Fathers are critical! As are positive male role models! Even for those whose genetic code decides they must be born different! Recent research has discovered a gay gene, not just one, but several down near the bottom of the double helix DNA spiral!

It's said that the men who pioneered Alaska were real men, so were the women!

I was raised by a single parent, my Mum, who had the world and the rules and the establishment/the church, stacked against her!

Some of the fathers I was exposed to, were hidden in plain sight, Father Sullivan and father Brown, both of whom, were turd burgling, butter wouldn't melt in the mouth, boy buggering peadophiles!

And quite vicious homophobes, who spent many a sunday pounding the pulpit strenuously attacking gay men and extolling the virtues of the nuclear family!

Yes we should have masculine role models, some of who like alaskan pioneers, can come disguised as females, and boy what a disguise! YUMMY!
Alan B.

What a caring article, but it feels like it needs to mention new legislation or existing legislation that needs to be added or removed for the reemergence of the traditional family to takeplace.
Probably if all the conservative warhorses across all forms of media actually filtered their daily rants through the prism of legislation they'd have more success, otherwise its just feels like a ratings thing sometimes.

"There was the case of a man asked by staff to move from his seat on a plane because he was sitting next to children ."
Regrettably 81% of males are child-abusers and will need to sit at the back in buses and planes. With maternal skills , women are better drivers leaving men as back-seat drivers next to the sons wasting time with gaming and one-punches .

This is a way to remember Fathers Day. This book as a gift and sign inside,

http://www.amazon.com/Every-Fathers-Daughter-Twenty-four-Remember/dp/1620540134

The author,
http://margaretmcmullan.com/books/everyfathersdaughter/

Or to read and reflect upon, in memory,

"Our stories don't stop, even when lives end."

For the living, every day is a good time to talk. Just a phone call, a message to remind fathers that yes, we care and they are not forgotten.

Maybe each generation makes fatherhood as it sees fit. Kids these days are open to events and experiences we never knew as kids.They see "Brokeback Mountain" or "Moonlight" and take it in their stride.They've seen"Psycho" and "2001" and "Game of Thrones". But most males today will become dads- and hopefully, thoughtful, caring ones. The likes of Eric Abetz and his cronies are still stuck in the 1940s. Time for them to move on and make way. And Lee Rhiannon and her fan club, ditto

What a nice article.

I must've missed the story about Virgin Airlines asking a man to move seats, it was probably when I flew to Sydney with Tiger for the first time a few weeks back, so my comment will be a little off topic.
They have pricing options for everything now, jumping the queue, extra baggage other than carry-on, meals etc.
It was a great flight, the staff were friendly and professional and I was seated in 1A so I was last on and first off
The only thing I did not like was the single mum and her 2 kids seated behind me.
The kid spent the entire flight punching and kicking the back of my seat, putting the tray down, and back up, again and again the whole flight.
I may have thought about throwing him out at 10.5 k's above sea level but unfortunately that would've been impolite and discourteous, not to mention dangerous and illegal.
Kids on flights should be banned or pay double and the people sitting near them should get a discount.
No adult would be allowed to do that (ruin someone elses flight) and get away with it.
And mothers, control your kids on the flight, noone wants to have to tell you how to do your job as a parent so do it properly.
'Hey little man, Can you fly? Wanna find out if you can?'
But of course we're not allowed to say or think things like that are we?

Hmm yes.

Like the boy who got comments on his report..
"Could do better. He's trying"

and then

"Trying still"

and finally
"Really, really trying"

It has long been known that fathers are an essential part of a a child's life, not just as a second parent to help economically but for the different types of parenting they bring to a child.
Many studies have found that children without a father in their life do worse. Girls come into puberty earlier, get pregnant earlier, tend to have disastrous relationships with men. In other words they spen their lives looking for their father in other men.
Boys have equally bad outcomes, in terms of suicide, criminal activity, mental health problems, academic achievements etc.
Mothers and fathers are not interchangeable, they bring different approaches in parenting to a child as shown in studies.
If children were meant to be raised without fathers the human race wouldn't have evolved to make a men essential for reproduction.
And for Allan, with your negative association of fathers with abuse. I suggest you do some research. Far more children are killed and abused by their mothers, than by their fathers.
If only for the sake of our sons, we need to return fathers to their place of r spect and love in the family.

http://www.theallianceforec.org/library.php?c=5&news=77

//If children were meant to be raised without fathers the human race wouldn't have evolved to make a men essential for reproduction.//

If joeys were meant to be raised without fathers the kangaroo race wouldn't have evolved to make bucks essential for reproduction.

Oh hang on... roos do sexually reproduce, and joeys are raised exclusively by does. Bugger.

Animals have been sexually reproducing since long before we climbed down from the trees in Africa. Sexual reproduction evolved as a way of mixing up genes to ensure genetically diverse populations, which is a distinct advantage. In a lot of species - roos for example - males aren't involved in rearing their young at all. In some species - turtles for example - the mothers don't either: the young are left to fend for themselves

Armchair, and also a little off topic. I remember well my first flight accompanied by my Father. We had taken a flight south, in an old DC3 to reconnect with my Mum.

He had had his fill of the little rebel I'd become, aged 14. And wanted to hand me back.

We hugged the coastline, so the pilot wouldn't get lost? And flew at around a thousand feet, just so we could bump heads with every air pocket ever created? I knew why they are called birds, given this one managed to flap its wings?

Anyhow, the green eyed green faced hostess with the mostest, duly arrived, asking if I would, opps, like a sango? To which I replied, na, just chuck em in the vomit bag, it'll save time!

Eventually we touched down, I climbed out, and did my best impersonation of a pope kissing the ground, with heartfelt reverence!

Whereapon Biggles, our pilot walked on by saying, I say old chap, good old Terra firma, jolly good show, what?

To which I replied, yes, more firmer less terror!

Even a green gilled dad, who was really my biological uncle, managed a smile, with that one.

I tried to make up for my dad's shortcomings, by being the best dad I was capable of being, and regard the same as a whole of life commitment!
Cheers, Alan B.

In Africa they have child soldiers who kidnap girls and babies bring up the young adults in back packs.

Toni, I actually thought we had evolved beyond the social and intellectual level of kangaroos but obviously I'm mistaken

Tamanian devils hatch out and are left to sink or swim. Kangaroo joeys are neglected by fathers who don't teach woodwork or kick-boxing..um.

This is an extract from an article in the Australia, which unfortunately is behind a paywall. When I read this I felt like crying and decided I'm glad I won't be around to see what society seems bent on destroying. The family, fatherhood, confident children, and the knowledge of who we are and our roles in society.

"A heart-tugging television commercial celebrating Fath­er’s Day by promoting the ­special role of fathers in the lives of their children has been pulled after being deemed too “polit­ical” ahead of the government’s same-sex ­marriage postal ballot.

This year’s commercial — featuring a father singing his baby a lullaby — will not be broadcast after Free TV Australia, representing the free-to-air commercial networks, informed­ not-for-profit group Dads4Kids that its Father’s Day ads “likely contained political matter”...

In its statement, Dads4Kids said the majority of free-to-air TV networks across Australia had “graciously run these ads for free as a community service ­announcement” for 15 years.

Well kids need mums and dads, in whatever form they take.

Most of us will be glad when this tedious debate about same-sex marriage is over, whatever we think of it. While it goes on, giving voice to many sane people and a lot of silly ones, far too many important issues aren't being discussed: Chinese investment; politicians accepting gifts from various unsavoury sources; negative gearing; capital gains; housing unaffordability; big packages awarded to fat cats.

On which: Ahmed Farhour must be happy with his big retirement package. Most boys would be jealous of such an enormous package....

"Dads4Kids .. run these ads for free for 15 years."
So if Allah4Ausah says to wear a burqa then KMart puts up boys burqas in the front display in footie colours. If Top4girls says to break through the glass ceiling then Bunnings has a special on ladies sledge hammers? If Gay4U are over Dads then ebay runs suicide euthanasia packs for ex-Dads?

NNN

Or, how to prevent your child from becoming a heterosexual father; enroll him in your local Public School for indoctrination in the joys of homosexuality v the evils of heterosexuality ....

oi ?
please explain.
Are ads controlling life? Then the Dads4Kids stopped anyone being gay and now with no ads, marriage celebrants only do one-way roads.

The Safe Schools is only for high schools now. If students do Nazi German or Soviet Russian history , do they become Nazi for a month then Communist?

Very serious charge Diver. But London to a brick you can't supply a single scaric of credible evidence to back your homophobic assertions/hate speech!

Where's your proof?

If you really do believe that indoctrination can turn a normal hetrosexual into a homosexual, give us chapter and verse case studies that can be independently validated, to support your egregious claims!

The only indoctrination on display here, is from the incorrigible, recalcitrant, resident homophobes, all of who seem to have come down with an extraordinary case of Sergeant Schultz syndrome!

Bring on the next election! And thanks for the help!
Alan B.

This story about an ad for dads being banned seems yo be a total furphy.

The story in Sun Herald is that the ad didn't meet compulsory guidelines.

But who care about facts?

Or it could mean Waverley, that the media is full of poofters, & so are the organisations which control it.

This also explains why TV programs are mostly so lousy.

Big Nana,

You are oversimplifying what the research says, and overextending it to lesbian parenting with your talk of non-interchangeability.

While the effects of not having a male role model around, which you note, are mostly accurate (the early puberty is still a bit of a mystery and may be due, in part, to the fact that we’re getting fatter), what you haven’t mentioned is that they are only found in instances where the children were raised by single mothers with no male role model for the child, or a male role model which they saw less than once a fortnight.

The studies to which you (presumably) refer, do not find the same results in households with two same-sex parents.

What you also seem to have missed is that having the father around is just as detrimental to a child’s development when the father exhibits antisocial behaviour. However, a father’s antisocial behaviour appears to have no effect if the child sees them less than once a fortnight (there appears to be something almost magic about the two-week mark).

http://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/644e/4b1622f286a3c7a55ac95f454a6d44399921.pdf

Hear, hear and well said, A.J.P.
Alan B.

Probably TV is male and the mobile is female .

nicknamenick,

...are you alright mate?

//nicknamenick,

...are you alright mate?//

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRZ-jLOrFfk

Maybe you should all have a cup of tea and a good lie down

Right . Woman . cup of tea , now.

Dear Is Mise,

Perhaps the following link may help you to
understand why Princess Diana was regarded
as the "People's Princess" and why the entire
world cried at her death. She was a unique
Royal who had the capacity to reach so many
people - and that in itself makes her something
out of the ordinary.

http://www.biographyonline.net/people/diana/achievements_princess_diana.html

Sorry, this got posted on the wrong discussion.

Years ago when my son and daughter were little, I took them to a fun park.

My son went off to ride the toboggan and my daughter and I went to play mini golf, which unfortunately was closed, so she went and played to the swings and monkey bars and I sat in the shade under a tree.

I notice one mother come and collect her children, and the pattern was repeated time and time again. Until the only child left was my daughter on the play equipment.

so that shows that.........................?

Big Mama. "Far more children are killed and abused by their mothers, than by their fathers."
That might be so in some communities where many fathers are in jail or just gone walkabout, but I don't think the overall statistics will support your statement.

David

It appears you're right, David.

http://aifs.gov.au/cfca/publications/who-abuses-children

An overwhelming majority of physical abuse (both fatal and non-fatal) is committed by fathers.

We seem to have got a long way from fathers.
What the...