Sleep deprivation is marriage enemy number one in our book. When sleep-deprived, everything can appear miserable and beyond redemption.

I am grateful for being able to say my well-felt “I love you”, but what of saying the same when I am waiting for my daughters to be in my care?

When your children have their own children, you get a promotion and join the elite group known as grandfathers. This elevation provides you with a whole new set of responsibilities, opportunities and joys.

Whether new to the dad guild or a veteran dad-lifer, blunt affirmations offer sharp relief. Telling ourselves objective truths keeps us fit for the fight.

“No generation knows better than ours the terrible consequences of growing up without a father. Fatherless boys are far more likely to grow up and commit violent crime, mistreat women, and act out against society in every other way. Girls who do not have a father to honour — and, hopefully, to love as well — are more likely to seek the wrong men and to be promiscuous at an early ...

Like a Marine, a dad is the first vanguard in their child’s life. Dads are a child’s first superhero. This is why the world needs men who refuse — come hell or high water —  to go out on the devil’s terms. Put simply, the world needs resilient dads. Dads who bounce back from life’s roundhouse kicks, saying with the best of them: “Semper Fi.” Fathers who choose to remain always ...

Outta Puff Daddys (OPD) is a mixed bag of over-40s men from Brighton in the United Kingdom dancing to bridge the gap between masculinity and good mental health. It’s cringe for a good cause. Together as a group since 2012, they started life as a one-off way to encourage their kids. The “Boy Band” now uses dance routines, while capitalising on the comedy of dads on a dancefloor, to stem the ...

by Rachael Ward New dad Matt Carter knew something wasn’t quite right when he suddenly became overwhelmed with sadness as soon as his two babies started crying. From there it just snowballed. He experienced several breakdowns before finally telling a maternal and child health nurse he was struggling. The now father of three was eventually diagnosed with postnatal depression, a condition he didn’t even know could impact men, as it is ...

by Dan Hart As the US celebrated Father’s Day recently, two recent studies confirm that fathers play a central role in the mental health and behaviour of their children. In a report that compared dozens of studies conducted between 1987 and 2022, the America First Policy Institute (AFPI) found “clear correlations between children raised in fatherless homes and developmental challenges ranging from bad grades, anxiety, and suicide to violent behaviour, drug ...

During the past five years, it certainly seems that toxic masculinity has become a cliché. Unfortunately, it is not a harmless cliché: it has repercussions for masculinity, gender relations and the mental development of our boys and men.

“Something’s wrong,” my wife said. “What’s the matter?” I asked nonchalantly. “I think I am having a miscarriage,” my wife replied, with a touch of panic in her voice. Trying to sound like I was in control, I said, “We had better get you to the hospital.” Together we whisked our four children under 9 years of age to our family babysitter. From there the short 8-minute drive to the hospital ...

A unique story testifying to the bond between father and daughter has set parts of the internet on fire. Luis, a 78-old-year old dad living in Spain, was forced into a retirement home because of a loss of independence. This separated Luis from his inseparable, 38-year-old daughter, Estefania, who was born with Down Syndrome. Although Estefania lives in the same centre as her father, their necessary level of care requires separate ...

This week a television crew from the Japanese public broadcaster came to Sydney to interview family law specialist Justin Dowd, a former President of the NSW Law Society. Japan is considering a move away from mum-custody towards “joint parental authority” — which recognises that it’s in the best interests of children to have both mum and dad remain involved in their care. The Japanese crew came to Australia because they acknowledge ...

“No man is useless while he has a friend,” are the wise words of Robert Louis Stevenson. The poet John Donne said it this way, “No man is an island.” The bottom line is MEN — we need each other. Better still, we need friends for both the short term and long term. More importantly, we need to choose them wisely. Brad Stulberg is an author and high-level performance coach at ...

Australian mateship is a cornerstone of our culture, but an increasing number of Australia men say they’re lonely. A new app aims to bring them back together. January 2023: Whether it’s used to describe friends who are always free for a beer or soldiers on the battlefield, the term ‘mateship’ is a symbol of unconditional support, especially when times are challenging. But, there’s a gap between the iconic idea of mateship ...

By Bettina Arndt — The Sydney Morning Herald, April 28, 2014 A belief that children under three should not stay overnight with their separated or divorced father has underpinned our family law system for years. Has it all been a mistake? Bettina Arndt reports. Editor’s Note: Little has changed in the last ten years. Now, more than ever, changes are needed in Australia’s family law system. Across Australia, fathers are being ...

One of my happiest childhood memories is snuggling in bed with mum or dad each night as they read to me. It was these moments that instilled in me a lifelong love of reading. It’s still one of my absolute favourite things to do, even though it’s a rare treat for me these days. What I didn’t realise back then was that this simple habit gave me so much more than ...

Two Scottish teenagers have taken to the hills to promote men’s mental health in the name of their late fathers. Katie Cochrane and Caeley McClenaghan both lost their dads to suicide. Now, the 18-year-olds are on a mission, determined to see more talk and more action in the hope that solidarity, momentum and testimony will help dads, and help reduce the high number of men taking their own lives. Irreplaceable McClenaghan ...

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 ...

Too many New Year resolutions falter because they fail to address what really needs changing: the internal disposition that compels us into unwanted habits. A few years ago, we received a letter from an irate reader. We were tempted to point out his clear misinterpretation that led him to conclude almost the direct opposite of our intent. But we recognised in his words the wounded heart of a person imprisoned by ...