"*Names have been changed to protect privacy."
The issues needing protection are piffling and says volumes that the author could not get real live men with guts to be honest and open about their father roles. "He was distant" is a common complaint and here we have no one bridging the gap, all keeping their distance. Completely wimpy and that is the effect of the unrealistic ill-fitting culture of the average Australian male.

Diver Dan of many words and little point, completely missed the multicultural even though it is specifically quoted at the top of this forum. The point is being a father is multicultural, hence the massive culture shock and the high rate of failure of children's expectations. Fortunately the culture of men is slowly changing too under the weight of more demanding expectations on fathers.

"the best part is having your own little family- knowing they are your own flesh and blood."

RACIST!

"A man with a child in tow may not be the biological father."

Yes, he could be a kidnapper.
But don't dare look sideways at a "mismatch".
RACIST!

"Let's celebrate fathers: one of the nation's under-used resources."

But they're MEN!
Privileged oppressors of "the other"!
SEXIST!

Read an article about mothers and be told how they always meant and did good, a shame that they were not supported by the men in their lives who likely disappeared after beating them first.

Motherhood shines. Girls shine too being made of sugar and spice and all things nice.

Read an article about fathers and be prepared to always hear the worst and how they are more useful as wallets. If only the sperm and wallet could be married. But wait, that is already true enough. Problem is, there is no certainty who is the father, but again the wallet might be the best informant of that.

I do not believe that my childhood was much different from most other Australian children, except perhaps those children 'brung up'(sic) by siblings and the kind neighbours who slipped them food.

For many years after WW2 ended, the Australian economy that had been converted to war production struggled to recover. Building, manufacturing and other business had been curtailed, destroyed, for the all important war production for Europe. Then there were the deaths and casualties from WW2 and too soon after the devastation of WW1.

I remember the many earnest caring men, 'strugglers' they called themselves, who were good men all, solid citizens and good dads. They knew how to communicate with and care for children as they forked the veggie patch, or split hardwood on dark after a day's work starting before dawn.

Through volunteering all of the way thorough children's passage through pre-Kindy on and in sporting and other community groups, I would say that very little has changed over the years. The good civic-minded workers tend to be good citizens and good parents, whereas the life cycle of dependent, egocentric, stupid, lazy 'Housos', male AND female is often repeated in their children.

The obligatory negging of men, husbands and fathers past is quite unnecessary and in most cases a lie. If there are any solutions for a better life for us all, just give those.

Ever buried a horse? It takes a pretty big hole, an expensive hole. I've just buried my daughters 29 year old show jumper. I've been paying for him, & a few others, for 28 years. Then there's the cars I have bought for them, the trips I've funded, or taken them on. I'd be a rich man, if I'd stayed single.

It could be worse, at least I haven't had to bail a son out of financial trouble. My mate is $60.000 down because his son caused a huge pile up in the car he had neglected to pay the insurance on.

Then another mate is a bit nervous. He is guarantor of his daughters [& husbands] $560,000 home loan, & their looking a bit shaky.

Yes fathers are dreadful people, they should be banned.

What's with all the kids, marriage, family bias?

You're bachelorphobic!

Oh woe is me, shame and scandal in the family!

You guys must know some awful fathers.
I don't know any fathers who feel they are only there for the wallet.
They are too busy being good dads to get hung up on such mysoginistic rubbish....