How Dads Are Changing The Way They Parent

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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.

Reviewing Like A Dad – Greenwood Smokehouse

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Reviewing like a dad will cover my favourite and not so favourite places, products and events based on my experiences. As a parent, it is always better to hear it from another parent, rather some person who has no idea what it is like to do anything with kids.

Have a place, product or event you would like us to check out, please contact like a dad today.

Place: Greenwood Smokehouse

Location: 673 Danforth Avenue, Toronto, Ontario.

The 411: We first tried Greenwood Smokehouse for my birthday. It was a takeout meal and it was exceptional. I have a taste for BBQ and this food fit the bill. You knew you were in good hands once you entered the place and it smelled like actual smoke. We ordered the dry rubbed ribs and beans. Again, exceptional BBQ. The ribs were fall off the bone and had a great flavour. The beans, well you knew they were home-made. I have been trying to suck up to Greenwood Smokehouse on Twitter, hoping to get the recipe.

Why Parents Should Make Time For Play

This is a guest post by David Reeves.

Playtime is the highlight of almost every child’s day, which is why parents should make time for play.

Even wild animals seem to crave a break in the day for play. We see birds chasing each other through the trees and think, “I wish I could do that!”

Yet when our own children beg us for time to play, or to play with them, there are often so many other things to do and places to be that playtime gets delayed.

It is important to remember that the idea of play differs for every child. Some children love structured activity while others look for the time to break out of structure and even run wild in the yard or on a playground.

That means there is no right or wrong way to play. Some kids like to play alone while others seek out groups, organize games or recruit their siblings to play along with them.

All Settled In and Back to Full Time Dadding

Today is the first “normal” day for the family. My wife started her new job (the reason we are here) and I am home with the boys. Back to being a SAHD at least for now.

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The plan is to look for work and only take something that is exceptional. You see, we don’t want to do double daycare. With Harry starting school in September, it makes sense to get to then and do the single daycare.

So I get to basically have my second summer in a row at home with the boys. How lucky am I?

Like A Dad To Move Office and Kids To Toronto

Halifax, Nova Scotia, May 15, 2014 – Like A Dad, a parenting blog focused on the life of one dad and his family, is excited to announce that it will be relocating its office to Toronto, on May 14, 2014.

Like A Dad was started in Halifax, Nova Scotia, in November of 2012, after the birth of the owner’s second son. The blog is relocating it’s staff (family) to Toronto due to job changes and to be closer to family and friends. All day-to-day operations will begin in the new office on the Tuesday after the Victoria Day weekend.

Like A Dad is written and managed by Michael Cusden, a digital marketer, who excels in creating engaging web content for several properties. He will also be leaving his day job of 5 years at SimplyCast, to pursue bigger challenges in Toronto, where he once worked in the television industry.

Day 8: Preparing For A Royal Visit

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My parents and Harry in Toronto, summer 2012.

Good afternoon, how is it going with you? Over here, I just finished with a decent house cleaning as we are preparing for a Royal Visit. My parents are flying in tonight and that means I won’t be online for a daily wrap. I will add more to this post as well as photos when I get the chance.

So far today, the theme has been sleep and a lot of it. I am referring to the baby of course. He slept all night and past 7am which was excellent.

Then he had a long morning snooze and by 1 pm he was ready for more. He must be growing or something. Anyways it has given me a lot of time to take care of a few things that have been piling up.

The sun came out early, so we did manage to get outside for a walk and it was great. I think that was the first time Charlie really got to bask in the warm sun. Yes he was squinting, but I don’t think he hated it.

You can see buds on the trees and the grass has turned green almost over night. Hard to believe there is a winter storm coming from Ontario.

And I don’t mean my parents (zing).

Review: Aplaydia in Bedford, Nova Scotia

One of the regular features I want to get going on this blog is reviewing local places to take kids, entertain kids or feed kids. There are so many parents looking for ways to spend time with their children outside the house and to be honest, when you are tired, it is hard to come up with ideas.

So Like A Dad wants to help. I am going to start reviewing all the places we take our boys. Parks, places to eat, indoor gyms, stores and many other examples of where to take kids. You get the idea. I will share the good, the bad and the ugly.

To start, I want to review a place we went a few weeks ago on a crappy weather day.

Aplaydia in Bedford, Nova Scotia.

Aplaydia, is basically an indoor play facility for parents to watch their kids get exercise, interact with other kids and most importantly, keep everyone from going crazy at home.

Cereal Saves The Day

Just had a loud and a little frustrating dinner. Luckily, cereal saved the day.

Our 3-year old was having a tired, hungry, not listening, crying tantrum just as dinner was served. The classic, “I don’t want that” and “I want something else.”

After a lot of crying, talking and trying to discuss what the options were.

The thing that did it and seemed to turn the tide (for now) was the offer of cereal for dinner.

Now usually we try to stick to everyone eating the same thing but tonight was a special case. It was like trying to defuse a bomb with garden hose. It was not going to work.

Just to bring you up to speed, dinner was a tasty pasta dish with broccoli and a side salad. Pasta is usually a hit. Anyways, not tonight.

So we offered bread, fruit and a few other things that I can’t even remember.