With the holiday season upon us,  a Playstation 5 video game console is sure to be at the top of many a child’s wishlist. Unfortunately, many a child are going to be disappointed. Since their release last year, PS5s remain incredibly difficult to find. As luck would have it, I managed to come into the possession of TWO of these rare machines. And if you’re thinking that this post is going to be about how and where to buy a Playstation 5…. You’re wrong! My pursuit of this darn console actually  makes for a Charlie Brown-like story about the true meaning of Chris ..read more

Some quality time golfing  makes for a great gift! My suggestions go downhill from here, though…..  Hey, hey, hey!  Father’s Day is just around the corner. Now, if you have come here looking for the perfect Father’s Day gift for the father figure in your life…..you have come to the wrong blog. Way more reputable dadfluencers have probably got that covered. What I do have, however, are some not so perfect Father’s Day gift ideas, inspired by some recent experiences with my kids.  OK, fine, this is pretty much an excuse to tell three random stories, to be honest. You’re wel ..read more

  It was my daughter J’s 9th birthday recently, and, just like last year, we had to kibosh any party plans because of the pandemic. Gatherings still aren’t really allowed, and most fun places to go are closed.  She likes puzzles, and mentioned wanting do an escape room before.   Replicating the experience of one at our house seemed easy enough. Turns out, it kind of isn’t. It requires a lot of planning, both in the design, and budget. However, in the end, it turns out to be a hit. Thus, I figured that I’d share the love. Here’s how you can make your own awesome DIY escape ..read more

      Happy New Year! Mid-January is not too late to say that, right?  Anyhoo, 2021 was supposed to bring about big changes from 2020, and so far, it has! For example, around here, instead of being able to send our kids to physical schools, everyone is doing online learning, because the schools have been shut down! New year, same pandemic, yay?  Now, if you’ve been doing the remote school thing all along,  cool. If, like us, you haven’t, it’s a huge adjustment, for real.  Working full time while trying to help the kids with their online learning is not easy ..read more

  Now, how’s that for a captivating title? Pretty self-explanatory. Since today is  Black Friday, I got three  random parenting stories for y’all, for the price of, uh, none.  Anyway, let’s get to it!     THE BIGGER PICTURE     I’ve talked on here before about how little kids should worry about little kid stuff, and not real world problems.  This obviously isn’t always feasible or realistic, though, especially this year. For example, the decision of whether to send children to school, or keep them home, has been/continues to be a  contentious ..read more

  Alright, so 2020 has been challenging, to say the least.  However, despite the suckiness, there’s still plenty of ways to make the most of things.  So, along those lines, Balint Horvath, PhD, and founder of Project Father, drops by today with a post about how parents can use these uncertain times to develop our kids’ focus. Check it out!       Credit: Pce: https://unsplash.com/photos/GFhqLXCJ-g8hoto sour. Kids focus.       Facing the COVID-19 pandemic these past few months has been challenging for many people. For parents, it’s been a time of ..read more

With all the 2020ness in 2020, it seems like everyone is just wishing that this year would end. Today, though, I have a positive story for y’all. It’s about how, after a six month battle, I finally emerged victorious. Score one for the little guy, woo!  If you’ve ever wondered how to fight a toll bill, read on….   See, it all started a long time ago, in an era when international travel was still a thing (remember that? Me neither).   February of this year!  Ya boy was on his way to the Dad 2.0 Summit.  I flew to it out of Buffalo’s airport. I should note that I’m ..read more

  The fight against COVID-19 is still an ongoing battle.  We have gotten to the point where we can proceed with caution in many aspects of our lives, though. Normally, for a  summer vacation, my family enjoys taking a road trip. We weren’t really ready/able to this year, however.  Turns out, this wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. When it comes to risk level during this pandemic, nothing beats staying home, sure. If you do want to get out, and #supportlocal,  I’ve learned that there  are plenty of fun places in Hamilton that are following government protocols (or go ..read more

    What’s poppin’! Unlike Jack Harlow, I don’t have a new whip to hop in. However, like Jack Harlow,  I have spent a lot of time locked in. Well, figuratively speaking, because of COVID-19, and not having many places to go. Anyhoo, today we’re talking playground rules during these unique times. You see, taking things step by step, day by day (word to the hilarious 90s sitcom!) has been replaced by taking things phase by phase. Here in Ontario, we are mostly in phase three presently, which includes the reopening of parks with play structures. This is great, in terms of stifling ..read more

Last week,  I went into little KJ’s room, to check on him. Not immediately visible, I soon found him under a blanket, on his floor. He was playing hide and seek, he told me. He was alone, though, so I asked him who he was playing with. He was playing with his iPad, he replied. I tried to explain the rules of hide and seek, but his three year old brain wasn’t having it. “I’m looking for myself! I’m finding myself!” He then disappeared back under his blanket, to enjoy his superhero videos on YouTube. I mention this story because, with the racially-charged events of the past week, I feel lik ..read more