Steve Biddulph's Blog, page 2

LIFE OF DAD

Good Dads GREAT DADS would like to congratulate LIFE OF DAD in the USA for reaching 1,000,000 likes on their FaceBook Page.

This is such a phenomenal effort from a great bunch of people genuinely aiming to connect with, and support, dads worldwide.

Check out their Facebook page and let’s help them get to 2,000,000.

Kind regards,

Mal White

The post LIFE OF DAD appeared first on Good Dads Great Dads.

Playgroups for Dads

Welcome to the Good Dads Great Dads blog. There are more than 100 articles I have written for you on this site covering many aspects of being a dad. Enjoy a scroll through them and I’m sure you’ll find something that will encourage you today.

Playgroups.

I recently had the privilege of meeting and spending some time with Ian Coombe, CEO of Playgroups Queensland (PGQ). PGG have an impressive 1000 playgroups meeting on a weekly basis. What an incredible achievement and good on all those people facilitating these playgroups.

I was inspired by Ian’s vision for developing men’s playgroups. Thinking outside the square of 9-5 when most dads are at work, Ian is promoting men’s playgroups that can take place on Saturday morning, Sunday afternoon or any alternative time that works for dads, their kids and their families.

 

PGQ are aiming to promote “Blokes with Little Folks” groups. Ian says the benefits for men being able to enjoy interaction with other dads in the midst of sandpit fun, playground frivolity, finger painting and story reading are invaluable. I agree

Meeting weekly for an hour or so to have fun with a small bunch of dads and their kids is a great activity for many reasons.

Here are a few I can think of;

1. Make new friends.

2. Be able to encourage other dads in their fathering.

3. Have a good laugh.

4. Enjoy just having fun with your children in the company of other dads doing the same.

5. Observe how other dads interact with their children and pick up a few tips.

6. Give mum a break.

7. Cultivate your relationship with your child.

8. Its good therapy and who doesn’t want that?

9. You may find you get some support when you face some of life’s challenges through the camaraderie and mateship that develops and vice versa.

10. You will get some physical exercise as a bonus.

To find out if there is a dad’s playgroup near you or to get help to start one up contact your state playgroup body.

Here are some of their websites;

Vic; http://www.playgroup.org.au/

Tas; http://playgrouptas.org.au/

NT; http://www.playgroupnt.com.au/

ACT; https://www.playgroupaustralia.com.au...

SA; http://www.playgroupsa.com.au/

WA; http://playgroupwa.com.au/

Qld; https://www.playgroupqld.com.au/

NSW; http://www.playgroupnsw.org.au/

The post Playgroups for Dads appeared first on Good Dads Great Dads.

LIFE OF DAD

Good Dads GREAT DADS would like to congratulate LIFE OF DAD in the USA for reaching 1,000,000 likes on their FaceBook Page.

This is such a phenomenal effort from a great bunch of people genuinely aiming to connect with, and support, dads worldwide.

Check out their Facebook page and let’s help them get to 2,000,000.

Kind regards,

Mal White

https://www.facebook.com/lifeofdad/?fref=ts

When dads do it tough.

Most people do it tough at some stage or another. We in the West don’t really do suffering that well, nor are we that comfortable talking openly with each other about our difficulties and hardships. Frankly, a lot of people don’t really care enough anyway.

As a man you may be facing a tough patch right now. Be it in relationship issues, work problems, health problems or financial grief. Whatever you are facing, the loved ones in your life need to know how they can support you and how you can still be effective in their lives. The following piece by me will hopefully give you a little encouragement.

I felt the need to share why I have been absent for a year from blogging for my readers.

Many of you are aware that I have been a Leukaemia patient for eight years and that in itself poses a challenge as the medication can really mess with my head, body and lifestyle.

My last medication unfortunately caused my arteries to shrink and the circulation was so bad in my legs that I almost lost the ability to walk. To add insult to injury I was also diagnosed with 4 blocked arteries in my chest which is cardiovascular disease, for which I am now on heart medication. At one stage I was seeing the Cardiologist, the Vascular Surgeon, the Oncologist, my GP and a Chinese doctor for TCM treatment.

The stress and disappointment of this series of confronting health issues together with the concoction of countless drugs eventually contributed to me having a meltdown as a result of massive loss of sleep, anxiety and some depression. Additional medication and weekly Doctor visits and counselling have helped me get back on track. Countless people have been praying for me and my recovery.

I wondered if I would ever be better again. Well, I’m back and have fresh motivation and new insight to connect with you through this blog.

Writing a blog to inspire other dads took a back seat in my priority list. Sorry that I stopped providing the input into your fathering but I think you can appreciate my distraction.

My beautiful wife Karen has had to be a tower of strength for me throughout my hardship.

As a dad that wishes he was totally fit and healthy, I wanted to help my sons try and understand what I was going through. This was not always easy. Children, no matter what their age, like their dad to be strong, healthy and vibrant.

I had lost all my joy and felt completely washed up at one point.

You may have faced significant hardship yourself or you may be in a place of pain right now. As a dad your children need you to be there. They need to have some insight into your struggle. Firstly, so they can be sensitive to your needs. Secondly, so they can experience some of your vulnerability and thirdly, so they can love you and care for you. This will take various degrees of effectiveness as different children are wired differently. Some will be more caring and empathetic and some will not.

The reason I am open with you is because I want you to take courage and hope from my story and find personal application for your own life and journey as a dad.

5 Things I recommend you to do when you are facing a personal struggle.

1. Be authentic. Communicate with your family that you are going through a tough time and explain why. The level of detail is relative to the ages of your children and the level of empathy they have.

2. Be man enough to seek out professional help from a Doctor and counsellor. Don’t face this stuff on your own. You are ripping yourself off and also those around you if you don’t seek out professional help when you need it.

3. Eat healthily and exercise daily to boost your wellbeing.

4. Associate with positive people that genuinely care and can be an encouragement to you. I had two pastors regularly visiting me to help me through my battle. They modelled Christ’s love to me which I now deeply appreciate in a fresh way.

5. Pray (if you are a praying person), read helpful books to help you face your struggle,

and listen to uplifting music. Do things that you love to do even if you don’t feel like doing them.

I am now climbing out of a significant low time in my life. I am optimistic and hopeful.

These five things were key to helping me move forward.

May you be encouraged to push through your pain with help from others.

Once a dad always a dad. Remember that your children need you to be there for them in spite of what you are going through. It’s ok to go through tough times. We seem to grow deeper through the hardships but would never put our hand up to volunteer for them.

Please feel free to add your own comments to what I have shared today and share it with others if you like.

When dads do it tough.

Most people do it tough at some stage or another. We in the West don’t really do suffering that well, nor are we that comfortable talking openly with each other about our difficulties and hardships. Frankly, a lot of people don’t really care enough anyway.

As a man you may be facing a tough patch right now. Be it in relationship issues, work problems, health problems or financial grief. Whatever you are facing, the loved ones in your life need to know how they can support you and how you can still be effective in their lives. The following piece by me will hopefully give you a little encouragement.

I felt the need to share why I have been absent for a year from blogging for my readers.

Many of you are aware that I have been a Leukaemia patient for eight years and that in itself poses a challenge as the medication can really mess with my head, body and lifestyle.

My last medication unfortunately caused my arteries to shrink and the circulation was so bad in my legs that I almost lost the ability to walk. To add insult to injury I was also diagnosed with 4 blocked arteries in my chest which is cardiovascular disease, for which I am now on heart medication. At one stage I was seeing the Cardiologist, the Vascular Surgeon, the Oncologist, my GP and a Chinese doctor for TCM treatment.

The stress and disappointment of this series of confronting health issues together with the concoction of countless drugs eventually contributed to me having a meltdown as a result of massive loss of sleep, anxiety and some depression. Additional medication and weekly Doctor visits and counselling have helped me get back on track. Countless people have been praying for me and my recovery.

I wondered if I would ever be better again. Well, I’m back and have fresh motivation and new insight to connect with you through this blog.

Writing a blog to inspire other dads took a back seat in my priority list. Sorry that I stopped providing the input into your fathering but I think you can appreciate my distraction.

My beautiful wife Karen has had to be a tower of strength for me throughout my hardship.

As a dad that wishes he was totally fit and healthy, I wanted to help my sons try and understand what I was going through. This was not always easy. Children, no matter what their age, like their dad to be strong, healthy and vibrant.

I had lost all my joy and felt completely washed up at one point.

You may have faced significant hardship yourself or you may be in a place of pain right now. As a dad your children need you to be there. They need to have some insight into your struggle. Firstly, so they can be sensitive to your needs. Secondly, so they can experience some of your vulnerability and thirdly, so they can love you and care for you. This will take various degrees of effectiveness as different children are wired differently. Some will be more caring and empathetic and some will not.

The reason I am open with you is because I want you to take courage and hope from my story and find personal application for your own life and journey as a dad.

4 Things I recommend you to do when you are facing a personal struggle.

1. Be authentic. Communicate with your family that you are going through a tough time and explain why. The level of detail is relative to the ages of your children and the level of empathy they have.

2. Be man enough to seek out professional help from a Doctor and counsellor. Don’t face this stuff on your own. You are ripping yourself off and also those around you if you don’t seek out professional help when you need it.

3. Eat healthily and exercise daily to boost your wellbeing.

4. Associate with positive people that genuinely care and can be an encouragement to you.

I am now climbing out of a significant low time in my life. I am optimistic and hopeful.

These five things were key to helping me move forward.

May you be encouraged to push through your pain with help from others.

Once a dad always a dad. Remember that your children need you to be there for them in spite of what you are going through. It’s ok to go through tough times. We seem to grow deeper through the hardships but would never put our hand up to volunteer for them.

Please feel free to add your own comments to what I have shared today and share it with others if you like.

The post When dads do it tough. appeared first on Good Dads Great Dads.

Empty Nesting

Our youngest son has just left home. My wife and I feeling the empty nest. Its so quiet. Nice.

We have one son in the USA soon to be living and working on Hamilton island, one son living locally and our youngest is now living and working at Uluru, central Australia.

At 51, I am enjoying the prospect of being just a couple again.

As a dad its great to see your children find their way in life with a number of stops and starts along the way. Oh and did I mention bruises?

As dads we often wish our kids would make different decisions than they do. However as individuals they have to develop their own independence even if it means getting hurt along the way.

If you have ever seen a butterfly trying to break free from its cocoon it could be tempting to help them as it looks like such a struggle for them. This is the worst thing we could do for them. They need the struggle to strengthen their wings in order to fly.

How similar is that to life for our kids. We want sometimes to make their decisions for them or suggest what action they should take. They grow strong through trials just as we have had to.

Finding independence is like finding wings. Free to fly and enjoy what life has to offer.

Its a different world than even one generation ago. The world has opened up and there are so many opportunities available.

Whilst we get used to our new empty nest we will enjoy seeing our boys build their lives in this bug wide world of ours.

Would you like to add any wisdom to that from your experience? Simply write your comments and once screened by me I will share them.

PS I have a pop top caravan for sale if anyone is looking to buy one. see Facebook pages for details.

The post Empty Nesting appeared first on Good Dads Great Dads.

Empty Nesting

Our youngest son has just left home. My wife and I feeling the empty nest. Its so quiet. Nice.

We have one son in the USA soon to be living and working on Hamilton island, one son living locally and our youngest is now living and working at Uluru, central Australia.

At 51, I am enjoying the prospect of being just a couple again.

As a dad its great to see your children find their way in life with a number of stops and starts along the way. Oh and did I mention bruises?

As dads we often wish our kids would make different decisions than they do. However as individuals they have to develop their own independence even if it means getting hurt along the way.

If you have ever seen a butterfly trying to break free from its cocoon it could be tempting to help them as it looks like such a struggle for them. This is the worst thing we could do for them. They need the struggle to strengthen their wings in order to fly.

How similar is that to life for our kids. We want sometimes to make their decisions for them or suggest what action they should take. They grow strong through trials just as we have had to.

Finding independence is like finding wings. Free to fly and enjoy what life has to offer.

Its a different world than even one generation ago. The world has opened up and there are so many opportunities available.

Whilst we get used to our new empty nest we will enjoy seeing our boys build their lives in this bug wide world of ours.

Would you like to add any wisdom to that from your experience? Simply write your comments and once screened by me I will share them.

PS I have a pop top caravan for sale if anyone is looking to buy one. see Facebook pages for details.

Mainly Music promoting GDGD at conference.

I am thrilled that Mainly Music are promoting and selling the Good Dads GREAT DADS book at their conferences in New Zealand tomorrow and in Australia in June. The book will be available through their online store as well. This is a great program that is reaching many many families. I have been a volunteer with them in the past and I strongly endorse their work.

You may like to support them.

http://www.mainlymusic.org/

You have not heard from me for a while, partly due to the challenges I have faced with the ongoing leukaemia battle and partly as I needed to take a break from blogging.

I have been learning lots as a dad as my children work through the young adult stages of life and will share some fresh insights with you in the coming weeks.

My first reflection is that their ways are not our ways. We may have expectations, time frames and practical ways to do things. They may want to learn for themselves through their own experience and not be super prepared for each and every activity. I know my wife and I have had to back off from our enthusiastic suggestion making and advice giving. It is good to encourage their individuality even if we sometimes wish they would just take and act on all our wisdom and advice.

We believe we can offer so much and sometimes this input is welcomed or asked for and at other times it is not and can only bring down the “cone of silence” around them as they just don’t want one more person to tell them which course to look into, which book to read, which website to research and which country to go to or which relative to visit.

Once a dad always a dad. We continue to live and learn as we go.

GDGD article

Good Dads GREAT DADS is featured in a South Australian magazine this week. The magazine is available in coffee shops and public free reading stands etc as well as in Koorong Bookstores.

They have also written a positive review of the book. This sure does help to get a message of encouragement out there to dads that we need to be the generation that makes a huge leap forward in being highly engaged with our children and very effective in their upbringing.

Be sure to scroll through and enjoy some of the many articles I have written for your inspiration and encouragement here at Good Dads GREAT DADS.

The post GDGD article appeared first on Good Dads Great Dads.

GDGD article

Good Dads GREAT DADS is featured in a South Australian magazine this week. The magazine is available in coffee shops and public free reading stands etc as well as in Koorong Bookstores.

They have also written a positive review of the book. This sure does help to get a message of encouragement out there to dads that we need to be the generation that makes a huge leap forward in being highly engaged with our children and very effective in their upbringing.

Click here to read the article and scroll through the magazine.

http://www.imags.com.au/flipbooks/rise/march2014/#1

Be sure to scroll through and enjoy some of the many articles I have written for your inspiration and encouragement here at Good Dads GREAT DADS.