Somehow or other, oldest is nearing the end of his first year at secondary school. He’s done amazingly well and we’re really proud of him. He and I are quite similar, so I can’t help but compare his experiences with my own at that age. Happily, he hasn’t experienced some of the things I did …
I was on the radio last week. It was the first time I’d been on the air in a couple of years and I really enjoyed it. The topic of conversation was a belter too: has parenting become harder in the 21st century? Now, obviously, I’ve only been a parent in this era so it’s …
Another school year is almost over and there’s definitely a strong sense of limping over the finish line. Last week, my three kids had their respective transition sessions with their teachers for next year, followed by their sports days this week. Ordinarily, this is a time of excitement but, this time around, things have been …
I had my first Covid jab a couple of weeks ago and have to admit I was a little nervous. Not because of needles, you understand. I have asthma and, as a result, have to get a flu jab every year so I’m very used to them. No, it was because of potential side effects. …
We’re only two days into the latest Covid-induced lockdown and I’m already exhausted by homeschooling. On the face of it, things should be pretty straightforward. We’ve been through it all before and, as I’m currently between jobs, I’m able to do more to help too. But there are a couple of key differences. First of …
First things first, Happy New Year. I hope 2021 will be a vast improvement on its predecessor for all of us. This time last year, I wrote a post explaining why I wasn’t making any new year’s resolutions. This year, I am making one, albeit with a caveat. More on that shortly. Looking back 12 …
December is almost upon us so there’s no getting away from the countdown to Christmas. Like many people, I have really mixed feelings about it this year. 2020 has been truly awful so I want to give the kids a lovely Christmas. But, at the same time, I’m feeling so down about the threat of …
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 …
Like most of the country, I’m the angriest I’ve ever been right now. Our Prime Minister has effectively just stuck two fingers up at us for adhering to the formerly-clear rules regarding lockdown. Similarly, his advisor, Dominic Cummings, has given his version of events without the merest hint of an apology for breaking his own …
Thanks to coronavirus-induced lockdown, I’ve been working from home for almost seven weeks now. As a result, I’ve had more time on my hands thanks to not having to commute. Among other things, this means more time to enjoy TV boxsets of an evening. So, with the current situation in mind and some of the …