Knowing what he knows now, our Memoirs of a New Dad columnist writes a letter to his younger self I know you hate the whole “writing letters to yourself” thing. When your teacher asked you to do the same in […]
Chris Hunt
Staycation nation
After a childhood of holidays close to home, Chris Hunt dreamed of seeing the world, only to come full circle I didn’t travel much as a boy. Vacations were usually stay-at-home affairs as my family was on a limited […]
Fitbit, or a bit fit?
Recently, I went to see my doctor for the first time in about four years or so. I normally avoid doctors like the plague, if only because people with the plague are more apt to be found at a doctor’s […]
The allowance debate: Pro
“In order to appreciate the true value of money, you have to start with a little something instead of nothing.” — Chris Hunt Last year, my 11-year-old son Riley asked his mother and I if he could have an […]
Winter of discontent
Batten the hatches! You don’t need weather to experience a cold front—just a child in his pre-preteen years Winter is coming. In fact, it’s been festering within my walls since the summer. One of the subtle truths I’ve learned about […]
From the editor
I enjoyed winters in Ottawa long before I became a resident. My dad and my uncle Andy spent their early adult years here, attending the University of Ottawa and Carleton University respectively. My parents were married here in 1977. After […]
Confessions of an experienced dad
The ‘tutoring incident’ showed this dad columnist where his son gets his sense of humour I am not a good parent. This is essential information required to fully appreciate the events leading up to and directly following what has become […]
From the editor
As much as we’ve been enjoying summer, heading back to school has been a major topic of discussion in our house for weeks now, and for very good reason. Not only are the kids back in class—older daughter Millie is […]
Ugh, dad!
Embarrassing your kid is practically a rite of passage This column was meant to be completely different. It was supposed to be a delightful and amusing narrative describing my son’s infatuation with spending his summers with his grandparents. Specifically, it […]
You’ll get there, champ
It took some tough love from his son to get this dad on the path to good health The world is often a place of harsh truths. Like many parents, I do my utmost to cushion the hard times in my […]