VAR: what is it good for? Absolutely nothing. Well, that’s what I thought at first and there aren’t many football fans who are too enamoured of it. However, recent parenting experience has given me a hint of sympathy for the beleaguered decision-making system. I’ll get to my reasons shortly. But first, the context. As a …
Youngest has always been a very knowledgeable little girl and, with two older siblings always talking about things they’re interested in, she knows way more than they did at the same age. Speaking of which, it’s quite arresting when she comes out with something that reminds us that she is still just five years old. …
As a dad of three and with over ten years’ parenting experience, I have a huge collection of drawings of myself. That may sound really narcissistic, but it’s not meant to. I treasure these works of art because my children produced them especially for me. That said, I do sometimes wonder whether they’re gently taking …
Last year, I wrote a post about starting to feel old before my time. Back then, I wasn’t sure whether lockdown had played a part but now I am. Eight months on and still restricted to the confines of home, I definitely feel that lockdown is enabling my middle-aged tendencies. The Easter holidays have made …
Disclosure: This is a paid collaboration with The Paint Shed. We’ve been in our ‘new’ home for just over a year now so it’s time to finally make our house our own. So far, we’ve redecorated the bedrooms but two big jobs remain. For ‘remain’, read ‘were ignored in the ridiculous hope they’ll miraculously do …
Somehow or other, oldest is starting secondary school in just six months. He has a place at our first choice and we’re impressed by what we’ve heard about it so far. But I’m so not ready for him to move up from primary school! As soon as he got his place, my own experiences of …
I realised today that I may be allowed to play five-a-side relatively soon. I’ve really missed my weekly game of football so can’t wait for it to kick off again. There’s only one problem. I’m horribly unfit. Thanks to hurting my back moving home shortly before the first lockdown, it’s been at least 13 months …
Disclosure: I received a copy of Create Your Own Kindness. This post also includes affiliate links; if you buy a copy I may earn a small commission. Like most parents of more than one child, I find sibling relationships fascinating. It’s really interesting observing how they act towards each other. For the most part, they …
With the latest round of remote learning over and children back in schools, I’m sure many parents are breathing a sigh of relief. For our part, we’ll miss having our three around but won’t miss the stress of virtual lessons. I like to look at everything as a learning experience though, so it’s time to …
There are some words and phrases that sound wrong when uttered by children. Now, I’m not talking about swear words – that’s a given. We all remember and secretly laugh about their first expletives. For the record, my three kids’ first profanities were two Fs and an S. FFS, indeed. Anyway, back to the matter …