I don’t mind admitting that I’ve been feeling down lately. We have the prospect of another six months of restrictions with coronavirus cases on the rise again. Added to that, my job is coming to a premature end. It was originally supposed to last until the end of next year. That changed to the end …
A couple of years ago, I wrote a post questioning whether the machines are rising up against us. It was inspired by a series of technical mishaps and I concluded that, as a result, they weren’t up to it. But, as The Terminator spawned numerous sequels, I think a follow-up to my musings is well …
Well, blimey. Diary of the Dad is ten years old today. It started as a way of trying out content for a book idea, became a new hobby, then a full-time job, before reverting to a hobby again. It’s been quite the proverbial rollercoaster. But the one thing that has remained constant is that I’ve …
Did you know it’s Zero Waste Week? The aim of this annual event is to get people to reduce waste and rethink rubbish as resources. Every year there’s a different topic and, this time, it’s food waste. I like to think that we let very little go to waste in our house but, last week, …
Yesterday, the eight-year-old lost one of his milk teeth. You like stories, I know. But there’s a bit more to this one. You see, I was partially responsible. It was the latest in a line of unusual family moments involving gnashers. So, starting with my latest parenting fail, here are five dental disasters. And I …
As far as perceptions of age are concerned, I’m officially over the hill. I turned 40 last year and, despite some claims that it’s the new 30, I’m yet to feel it. Particularly of late. I don’t know whether it’s because of lockdown fatigue creeping in, the cumulative stress of seven years trying to move …
Five years ago, I found myself on a panel at a Mumsnet event for soon-to-be parents. I was a father of two at the time, with youngest due a couple of months later. At the end of it, we were each asked to give a three-word tip for the expectant dads in the audience. Thinking …
One of my earliest childhood memories concerns the use of a small fib to combat my reluctance to try a certain food. It was meat – I’m not entirely sure which kind – but I remember that it was at my grandparents’ house in Kent. Probably desperate to avoid a standoff, my parents told me …
Disclosure: I received two Build Your Own kits to review and keep. The school year is almost at an end and, having become used to lockdown-induced homeschooling, it’s going to be tricky keeping the kids as busy as they have been. So, when I was offered a couple of Build Your Own kits to review, …
Well, how has this happened, eh? My oldest child is 10 years old already. It has been an entire decade since that surreal sleepless night in which he entered our lives. His arrival followed an on-and-off, three-day labour which felt like forever at the time – particularly for my brilliant wife. But the subsequent 10 …