There aren’t many situations where you’ll find a group of grown men sat in a pub, pint in one hand, carefully trying to master a braid. But that’s exactly what happened earlier this month at the Lucky Saint pub in London, where “Pints and Ponytails” brought together a group of dads for a slightly unusual …
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 …
One of the strange things about parenting is how many milestones nobody really warns you about. The first day of school? You expect that. The first time they ride a bike? Sure. Even the first argument about bedtime eventually comes along. But the first time your child comes home casually dropping a word you absolutely …
There’s a moment most dads have, usually after you’ve laid down the law and your kid’s gone quiet, where you think: was that good parenting… or have I just steamrolled them? It’s a horrible question because it doesn’t arrive politely. It turns up when you’re already tired, already stressed, and already trying to hold the …
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 your kids are into Pokémon, you’ll already know the tell-tale signs. They speak in a language you don’t understand. They shout names that sound like someone sneezed mid-Scrabble. They trade cards with the intensity of stockbrokers. And somewhere in the house, usually under the sofa, there’s a small plastic creature that looks like it’s …
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, …
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 …
If you’ve got a baby, you’ll already know that “no screen time before two” advice sounds great — until you’re trying to make a cup of tea with one hand and stop the baby eating a shoe with the other. Sometimes you just need something to hold their attention for five minutes. The good news? …