Raising Fathers
Robert Falzon, a good friend of mine in the men’s movement, asked me to contribute a chapter to his new book called Raising Fathers: Fathering from the Frontline -- 12 Men’s Stories. Here is an excerpt from my contribution. It was a fine weather Sunday in this small resort town. The café was full of people having their lunch. No one seemed to recall seeing the young man with blonde hair enter the café and order a meal. Without any warning, he unz ...read more
Fathers Matter
This week I would like to share an abbreviated article by former Deputy Prime Minister of Australia John Anderson, published in The Australian: “Black lives matter, but dads should matter first”. John’s main thesis is that most of the problems in our ...read more
Creating a Connected Family
"In family life, be completely present," is a saying of Lao Tzu from 600 BC. Here we are now, 2600 years later, and we are still struggling to learn this simple but profound piece of advice. This advice is all the more critical for fathers, and even ...read more
The Right and Wrong Way to Raise Children
Two weeks ago, I wrote about “Work Day with Dad”. In the article, I told the story of a number of dads who had changed their children for the better by simply hanging out with them. The act of taking your children to work, or taking time from work to ...read more
Work Day with Dad
I once went to a men’s breakfast where Paul Bartlett, then a father of young children, was speaking about the importance of fathers in the lives of their children. He told the story of how, once a month, his dad, who was in a high-pressure management ...read more
Marriage Week & the Secrets to a Good Marriage
“Love is a many-splendored thing” is the title of a popular song from the fifties. Many people would argue the sanity of that song and concur instead with Shakespeare who said, “Many a good hanging prevents a bad marriage”! Nobody would disagree with ...read more
“Best Daddy” Hits the Big Time
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 se ...read more
Fighting for Your Wife
John Eldredge said in his bestselling book, Wild at Heart, “A hesitant man is the last thing in the world a woman needs. She needs a lover and a warrior.” I am sure that Chantelle, Mark Rapley’s wife, would agree with John’s prescient quote. This art ...read more