A family hotel room can look lovely in the photos. Then you get there, pull out the sofa bed and realise the only way to reach the bathroom is to climb over it. By half seven the kids are asleep, the lights are off and you’re lying in bed watching a man restore a lawnmower …
December, January and February are generally rainy and windy in the United Kingdom. Heavy snowfall is even a perennial concern in the northern regions. Get your hands dirty with these five projects to weatherise your house before winter rolls around. 1. Cleaning the Gutters Emptying gutters during some of the wettest months reduces the risk …
I love spending time in the kitchen, and I’ve found that cooking with my children is one of the most rewarding experiences we can share. Not only does it provide quality bonding time, but it also equips them with essential life skills and builds a healthy relationship with food. But when is the right time …
The first proper wage packet can make a teenager feel rich. After years of relying on pocket money and birthday cash, they suddenly have money arriving every month that feels entirely their own. From a parent’s point of view, things may look slightly different. The food bill has not disappeared, nor have the electricity, heating, …
You’re out charity shopping with your kid when you spot a vintage board game for £3. Before you know it, you launch into a 20-minute speech about inflation, depreciation and why “money doesn’t grow on trees.” Meanwhile, your child is eyeing the door. It’s the classic British dad dilemma where you want to embrace snagging …
When your child announces they want to play rugby, it’s perfectly possible to feel pleased and worried at the same time. Fresh air, teammates and something to do that doesn’t involve a screen? Lovely. Watching them get tackled? Slightly less relaxing. As a dad who coaches under-7s rugby, I’m certainly not going to tell you …
If you are a dad, you already know that the morning school run is an extreme sport that requires the logistical precision of a military operation. Between locating inexplicably missing shoes, attempting to make presentable toast, mediating sibling arguments over who gets to sit in the front seat, and trying to get everyone out of …
There is a particular kind of optimism involved in announcing that you will read one bedtime story. You choose a book, settle down and imagine everyone will be asleep shortly afterwards. Then your child spots another book. And remembers a question about space. And decides that the voice you gave the rabbit yesterday was better. …
Today’s teenagers face a different set of pressures to the ones many dads remember. Recent government research found that 96% of young people use social media, while many also report feeling anxious about how others see them. At the same time, we are seeing a growing financial confidence crisis among younger generations. Rather than protecting …
A dog collides with another at the park, yelps loudly, and is back to chasing a ball thirty seconds later. A cat leaps off a windowsill, lands awkwardly, shakes it off, and carries on as though nothing happened. Most of what looks alarming during play is exactly that: alarming to watch, but not actually serious. …