A robust school extracurricular program has much to offer children and their families If kids are gloomy about being back in the classroom this fall, hopefully they find joy in the school’s extracurricular activities. We should urge our children […]
Dad’s dispatch
Just around the corner
Jon Willing’s most memorable family getaway? Good ol’ Gatineau Park The quality of family adventures should never be measured by distance travelled. Some of our best summer vacations with our son have been camping about 45 kilometres from our home. […]
Stolen moments
One of the best bits of fatherhood advice I received was from a friend, a more experienced father, who applauded me for taking a couple of quiet minutes to run recycling to the garage. The praise wasn’t actually framed […]
The allowance debate: Con
“Teaching a child to be a contributing member of the family is more valuable at a young age than offering lessons on financial planning” — Jon Willing I have developed a contractual relationship with my five-year-old son. The terms of […]
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 […]
Winter chic
Outdoor family fun has Jon Willing rethinking his cold-weather wardrobe I might get a second pair of snow pants this winter. Oh, I’m sorry. Are snow pants uncool? Somewhere around middle school, snow pants became a fashion faux […]
The kindergarten field journal
If someone in your home is starting school this fall, worry not My gosh, the sand. It will be everywhere. And just when you think every clump has been shaken out of your kid’s sneakers, an avalanche of tiny grains […]
Summer squeeze
Getting every last drop out of a fleeting season requires a complex formula There are few reasons why our son’s bedtime would be extended, even in the stretched sunny days of summer. Once the elusive bedtime routine is finally nailed […]
Dad bod
Fatherhood has both inspired and encouraged this dad’s very practical, very strategic fitness routine It was around Elgin Street when I gleefully realized my knees weren’t going to buckle after all. I had trudged three long downtown blocks on the […]
New beginnings
Columnist Jon Willing recently traded a high-profile reporting career for one in academia. The biggest winners? His family A middle-age, late-career job change can be a gamble. You have built years of seniority and achieved a level of expertise […]