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Courage. It transforms everyday people into unlikely superheroes, and it’s something we talk about a lot here at Dads4Kids. Indeed, we have an amazing 10-week online course for dads starting soon called Courageous (starts Tuesday 3 October – find out more and book here before it closes soon).

Massive acts of courage by men and women are sprinkled throughout history. Courage seems in short supply these days, but sometimes, it pops up in the most unlikely of places.

A recent example could be Christopher Lunsford, the American country-folk singer-songwriter who performs as Oliver Anthony Music. His hitting home song ‘Rich Men North of Richmond’ as of writing has over 65 million views on YouTube. Only a few months ago, Lunsford was a blue-collar worker from Farmville, Virginia, living on a 90-acre farm with his three dogs, a man unknown to the world. I’m so thankful he found courage to share his music.

I remember mustering all the courage I had nearly twenty years ago to ask my future parents-in-law Neil and Sharenne for their blessing to marry their beautiful daughter Jodi. My heart galloping, I stammered out the words ‘Would it be… ok… if I married your daughter?’ to Neil as he pulled on his shoes at the front door, on his way to work (my timing wasn’t great). He generously exclaimed, ‘I thought you’d never ask!’ and the relief washed over me. Sharenne’s ‘Oh of course, Nat!’ was sweet music to my ears.

Twenty years on, with five incredible daughters and plenty of ups and downs, I’m so thankful I found the courage to ask the question and marry the woman of my dreams.

The Dads4Kids Courageous Fathering Course is designed to help all dads find the courage they need to be the best dads they can be for their kids. The Dads4Kids team work hard to guide course participants through the video content and weekly group discussions, and our hearts swell every time a courageous group of men complete the course.

Our next course commences on 3 October – hosted by the outstanding Peter Lim. We would love as many dads as possible to be part of it.

In our 4-minute invitation video for the upcoming Dads4Kids Courageous Fathering Course, Wilson Chong from Victoria, a recent graduate, says:

‘There’s not many formats like this available to new dads, so I think it’s just a great opportunity to connect with like-minded gents… Fatherhood really is something that needs to be learnt, it’s not something that comes naturally. So it requires consistent, concerted effort.’

John Demol, another recent graduate from New South Wales, comments:

‘The opportunity to sit under those… good, practical tips from dads that have been there and done a lot of stuff… to get access to that content for $40 upfront is amazing!’

Grandfather Bill Cortizo from Tasmania remarks:

‘You can always learn something, so I’ve been recommending this course to friends of mine, parents, fathers, it’s really a beautiful course… The whole course was amazing! I really, really enjoyed it!’

Alex Williams from New South Wales, who has completed the course twice and is one of our amazing facilitators, explains:

‘I really just value the structured way in which once a week I can look forward to Tuesday nights, dialling into the safety of a great bunch of guys and some really good material… Discipline is one thing, but it’s more about becoming like the love leader in the home and trying to foster unconditional love in every chance I get.’

Christian Eckert from South Australia says:

‘Big thanks to everyone that has put this program (Courageous Fathering Course) on. The structure of the 10 weeks and the course content… has been pretty outstanding. It’s really sharpened my focus as a father and a husband, but also what it means to be a man… it’s been awesome!’

Randall Gibbens from Queensland, another amazing Dads4Kids facilitator, wraps it up beautifully:

‘Guys being open and honest, it spurs us on to be real, and to really concentrate on being the better dads that we can be and encouraging one another too in that journey.’

Lovework

Please watch our 4-minute invitation video for the upcoming Dads4Kids Courageous Fathering Course and share it with family and friends.

Don’t miss our next Courageous Fathering Course starting soon — Tuesday evening 3 October 2023 — Book Now!

Yours for Courageous Dads,
Nathaniel Marsh

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Originally published at Dads4Kids. Photo by Tatiana Syrikova.