The Survivor

The following is the eulogy that my sister and I wrote for our father who recently passed away. He was a holocaust survivor and man of strength, generosity, and character. His spark for life, charisma, and the twinkle in his eye live on. Our dad was a survivor. I once asked him how he was able […]

Discovering Your Shadow

Watch your toddlers closely. The moment I am about to describe will come, then pass quickly. You don’t want to miss it. It’s a life-defining moment. A moment in which your child’s true nature is briefly revealed to you. Will they stay? Will they run? Will they laugh? Will they cry? Will they put up […]

Motivating Boys to Read

There is growing data showing a difference in academic motivation and achievement between school-age boys and girls. Gender appears to matter. Dr. Leonard Sax in his book, Boys Adrift, hypothesizes that boys lack motivation for several reasons including a decline in experiential learning at school and a focus on learning from books. He also talks […]

Makeshift Entertainment #4: Baseball String

With the arrival of baseball season, dads all over the world are foaming at the mouth. Baseball season signals lazy summer days at the ballpark, ice-cold overpriced beer, loaded hotdogs, and nachos and cheese. For many of us baseball season also brings back memories of childhood. A first hit. A stolen base. The smell of […]

Walk-By Parroting

Toddlers go through a stage of repeating what they hear others say as they learn new vocabulary and build their linguistic skills. They also go through a stage of egocentrism around the same time meaning that they believe others see, hear, and experience the world the same as they do (for further information see my […]

Makeshift Entertainment #3: iPad Camera App

While there are many fun and engaging iPad apps for children of all ages, my 20-month-old son’s current favourite is the camera app. You may be thinking, Wow, the boy is ahead of his time honing his photography skills at such a young age. Such a statement would make me puff out my chest in […]

Unintentional Innuendo

As parents we often appreciate when animated movies or TV shows add adult-targetted jokes. These jokes provide us with a special moment to chortle away and feel superior about our vast understanding of humour. While our children bust a gut over someone falling down, we take pride in the fact that we “get it” when […]

The Danger of Routines

It’s easy to fall into a pattern of routines with toddlers. For me, I bathe my son, put on his pajamas, let him play for a while, provide him with a bedtime snack, brush his teeth, and put him to bed. In the process of our nightly routine, my son has his own routines: Bath: […]

Grandparent Egocentrism

According to Jean Piaget’s stages of child-development, children enter the “Preoperational Stage”, and a state of egocentrism, at the age of 2. Egocentrism refers to a child’s inability to take the perspectives of others. Children at this stage of development believe others experience the world the same as them. This includes thinking the same thoughts, […]

Your Children’s Bedtime/Stage Time Experiences Cartooned

My son’s bedtime routine is pretty standard. We put on his PJs and sleep-sack, read him some stories, say goodnight to his stuffed animals, kiss him goodnight, turn off the lights, and shut the door. [Thump] [Click] A switch is activated in his focused little, noodly brain. He arises slowly from his back grasping the […]