The very thought of travelling with children can be daunting. Airport tantrums, car seat struggles, and a mountain of luggage are enough to make anyone reconsider that beach holiday. But you know what: it doesn’t have to be that way. A family trip can be one of the most rewarding experiences you’ll ever have, filled …
There’s a moment many dads have where we look in the mirror and think: is now the time? Maybe it’s the sleepless nights, maybe it’s the dawning realisation that disposable razors are a tax on our patience, but the urge to grow a beard arrives like a mid-season transfer request. And yet, despite the fantasy …
It happens every time I hand over a packet of crisps, pour a glass of juice, or divvy up a takeaway. Before my kids can say thank you, my hand’s already hovering over the spoils, ready to claim what’s rightfully mine. One crisp. One chip. Maybe a sip of milkshake if I’m feeling bold. That, …
It started with one of those brown envelopes that make your stomach drop before you’ve even opened them. Inside was a Fixed Penalty Notice for taking my child out of school during term time. We’d gone away for a few days in late June — a short family break that worked around my job, not …
Every November, my upper lip becomes a talking point. My kids find it hilarious, my wife refuses to kiss me for about three weeks, and colleagues start making jokes about 80s TV detectives. But there’s a reason for it. Like millions of others across the world, I take part in Movember — that time of …
Our living room has two modes. In one, it’s a respectable space with cushions arranged and mugs on coasters. In the other, it’s a makeshift wrestling ring in which I am regularly pinned by a person who still can’t tie his shoelaces. There is laughter, there is squealing, there is the occasional dramatic flop that …
When your kid comes home with a school report that’s more “could do better” than “child genius”, it’s easy to feel that creeping panic. You picture doors closing, futures shrinking, and the kid down the road who apparently learned trigonometry in Reception. But here’s the thing most of us need to hear: it’s absolutely fine …
Apparently, “six seven” is a thing now. Or should that be “six sevuuuhn”. I know this because my six-year-old keeps saying it — loudly, proudly, and at completely random moments. In the car, in the bath, halfway through his cereal. I asked him what it means, and he just shrugged. Which is fair enough, because …
If you’re an adult thinking about taking up cycling, I know exactly how you feel. You like the idea of getting fitter, spending more time outdoors, or maybe even swapping the car for the odd commute — but then you start looking at bikes. Suddenly you’re hit with talk of hybrids, gravel frames, derailleurs, and …
I’ve always had a bit of a love-hate relationship with cycling. I loved it as a kid – the freedom, the races with mates, the inevitable scrapes and grazes that made you feel like you’d actually done something with your day. Then adulthood happened, and the bike gathered dust somewhere between the shed and my …