One of the lessons that most parents try to instill in their children somewhere along the way is to look for silver linings.
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And while the disruption thrown up by the COVID-19 pandemic has been undeniably hard for everyone - very much including our young ones - it hasn't been all bad.
True, virus-related job and money issues have increased pressures for many households.
However, for those largely spared from the health and financial concerns, this year's restrictions have resulted in members spending much more time together.
For many, this has been welcome.
Working and learning from home has opened up opportunities to establish new habits and rituals.
Some families have reveled in doing more cooking with each other.
Board game and movie nights have made a comeback. Others - no longer faced with commutes or endless after-school activities - have hit walking trails or parks together.
Home learning presented certain stresses, especially given the length of time required in Victoria.
But some parents have also had the chance to become more aware of and involved in their kids' learning. This has especially been the case for many fathers.
Fittingly, a new review of evidence published by leading not-for-profit The Fathering Project ahead of Father's Day illustrates just how much of a role engaged dads can play.
None of this is to downplay or exclude the tireless efforts of mothers across the country.
But the evidence, taken from Australian and overseas studies over the past decade, shows that having a warm and supportive father is among the strongest predictors of better health, education, social and emotional outcomes for children.
On mental health, the review found that dads have protective and supportive effects on kids across different ages groups.
On the flip side, poor father-child relationships also have a significant and enduring impact.
On education, the review found children's positive and negative school outcomes were linked to the father's beliefs - for example, about teachers - as well as perceptions, school involvement and child attachment.
"When we examine the evidence from this summary of reports, we find that a child with an engaged father during primary school had fewer school adjustment problems, better academic progress and enhanced occupational achievements in adulthood," senior researcher Erin Erceg said.
The review found fathers absent during this time tended to have children linked to problems including school suspension and expulsion.
"Children do better in school when their fathers are involved in their school, regardless of whether their fathers live with them or live apart," Erceg added.
There's no doubt that, even at the best of times, parenting is a tough gig with heavy responsibilities.
But as we all try and negotiate our way through this COVID chaos, perhaps Father's Day is a good time to remember that ultimately, having parents that are loving, interested and involved goes a long way to helping kids become all they can be.
Matt Crossman is an ACM journalist