Becoming a single parent was not part of my long-term life plan, and I would venture to say that most single mothers and fathers would agree, but like I always say, “We all have a story.”

To be honest, I still struggle with criticism from time to time, because the lie that I have to be perfect to be loved still resurges whenever it gets a chance. I still do battle, but I am no longer unarmed.

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

The peace we are looking for can be visual or auditory, or something else entirely, but the point is, we are always seeking it. Always. And that means that we are never content, for there is always something that could be improved.

These are the simple ‘I can’t believe I didn’t think of that myself’ solutions to life’s little problems. Here are my top ten favourite life hacks that have literally changed my life!

Why, oh why, does parenting bring out this bizarre competitive streak in us? One mother posted an article begging her friends to please stop bragging across social media about how they’re winning at natural birth and parenting.

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.

Okay, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: This mother-shaming has got to stop! And what’s really made me mad this time is that it’s a mummy blogger having a condescending dig at one of her own!

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.

After two decades of caring for other people’s children, Emma believes she can sum up the problem with modern parents with one simple test: Pour your child’s milk into a pink sippy cup. If they declare, ‘But I wanted the blue one!’, what do you do?

A new study from Leeds University in the UK reveals that fathers engaging in interactive activities with their children, such as reading and playing, significantly improve their kids’ primary school performance.

This really highlighted for me the simplicity of quality time with our kids. Building memories and relationships with our kids can be very budget-friendly and therapeutic.

As a dad now for (almost) 16 years, I’m continuously amazed at how much curiosity and creativity my daughters possess. One of our critical roles as dads is to foster and facilitate this curiosity and creativity as much as possible.

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.

Good social skills teach us to be other-focussed in our conversation and to be attentive to cues from the other about whether we are engaging their interest.

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.

My role in their lives wasn’t exactly the same, but I realised that I was just as valuable — if not more so — than I was before. My worth had nothing to do with the ‘single’ and everything to do with the ‘dad’.