How to manage uncertainty with children

May 8, 2020 |

As parents, we have all had that moment when our child repeats something we said in the privacy of our homes in front of the person we said it about. Hopefully, when this happened, it didn’t create too awkward a situation. The simple reality is that our children learn about the world and life through our deeds and our words, though rarely the words we speak to them directly. Our values become their values. Our principles become their principles. This means that racism and sexism and all the other negative -isms are learned from us. No child is born automatically racist. And, when you see a...

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What it means to be a conscious parent

Apr 8, 2020 |

Becoming a father had - and continues to have - a profound effect on my life. I always knew I wanted to be a father yet, like everyone else, I can't say I was ready for it when it happened. Becoming a parent is one of those things that you can never really be prepared for; you have to experience it to get it. One of my favourite quotes about becoming a parent is from Elizabeth Stone, “Making the decision to have a child - it is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body. ” How do you prepare for that? Today, I had the opportunity to participate...

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Fatherhood – An Ode To My Son

Aug 15, 2016 |

Nine years ago, my son was born and I started what I consider the most important job in the world – being a father. I remember having a conversation with two friends and, the two of us who are fathers, spent about 15 minutes moaning about lack of sleep, the cost of school, how you have little time for yourself, etc. The single, childless guy jumped in to say that he would never have children to which we responded, “How can you not?!!! It is the greatest blessing.” This left him baffled because we had complained so much. Fatherhood. Being a father is no child’s play and it comes with immense...

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I Quit My Job For My Children

Jun 18, 2016 | ,

It’s an ordinary Monday, in that blurry space between autumn and winter, when the sun seems to beat a hasty retreat into alternate hemispheres. I am sitting on a beat-up plastic chair watching a boy - my son - go through non-stop drills at football practice, his orange football boots reflecting the fading sun’s rays. Twice a week, most weeks, I sit watching my son at football practice. This particular Monday, when he is done, we hop into the car, rush through to pick up his younger sister from kindergarten and head through to swimming lessons. And, at home, I sit with him as he does his...

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Don’t Leave Out The Dads

Jun 7, 2015 | ,

Becoming a father was life-changing for me. In a way, I finally understood what my legacy should be, is and will be - it is about creating a foundation for my children to be able to experience life to the fullest. It is about them being able to pursue their dreams. It is about them being able to grow up in a community, society, country and world that allows them to thrive. I may not be able to change the world but I will do everything in my power to ensure that I do my part in making my little patch of earth better for my having been in it. As a writer and speaker, who was raised by his...

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