I had a bit of a scare last week. Actually, to be more accurate, my family had a bit of a scare and it was because of me. I fainted, landing on the hardest floor in the house. This had never happened to me before – certainly not in adult life anyway – but I …
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 …
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 …
It’s amazing how much parenting can change you as a person. I’ve learned all kinds of new skills, plus incredible amounts about a vast array of topics. Perhaps the biggest change, however, is one that is there 24 hours a day yet is rarely consciously considered. It seems to have given me a new way …
I’ve been in my not-so-new job for six months now and am well versed in the new routine. This includes adapting to working collaboratively again after four years of doing my own thing. I really enjoy working in a team but there is one thing that is still taking a bit of getting used to. …
Ages ago, before youngest was even born, I wrote a post speculating what it would be like to have a daughter after two sons. With the aid of my sister – who’s a doctor of psychology and a mum of both a daughter and son – I came to the conclusion that she would probably …
Well, where to start, eh? Another year is just about over and so, indeed, is another decade. So it’s time for all the clichés about the passing of time, looking forward and also looking back. This year has been quite a mixed bag. It started with high hopes of blog work picking up again and …
Life begins at 40, so they say. I reached that age last week. As I’ve mentioned many times before, I wasn’t looking forward to it. It’s one of those milestones that, for whatever reason, we build up in our heads. Some silly people even commit to pre-40 bucket lists they’ll never complete. Wallies. But, now …
I’ve come to the conclusion that kids are weird. It has taken me nine years and three children to reach this verdict, but I definitely believe it to be the case. Of course, I’ve long suspected young humans of being a bit odd and have witnessed plenty of compelling evidence since becoming a dad – …
Toddlers are funny little things, aren’t they? Youngest, for example, has been at her contrary best of late. We should have called her Mary. Here are five kid-friendly things she has a complicated relationship with. Pyjamas Thanks to hand-me-downs from her brothers and cousins as well as ones we’ve got her, she has a veritable …