Dadlife

This Is Why I Let My Son Wear A Dress

I still remember the first time my son Colin told me he wanted to wear the Elsa costume. I still remember the discomfort I felt. I’d grown up in country Queensland in a highly traditional masculine way. I was the school rugby captain and wanted to play professionally. As a teenager, anything that

What the Horse Whisperer Taught Me About Raising Boys

Question: What’s the difference between small boys and wild horses? Answer: Not very much

Kids
Kids

State of Independence: Three Ways to Bring Up Resilient Kids

To paraphrase Rocky Balboa, life is largely about getting knocked down and then getting back up again. The parental take-home: you want to raise your kids to be resilient. In order to get there, you need to foster their sense of independence. That’s the verdict of Anxious Kids: How children can tur
Dadlife

The War On Sandwiches: Become A Lunchbox Legend

For men of certain age, the idea of packed lunches is, let’s face it, faintly depressing. Back at school, limp sandwiches were inescapable – namely cheese, Vegemite or peanut butter and jam. Irrespective of the filling the sandwich always emerged look crumpled and sweaty, unable to shake off that li
Dadlife

What Will You Tell Your Children About Taking Drugs?

Everyone has a past. And if you’re a dad who grew up in the late ‘90s then yours is likely to have involved a certain amount of pills and thrills. Party drugs were the turbines that drove the nightlife of our generation. Personally, I no longer party like it’s 1999. Extreme hedonism is simply inco
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Meet The Bonell Family: What It’s Really Like Being The Father of 16 Kids

There’s an old joke from comedian Jim Gaffigan. “You know what it’s like having a fourth kid? Imagine you’re drowning, then someone hands you a baby.” If you accept that logic, Ray Bonell must be at the bottom of the deep blue sea. Ray is possibly the world’s most persuasive man.
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What makes a strong dad?

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Dadlife

Study: Your Kids Won’t Trust You If You Grow A Beard

Growing a beard during Covid-19 lockdown? Maybe you should think again. Bearded men were already on the back foot after a recent study proved that men’s beards contain “significantly higher” bacteria levels than dog fur. But a new revelation won’t help hairy-faced types to recover their Viki
Dadlife

Rockabye Baby will get your kids to sleep with help from AC/DC and Snoop Dogg

Getting your kids to go to sleep is invariably a soul-crushing ordeal that leaves you in urgent need of a very stiff drink. At the end of a brutal day, the nightly ritual of baths, teeth-brushing and bedtime stories often degenerates into a maelstrom of tears, screams and tantrums. And my kids’ beh
Kids

This Is How Many Hours Of Play Your Kid Needs Every Single Day

It turns out that playtime is a serious business. A leading child development expert has revealed that kids should spend a minimum of three hours a day engaged in offline play in order to help their cognitive, emotional and social development. Dr Brendon Hyndman, a Senior Lecturer in Personal Devel
Kids

Playing With Your Kids Can Change Their Lives - The World’s First Professor of Play Explains Why

Think you’re just letting your child beat you in another game of Hungry Hippos? Think again. You’re actually rewiring your kid’s brain and helping their social, linguistic and emotional development. It’s not just child’s play in other words – it’s a potentially life-changing
Kids

Why Is The Sky Blue? And Other Questions Kids Ask

Research has shown that the kids who ask the most questions are four-year-old girls, a finding that will surprise absolutely no-one who has a four-year-old girl. A study in Britain last year claimed that these inquisitive little tykes can crank out 73 questions a day. That’s roughly one every ten mi
Kids

Confessions of a Footy-Mad Dad: Why I Won't Let My Son Play Junior Rugby League

When my son, Max, was born, I began planning the kind of footy dad I’d become – the sideline guru, the tactician, the 5am whistle-blower. As I’d learnt from my dad, the love of Rugby League is transmitted by blood, and a morning kick in the backyard is as normal as breakfast. Max’s place in the loca
Kids

Dental as Anything: All You Need To Know About Brushing Your Kids’ Teeth

Children’s teeth are a tricky business. Their basic acquisition involves lots of tears, drool and sleepless nights – then you have to deal with their maintenance. Trying to coax a small child into brushing their teeth often involves a fretful stand-off in the bathroom. Every. Single. Day. B
Kids

The Top 10 Bluey Episodes

It’s official – kids around Australia are barking mad for Bluey. They’re busting doggy dance moves and dropping catchphrases like ‘Whackadoo!’ and ‘Dollarbucks!’ daily. Dads are feeling the love too, with some even confessing they watch the show solo. Packed with playful adventures for children and
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Navigating Dads To Their Best Lives