Joe Banks remembers his beloved, spirited mother and the joy she derived from “little people.” Children and laughter: two elements of a life lived that my mother, Jacqueline Leclerc Banks, so much embraced that rare are the photos taken over […]
Dad
My stupidity
Chris Hunt reflects on how, thanks to fatherhood, he has put his days of reckless behaviour behind him – and learned to buckle up. When I was first hired to write for Ottawa Parenting Times five years ago, I almost […]
Holiday advice from the Original Trickster Parent
Let’s call it Trickster Parenting. It’s original, because I googled it and it came up blank. Thus, it’s a concept that we’ve just invented, right here in the pages of Parenting Times. No need to thank me; for you, parenting […]
The epiphany
Chris Hunt recalls the day he looked at his naked, spatula-wielding two-year-old son and realized he had finally found his confidence as a father. I had an epiphany the other day. I was, as is usually the case when one […]
Not yet a grandparent
Joe Banks reflects on that ‘in-between time,’ the period before grown offspring try …
The lifelong scars of bullying
Chris Hunt recalls the severe bullying he endured silently as a child, and ponders how he can protect his own son. Don’t let them see you cry. I’ve been wondering lately who it was who first said that to me. […]
The baby dining debate
Take note, parents: babies and young children belong in family restaurants …
‘It’s like Venice for cockroaches’
Writer Chris Hunt dreads the day he’ll have to introduce his young son …
The Accident
As a parent, you’re forced to accept certain inevitable truths …
Memories of (not-so-great) years past
Overbearing, cussing dads and tired, put-upon moms were a hallmark of the ’60s, writes Joe Banks. Thankfully, he says, weíve come a long way since then – except when it comes to fashion. They say that everything old becomes new […]