They grow up so fast. What a horrible, horrible cliché... one that I half-hoped I would never find myself using.  As a kid, I hated hearing my parents say those words, because as a kid I just couldn't grow up fast enough.  Sure, adults often say age is just a number.  But to kids age is a barrier, to all the things they want to do that their parents just don't feel they are ready for.  You can eat candy when you're 5. You can go on a sleepover when you're 7. You can go to your first boy/girl party... More »

I heard a rather startling statistic recently.  I think my wife was watching Oprah (I swear, it was her, not me) and they were talking about kids and bullying.  According to whatever we she was watching, experts in the field believe 1 in every 3 children are bullied at some point in their lives.  I've said this before, but it bears repeating.  There are many things I believe I am supposed to do as Pea's father.  Very near the top of this list is to protect her; to help her when she's in need, and above all, keep her from... More »

It's Dancy-Dance time!  Pea was recently playing with one of her stuffed animals - Brobee, a funky green creation from the TV show Yo Gabba Gabba!  Pea sat Brobee down in her plush chair, and was gently feeding him raspberries and giggling to herself.  It was a cute scene; one that repeats itself quite often.As I watched her, I wondered what it would be like if Brobee suddenly came to life, swallowed the raspberry, waved his grotesquely long arms around and asked for another.  What would Pea's reaction be?  Glee?  Fear?  Uncertainty?  Well, thanks to the magic of modern theatre,... More »

For the love of God, shouldn't I have thought of this by now?Yesterday, I attended an event hosted by urbanmoms.ca and Microsoft.  Microsoft wanted to show off their new operating system and speak to moms about what Windows 7 offers them in terms of security, safety and fun for their families and themselves. There was food, laughter, and a great demo of the highly anticipated follow-up to Windows Vista.Mind you, the Commodore 64 would be highly anticipated, compared to Vista... but I digress...Before I go any further, I'll clarify.  Yes, I am a Dad, not a Mom.  And yes, I... More »

A while ago, I was a pretty organized guy.  I always knew where I put my keys.  I could find a receipt within 5 minutes, and my clothes were never piled on the floor from laziness. A while ago, I remember thinking to myself that I would pass this mentality on to my brand new baby girl.  I would be her beacon of time management and organization.  From me, she would learn to put things where they belong, to keep a tidy room and to be where she needs to be on time. Today, my proud organizational skills are virtually a thing of... More »

All right folks, here we go, Part II of my three part series, Secrets from The Man-ual: Shawn Defies His Brethren.If you missed the lead in, I asked for and received questions regarding all of the weird, quirky and annoying things the men in your life do that drive you nuts.  Now, I'm answering.  The first round of answers can be found here.  Why do men wear pants with pleats, white socks with dress shoes, shirts that are way too big, cargo shorts, cell phone holders on belts and beige khakis in winter?I don't know where you find these people, but they are... More »

So, here's a good lesson for all the wannabe writers out there: when you write something, proof it properly, have someone read it over for clarity and above all else, mean what you say.Want an example?  Ok, here's one. If you want to offer advice to a community of moms who might be puzzled about some of the things that the dads in their life do, say exactly that... don't offer to provide answers to all of the mysteries that men do on the whole, because as one is quick to find out, there is A LOT that men do that puzzle women.Sadly, this... More »

I used my daughter today.  And I'd do it again in an instant.It's not what you think though.  I didn't tell someone Pea was sick to get out of work.  I didn't tell a cop my daughter was in distress to get out of a speeding ticket.  I didn't get her to vacuum our house with her popper.I used my daughter as an ice-breaker, to get to know someone at my new job.  To make a friend, if you will. Starting fresh anywhere is a tough thing to do. But having something in common certainly helps make things easier.  In the... More »

A few weeks ago, I posted my first entry regarding The Man-ual.  In this post, I pledged to de-bunk many of the myths that men either perpetuate or hide behind for personal benefit.  My first entry on this topic was about the crass locker room banter, which many believe is a constant but in actual fact is non-existent.  As today is Super Bowl Sunday, I thought this would be a good day to reach out to you and see what's on your mind... I'm looking for you to tell me what myths or pet peeves you have regarding your male... More »

Sometimes, I'll meet someone whom I find intimidating.  It can be someone I work with, perhaps, who has a ton of experience and industry knowledge.  It may be someone I meet at a party, who has interesting stories to tell whereas mine aren't so great.  But, I've never really bumped into another Dad that I found intimidating.  Being a Dad is the last level playing field, where everyone starts on the same footing and fumbles their way through the process.  The way I see it, there are no experts at this parenting thing and every father will have a bunch... More »