What Did 2025 Teach You About Being a Dad?

Because the real wins weren’t in the party hats - they were in showing up, again and again.

What a year. You survived nits, nut allergies, and a recorder concert. Let’s debrief.

Somehow it’s December. The school shoes have turned into sandals, your fridge is 40% custard, and the kids now think 7:30pm is a “suggestion.”

You probably don’t remember what your big parenting goal for 2025 was. But you do remember that one time you got everyone out the door without shouting, and the toast didn’t land butter-side-down on the dog. Progress.

And that’s what this is about. Not the grand “dad transformations” - just the stuff that stuck.

“The most powerful lessons often come from reflecting on the ordinary — not the extraordinary.”

— Dr Tim Sharp (aka Dr Happy), Clinical & Positive Psychologist

The Lesson That Came Covered in Yoghurt

Some lessons arrive mid-meltdown. Others show up in the car, when your kid randomly asks if aliens have dads too. Either way, it’s usually when you’re least ready.

Maybe it was realising your kid repeats your bad habits and your weird jokes. Maybe it was how they looked at you when you actually put the phone down and listened - properly listened - for once.

They might forget the school project you helped finish at midnight, but they’ll remember how you handled the moment. Even if you were in pyjamas and had glue in your hair.

You Stuffed Up - and That Taught You Something Too

Maybe you lost it one day. Said something you regretted. Didn’t notice they were upset till bedtime. You’re not alone - every dad drops the ball sometimes. No one gets a perfect run.

But did you own it? Did you try again the next day with more patience, more eye contact, or at least fewer sighs?

Turns out your kids don’t need a flawless dad. They need a human one who keeps turning up. Preferably without yelling about shoes every morning, but hey - one step at a time.

The Year You Actually Got Better (Even If No One Noticed)

You might not have reinvented yourself, but maybe you shifted. You started putting the phone down during dinner. Said yes to more games, no to more work calls.

You learned your kid’s new teacher’s name by Week 3 instead of pretending it was “Miss Something.” You hugged more. You hovered less.

And somehow, through all the chaos, you found a way to be a bit more there. That counts.

What’s Worth Carrying Into 2026?

Not every lesson needs to become a resolution. But there’s probably one thing you figured out this year that’s worth repeating.

Could be as simple as: bedtime chats work better than big sit-down talks. Or: the dog walk is actually your best chance to get your teen to open up. Or maybe it’s just: less screen, more scene.

DADDING IN ACTION

Write down three lessons from this year - one serious, one funny, one you didn’t see coming.

Resources

• Website: Mindfulness for Parents - Emerging Minds

  A grounded guide to noticing your thoughts, showing up more, and managing stress as a dad.

• Podcast: DadPod with Osher Günsberg & Charlie Clausen

  Honest chats between two Aussie dads about the chaos, lessons, and curveballs of fatherhood. Funny, vulnerable, and real.

• Book: The Making of Men by Dr Arne Rubinstein

  A powerful but readable look at how fathers shape kids’ emotional and mental wellbeing - and how presence and reflection can change everything.