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I Am Not Super Dad; Not Even Close

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While taking some good natured ribbing from my friends about my new found voice as, “Canadian Dad”, it occurred to me that the perception of what I’m doing might not match up with the goal of why I’m doing it. My goal is not to portray myself as some kind of Super Dad for spending time with my kids. In fact, I hadn’t even really thought about that side of it until recently.

Don’t get me wrong, I love my friends and take absolutely no offence to the, “Just tell them you are Canadian Dad” and “I blocked you so my wife won’t think I’m a terrible Dad” jokes. We have all been trash talking each other for years and it’s just the way we all interact together. Plus, there’s the fact that they don’t even read the blog anyway, so it’s hard to take any kind of literal offence.

I started this blog as a vessel to feed my addiction for writing, as well as a way to keep a form of living record of my journey through fatherhood. The fact that the domain CanadianDad.com was available is a major reason why I decided to stop procrastinating about it and actually start writing. Truthfully, the writing was the major reason for the blogging idea in the first place. I went through many different topic ideas before settling on the fatherhood niche.

This blog could easily have been, FantasyHockeyGuy.com or RealityTVJunkies.com, and I would have been happy at the time, just to be writing. I am, however, eternally grateful to have chosen to write about parenting because something funny happened along the way. The blogging has opened my eyes to a whole new world of fatherhood, where it’s okay to express your feelings and emotions about being a Dad. It doesn’t make me a better father than someone who doesn’t blog or share their inner most feelings on parenthood, it’s just a different avenue and one that I appreciate and can relate to.

There are a million great Dads out there who are better at it than I am, but I find that writing and sharing my experiences is helping me to become a more attentive father. I still spend way too much time on the computer, when I should be outside spending more time helping my son learn to ride his bike. I’m not always excited to go on a family trip that requires over 4 hours of driving, even though it is a “family” trip. One time, I even pretended to take a picture of the kids with my iPhone, even though I was actually checking my twitter feed…

The point is that I am not a perfect father and I am going to make mistakes, just like everyone else. I don’t write about my life as a Dad so you will think I am an amazing father. I do it so I can share my stories and learn from my mistakes, while also being a part of an amazing community of parents, who are always supportive and more than willing to share their suggestions and ideas.

The biggest benefit I have gained from this blog, is that I am much more self aware when it comes to my habitual lazy ways. I spend a lot more quality time with my kids these days, where I may have just popped on a movie in the past. Instead of dreading the thought of my wife leaving me with the kids for the day, I am actually excited when I get to plan some fun time with Daddy; And not because it’ll make for a great story either, but just because they are so much fun to be around.

Writing about fatherhood is helping me to become a better father for my children, and anything else that comes with it is only gravy (unless you hate gravy, then it could be ice cream or whatever). I know so many great fathers out there and I hope that if you take anything from this post, it will be that just because I share my stories of fatherhood, I am not Super Dad. I am just one of the many Dads out there, trying to provide the best possible care for my children. Sometimes I am successful and other times, not so much, but I’m learning more every day and I’m happy with my progress.

I am proud to be a father and I hope that comes through in my writings about my family. I only hope that you will realize that for all the compliments and accolades I have received since I started blogging, I am far from being a perfect parent. I am just a Dad like most other Dads, except that I have chosen to write about it.

I think a fun exercise would be to take a minute out of your day to let a parent know that you think they are doing a great job. Even though I say I am not a Super Dad, I still enjoy hearing the kind words and think other parents would appreciate it just as much. I don’t know, just thinking out loud again.

Cheers!

A Date With My Daughter

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As a father of 2 blossoming children with busy schedules, a full time shift work job, home day care and multiple other commitments, it’s rare that I get to spend any quality alone time with either child.

Sure, I’ll take my son to the grocery store or my daughter to a doctor’s appointment but I’m talking about “Quality” alone time. You know, the kind that you build long lasting bonds with.

You can only imagine my excitement this week when my wife mentioned that her and her mother would be taking my son out for some Back To School shopping, and that I would be in charge of my 2 year old daughter for an entire afternoon!

I’m pretty sure the adrenaline from the excitement kicked in right away and I got busy planning out our special Daddy/Daughter Date Night! Unfortunately, there were so many thoughts running through my mind that I needed to have a nap, but after that, I got back to planning!

Once the big day arrived, I sailed through my work day, only staring at the clock 7 or 8 or 100 times! We said our goodbye’s and off we went on our date. I should probably take a minute to explain a few things at this point.

1. My daughter has recently given up her afternoon nap, which means that around 4pm she gets very tired and will literally fall asleep anywhere.

2. She has no idea how much this alone time means to her Daddy. To her, at least from my point of view, it’s just another trip in the car.

Back to the date. I had a big night planned and our first stop was to the local Claire’s jewelry store. My little girl is really into jewelry and accessories right now (what little girl isn’t!), so I thought I would take her to pick out some new fashions! We had a blast, both trying on bracelets, rings and hair accesories, until she had found all the items she wanted.

It should be noted that Daddy did not purchase anything for himself, even though I did have my eye on some wonderful Hello Kitty sunglasses!

We then headed off to our dinner reservation at my daughter’s favourite fine dining establishment, Pizza Hut… Seriously, she loves pizza! This is where the story gets inexplicably emotional for me.

My daughter is a Momma’s girl through and through. For the number of times I’ve heard her scream “No, Mommy Do It!!” while trying to help her, my heart should be broken; but it’s not. While laughing and colouring at the table with my daughter, I received a text message from my wife that read “Stop making her laugh!”. At that moment I realized that my wife and I had chosen the exact same restaurant for our dates. I won’t even begin to try and explain what the odds of this were.

We went over to say hi and they asked us if we wanted to join them, to which I answered “No Thanks, we’re on a date!”. This is the part where I get all sappy Dad on you.

My daughter came back over to our table with me and didn’t mention Mommy, Nana or her brother for the rest of the time there. She just laughed, ate and enjoyed Daddy’s company for the entire dinner.

It was one of those moments for me, where time stood still and we genuinely enjoyed each other’s company. I hope someday my daughter will read this and understand how much this gesture meant to me because I’m not sure I can accurately put it down in words.

Cheers!

The Dads Are Invading Pleasantville!

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Okay, maybe not Dads with an “s” and also not really an invasion per se…but I am Guest Posting over at Life In Pleasantville today!

I normally don’t pimp my guest posts on my own blog but I was so excited when local blogging celebrity, Candace, agreed to let me do it, that I had to share it with all of you as well!

On top of her own blog in Pleasantville, Candace is also a featured blogger with the Yummy Mummy Club and a Staff Editor at Child Mode. You can also catch her on her Life In Pleasantville Facebook and Twitter Pages.

Without further ado, here is my guest post in Pleasantville about one of the differences I’ve noticed between Moms and Dads. PS, there’s also a great video of my daughter pushing herself to a new level of crazy!

Thanks again to Candace for allowing me to infiltrate visit in Pleasantville!

Cheers!

Dad Blogs Exposed! – 8BitDad

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Now for the triumphant return of Dad Blogs Exposed! I’ve been on vacation the pat couple weeks and was too lazy and relaxed to pre-schedule any posts. The backlash I received was overwhelming (zero messages) so I’m rushing to get thinkgs back to normal!

This week I am going to introduce you to two of my favourite online characters! They are characters in many senses of the word but I’ll try to explain all that in this expose.

8BitDad is co-operated by Zach Rosenberg and Bryan Ferguson and they bill their site as “The Modern Parent’s Source For Real Fatherly Opinions”. It took me awhile to really sit down and take a look at their site but once I stepped into their world, I was completely hooked.

They tackle subjects from Human Rights to Dad issues from across the globe and are strong advocates for parental equality in advertising and media. Just recently, in a post entitled “Bad Dadvertising: Oscar Mayer And McGarryBowen” they took on the folks at Oscar Mayer for their string of commercials in which they made Dad look like a complete buffoon.

Zach and Bryan are about as real as it gets in that they will share their opinion with anyone, at any time, on any subject. That’s not to say they are bullies or jerks, they just don’t hide behind the invisibility cloak that is the internets. Actually, they are very respectful when presenting a counter argument, unless you really piss them off, haha. If these guys don’t like what you’re putting out there, you can bet you’ll be tagged in the next episode of their video show.

Speaking of that show, it’s pretty awesome. There aren’t a lot of other Dad bloggers making videos so they’ve made a bit of a side niche out of creating them. They general recap the week’s posts from their own blog and discuss other issues going on in the Dad Blogging community, which is great to hear about. As mentioned, the other cool thing is that if they mention you, good or bad, they will tag you on Twitter to let you know. At least it gives you the chance to present a rebuttal if you don’t like what’s being said.

I’ve included a video of one of their latest episodes for you to peek at. It’s about 50 minutes long so I don’t expect you to watch the whole thing, plus I’m sure the 8BitDad guys would appreciate a visit to their site if you’re going to watch. Just a quick warning for my readers, that their videos do contain explicit lyrics and should not be watched in the presence of young children.

Also, don’t be frightened by the pink robe, a Dude’s gotta be comfortable, right??

On a personal level, I have been interacting with the 8BD’s more and more frequently and now feel like their Canadian Ambassador. Seriously though, I’ve had nothing but awesome talks with these guys and they are as addicted to Twitter as I am, which is always nice. Other than mocking me for the Country I live in (like they should talk, haha), they have been nothing but respectful to me and for a new guy, I really appreciate that.

In closing, if Dad Blogging had Power Rankings like sports, Zach and Bryan would be climbing the charts quickly while flipping us all a double Shaka Brah!

I hope you’ll check out their site, 8BitDad and also take some time to follow them on Twitter @8BitDads and on Facebook. They also have a Zazzle store with some cool stuff in it, you can check that out Right Here!

That’s all for today’s Dad Blogs Exposed! I hope you enjoyed the feature and I’ll see you next week!

Cheers!

A Commercial Dads Can Be Proud Of

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Please note: I am NOT recommending you go out and buy a Google Nexus 7 here. In fact, I’m not even really sure what that is and most likely will never be able to afford one.

My reason for writing today is because of this great commercial I just watched for the Nexus 7. Ever since I have joined the wonderful world of Dad Blogging, I have had the opportunity to voice my opinion on certain subjects that I would normally have kept to myself. Or bored my wife with.

One of those topics is the poor representation of fatherhood by media, hollywood and corporations. Brands like Huggies and Oscar Mayer know what I’m talking about and they have also heard the backlash from the rising Dad Blogging community.

That’s why I found it refreshing to see an ad featuring a father and son doing something that father’s and son’s do. It didn’t have any gimmicks or crazy “Dumb Dad” moments. It was simply an excellent display of a parent enjoying time with his child and having a camp out in their backyard. Have a look for yourself:

Seriously amazing. I understand that it’s not an exact portrayal of everyone’s experience with their father but it was a mirror of my upbringing and also of the way that I am trying to raise my kids. On top of all that, it has given me a great new activity to try out with my son. We’ve been waiting for my daughter to get a little older before attempting the camping thing but this looks great in the meantime.

That’s really all I wanted to share with you today. I hope other brands will start to take notice and see what at least some of us consider to be powerful and effective marketing to Fathers and Parents alike.

For the record, I’m not crazy “boycott all non-dad friendly ads” guy, I just really detest the brands that make us Dads look like imbeciles to try and sell their product. I love Moms. I have one and there’s another one raising my children. They deserve everything they get and more. It’s just nice to see a company portray Dads in a positive parenting light for a change.

I also want to say Thanks to Bryan and Zach from 8 Bit Dad for bringing this one to my attention. I like to talk Dad here but these guys are “The modern parent’s source for fatherly opinion”! (You guys can pay me via PayPal (US Funds))!

I hope you all have a great day and thank you for your continued support!!

Cheers!

Dad Blogs Exposed! – Beta Dad

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Welcome back to Dad Bogs Exposed! Every week I will be introducing you to a new Dad blogger and today, I’m happy to introduce you to Andy Hinds, who runs the popular blog Beta Dad!

Andy was one of the first people to really make me feel like I was a part of the online Dad blog community. All he did was have a Twitter conversation with me but for most new bloggers, that’s all we really looking for. You spend a lot of time staring at your empty interactions page when you start up and it was cool of him to fill mine up a bit!

Andy is father to twin 3 year old girls, who go by the pseudonym’s of Butterbean and Cobra on the blog. At least I hope that’s their pseudonym’s….His writing has slowed down a bit since he’s rejoined the workforce but I’m guessing it’s tough to find a balance between it all, especially with twins.

You can add to that, the fact that he can also be found writing at the collaborative Dad blog DadCentric and also over at the popular blog, Aiming Low, and you can see where life would start to get a little busy.

Now, let’s get into the awesomeness that is Beta Dad! First things first, Check out this header from his website, which features his girls stomping through downtown Toyko. I knew from that moment that this was a site I was going to enjoy!

Andy is not your prototypical Dad blogger. On top of posting about his kids and family life in a sincere way, he is also not afraid to take on bigger topics, such as his thoughts on kids using the word Hate and his take on people (and brands) who think Parenting is a Job.

It’s refreshing to read someone who isn’t afraid to just tell it like it is, or at least how he sees it. I’ve dabbled in this format but I’m still trying to find my voice so I can respect how hard it is to put yourself out there like that. It’s not easy to take criticism for things you’ve written but Andy always answers the call when it happens.

Much like every other Dad blogger I talk to on the internet, I’ve never met Andy, but my interactions with him so far have been nothing but great. He seems like a nice guy and I’m happy to have stumbled upon his work. The one thing he’ll never be accused of is being a fake, that’s for sure.

He made a joke a while back that I was out to steal all the Dad bloggers jobs. Probably because Canada has a small Dad blog market, so I tend to get a lot of calls from the media. Funny how things work out that just over a month later I was trolling on Twitter and noticed his most recent work…This interview and post on HLN TV!!

Way to go Andy, you’re raising the bar for the rest of us and I, for one, accept your challenge! I look forward to fighting the good fight with you for more years to come!

If you guys are so inclined, I urge you to catch up with Andy on his home site Beta Dad. You can also find him on Twitter @BetaDad and also on Facebook.

As always, don’t forget to leave some love for our guest in the comments section. I can’t even guarantee that he’ll read this post but I’ll spam him until he does and I’m sure he’ll appreciate the kind words (or hate mail) 😀

Cheers!!

Dad Blogs Exposed! – Busy Dad Blog

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After a great response from my first Dad Blogs Exposed feature, I’ve decided that this one is here to stay!

This week I want to introduce you to one of my favorite Dad Bloggers. Jim Lin is the Dad/Blogger/Ninja behind the very popular Busy Dad Blog!

Jim is a very active father of two kids and is relentlessly funny! Busy Dad was one of the very first Dad Blogs I came across and is one of the reasons I decided to start blogging in the first place.

One of my favorite parts of the Busy Dad Blog is the Lunchbox Daily feature that Jim does. Everyday, he draws a picture on his son’s lunchbox before he sends him off to school. The pictures are seriously bad-ass and only further prove my point about how cool it must be to have him for a Dad! Here’s a Sneak Peek at one of the amazing pictures!

Amazing right? Not that he wants people stealing his ideas but if you can draw and want to do something like this, he gets his supplies from the fine folks at Mabel’s Labels! Don’t worry Jim, I have NO drawing skills whatsoever, so your feature is safe my from site!

In sports, Jim would be considered your classic “5 Tool” player. No, I’m not calling him a tool! His posts range from funny, intelligent, sincere & downright ridiculous at times! He makes great videos, such as this one of his baby doing the popular sport of Parkour!

I think the only thing he’s not doing at this point is producing a Podcast and I’m not even sure that he isn’t doing that! It would definitely be worth checking out if he is though, lol!

One of the most important things I’ve noticed about Jim is that he seems like a genuinely nice human being. He doesn’t know me from the next Canadian Dad Blogger but he always treats me with respect in all of our interactions on Twitter, email or even on his blog.

Jim is a testament to the Dad blogging community and I really encourage you to check out his page. That sounds a little butt-kissy but I mean it, he’s a really cool dude!

You can catch up with Jim on Twitter @BusyDadBlog and on Facebook. He also writes at the Pop Culture site Mama Pop.

I hope you enjoyed today’s feature! Feel free to leave Jim any love messages in the comments section and I hope you’ll come back and visit again!

Cheers!

A Simple Reason Why Being a Parent Is So Incredible

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Laughter. Plain and Simple.

The ability to laugh and be goofy with my kids, for me, is by far the best thing about being a parent.

That’s about all I have to say about that. Shocking, I know! I’ll let my son say the rest.

Hope you have a great week!

Cheers!

Lucas Sings Episode 2: “Don’t Let Me Down, Helicopter”

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Every week, I will be posting a video of my son singing an original song. Please note that I am not forcing him to sing for his meals, like the parents on Toddlers & Tiaras. He begs for me to shoot videos of him singing his new original material Watch out Ellen, I have your new singing superstar right here!

In the second installment of Lucas Sings, my son takes us through the emotional journey of a Helicopter whos seems to have lost its way. It’s a moving piece with many ups and downs that will have you laughing, crying and wanting more.

And he accomplishes all this in only 16 seconds. Amazing!

Enjoy his newest masterpiece, which I’ve entitled “Don’t Let Me Down, Helicopter”

Cheers!

It’s A Bird. It’s A Plane. No It’s Super Mario Dad!

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My son recently turned 4 years old. Okay, give me a minute….. I can’t believe 4 years went by so fast!

Anyway, we asked him what kind of birthday party he wanted and got about 6 answers, ranging from MarioKart to Angry Birds to Wolverine??? After much deliberation and convincing, we landed on MarioKart.

What a fantastic decision it was too! There’s a growing love for all things Mario and we were able to find a ton of ideas for the party. The best part is that we were able to do a lot of it on a relatively low budget!

How about a laminated Drivers License as the guests arrived:

As for games, we had a rousing go of Pin The Mustache On The Mario:

My son had a blast!! We did have one more surprise for him though. A visit from Super Mario himself!! That’s right, I pimped out my blog for a free Super Mario costume so I could surprise him on his birthday!

I was extremely warm in the suit and the mustache kept falling off but we got through Mario Says, Mario Bingo and the aforementioned Pin The Mustache On The Mario without any problems!

Have a look at my grand entrance! I decided to go with an entrance theme as if I was a WWE wrestler. That’s just how I roll!

The joy on my son’s face says it all!

I want to leave you with a final shot from the end of the party of the two happiest parents on the earth!!

Happy Birthday Buddy!!!!

Cheers!!!