It’s Finally Time To Acknowledge the #DadBod In The Room

By Michael Cusden in Toronto

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Yes, all this week I have been living in past by looking back at how the first seven years of parenting has gone. Our oldest just turned seven so that makes sense. Our youngest is about to turn four. That pretty much means he is self-sufficient right? Okay, he is not ready to go to the store and buy be some beer, but we now have kids that have their own lives. We are starting to gain back more free time. Oh, when I say free time, I don’t mean sleeping, eating or taking the TTC to work. I mean actual free time to get back to doing things just for me.

One of the areas I wish I had done better at during the first seven years of parenting would be taking better care of myself physically. I am by no means a whale, but I can certainly relate to the term #DadBod

The positive is there is a lot more of me to love. But of course when you kids slap your belly and laugh, you know it’s time to do something about it.

So when opportunity knocks, you put down the chips and answer the door.

One of the cool perks of my job is they just signed a deal with GoodLife for a very substantial discount. And since I can walk to two different locations in less than five minutes I decided to jump on board.

Yep, starting next week it looks like this #dadbod is going to start working out again.

I am keeping expectations pretty low. This could not be more clear when I found myself celebrating that I bought a padlock. Small things eh?

https://www.instagram.com/p/BKoPZC4hBv1/?taken-by=likeadad&hl=en

The plan is to try to go to the gym a few times a week on my lunch break. I simply need to get into a routine because the last time I did the gym thing, I got very into it. Then I fell out of the routine and pretty much never went back.

The motivation of course is in the mirror every day. I want more energy. I want my clothes to fit better. I want to get ready for the next decade when it would be pretty easy to go downhill fast.

I would be more than thrilled to get back to where I was pre kids. So that means losing about 10-15 pounds and actually having some energy past 3:30 pm.

I don’t plan on sharing photos of my progress or even talking about it much. I’m doing it for me really and those who need me to be around for a long, long time. Besides, there are enough #dadbod photos all over the Internet.

So that’s my story. Hopefully I am all set and going strong as we hit October. I figure a week back at the gym warrants a giant Thanksgiving dinner right?

Wish me luck.

 

Celebrate Father’s Day in Pampers or UNDERWEAR! #ThanksBaby

By Michael Cusden in Toronto

charlie-what-the-heck

In case you missed the news, it’s Father’s Day this weekend. A day where everyone seems to think it’s a time to celebrate the father figures in our lives. In our house, it will be pretty normal. Play with kids, relax with kids and maybe get some takeout as a treat. No big whoop.

But it does make me remember back to all the memories I have had as a dad so far. Just like this new video from Pampers that may bring a tear to your eye. NO? You are one cold person.

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How Dads Are Changing The Way They Parent

By Michael Cusden in Toronto

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Photo is not with article, I just like it. Taken by Scott Munn.

This is an article I was featured in recently in Parents Canada Magazine for Father’s Day.

A few decades ago, most talk of fathers’ roles had a straight-up Don Draper-style emphasis on breadwinning. Toronto dad Michael Cusden remembers his dad “just kind of came home from work, had dinner and read the paper and then we went to bed. That’s what dad was to us.” A much more hands-on father, Michael is a digital marketing professional and creator of a blog called Like A Dad. He says the upside with today’s model is, “I know my kids way better. I know what they like. I know their personalities. I know how their day was.” While Michael admits that balancing it all can be stressful, he says, “My dad says he kind of wished he lived in a generation where he got to do it.”

We thought it was time to ask dads what is life like for them today. What are their new struggles, joys and expectations? Here’s what we learned.

Today, leagues of engaged modern dads like Michael are slowly refashioning what fatherhood looks like. For example, 2011 Statistics Canada figures found that 30 percent of eligible fathers filed for parental leave benefits in 2010 – a nine-fold increase over the previous six years. StatsCan also reported in 2011 that the number of stay-at-home dads had tripled over 30 years; and that the number of families headed by single dads is rising.

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