On each of the 30 days leading up to Father’s Day, Life of Dad will feature a different incredible father from around the world.
Today’s dad is Chris Read, aka Canadian Dad. Chris is a great husband, father to Lucas (4) and Julia (2), and works overnights so he can spend as much time with his kids as possible. When he’s not working, and the family is resting, Chris sings and writes for a band named Sloppy Joe’s Revenge, which may lead to his confidence in his rapping skills. On to Chris’ interview!
I really became a father when… we went to the doctor to hear the baby’s heartbeat. When she didn’t hear anything, she sent us to the hospital and warned us that in her experience, this was not a good thing. Everything turned out alright but it was the first time (of many to come) that I felt worried about my child’s safety.
My kids makes me laugh… Always! I have been blessed with hilarious children (just like their dad). My daughter makes me laugh because she is a Diva. Someday it will come back to bite me but it’s funny for now. She is the 2nd youngest of 6 kids in our home daycare but she is the warden. Nobody messes with her or they’ll face her wrath.
Favorite daddy cocktail once the kids crash? Crown Royal & Coke when I need to relax. SteamWhistle beer when I have more work to do.
Dream date night with your lady, where would you go? Punta Cana. What? You didn’t say I had to come back….. Okay, okay, we’d love to check our NY City, if only for a night. You did say “dream”.
What is the hardest thing about fatherhood? I just stared at this question for 10 minutes and have no real answer. I guess my answer would be ‘everything’. You are in charge of a human life, that seems hard. No matter how effortless we can make it look, it’s hard. It’s hard to say no, it’s hard to see them sick or hurt and it’s hard when you just don’t know what you’re supposed to do in certain situations. Luckily for us, there are lots of people around to help us through it all and that makes life a lot easier!
What’s in your man cave? Let’s see….toys. Also, there’s toys. A diaper station. And finally, toys! When my wife started the daycare, I forfeited my Man Cave for the greater good. I did get to keep my signed and framed Guy Lafleur and Rudy jerseys though, so it’s not all bad.
How many hours of sleep each night? I am a shift worker so it varies from night to night. Usually I get about 6-7 on average. Some nights are better than others, our kids still wake from time to time. I have no issue with letting them sleep with us if they are scared.
What food that your son eats do you like the most? McDonald’s. Shhhhhh.
How has fatherhood changed in the last 20 years? I think a better question is, what hasn’t changed in the last 20 years? Dads are so much more involved nowadays than they used to be. It’s now cool to take your kids to the park by yourself. It’s a great time to be a Dad, we’re not exactly seen as equal parents by all yet but we’re totally getting there!
Dream family vacation? CarsLand at DisneyLand! It opens in June and I am feverishly trying to get my wife to ditch the DisneyWorld thing so we can go there!! Lightning McQueen, Mater, Chick Hicks!! How could you not want to go there!?
Seriously you need to follow Chris at CanadianDad.com. Once you’ve done that, connect with him on Facebook and Twitter. Seriously, you’ll thank me later. We couldn’t be happier to have Chris as a big part of Life of Dad, the first social network for fathers.