Future Shop | Getting Geared Up for Fatherhood!

Last updated on May 3rd, 2021 at 02:01 am

Casey Palmer and Son in Varadero, Cuba on the Beach Chilling
We only look relaxed. Really, we’re just worn out from the roles we play in life. But it’s all love.

16 months into fatherhood, I barely remember what stressed me out in the beginning. The nights of worrying whether he’s still breathing, tip-toeing through the nursery to check his diminutive frame in the crib gave way to hoping he’d sleep in long enough that I wouldn’t feel the late night I’d just gone through. Gingerly changing his diaper like it was a delicate operation where I’d break my son with the slightest miscalculation soon became holding him firmly in place while I worked around his all-too-powerful limbs to change his diapers with the foulest of odours.

While the name of the game has changed and my fully mobile child keeps me plenty occupied with his antics, the struggles we face at each stage are a rite of passage for any Dad—a rite that comes with a hefty price tag.

Parenting: Things Done Changed

Casey Palmer Baby Photo—Sailor Outfit
Life was different in the ’80s—we hadn’t been hit by the Curse of Knowledge yet.

My relationship with my parents changed when I fulfilled their decades-old desire for me to procreate, opening up with many a tale of what it was like to raise me now that I’d proven myself adult enough to objectively handle the truth*.

Any parent raising babies in the ’80s can tell you the parenting industry wasn’t anything like it is now. Lite-Brites weren’t choking hazards—they were hours of fun. TVs were suitable substitutes for babysitters. Car seats were novel concepts. They didn’t fuss and fret like we do, a tech-savvy generation of parents overexposed to information, trying to pick out the nuggets of wisdom that’ll help us excel at raising our kids!

But it ain’t easy—you’ve gotta buy the right stroller. The right crib. The right swaddling blankets, bathtub, monitor, change table and dehumidifier. Any wrong decision could negatively impact your precious offspring forever.

Scare tactics aside, it is a very different world to raise children in, and an ever-increasing number of stores are understanding that it’s 2015, and parents are looking for great deals on the things they’re looking for (after exhaustive hours of research, of course)—often from their couch at home in those rare moments where the baby’s asleep, the chores done, and they’re not “on”. Companies have quickly realized that the very nature of consumer shopping has changed, and stores like Future Shop and Best Buy have stepped up their online offerings to give their diverse customer base exactly what it needs!

* Despite whatever my parents think, fair warning to any upcoming Dads — you don’t naturally mature once your progeny is born unto this world. I’m moderately less immature than I’d been a couple of years ago, but it’s largely because I’m too tired to even bother with the hijinks I’d usually get up to.

What can I say—babies are energy vampires!

Future Shop: Changing the Way You Think About a Tech Store!

Car seats and cribs aren’t the first things that come to mind when I think “Future Shop”. And Future Shop isn’t a new fixture in my life, either—when I started working at my Dad’s restaurant as a teen in the late ’90s and got my first taste of some hard-earned money, I went to Future Shop to get myself a Discman with anti-skip for those hours spent on public transit. When I got my first computer in 2004, tired of sharing with my siblings and in dire need of personal space to keep up with my LiveJournal ramblings, it was Future Shop I turned to for the desktop that graced my desk for several years. Over time, Future Shop and I have been steady bedfellows for video games, routers and many things tech that’ve enhanced my life… but as I grew and my lifestyle changed, so did Future Shop and what they offer consumers in a digital age.

While I don’t remember the stresses parenthood had for us in the early days, I do remember the hours spent poring over comparisons, wondering which features would win us gold stars in parenting versus those which would gain the scorn of our community, banished to the remedial parenting class for re-education. I remember racing across town to pick things up that we’d need, because some things you just can’t anticipate.

All this in mind, Future Shop and I have teamed up to hook one lucky winner up with a Father Starter Kit, filled with over $500 of great tools from FutureShop.ca to help point you in the right direction, because trust me—there’s no manual for parenthood, and you quickly learn to accept whatever help you can get!

The Father Starter Kit includes:

  • Evenflo SureRide Car Seat Montery, $139.99
  • Evenflo Playard, $149.99
  • Lorex Care ‘n’ Share Video Baby Monitor, $159.99
  • Lulujo Swaddling Blankets, $15.99
  • Bert and Bratt Sterilizer, $49.99

While the challenges are different 16 months in, one thing’s definitely stayed the same — parenthood ain’t easy. Here’s hoping that CaseyPalmer.com and the $500 Future Shop Father Starter Kit (try saying that ten times fast!) can help make someone’s life a little easier!

Good luck to all those who enter, and in the meantime, I’ll be readying myself for whatever comes tomorrow—for a father’s work is never done.

Adios amigos,

The second logo for Casey Palmer, Canadian Dad

Disclaimer: Though I was compensated for this post, all stories and opinions are true—I really have been going to Future Shop since well before I was old enough to drive myself there!

Future Shop has been around as long as Michael Jackson’s Thriller (1982), growing to become Canada’s largest retailer and etailer of consumer electronics.

If you’re looking for more of yours truly, track me down at my regular haunts on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. Good luck!

By Casey E. Palmer

Husband. Father. Storyteller.

Calling the Great White North his home, Casey Palmer the Canadian Dad spend his free time in pursuit of the greatest content possible.

Thousand-word blog posts? Snapshots from life? Sketches and podcasts and more—he's more than just a dad blogger; he's working to change what's expected of the parenting creators of the world.

It's about so much more than just our kids.

When Casey's not creating, he's busy parenting, adventuring, trying to be a good husband and making the most of his life!

Casey lives in Toronto, Ontario.

135 replies on “Future Shop | Getting Geared Up for Fatherhood!”

I really like the Levana Astra 3.5″ Digital Video Baby Monitor with Pan/Tilt this would give me such a relief knowing all the time the little one is safe!

I’m a giant nerd, so the Summer Infant Baby Touch 3.5″ Digital Video Baby Monitor with Pan/Tilt would definitely satisfy that and provide useful – that is if/when I have a kid. But I’m sure I know someone that could benefit from it juts as much!

I love the BABYBJÖRN Baby Carrier One – Black
I could definitely use one of those! Awesome giveaway. This would be so great to win for my cousin who is expecting and has nothing for baby!

so many awesome products ..love them all but my fave is the Graco Benton 5-in-1 Convertible Fixed-Side Crib!

wow I never knew about this, holy I love the Levana Astra 3.5″ Digital Video Baby Monitor, and some toys wow amazing

It is all incredible but I love the Levana Digital Video Monitor, They are so great, such peace of mind !

My favourite item is the Stork Craft Portofino 4-In-1 Fixed Side Convertible Crib Changer in Espresso

I like the Evenflo Symphony DLX Concord Convertible Car Seat – Grey/Black. I didn’t even know that Future shop had baby stuff.

I love the Fisher-Price My Little Snugabunny Cradle’n Swing – Brown/Green/White , so nice , thanks for the chance 🙂

Love the Ingenuity Seneca Baby Bouncer – Tan/ Multi-colour What a fantastic giveaway! Thanks!

WOW! The Ford F-150 SVT Raptor Ride-On Toy is so cool! Now that’s definitely something I could see my Husband pushing little man in to the park! My Husband also changed our newborn delicately so afraid a leg on foot may fall off and getting him dressed in his early days, forget about it lol it would have taken him an hour to slowly navigate his little limbs into a onesie! But now he is a pro! Carrying him around like he’s a football and whipping outfits on and off for fun! All this beautiful confidence came with time and practice. My Husband and I play a little game called poop bomb. We hide stinky diapers is funny places so that the other comes across it (no, the diaper doesn’t sit there for days lol)! It’s always good for a laugh! I know, we’re weird but if you can’t laugh at a poopy diaper what can you laugh at!

This Stork Craft Avalon Traditional 6-Drawer Double Dresser – Espresso is gorgeous and would go great in the babies room.

I didn’t know they had so much ! This is awesome ! I am in love with the Evenflo ExerSaucer Mega Beach Baby! So cute !

I’m so excited to have Baby Vita come. I can’t stop touching my wife’s (@pample_moose) belly.Read the reviews for the Lila baby monitor…looks like an essential item for our nursery.

so many items to research or choose from! I’m overwhelmed!

I think I like the Lila baby monitor cuz it got good reviews?!

Maxi Cosi Piazzo High Chair – Teal Blue! I picked it as I like teal and I enjoy wheels on a highchair.

I really like the Graco Benton 5-in-1 Convertible Fixed-Side Crib. Thanks for the chance to win a great prize package. We have a new addition arriving in June in the family.

I like the Thomasville Kids Southern Dunes 3-in-1 Convertible Crib in Dove Brown. It is versatile how it is a crib as well as a day bed and then a full size bed. It looks well made too.

I think it\’s fabulous that Future Shop carries so many items for babies. I am especially impressed that they sell baby carriers such as the Ergo Performance!

i really like the phil&teds promenade convertible stroller bundle would love taking the kids out n about in it

Thanks, Sarah — it’s actually a CommentLuv G.A.S.P. setting that prevents URLs from being added to comments. I made it a little more flexible — we’ll see how it goes 🙂

And I was just as surprised as you are! Good luck!

The Mountain Buggy Duet Double Stroller, Red/Black is perfect for my niece, she has a 19 month old daughter and 3 month old son. 🙂

I really like the Summer Infant Baby Touch 3.5″ Digital Video Baby Monitor with Pan/Tilt technology…

I really like the D-Link Wi-Fi Only Video Baby Monitor (DCS-820L) – White. I think this is great! It would allow me to record and look at the pics later. I can even talk to my baby through the speaker!

I’m pretty sure my husband loves Future shop just as much. He always seems to have an errand that involves stopping by Futureshop.

It is all about safety so I choose the “Summer Infant Baby Touch 3.5″ Digital Video Baby Monitor”.

One of my favourite items is the Summer Infant Video Monitor. I think they are amazing. I would have loved a video monitor.

Hey Casey, I had to find something that would look good in Grampy’s Man Cave, so I chose the Grow with Me Playard, so gramps can have some one on one time with baby while he’s wathcing the game! 🙂

The Safety 1st Advanced Solutions No-Touch Temporal Thermometer is a fantastic idea, it is definitely one of my favorites & most needed items!

I have been entering and tweeting away and not once did i see on this site that it was canada only till I read the pin I was trying to pin but thats okay you will just have to get rid of all my entries

Summer Infant Pop ‘n Play Ultimate Playard is my favorite because we camp a lot and it would be so useful.

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