I’ve now been a parent for nine years so have experienced many highs and lows along the way. You may think that, after this long, the capacity for surprise would be somewhat limited. However, I’ve realised that there are a fair few things that I’m still not used to as a parent… Having three children …
Every now and then, I’m asked to take part in radio debates about parenting topics. It’s something I never imagined myself doing but that I enjoy nonetheless. This week, I appeared on two different BBC local channels – Kent and Three Counties, for the record – discussing the same topic. Namely, the demise of the …
I made an interesting discovery yesterday. I’m becoming a panda parent. I’ve heard of numerous nicknames for parenting approaches over the years but this was a new one on me. Coined by American author Esther Wojcicki, being a panda parent is about taking a more relaxed approach. That’s not to say it’s a licence to …
I was disappointed to read about a new Channel 4 show coming soon. Entitled Britain’s Best Parent? the five-episode series will enter the world of competitive parenting. It will pit various approaches against one another in front of a live audience to establish whether a perfect parenting philosophy exists. First of all, I think the …
I was dismayed to read about a celebrity dad recently suggesting that boys should hide their feelings. I believe we definitely should teach boys it’s okay to cry. Ant Middleton who presents Channel 4’s SAS: Who Dares Wins made the claim to Giovanna Fletcher on the Podcast Happy Mum, Happy Baby. He said that, if …
I’ve been down in the dumps lately. To be honest, I think most of us have. The weather has been bleak and the interminable Brexit gloom hasn’t helped either. As a result, I’ve been harder on myself than I normally am. Particularly with regards to my parenting skills. But, over the weekend, I realised something …
A couple of weeks ago, we were on the bus to my parents’ house. When we got off, another passenger tapped me on the shoulder. At first, I thought I must have left something behind so I was pleasantly surprised by what he said. He told me that it was lovely to see two parents …
As I mentioned recently, I’ve learned to love the school run thanks to the conversations I have with my kids. I was interested, then, to read a recent article by the brilliant Stuart Heritage. Who, incidentally, I was once on a panel with at a Mumsnet event. Thoroughly nice chap he is too. Anyway, in said article, …
How much time do you get to spend exclusively with your partner? If you have children, the answer might be something to the effect of ‘not a lot’! Help is at hand in the form of ‘micro-dating’. More on that later. A recent survey by Legal & General has found that 36% of parents between 18 …
Earlier this week, I wrote a post about the careers advice I got at secondary school. Looking through the responses I gave in the questionnaire, it struck me how much I’ve changed as a person. This isn’t a great surprise, of course. I was not quite 16 when I completed it and nobody’s the finished …