Being Dad - with Alex Cullen

What to do when your child is sick is possibly one of the biggest causes of parental anxiety. 

From coughs and rashes to allergies and bumped heads, it is really difficult to know when we are justified in our concern or when we are just being over anxious. 

Turns out it is actually simple. Trust your gut.. and if you are not sure… go to the doctor. 

This week we talk to Gary Hansford, a dad who has experienced the worst case scenario when his daughter fell ill one night. His story is a cautionary one that  could happen to anyone. Meningococcal disease is a potentially fatal disease that presents with cold like symptoms and is often diagnosed far too late. 

For more information on Meningococcal disease take a look at the following resources:

KnowMeningococcal.com.au - A great source of information and also where you can see Jenna's story.

VaccineHub.org.au - all you need to know about getting vaccinated.

Meningococcal Immunisation Service - Meningococcal vaccines are given as a needle, either on their own or as a combination vaccine. They can be provided by recognised immunisation providers. If you're eligible, you can get the meningococcal vaccine for free under the National Immunisation Program.

We also talk to an emergency doctor about what we should do and how we can make the decision to take our ill little person to see a doctor.

Professor Paul Middleton is a dad who also happens to be an emergency physician. He is on a mission to make sure everyone in Australia is able to perform quality CPR. He is the founder of Take Heart Australia and has written a book for parents called What To Do When Your Child Gets Sick.

Links and Resources

Lifeline Australia Crisis Support & Suicide Prevention. Call For Immediate Support. Empowering Australians to be Suicide-Free Through Connection, Compassion & Hope.

Call 13 11 14

Lifeline New Zealand Crisis Support & Suicide Prevention. Call For Immediate Support. Empowering Kiwis to be Suicide-Free Through Connection, Compassion & Hope.

Call 0800 543 354

Dads in Distress 1300 853437 or (+61 2) 6652 8113

Panda supports men, women and their families who are suffering from perinatal anxiety or depression. 

Call 1300 726 306

Panda PND Factsheet

Black Dog Institute is a not-for-profit facility for diagnosis, treatment and...

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Sleep is possibly, for many parents, the most contentious and difficult part of having children.

Some say that after having children you never sleep properly again. From infant through toddler stage to the early years they wake you up regularly for feeds or nightmares or illness.Then they become teens and they don't come home when they are supposed to, or do silly things and then as adults you lie awake and worry about how young your parenting errors are probably responsible for the problems they are facing in their lives.

Still... we can't deal with all those issues in one episode.

This week Alex is dealing with his own problems. Mainly getting his twins to sleep through the night.

Alex and his wife Bonnie have checked the twins into a residential sleep treatment centre called Tresillian.

If you live in Australia then you are probably lucky enough to have Medicare that provides free, at point of care access to clinics that help you and your children solve issues, including problems associated with sleep,

In this Episode we join Alex at Tressilian and talk to Fran Chavasse, the senior educator and author of the Tresillian Sleep Book.

Below are links to numerous articles and resources that we think will be useful to anyone struggling with infants who just won't sleep:

A complete list of Sleep clinics in Australia - Residential and Non Residential clinics across the country.

The Sleep Podcast Professor Harriet Hiscock and Associate Professor Emma Sciberras help you identify sleeping problems in your children, from infancy to secondary school, and give you easy to understand steps to improve their sleep cycles and overall health.

Solving Sleep Problems - A comprehensive list of resources for anyone looking to find help for sleep issues for their infant or toddler.

Parent Helplines - A comprehensive list of numbers to call across Australia for help and counselling.

Links and Resources

Lifeline Australia Crisis Support & Suicide Prevention. Call For Immediate Support. Empowering Australians to be Suicide-Free Through Connection, Compassion & Hope.

Call 13 11 14

Lifeline New Zealand Crisis Support & Suicide Prevention. Call For Immediate Support. Empowering Kiwis to be Suicide-Free Through Connection, Compassion & Hope.

Call 0800 543 354

Dads in Distress 1300 853437 or (+61 2) 6652 8113

Panda supports men, women and their families who are suffering from perinatal anxiety or depression. 

Call 1300 726 306

Panda PND Factsheet

Black Dog Institute is a not-for-profit facility for...

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I spoke to Alex Laguna about his work to try and help dads do a better job in Being Dad.

He is dad to no less than 5 kids, a highly successful lighting Director in the Film and TV industry he started  Betterdads.com  to try and get dads talking about being better at Being Dad.

Alex mentioned meditation and the impact it had and continues to have on his life. Here are the Apps he mentioned as well as a couple of others:

Insight Timer

Headspace

Waking Up with Sam Harris

Also be sure to check out BetterDads.com there are some great interviews on the site and Alex runs some very useful workshops and courses.

If you are on Facebook Alex keeps you up to date with events and courses here as well so like his page.

Links and Resources

Lifeline Australia Crisis Support & Suicide Prevention. Call For Immediate Support. Empowering Australians to be Suicide-Free Through Connection, Compassion & Hope.

Call 13 11 14

Lifeline New Zealand Crisis Support & Suicide Prevention. Call For Immediate Support. Empowering Kiwis to be Suicide-Free Through Connection, Compassion & Hope.

Call 0800 543 354

Dads in Distress 1300 853437 or (+61 2) 6652 8113

Panda supports men, women and their families who are suffering from perinatal anxiety or depression. 

Call 1300 726 306

Panda PND Factsheet

Black Dog Institute is a not-for-profit facility for diagnosis, treatment and prevention of mood disorders such as depression and bipolar disorder.

Black Dog Depression Test

Beyond Blue Provides Support And Information On Anxiety, Depression And Suicide

Call 1300 22 4636

Mensline provide free 24/7 help, support, referrals & counselling services for men via telephone, online and video.

Call 1300 789 978

DadsGroup Inc Dad's Group Inc (DGI) is a not-for- profit community organisation committed to connecting new Dads, thereby improving men's health.

Mental Health Plan How to get your 10 sessions with a psychologist via the GP.

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In the second part of this 2 part series on living with grief, Alex shares his own very personal story about his relationship with grief and talks to Clinical Psychologist and lecturer at the University of Southern Queensland James Brown.

In our many conversations with dads since starting Being Dad, we have been struck by how many fathers have reached out to us to talk about their experience of the loss of a loved one. What we realised pretty quickly is that, with very few exceptions, men tend not to look for help when dealing with grief. They literally bottle it up and carry on. This is not sustainable. Alex talks to James about why this is and what men can do to manage living with grief.

There is help out there, you are not alone. If you need help and are struggling with grief call the numbers below.

GriefLine - 1300 845 745

LifeLine Loss and Grief - 13 11 14 

If you want to support the search for a cure for brain cancer please donate to any of the charities listed below:

The Cure Brain Cancer Foundation

Charlie Teo Foundation

The Mark Hughes Foundation

if you are struggling to cope and need help, take a look at the resources below: 

Lifeline Australia Crisis Support & Suicide Prevention. Call For Immediate Support. Empowering Australians to be Suicide-Free Through Connection, Compassion & Hope.

Call 13 11 14

Dads in Distress Call Dads in Distress 1300 853437 or (+61 2) 6652 8113

Panda supports men, women and their families who are suffering from perinatal anxiety or depression. 

Call 1300 726 306

Panda PND Factsheet

Black Dog Institute is a not-for-profit facility for diagnosis, treatment and prevention of mood disorders such as depression and bipolar disorder.

Black Dog Depression Test

Beyond Blue Provides Support And Information On Anxiety, Depression And Suicide

Call 1300 22 4636

Mensline provide free 24/7 help, support, referrals & counselling services for men via telephone, online and video.

Call 1300 789 978

Mental Health Plan How to get your 10 sessions with a psychologist via the GP.

DadsGroup Inc (DGI) is a not-for- profit community organisation committed to connecting new dads, thereby improving men's...

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dustin Perry is a man on a mission. After losing his daughter to brain cancer, Dustin has set out on a crusade to find funding to expedite the research into finding a cure for this particularly nasty cancer.

Alex, who's dad died of the same disease just last year talks to Dustin about Chloe and the road they travelled down. The loss of a child is a parents biggest fear, we hear how Dustin lives with his grief and how he copes from day to day.

There are many resources available to parents who have lost a child to seek help. If you or someone you know needs help there are resources below to find assistance.

GriefLine - 1300 845 745

LifeLine Loss and Grief - 13 11 14 

If you want to support the search for a cure for Brain Cancer please donate to any of the charities listed below:

The Cure Brain Cancer Foundation

Charlie Teo Foundation

The Mark Hughes Foundation

if you are struggling to cope and need help, take a look at the resources below: 

Lifeline Australia Crisis Support & Suicide Prevention. Call For Immediate Support. Empowering Australians to be Suicide-Free Through Connection, Compassion & Hope.

Call 13 11 14

Dads in Distress Call Dads in Distress 1300 853437 or (+61 2) 6652 8113

Panda supports men, women and their families who are suffering from perinatal anxiety or depression. 

Call 1300 726 306

Panda PND Factsheet

Black Dog Institute is a not-for-profit facility for diagnosis, treatment and prevention of mood disorders such as depression and bipolar disorder.

Black Dog Depression Test

Beyond Blue Provides Support And Information On Anxiety, Depression And Suicide

Call 1300 22 4636

Mensline provide free 24/7 help, support, referrals & counselling services for men via telephone, online and video.

Call 1300 789 978

Mental Health Plan How to get your 10 sessions with a psychologist via the GP.

DadsGroup Inc (DGI) is a not-for- profit community organisation committed to connecting new dads, thereby improving men's health.

The Fathering...

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Dr Bruce Robinson... He’s the godfather of the Dad help space.  He’s a cancer specialist but has also started a fantastic initiative called

The Fathering Project.. He’s written best-selling books like Daughters and their Dads, Fathering from the Fast Lane.  He wants to educate fathers on how to be better dad’s and he’s been doing it for years now.  He’s a legend when it comes to Dad stuff.

In this chat Bruce talks to Alex about his experience of Being Dad and how he came to start The Fathering Project.

“Our core mission is to inspire and equip fathers and father-figures to be effectively involved with the kids in their lives, and consequently improve outcomes for young people.”

“We seek to encourage and support Dads to be the best they can be.”

Below you will find links to all that he mentioned in todays show:

The Big Push Charity Bike Ride

The Fathering Project Events - what's on over the next few months with the Fathering Project.

Dads Groups - Dads Groups are the Project’s core program and are established within schools and community groups across the country. The groups provide a safe, inclusive and positive environment where father-figures can learn, share, grow and connect with each other, and their kids.

Steve Biddulph  is one of the world’s best known parent educators. A psychologist for 30 years, he is now retired but continues to write and teach. 

Parenting eBooks - All proceeds go to The Fathering Project and continue to support Fathers and Father figures to be more effective and engaged with their kids.

Bruce's Books:

Daughters and their Dads,

Fathering from the Fast Lane

The Blue Book of tips for Fathers and Father Figures.

if you are struggling to cope and need help, take a look at the resources below: 

Lifeline Australia Crisis Support & Suicide Prevention. Call For Immediate Support. Empowering Australians to be Suicide-Free Through Connection, Compassion & Hope.

Call 13 11 14

Dads in Distress Call Dads in Distress 1300 853437 or (+61 2) 6652 8113

Panda supports men, women and their families who are suffering from perinatal anxiety or depression. 

Call 1300 726 306

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As tough dads go, Brett Kimmorley has to be one of the toughest we have ever met. 

Not just as an NRL football player who refuses to give up but as a dad who has had his resilience tested pretty much to the max.

Brett has 4 daughters who he parents alone, after his wife Sharnie died of brain cancer in 2017.  

Alex chats to Brett about how the ups and downs of his career, helped him deal with the devastating loss of the mother of his kids. 

If you are dealing with a bereavement or just struggling with Being Dad and need help please take a look at the resources we have put below:

GriefLine - 1300 845 745

LifeLine Loss and Grief - 13 11 14

The Mark Hughes Foundation

Calvary - Palliative Care Specialists

if you are struggling coping and need help, take a look at the resources below: 

Lifeline Australia Crisis Support & Suicide Prevention. Call For Immediate Support. Empowering Australians to be Suicide-Free Through Connection, Compassion & Hope.

Call 13 11 14

Dads in Distress Call Dads in Distress 1300 853437 or (+61 2) 6652 8113

Panda supports men, women and their families who are suffering from perinatal anxiety or depression. 

Call 1300 726 306

Panda PND Factsheet

Black Dog Institute is a not-for-profit facility for diagnosis, treatment and prevention of mood disorders such as depression and bipolar disorder.

Black Dog Depression Test

Beyond Blue Provides Support And Information On Anxiety, Depression And Suicide

Call 1300 22 4636

Mensline provide free 24/7 help, support, referrals & counselling services for men via telephone, online and video.

Call 1300 789 978

Mental Health Plan How to get your 10 sessions with a psychologist via the GP.

DadsGroup Inc (DGI) is a not-for- profit community organisation committed to connecting new dads, thereby improving men's health.

The Fathering Project The Fathering Project is for the benefit of the... For information regarding your data privacy, visit 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In part one of this 2 part series on Living with Autism ( it is in your feed now, so if you haven’t heard that ep, go and listen to it now.) Alex spoke to Murray Jones, a dad living in Queensland with his wife 2 daughters and his awesome autistic son Fred. We heard a story that is all too familiar to our next guest Professor Tony Attwood. 

Tony is the author of multiple books on Autism including the bestseller The Complete Guide to Asperger’s Syndrome.  He has an Honours degree in Psychology from the University of Hull, Masters degree in Clinical Psychology from the University of Surrey and a PhD from the University of London. He is currently adjunct Associate Professor at Griffith University in Queensland so he really knows his stuff. 

Tony Attwood - a clinical psychologist known across the world for his work on Aspergers Syndrome.

Autism Awareness Australia - A fantastic resource that covers everything you need to know and where to go to find help.

NDIS - The National Disability Insurance Scheme.

Temple Grandin - Tony spoke about this amazing autistic woman in the USA.

CDC Autism Statistics

Dads - a film about Dads and Autism. You really MUST watch this.

if you are struggling to cope and need help, take a look at the resources below:

Lifeline Australia Crisis Support & Suicide Prevention. Call For Immediate Support. Empowering Australians to be Suicide-Free Through Connection, Compassion & Hope.

Call 13 11 14

Dads in Distress Call Dads in Distress 1300 853437 or (+61 2) 6652 8113

Panda supports men, women and their families who are suffering from perinatal anxiety or depression. 

Call 1300 726 306

Panda PND Factsheet

Black Dog Institute is a not-for-profit facility for diagnosis, treatment and prevention of mood disorders such as depression and bipolar disorder.

Black Dog Depression Test

Beyond Blue Provides Support And Information On Anxiety, Depression And Suicide

Call 1300 22 4636

Mensline provide free 24/7 help, support, referrals & counselling services for men via telephone, online and video.

Call 1300 789 978

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we are talking about Autism and specifically how the diagnosis of an autistic child affects dads.

According to The CDC 1 in 59 kids are diagnosed with having a form of autism.

In part 1 of this 2 part series Alex talks to Murray Jones about living with Frederick, his 21 year old son who was diagnosed with Autism 18 years ago. Murray tells us about his journey and how Fred's condition has impacted on him and the life of his family.

In Part 2, which is in your feed now, we talk to psychologist Professor Tony Attwood who has decades of experience in treating children on the autism spectrum.

Below are the resources that Murray mentions in this chat as well as other useful links that we think will be useful.

We hope you enjoy todays episodes.

Help Disability Care - helping people with disability and their families since 1968. (Queensland Australia)

Mcintyre Centre - Equine Learning Programs for people with disabilities. (Queensland Australia)

The Glenleighden School -Speech and Language Development School (Queensland Australia)

Western Suburbs State Special School (Queensland Australia)

Autism Awareness Australia - A fantastic resource that covers everything you need to know and where to go to find help.

NDIS - The National Disability Insurance Scheme

Dads - a film about Autism. You really MUST watch this.

Tony Attwood - a clinical psychologist known across the world for his work on Aspergers Syndrome.

if you are struggling to cope and need help, take a look at the resources below:

Lifeline Australia Crisis Support & Suicide Prevention. Call For Immediate Support. Empowering Australians to be Suicide-Free Through Connection, Compassion & Hope.

Call 13 11 14

Dads in Distress Call Dads in Distress 1300 853437 or (+61 2) 6652 8113

Panda supports men, women and their families who are suffering from perinatal anxiety or depression. 

Call 1300 726 306

Panda PND Factsheet

Black Dog Institute is a not-for-profit facility for diagnosis, treatment and prevention of mood disorders such as depression and bipolar disorder.

Black Dog Depression Test

Beyond Blue Provides Support And Information On Anxiety, Depression And Suicide

Call 1300 22 4636

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A fairly important part of Being Dad is actually becoming a dad.

This week Alex talks childbirth and shares birth "war stories" with fellow Twins dad and good friend Dan Reid.

Then Alex gets a comprehensive guide for blokes going into the birth suite from Midwife Dr Donovan Jones.

Donovan is a male midwife with a passion for dads getting the most out of their birth experience. We learn how to prepare for the big day, what to expect and what questions to ask.

Below are some great resources and articles as well as some important numbers and sites to look at if you are struggling with this whole Being Dad thing. You are NOT alone.

Donovan recommends this site birthing4blokes.com run by Mark Harris a mate of his in the UK and fellow midwife.

Also check out these articles:

10 questions you always wanted to ask a midwife. 

7 Tips on how to get the most from your midwife. 

20 questions to ask your midwife

if you are struggling coping and need help take a look at the resources below:

Lifeline Australia Crisis Support & Suicide Prevention. Call For Immediate Support. Empowering Australians to be Suicide-Free Through Connection, Compassion & Hope.

Call 13 11 14

Dads in Distress Call Dads in Distress 1300 853437 or (+61 2) 6652 8113

Panda supports men, women and their families who are suffering from perinatal anxiety or depression. 

Call 1300 726 306

Panda PND Factsheet

Black Dog Institute is a not-for-profit facility for diagnosis, treatment and prevention of mood disorders such as depression and bipolar disorder.

Black Dog Depression Test

Beyond Blue Provides Support And Information On Anxiety, Depression And Suicide

Call 1300 22 4636

Mensline provide free 24/7 help, support, referrals & counselling services for men via telephone, online and video.

Call 1300 789 978

Mental Health Plan How to get your 10 sessions with a psychologist via the GP.

DadsGroup Inc (DGI) is a not-for- profit community organisation committed to connecting new dads, thereby improving men's health.

The Fathering Project The Fathering Project is for the benefit of the...

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.