Once upon a time, I took my four-year-old to the mall to run some errands. When he told me he was hungry, I decided to conduct a bit of an impromptu social experiment: I handed him a twenty dollar bill and told him to buy himself some lunch. On that day, I was a social…
My daughter’s birthday is in July. This year, as in the past and hopefully as in the future, family and friends arrived at our house on the holiday weekend to partake in our annual barbecue, eat cake and watch our little angel tear open the gifts she most covets – gift cards and cash. Afterward,…
It goes without saying that it’s difficult for any parent to come to terms with the fact that their child may in fact be a bully; or at the very least, may be engaging in bullying behaviour. Bullies don’t always take the form of out-and-out ringleaders. In fact, more often than not, bullying behaviour is…
“. . . Nothing worth having comes without some kind of fight – – Got to kick at the darkness ’til it bleeds daylight.” – – Bruce Cockburn What we do know is that the darkness does not discriminate. It can seep in and get the better of any one of us – the young…
Which of my three children do I love the most? The answer to this question will vary – depending on who you ask – and whether or not one of them is currently banned from electronics when you do the asking. Forget about the middle child getting a bum rap – it’s the parents that…
Our ability to feel compassion is what makes us human – it’s just about the only thing that differentiates us from the disgusting slugs I carefully mince my way over on the morning sidewalk. And despite what the bleeding hearts within society will have you believe, compassion is not always a simple, straightforward, clear-cut or…
Here’s the thing – regrets can be futile, uninspiring, pessimistic. If only, I wish, I should have can ring through your mind on a constant loop if you let them. But they can also serve their purpose. They can be used as a positive resource – to help guide others who may be going down…
It’s bad enough that most newborns resemble shaved chickens as opposed to actual little people – and we, as functional, politically-correct, respectable adults have to pretend they’re cute. And by the way, I can say this with impunity considering that two thirds of my brood were unsightly at birth. One looked like a hairless cat…
Dear Fortnite, You must think you’re clever, holding my kids hostage like this. Bringing them together briefly, lulling everyone into a temporary holding pattern before burrowing your way into their entranced brains and robotic fingers. I admit, your video game has sky-rocketed to full-blown addiction status in my house. In fact, an all-encompassing game like…
This post started out as a frenzied rant against the punctuality slobs in our midst. You know the ones – the cretins who routinely drop their kids off late for school or are 15 minutes late for their doctor’s appointment which was scheduled right before mine. These untimely slip-ups have the potential of causing a…
