Were you influenced by Movie Dad’s growing up? I sure was. But it’s time to rewire some of that outdated hardwiring. One of my earliest memories of a Movie Dad was Vito Corleone. The well intentioned ‘Godfather’— A patriarch and a mobster with a strong sense of family and an affinity for horse heads. Loyal but cold, a distant, disciplinarian type. As Dad’s of a certain generation we have been fed DAD stereotypes since we were kids. From movies to TV, ranging from but not limited to: Fresh Prince and Full House after school and the movie classics like Star Wars, The Godfather and Die Hard (yes ..read more

Were you influenced by Movie Dad’s growing up? I sure was. But it’s time to rewire some of that outdated hardwiring. One of my earliest memories of a Movie Dad was Vito Corleone. The well intentioned ‘Godfather’— A patriarch and a mobster with a strong sense of family and an affinity for horse heads. Loyal but cold, a distant, disciplinarian type. As Dad’s of a certain generation we have been fed DAD stereotypes since we were kids. From movies to TV, ranging from but not limited to: Fresh Prince and Full House after school and the movie classics like Star Wars, The Godfather and Die Hard (yes ..read more

Is there ever a good day to be a bad dad? Short answer… um no. But here is a somewhat unrelated longer answer… This ‘quote-ish’ took me back to 1994 and the beginning of my obsession with “The Crow.” What was it about this movie thematic that resonated with me? This fantasy follows Eric Draven (Brandon Lee), a rock musician who is murdered along with his fiancée, Shelly, by a group of marauding thugs who terrorise the decaying city in which they live. One year to the day after his death (which happens to be Devil's Night), a mystical crow appears at Eric's grave; Eric rises from the dead and ..read more

Grease is the word…or so I thought! I sat down to watch it with my kids and wholly sh…shoo-bop sha wadda wadda yippity boom de boom! I remember seeing this as a 6 year old and being mesmerised by the songs, dance scenes and Sandy…oh Sandy (aka *Olivia Newton John) *My first serious crush if you don’t count Drew Barrymore in E.T. BUT Fast Forward to present day, I had forgotten all the sexual innuendos and how inappropriate the content could be for young kids. I had my 6 year old daughter asking: Why did Sandy have to change to be with Danny? It was at that point I realised I should have probab ..read more

A father and daughter set about laying foundations for their life together. Using their own special tools, they get to work, building memories to cherish, a home to keep them safe and love to keep them warm. ‘What We’ll Build’ by Oliver Jeffers is such a heartfelt picture book… What is it about this author that manages get me to tear up every time I read it? The words are simple and scarce the rhyming is unpredictable and follows no real rhythm and yet the sum of all it’s parts create a melodic overture that elicits and stirs emotion . Perhaps because the story is about a Dad and his daughter ..read more

The Top 10 Things no one tells you about Fatherhood: 1. Spend as much time as you can with your kids. - They grow up so fast. 2. All your kids will be different and there is no one size fits all method to deal with the same problem. - Just when you think you got this… you will need to re-adapt 3. Teach your kids to colour outside the lines - That is where the magic happens. 4. Sleep? Forget about it. - Coffee will become less about enjoyment and more about necessity in order to function through the day. 5. You will never have access to your phone again. - No like seriously …never 6. Make your ..read more

How I ripped off my kids AND reduced their self-worth in one foul swoop. BUT also, how I saw what I was doing and changed my behaviour. Here are my thoughts on why just ‘being there’ isn’t enough… I’m the kind of dad that makes sure I tell the kids I love them often and at nauseam, I’m also a hugger and show an awful lot of PDA (Parental Displays of Affection), much to their dismay and embarrassment. BUT I would fall trap to zoning out at home at times, either focusing on emails, preparing presentations, working on projects, jumping on work phone calls, or just mindlessly scrolling through soc ..read more

“Children don't need more things. The best toys a child can have is a parent who gets down on the floor and plays with them.” — Bruce Perry It’s the times that I’ve played with my kids where I can literally see their hearts smile and not necessarily the times where I have bought toys or presents. I call the happiness derived from toys and presents ‘flash in the pan’ happiness- it rarely lasts much beyond the unpacking. It certainly brings them momentary joy but it’s a habit that I have found not to be sustainable or fulfilling for either them or myself. I promise you this dads: The only thing ..read more