity to love. The first Father of the Bride movie was shot in 1950. The second Father of the Bride movie with Steve Martin starring as the father was shot in 1991. Don’t worry, there will ...

Is it possible to mix work and family life in the same space? Do the benefits outweigh the challenges? Prime Minister Gillard described the pressurised life of modern families as the single greatest challenge facing Australians. So what’s the solution? ‘Telecommuting’ or working from home has been put forward as the 21st-century answer to this growing dilemma, but is it really that simple? Disruptions My hubby worked from home quite happily ...

The family is the school of love. Our children learn from us how to become well-functioning adults and potential future spouses and parents. We owe it to them and their progeny to provide a good example of how to live virtuously, paving the foundation for happiness and fulfilment. “Your children will become who you are, so be who you want them to be,” is advice I have tried to live by. ...

The family dog has taught us a variety of life lessons, including how to communicate better as humans. Owning a pet has been a journey that has taken the better part of a decade. A year into owning a dog — or rather being the caretaker of one — I’m sold on the adage that dogs are “man’s best friend.” Fish were tried, but died. Cats? We’ve been there and done ...

Parenthood is the art of making yourself obsolete. It involves ensuring as far as possible that your child has the self-discipline and character to make it through the ups and downs of life, far into the future. They learn from us the tools necessary for resilience and success. Every year, there are four questions all mums, dads, uncles, aunts, guardians or grandparents involved in child-rearing should try to ask themselves: Am ...

This is a must-do for every dad. If this isn’t at the top of your list, once you have done it, it soon will be. Keep reading to find out. If you want to connect with your kids, I can think of no better way than to … write them a letter. I did this last weekend when I was at a dads’ training conference, and my kids received their letters ...

Research shows that religious men tend to do more chores than non-religious, progressive men. What is the reason behind this? And what other reasons might men have to delve into the thick of housework? While housework is not the most glamorous of duties, research from the University of Utah suggests that some men are holding their own, both in the kitchen and outside it. Surprising Observations In January 2021, Utah-based Deseret ...

Noelle (2019) is mainly a movie about a daughter of Santa Claus discovering that she has inherited her father’s talents for the vocation of gift-giving to children across the world. However, it also highlights the importance of fathers, in both intact and separated families.

Extinguishing conflict requires good communication. Here are some basic pointers on how to mediate a family quarrel and restore peace to your home. Most of you reading this would know that conflict resolution is a staple in just about every workplace. I don’t think I would be met with a whole lot of disagreement by asserting that the same emphasis should also be applied in the home. Two people step up ...

Despite the pace, there are ways to meet some of the challenges of the holidays. It’s not impossible to rise above the commercialised grind of Christmas. Men don’t have to be Arnold Schwarzenegger in Jingle all the Way, frantically tearing up the town trying to win the approval of his son by chasing down the latest toy fad. Pushing back against the grind can be as easy as picking up tools, ...

“Every day, in a 100 small ways, our children ask, ‘Do you hear me? Do you see me? Do I matter?’ Their behaviour often reflects our response.” These are the wise words from L.R. Knost, a children’s writer and child advocate. Our challenge as Dads is to answer that same question. On Saturday, 11 December, I had to organise an all-day national prayer event on Zoom. I needed some help, so ...