Honest parenting stories, tips, and lessons — from diaper explosions to teenage negotiations.
It’s Why I Started This Blog
I’m Michael Cusden — a Toronto-based dad, marketer, and guy who once considered a full night’s sleep a myth. I started Like A Dad during my first parental leave with our first son (born 2009), not because I had answers, but because I had questions… and a lot of diapers to change.
Back then, I was writing during naptime and watching Paw Patrol on loop. Now? My two boys — H and C (born 2012) — are taller, louder, and occasionally think I’m funny. This blog has evolved from baby hacks and parenting humour into a full-on time capsule of fatherhood in all its stages.
If you’re a parent — especially a dad — navigating this wild ride, welcome. You’ll find stories, advice, and real talk from someone who’s made all the mistakes… and lived to blog about them.
Head straight to the latest parenting posts, or keep scrolling for more.
Parenting Young Kids
The early days were chaotic and character-building — a haze of naps (theirs), cups of tea (mine), and trying to parent without totally screwing it up.
Here are some throwback posts that might help if you’re in the thick of it:
- Why I Wanted to Take Parental Leave
- Potty Training Boys on only 3 Days
- Clipping Finger and Toe Nails is Like Being in the Hurt Locker
- Recapping the First 25 Days of Parental Leave
- The Day I Thought Our Son Was Going to Die
Topics you’ll find:
- Feeding routines
- Sleep regression rants
- Staying sane during tantrums
- Learning to be a “modern” dad
School-Age Stuff (Ages 5–12)
The sweet spot of parenting — when they still like you, but their personalities start to shine through like Wi-Fi passwords.
These posts cover the elementary years:
- It’s Time To Accelerate Your Kid’s Education
- Kids Are Using AI – So Let’s Teach Them to do it Right
- Parents and Discord – What You Need to Know
- 20 Phases that Boys Go Through
- Food for Thought: Our Kids Don’t Eat Much
- Can Our Kids Learn Anything From Netflix?
Whether it’s birthday parties, report cards, or mastering the art of silent cheering at school concerts, this stage was full of memories and minor disasters.
Parenting Teens: The Sequel No One Prepares You For
Welcome to my current reality: parenting teenage boys in a digital world, trying to guide without lecturing, and mostly serving as support staff and snack dispenser.
Here’s the real talk:
- Teen Slang Decoded: How to Understand What Your Kids are Saying
- Why is my 12-Year Old Saying “Six Seven”? and What Does it Even Mean?
- Silent Parenting: Why Sometimes Saying Less is Actually Saying More
- When Your Teen Says Stop Posting Photos of Me
- Navigating Teen Smartphone Use: A Balanced Approach
- Raising Career-Ready Teens: A Dad’s Guide to Future-Proofing our Boys
- Teen in Winter: The Annual Negotiation That Makes Zero Sense
- Should You Track Your Teen’s Location? What the Research Actually Says
- Teenagers Don’t Watch TV Anymore (And Parents Still Haven’t Noticed)
- How Late Should a 16-Year Old Be Out?
- What Video Games Are Your Kids Really Playing?
- How to Clean Up Your Social Media History to Protect Your Child’s Privacy
- Disciplining Teens – Are We Tough Enough?
- Raising Teenagers in Toronto
- How to Get a Teenager to Respect You
What you’ll find in these posts:
- Navigating screen time
- Mental health awareness
- Letting go (but still being there)
- Moments where you realize they’re becoming adults — and it’s terrifying
Parenting in an AI World
AI is here. Your kids are using it. You probably are too, whether you realize it or not.
The question isn’t whether to use AI as a parent—it’s how to use it without letting it take over, and how to teach your kids to do the same. This section covers the practical stuff: what actually helps, what’s overhyped, and how to navigate AI tools without losing your mind.
New to this? Start here: What AI Actually Does for Parents (And What It Doesn’t)
Want AI starter tips sent right to you? Subscribe to AI tips for non-tech parents, a weekly email sent full of things you can try right away.
Getting Started with AI Tools
These posts cover the basics—what AI can actually do for parents and how to use it without the hype.
- What AI Actually Does for Parents (And What It Doesn’t) – The honest breakdown of where AI helps and where it’s just noise.
- Parents Did Things Before AI – A reminder that we weren’t always helpless. Context before you dive in.
- The AI Cheat Sheet for Parents Who Don’t Speak Tech – Plain language explanations without the jargon.
- Can ChatGPT Solve Your Meal Planning Struggles? – I tested it for a week. Here’s what worked.
- How AI Helped Me Win A Customer Service Battle – It’s a great way to stay calm and let AI do all the negotiating.
Teaching Kids to Use AI Responsibly
Your kids are already using AI—probably more than you realize. These posts help you guide them without hovering.
- Kids are Using AI – So Let’s Teach Them to do it Right – How to help kids use AI for learning, not shortcuts.
- Parent-Teen AI Projects: Make it a Family Thing – Practical ways to explore AI together.
- AI and Teen Privacy: What Every Parent Should Know – The privacy stuff you can’t ignore.
What to Watch Out For
Not everything AI-related is helpful. These posts cover the risks, the garbage, and what to avoid.
- This Blog Post is AI Slop – How to spot low-quality AI content your kids might be reading.
- Job Hunting with Kids? AI Prompts That Actually Work – Using AI for practical tasks without falling for the hype.
Bottom line: AI isn’t going to make parenting easier in some profound way. But it can reduce friction on the small stuff—meal planning, finding things to do, prepping for appointments. Use it where it helps. Ignore it where it doesn’t. And teach your kids to do the same.
Real Talk, Reflections & Rants
Some of my favourite posts come from the quiet moments — the “holy crap, I’m a dad” reflections.
- What I Miss About My Kids Being Little
- Mental Health Matters, Dad – And Your Kids are Watching
- Do Your Kids Want to Spend Time With You?
- The Joys of Being a Parent of a Teenager
- Dad Rant: Parental Leave is not a Vacation
- How Dads are Breaking Traditional Stereotypes in Parenting
- The House Didn’t Shrink. The Kids Got Bigger
- Banning Phones at School is Short-Sighted
This section is less “how-to” and more “what the hell just happened?” It’s where I reflect on identity, expectations, and why parenting is the most exhausting and rewarding thing I’ve ever done.
Speaking of rants, how about reading about all those little things that test our patience as parents?
Life in Toronto
We moved back to Toronto from Halifax in 2014, and it’s shaped how we raise our boys — from navigating downtown parks to watching Raptors games together to spending way too much time stuck on the DVP.
Many of my parenting posts are grounded in Toronto life. They’re about real families, real commutes, and the joys of finding a decent playground or bubble tea spot that all ages can agree on. For example, here are a bunch of family-friendly activities in Parkdale to check out.
City of Toronto – Supporting Positive Fathers
Resource Hub
These are the posts readers return to again and again:
- Parenting Teens: The Next Level of Dad Life
- Communicating With Your Teen Without Losing Your Mind
- Should Big Tech do More to Help Control Our Scroll
- Modern Dads: We Feel the Time Crunch, Too
- Best Productivity Tools for Dads
- Can ChatGPT Solve Your Meal Planning Struggles?
Keep Exploring Like A Dad
Other Dads to Check Out
Dad bloggers and influencers, in particular, are thriving. They bring the fatherly flavour of parenting to their content, sharing stories and keeping it real about being a dad. Whether it’s discussing mental health, cooking family meals, or sharing weekend adventures, these dads are the voices that media and brands alike should pay attention to.
Below is a list of some of the most influential and engaging dad bloggers and influencers you should follow right now.
Canadian Fit Dad – A dad living the fit life and sharing his stories.
Casey Palmer, Canadian Dad – Storyteller, designer, coder, Excel whiz, and more, Casey combines a diverse toolkit in unexpected ways to share ideas that exceed our expectations of what’s possible.
DanforthDad – Great blog to visit to learn about his favourite hidden playgrounds in Toronto.
Four Columns of a Balanced Life – A lot of great content focused on faith, family and inner peace.
The Urban Daddy – Since 2004, this Canadian Urban Daddy has been blogging about life with 3 children.
The Dad Lab – Sergei Urban shares fun, educational experiments and activities to do with kids, making learning a family affair.
SocialDad – James Smith, a Canadian dad blogger, discusses parenting, mental health, tech, and lifestyle topics relevant to today’s fathers.
Dad and Buried – Mike Julianelle offers a brutally honest and comedic take on the ups and downs of parenting.