The good news is you don’t need to break down on the Nullarbor Plain to enjoy an adventure or admire the heavens sitting by a campfire. If you’re near the South Coast of New South Wales, plan to join us at the upcoming Dads4Kids Fun Camp at Coolendel, 7-8 November 2025.
Whether you like it or not, words have power, especially when it comes to parenting. Used with thoughtful intention, words can build up and create. Used carelessly or worse, recklessly, they can tear down and destroy. One word that seems to have gone out of fashion is the ‘D’ word, Discipline.
These days, I’m no longer behind the camera, but the message of Dads4Kids remains constant: Our mission is to encourage dads and help them be the best they can be for their children.
Danny Abdallah could have easily smashed the man who killed his children, as at one stage he was the Australian kickboxing champion. He recently met the man in the jail where he is serving his sentence to tell him personally of his forgiveness.
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.
Dr Arthur Brooks, a professor at Harvard University, spoke at the recent ARC Conference in London on "The Science of Happiness". Start your own study on the Science of Happiness, put it into practice, teach your kids the same and create a very happy family in the process.
My younger brother died in a car accident in Tasmania on 16 January 2025, not too far from where he lived. Cameron left a living legacy displayed in his only daughter, grandchildren, nephews and nieces.
As C.S. Lewis wrote, don’t lock up your heart in a "coffin of your selfishness". Instead, love those closest to you with openness and vulnerability. Familial love like this might just be the closest one can get to Heaven on earth.
This article by Christian Jurinka, "Driving With Dad", brought back some happy memories. Like Christian's, my dad let me steer the car while seated next to him. I was only 12 years of age. I felt so proud. In some ways, it was the rite of passage ceremony I never had, but desperately needed.
If you can, share some memorable stories with your own children. Jodi and I often share memorable stories from our childhoods, especially those involving extended family members.
