1. Electric Grill Brush – $28 – Boy, do I wish I had one of these. We’d grill outside more often. Our grill is caked with who-knows-what caked over the chrome. I brush most of it away, but a lot always remains. To the hardboiled, I know that means good barbecue flavor, but I can’t get over eating burnt meat grease. 2. Laguiole 6-Piece Steak Knife set – $42 – This is a treat for steak lovers. These French knives, which look like the famous Laguiole pocket knife look great at a table set for meat. 3. Wireless talking BBQ thermometer – $49.99 We’re not saying you really need it. I mean, does anyone barbecue that much? But maybe the dad on your list...

This headline gave me shivers. Whenever I see these stories in the paper, it’s hard not to conjure up images of little babies hurt by those meant to be there to protect them. Often, they haunt me for hours or days after reading. And, if can’t handle the stories, how can a child reconcile them. What do you tell a child who asks how a father can murder his two children and their mother? Child psychologists say the answer depends on how old the child is and how much he is capable of understanding. “Such a situation confronts a child with a loss of innocence,” said Binyamina Shilo, a senior educational and developmental psychologist. “The older they are, the more this...

This article is getting a lot of attention in the daddy world, and even among moms. Sorry, no dads. That’s the message a Clayton Hills father got when he tried to join the activities of the Cloverdale Mommy & Me Meetup group. Rick Kaselj is a registered kinesiologist and father of Cole, his infant son. A relative newcomer to Surrey, Kaselj was looking for opportunities to meet people in his neighbourhood when he discovered the group online. Rick Kaselj and his Cole are looking for a new place to meet other parents and children. “My wife and I just had our first child. She works days and I work evenings, so I’m a part-time stay-at-home dad. I found this group online...

I often say that I feel sorry for poor folks, many dads, who somehow leave a baby in the back of the car and go somewhere to do errands. “There but for the grace of God,” I think. We all live hectic lives and can be overstressed and do incredibly stupid things. I use these examples as cautionary tales about what could happen if you don’t watch the kids in the pool or let them play in the street. Life is very fragile, and everything in your life can change faster than you can say, “If only I had…” Then there are stories like this one which just are simply shocking. Is it too patronizing to say that some people should not have children? MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WMBF)...

If you’re a suburban dad, maybe those two ideas sounds familiar. This new shows sounds like they’ve been spying on my life. Two different minds, one body. So which one of these two personalities leads the more complicated life: the covert operative and contract killer who speaks 13 languages, runs a four-minute mile and is trained to kill with his bare hands, or the efficiency expert who lives a humdrum life in the suburbs with a devoted wife, two kids, a dog and a minivan?[From Suburban dad and spy: Christian Slater stars as both]

Whether you agree on his politics or not, Joe Biden made a statement tonight in the debate that rang true. No one any longer can insist that a mom can somehow understand what it is to be a parent. Moms and dads today find themselves in new situations, as Biden did when his wife and infant daughter were killed in a car crash in 1972. He was suddenly left with two young sons to care for by himself. Luckily, most dads don’t have to endure that kind of trouble, but more and more are staying at home full or part-time to be with their kids, and they do understand what role good mothering and fathering play to the develop of children.

Rarely do I agree with David Frum, of the National Review, but his Saturday column had me nodding in agreement. Frum, in this column, examines what goes on in countless homes when the family, minus dad, goes on a vacation, if only for a few days. While some dads, take this opportunity to veer off into uncharted territory, the vast majority of us wallow deeper into the rut we likely already enjoy. In his case, it’s more time at the gym and night after night of rotisserie chicken. When my family goes away, it’s pizza and beer for dinner and a movie, or two, every day. The pizza is always the same, as is the popcorn, though, luckily, I do change up the movie for a little variety. As...

Spiderwick Chronicles is out on DVD and a surprise hit in our household. When this movie came out last year, I thought it looked a little goofy and it seemed to be in and out of theatres in short order. Seeing it at home was the first time for us, and it was a happy surprise for both me and my eight year-old. We both enjoyed the story, the action sequences and the funny parts. The story is an imaginative tale of a single mom and her three kids who go to live in a mansion they soon find to be under attack by goblins out to get a book that details the world of creatures ordinary people can’t see. While the movie has scenes that make it a bit too scary for little kids (7 and under), my slightly...

Some times, rather than a present for themselves, dads just like to see the kids enjoy a new toy or book. Here is a selection of books for young kids where the dad is the star. I’m an old softie when it comes to books and images of dads spending good times with their kids. My daughter has two or three books that feature dads and daughters and it makes me feel very special that she reserves a special place on her shelf for them. While we have not read any of the titles listed in this article, I’m going to check them out before next Sunday. Here’s an excerpt from the Seattle Times Article and the list of books. One girl likens her dad to a dog. One dad is convinced he’s...

With just a few days left before dads’ day, here are a few suggestions for wine books you can pick up at the local bookstore or order quickly off Amazon. 1. Hugh Johnson’s Pocket Wine Book 2008 – This is a classic little volume perfect for sneaky glances while out at a restaurant where you need a reminder on the best years for a French Burgundy. It has seviceable wine pairing suggestions and even a primer on wine glass selection. At $14.95, this is a good bet. 2. The World Atlas of Wine Hugh Johnson and Jancis Robinson – This is a good building block for a strong wine library, as are the following four books. 3. The WIne Bible – 19.95 paperback 4. Sotheby’s...