Category: ‘Competent’ Parenting

Mydoh: Turning My Kids into Budgeting Buffs, One Toy at a Time!

David Pierre   ·  

Hello Mydoh!

Parenting is like trying to herd cats, except the cats are tiny humans with an insatiable appetite for new things and a knack for draining your wallet faster than you can say “budget.” As a parent, you know that teaching your kids about money management is vital for their future. But how do you turn those adorable little spendthrifts into savvy savers without losing your sanity in the process? Enter Mydoh – the superhero sidekick parents need to teach kids about earning, budgeting, and setting saving goals.

The Trouble with Tooth Fairy Money

Let’s face it – tooth fairy money doesn’t grow on trees, even if it does seem like it when you’re a kid. My little ones were flush with cash from their tooth fairy visits, but what was missing was a sense of responsibility. Whenever a new shiny toy or gadget hit the market, my kids magically developed a few wobbly teeth to tap into that sweet fairy gold mine.

But with Mydoh, the tooth fairy was finally off the hook. I used the app to set up a virtual wallet for Ben, and whenever he received tooth fairy money or birthday cash, I could send it to him straight in the Mydoh app —no more lost dollars or tooth fairy overdrafts – just a tidy digital record of his newfound riches.

The Budgeting ‘Talk’

As any parent knows, the “budgeting talk” is about as much fun as pulling teeth (pun intended). But with Mydoh, we turned that chore into an engaging and interactive activity. I sat down with Ben, who opened the Mydoh app, and helped him divide his money into three buckets: General Savings, Savings Goals, and Spend. Think of these buckets as the holy grail of budgeting for kids.

The Savings Goal bucket was where we set the stage for the real magic. I explained to Ben that it was his treasure chest for saving up for the big-ticket items he craved. I let him choose what he wanted to save for – in his case, it was a scooter. He was over the moon, and so was I, because suddenly, Ben had a goal that went beyond “buy everything now.”

Setting Savings Goals

Mydoh makes setting savings goals a breeze. We entered the price of the scooter into the app, and voilà – it showed how much money Ben still needed to reach his goal. Now, he has a visual representation of his progress, with a thermometer-like indicator showing how close he was to his goal!

But there was a twist. I encouraged Ben to save some of his money for a rainy day, just in case another new gadget craze struck the world of toys. This helps teach him that financial security was as important as splurging on a dream toy.

The Great Chore Revolution

Mydoh also helps kids learn about money through earning. Instead of doling out allowances for free, I tied earnings to his willingness to help around the house. Suddenly, the prospect of making his bed and doing the dishes was more appealing than ever.

Mydoh makes it easy for me to assign a different value to each chore, and it was up to Ben to decide which ones he wanted to tackle. He even started negotiating prices for the juiciest tasks, like raking the leaves or setting the table. The best part? He learned that money was not just handed out; it had to be earned. Hello, future responsible adults!

The Art of Delayed Gratification

If you have ever seen a child’s eyes light up at seeing their favourite toy in a store, you know how challenging it can be to instill the concept of delayed gratification. But with Mydoh, Ben chose to wait and put his money towards his goal, eagerly watching his savings grow.

As the days turned into weeks, he developed a newfound appreciation for patience. He would check the Mydoh app religiously, add money to his Savings Goal and see that savings thermometer inch closer to goal achieved. The joy of anticipation became a more powerful motivation than the fleeting thrill of an impulse buy.

Celebrating Small Wins

To keep Ben motivated, we celebrated his small wins. We threw a mini dance party when he reached 25% of his goal. At 50%, we had a movie night. And when he finally hit 100%, he got his coveted scooter – with a big lesson about saving, budgeting and achieving his goals.

Mydoh Makes it Easy

Teaching kids about saving, budgeting, and setting goals does not have to be a tedious chore; it can be a fun and engaging family adventure. Mydoh made it easy to turn our kids into budgeting buffs and be well on their way to mastering the art of responsible money management. So, if you’re a parent who’s tired of chasing after elusive tooth fairy money or playing the role of the budgeting bad cop, give Mydoh a try by clicking HERE and use the code DAVID15 to get a $15 credit. Your kids will thank you – and so
will your wallet!

Wardrobe Malfunction At The Zoo

David Pierre   ·  

In partnership with Tide, I would like to share with you one of my most significant wardrobe malfunctions as a busy parent. Also, I’ll share with you how something as simple as my choice of laundry detergent could have prevented this mishap. 

Is this an outing or Arctic expedition?


Now, if you’re a parent reading this, you know what an outing with a child is all about. There’s a level of planning involved that I’m sure would impress the scientists working on the next moon landing. There are healthy snacks, water, favourite toys, strollers, unhealthy snacks for when the healthy snacks get rejected, and your kid is getting hangry. You get the idea. 


Anyway, another necessity when going out with a child is a change of clothes, maybe even two. It never fails that, kids find a way to get mud, dirt, ketchup, and anything in between all over their clothes within the first 10 minutes of going somewhere. So you rush off to the changing area, change your child, and stuff the dirty clothes into the bottom of the backpack, letting the stains set-in, more on that later. It’s probably at this point you realize that whatever was all over your child is now all over you. It never fails. Now, for those of you that have followed me for a while, you know I love wearing t-shirts. So, it always pains me to see mud and smoothie splattered all over my shirts. It also pains me that after all the planning, the one thing I never remember to bring is a change of clothes for myself.

Alright, here is the embarrassing story.


Okay, are you ready for this embarrassing story? It’s also a story of pure parenting perseverance. The type of stuff Ellen might invite you onto her show for, hint. 

It was at this point that the entire seam that restricts the world from seeing my posterior decided it was no longer willing to cover my butt. As I knelt, a loud “POP” echoed through the room.

Alright, so on this particular day, Benjamin and I were at the zoo in the middle of the winter. We were in one of the warm buildings, because, you know, winter. I was following Benjamin around from one animal to the next when he locked in on one of his favourites, the turtles. On this day, the turtles were extra cute, nibbling on some tiny turtle lettuce, or something. As a result of their cuteness, a crowd gathered around them. Benjamin, not aware of standard society rules, barged up the front of the group and yelled back to me to come and see the turtles. So, I apologetically made my way to Benjamin. Since I am aware of standard society rules, I knew that I must crouch down so that the people behind me can also see the turtles. 

The incident happened at the adorable turtle enclosure

It was at this point that the entire seam that restricts the world from seeing my posterior decided it was no longer willing to cover my butt. As I knelt, a loud “POP” echoed through the room. Now, you’re probably thinking, well, no one noticed, right? Wrong! It was apparent that other people saw my mishap. The sound was so loud, and I was left with no choice but to acknowledge the rip. “Oh man, I ripped my pants,” I said, contemplating my next move. Do I tie my coat around my waist? That wouldn’t make any sense; it’s pretty cold for that move. Now you’re probably thinking, you could leave, right? Wrong! This building was the first stop. And after all that planning and packing, there was no way I was going home so soon. 

This is what the pants looked like after the incident

So what did I do? For the rest of the time, I just stayed standing up, refusing to bend over or kneel, which is surprisingly tricky when accompanied by a barely 3ft person. Of course, it was a little drafty, but I don’t think anyone noticed.

I could have prevented this.


As much as I love telling that story now, I didn’t think it was all that funny at the time. And it wasn’t until I had a chance to talk with the great people at Tide, that I learned that there are better ways to treat our clothing and prevent them from failing when we need them the most. Furthermore, it’s days like this that our clothes are put to the test. We are walking in the cold weather, into a warm building, letting the sweat absorb into our clothing. Then there’s the dirt and food stains. Those clothes go into the washer, and the cycle repeats itself the next day. 


Washing and wearing your clothes can cause things like permanent stains, dinginess, and fading, which can keep them from looking great. Tide Power PODS contains specific ingredients that help maintain clothing appearance over time. 

My kids make a mess of their own, and my clothes


First, they contain builders and chelants. Builders lock up calcium and magnesium to reduce water hardness, allowing surfactants to do their job, which is removing stains. 

Secondly, Tide Power PODS contain scavengers. Scavengers seek out things like chlorine, which is often found in drinking water. Chlorine has been shown to damage and fade fabrics over time. 

Third, Power Pods contain polymers. Polymers keep stains and soils from re-depositing onto other garments after the surfactants have removed them, preventing dinginess on clothing over time.


Finally, Tide Power PODS contains cold-water enzymes. The enzymes are part of an overall formula designed to function well in cold water. Since washing in the cold maintains bright colours and prevents fading.

Alright, if you didn’t want to read all that technical stuff, I’ll sum it up like this. Tide Power PODS are designed to keep your clothes looking better for longer, and maybe saving you an embarrassing moment along the way.

Thankfully Tide Power PODS keeps my clothes looking great!

If you want to learn even more about Tide Power PODS, or you’d like to try them out for yourself click here!

My Life’s Decisions Made Me the Father I am

David Pierre   ·  

When Dove Men+Care approached me to help them champion paternity leave, part of their global commitment to expanding men’s opportunities to care, I felt extremely proud to get involved. It’s not just important to push for better policies around paternity leave, but also challenge the stigmas that hold fathers back from taking it. 

My personal experience tells me that when men have an expanded opportunity to care for their families through paternity leave, it has positive impacts on the man, his family and society as a whole.

It also got me thinking about the decisions that I made in my life, and how I was never going to be the type of father my dad was. And that’s a good thing. 

Throughout my life, I haven’t done what’s expected of me. 

For instance, when I was a teen and deciding which university to attend, I didn’t bother myself with petty details such as the school’s reputation or which social clubs they offered. My entire goal was to maximize the distance between the university I chose and the small town in which I grew up. I didn’t know at the time, but this decision led me down the path to one of the most important moments in my life; becoming the type of father I want to be for my amazing son, Benjamin. 

Okay, so there wasn’t anything particularly bad about the town I grew up in. It had its own “small town Alberta charm”. But the people there accepted the status quo while I’ve always questioned why things are done a certain way. I wanted to get away and figure things out for myself. 

I needed to ponder the important questions in life. For example, “Is Canadian bacon just ham?” And why do Americans go around calling their toques “beanies”? So weird. Anyway, being in a new city, Calgary, and around new people opened my eyes to a lot of the things I’d been exposed to, and naturally absorbed, during my formative years. 

If Bacon is Ham, Then What’s a Man?

It was during this time of self-discovery that I started to question the stereotypes I’d grown up with of what men and fathers should be. You see, I grew up with a very traditional father. He wasn’t a mean man and I knew that I was loved but he did lack emotional availability. Sure, he would show emotion if he was trying to fix something around the house and it wasn’t going well. If I’d done something wrong, I’d get an angry glare.Other than that, he didn’t show much emotion. I didn’t think much  of this when I was growing up because, well, that’s just how fathers are, right? That’s how my friend’s fathers were and that’s just how it was. 

It wasn’t until I’d moved away from home that I looked back and wondered why my dad discouraged the feelings I had as a boy: “Don’t cry”, and “Don’t let your feelings get in the way” are phrases I heard often from my father. I’m sure he didn’t say those things to be hurtful. He was just trying his best to make me a “man” as he understood it.

The Two-Headed Home

My father also spent a lot of time working away from home. This meant that he was away all week and home primarily on the weekends. To me, this was one of the hardest parts of growing up. During the week, our home had a certain rhythm that my mom and I were used to. But, on the weekends, it was a whole different scene. But when my dad was home, we did things his way. 

I Have More To Give

By the time I was expecting my first child, I knew the type of father I wanted to be. I wanted to emulate some characteristics of my own dad, like his patience when teaching me new skills and how he would trust me with large responsibilities. However, I also wanted to allow my son the freedom to feel and, most importantly, I wanted to be present for Benjamin and my wife on a daily basis.  

Having a newborn is difficult, and creates a whole new dynamic in the day-to-day of family life. I’ve seen many cases of well-meaning fathers try to integrate themselves into the new routines and rhythms their partners have established, while working full-time. The problem is that the routine changes so fast with a new baby that the father often ends up holding the bottle wrong or not rocking the baby well enough, leaving all parties upset and unsatisfied.  

I wanted to know all the details and be a part of my family’s new rhythm. I wanted them to know that I could bounce properly on the yoga ball (so much bouncing, blah!). These goals were best achieved by me being fully available; away from work, on a paternity leave. 

The truth is that most new or expecting fathers I talk to feel the exact same way I did. They want to be available for their families through paternity leave. Unfortunately, the stigma of what it is to be a man still exists in our society and they worry that their careers will be tarnished or that their colleagues will think less of them. 

The Stigma Ends With Me

Which is why I’m so excited to partner with Dove Men+Care to champion paternity leave and help fight the stigma holding men back from taking the time to care. 

I will never know what might have happened had I not left the small town in which I grew up. I do know, however, that my father upheld his views of fatherhood because that’s what he knew. My hope is that, by working with Dove Men+Care, we will challenge the stigma that holds fathers back from taking precious time to spend with their children and, ultimately, end these stigmas entirely for the next generation of fathers. Everyone benefits when dads take the time to care.

Check out Dove.com for resources on paternity leave.

Surviving the Mom’s Playgroup as a Dad

David Pierre   ·  

What’s that Smell?

I smell Chanel Chance Eau de Toilette. I see every shade of brown leather boots varying in length from mid ankle to knee height. I hear the words “paleo, alkaline, and whole30”. I am in a basement with few windows, grey carpet, miniature tables, and brightly colored toys. There are eight children, seven moms, and me. It’s Wednesday morning playgroup and this is how I survive as a dad.

Socialization is Good, Right?

As a stay at home parent, one of the things that worries me is whether or not my child (Benjamin) is getting enough socialization. If he were in daycare, he would be surrounded by other children and other adults every day, 5 days a week. Heck, if we lived in a jungle tribe, there would be numerous mothers and children running around all day. Of course, if that were the case, I wouldn’t be caring for him, I would be off hunting wildebeests.

Anyway, I try my best to bring Benjamin to parks, playgrounds, kid’s museums, and playgroups so he has a chance to be around other children. Out of all of these opportunities to socialize, the most difficult for me to navigate is The Playgroup.

I Just Walked in the Door

The first thing I notice when I walk in the door is that everyone seems much more dressed up than I am. All the moms are wearing makeup, their hair is styled and their jeans look like they have never been washed.

I usually wear chino pants (washed several times), sweater or t-shirt, runners and a toque (Canadian for “winter hat”). Now, don’t get me wrong, there are moms there wearing toques. The hair underneath the toque, however, always seems to be styled into either beachy waves or perfect curls.

I do have some hair that falls below my toque, but this is only because I am too lazy to get a haircut. Also, when would I even find the time to get a haircut??

I always wonder if these moms enjoy getting this dressed up or if they somehow feel pressure from the other moms? Is it like the corporate world where everyone is expected to dress a certain way?

I know that even I have started to put more thought into what I should wear to playgroup. I have purposely picked nicer shoes to wear on several occasions.

Breaking the ice

When it comes to talking to moms at playgroup, the children do most of the work. I mostly stand around and wait for the children to interact with one another, which inevitably results in a small tussle over a toy or a chewed up piece of food on the floor.

This is a perfect opportunity to ask the standard parent icebreaker, “How old is your little one?” It’s best to never assume the child is a boy or a girl. Even if the child is wearing all pink and a tiara that says, “Little Miss Attitude”, I always wait for the parent to allude to the child’s gender. It’s just safer that way.

Are you a Stay at Home Dad?

After the icebreaker, most moms will ask me right away if I am a stay at home dad. When I reply that I AM a stay at home dad, more often than not I get a, “right on”. I’m never sure how I’m supposed to take that. Does this impress the moms? Why is being a stay at home dad met with an enthusiastic “right-on”? Does it have something to do with stereotypical gender roles? I never ask the follow up question because I feel like doing so could cross a boundary.

The conversation quickly turns to talking about our children, their milestones and their struggles.

I don’t know what moms talk to one another about but, when I talk to a mom at playgroup, the conversation is pretty light.

Participating in Activities

When it comes to helping out at playgroup, I feel the need to go above and beyond. As the only dad in the group, I feel like I should be doing more than my share of the work to combat the classic media headlines, “Moms do more chores than dads” or “Moms do more baby care than dads”. No one asked me to take on this task but I somehow feel I need to prove a point.

I always think that most dads would like to help out more at home but that, over the years, perhaps they lose the skills and then the desire to participate. I’m sure there are many instances where this isn’t the case, however, it seems to me that, when one parent is around a child more than the other, that parent understands the rhythms and routines better. Then, when the outside parent tries to replicate the game or routine, they inevitably do it wrong and lose confidence to try again.

So, is it Awkward Being a Dad at Playgroup?

I would never say anyone has made me feel awkward at playgroup. There are, however, limitations to being a dad at an all mom playgroup.

I have heard on a few occasions’ moms exchanging phone numbers and arranging separate play dates with their children. The reality is that, for me to attempt to arrange a one on one play date with another mom ultimately feels wrong. As harmless as it is, the questions that could arise from such a thing aren’t worth it.

So when I leave the playgroup, I go home with Benjamin knowing that I won’t see any of those moms or children until the next Wednesday when I’ll show up to the All Mom Playgroup in my runners and torque, do more than my share of the crumb sweeping, be impressed with the beachy waves all around me and try to avoid alluding to any child’s gender.

And, maybe, by next week, I’ll have gotten that haircut or a started my Whole 30 regimen… probably not, though.

Yes, I am a stay at home dad and this is how I survive playgroup.

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Breasts are Amazing

David Pierre   ·  

Breasts Are Amazing

Have you ever walked past a car dealership and marveled at the beauty of the vehicles in the show room (I’m not talking about the Ford Fiesta S); the curves, the roundness of wheels or the vehicle’s headlight positioning? Vehicles are everywhere in North American culture; on billboards, on television, and on the Internet. We use them to sell movies, music and even pizza. Honestly though, behind the heavily marketed veneer of paint and curves, you’ll find processes that are simply amazing! It’s a shame that more people don’t appreciate how incredibly complicated a vehicle is.

I’m not talking about vehicles.

I’m talking about breasts.

Pre-Baby Breast Thinking

Before I had Benjamin, I fell into the ignorant category of thinking “Boobs are, well, boobs.” Growing up, I knew nothing about them other than that they made all the Sean Connery movies my parents watched slightly more tolerable. I grew up in a rural area with only three television channels, so yeah, I watched the Sean Connery movies with my parents. Really, though, Sean Connery is 87… would those twenty something girls in the movies actually like him? Umm, I don’t know.

Anyway, once we had Benjamin and I started reading about breasts and breastfeeding, it was like I popped the hood of a 1921 Helica de Leyat (Google tells me this is a rare car) and realized … “Hey! There is something amazing going on in there!”

Now I know the benefits of breastfeeding have been written to death by media, bloggers, and medical experts. From increasing your baby’s immunity and health all the way to giving the baby the ability to see though walls, the benefits are undeniable. The subject is also wrought with opinions and feelings and I am not trying to write that article again.

Breasts are more than Boobs?

When I realized just how incredibly fine-tuned these puppies are (pun intended), a sense of guilt washed over me about how I have viewed boobs my whole life. I’m not sure how to feel about the guilt. Am I mad at advertising? Am I sad? Like the time I found out that there is a lot more to Macaulay Culkin than the crafty little boy thwarting bad guys in the Home Alone movies? I just don’t know!

All I know is that when Benjamin arrived into this world, without even seeing a single Bud Light commercial, he instinctively knew that boobs are amazing.

He knew how to find them by the visual cues of the darkened areola and by the smell of secreting milk and colostrum. When Benjamin latched, his saliva sent information to the boobs about his nutrition and health needs. A Science News article that I read explained it best.

“Part of the immunity that breast milk imparts, it seems, may depend in part on a mixture of milk and baby saliva flowing upstream. This backwash may actually cause a mother’s body to create made-to-order immune factors that are delivered back to the baby in milk.” *

The information didn’t stop there. Because Benjamin was born with a lack of understanding between day and night, my wife’s breast milk apparently has “naturally occurring chemicals called nucleotides that have previously been linked to sleepiness and only reach their highest concentrations in human breast milk that is expressed at night.” **.

Thankfully, this stage is over but Benjamin used to use his mother’s breasts for comfort when he was upset and to calm himself to sleep. His mama’s breasts detect his body temperature and adjust accordingly to heat him up or cool him down.

They are, in a word, amazing!

Final Thought on Breasts

After witnessing all the wonderful things breasts can do, I’m closer to understanding why it has been so easy for the media to manipulate my mind into buying ridiculous things. It’s instinctual for a newborn baby to look to breasts for all the wonderful reasons mentioned above. So, as a teen and early adult, perhaps it was instinctual to seek breasts again when considering which loaf of bread to buy or which restaurant to patronize. Come to think of it, my favorite post-hockey place to eat when I was younger was Hooters! Case. In. Point.

Anyway, I know breasts can’t talk and I don’t even have any of my own. However, I enjoyed telling their story and I hope you enjoyed reading it.

Let me know about your feelings on breasts in the comments below and, remember, this is a family blog!

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* https://www.sciencenews.org/blog/growth-curve/backwash-nursing-babies-may-trigger-infection-fighters

** https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn17908-evening-breast-milk-means-a-good-sleep/