The Gift of Less: Minimalism and Mini-me’s

My wife and guest-blogger, Julie starts off the Dad Dude blog in 2019 with some potent ideas about the gift of less. Before I hand over, if you’re wondering about this pic, that’s one of our twins, Charlie, asleep amidst the chaos a year ago. Enter Julie… THE GIFT OF LESS I remember when I…

Tag: minimalism

The Surprising Reason We Had Five Kids And Named Them As We Did

The Surprising Reason We Had Five Kids And Named Them As We Did Christmastime is the celebration of the gift of a Child. For a decade now, it is also a time when Julie and I are reminded that every child is a gift from God. In our case that’s five kids. Five gifts. Five…

Tag: faith-and-family, listening, my-story

Something Brighter Than A Screen

I have stumbled across something brighter than a screen. Two nights ago, after the second family movie night in just three days (it’s school holidays) ended in exhaustion-related meltdowns in my youngest kids, Eli (10) and Fynn (8) my oldest kids made some recommendations: Eli: ‘Dad, we like movies and all. But I think we…

Tag: family-habits, kids-and-screens, time

Don’t Let Your Kids Do Anything that Makes You Dislike Them

Don’t let your kids do anything that makes you dislike them That’s because society doesn’t care about your child nearly as much as you do. If you dislike your child’s behaviour at times, imagine how other people will react to them. So a general guideline is to intercept unsocial and unruly behaviour in your kids….

Tag: boundaries-rules, discipline, misbehaviour

The Dad Who Nearly Lost His Child And How It Changed His Parenting

The Dad Who Nearly Lost His Child And How It Changed His Parenting Two weeks ago a freshly focused father had come to hear me speak to a bunch of fathers about being a better dad to our kids. He was on the edge of his seat, taking notes. In a very interactive way, I covered…

Tag: time

7 Clever Ways To Give More Time To Your Kid(s)

7 Clever Ways To Give More Time To Your Kid(s) I want to give my kids the very best life I can give them. Which is why I give them my time. Time is our most precious commodity. Nothing says, ‘I love you’ to your kids like spending time with them. Relax, this post is…

Tag: time

What We Did When Our Kids Threw Mud Balls At The Elderly Lady Next Door

‘Wow, what a life lesson was that!’ said Eli to Chris and I as we walked back from the neighbours which he and 3 other kids had bombed. The drama had started an hour earlier. My 3 oldest kids had climbed over my neighbour’s wall using the ladder-play-gym system Chris (my neighbour) and I had…

Tag: life-lessons, misbehaviour

How My Wife Prepares Our Kids For Life’s Difficulties

How My Wife Prepares Our Kids For Life’s Difficulties One goal of parenting is to prepare your child for life’s road. (Not, as so many thoughtlessly do, to try prepare the road for your child.) I don’t know if you agree, but the more our decades tick on, the more we tend to find ourselves…

Tag: life-lessons, mothers

20 Arrows Every Ninja Parent Needs Almost Everyday

I have just passed the halfway mark, and I used all twenty of these arrows! For 54 hours I am the sole carer of 5 children, aged 3 to 10. Julie is away with a group of her friends in KZN. Five kids under my watch, I see myself as a parenting-ninja in training. As…

One Surprising Secret To Parenting That No One Ever Mentions

One Surprising Secret To Parenting That No One Ever Mentions I have read hundreds of books and articles on parenting, but not a single one mentions this secret to a happy family. In fact, I’ve only ever heard one parent touch on it… on a flight. Mom, dad and four teens were all together, looking happy…

Tag: family-habits, happiness, music