I know you aren’t supposed to compare your children to each other, and you certainly aren’t supposed to put them in boxes (well, not without air-holes anyway!) – but sometimes it’s hard not to categorise them. For instance, I think anyone who knows my children would be hard-pressed not to notice that my eldest is…
Fatherhood²: An Open Letter to Lego – You CAN Choose Your Friends
Dear Lego I’m writing you this letter because I’m worried about you. I think you might be hanging around with the wrong people, and I’m concerned that nobody else is telling you this – or at least getting through to you. Let me start off by saying this: I love you, Lego. We go back…
Fatherhood²: Family Days Out – Thomas Land at Drayton Manor
For Freddie’s birthday treat this year, we decided to head to the Midlands to experience the delights of ‘Thomas Land’ – the Thomas the Tank Engine-themed park which nestles itself inside Drayton Manor, up near Birmingham. As a regular viewer of the aforementioned Thomas, the moment Freddie heard Thomas Land existed he wanted to visit…
Fatherhood²: When Do Rewards Become Bribes?
I think I just bribed my son. I didn’t mean to. I had intended to create a reward program which would be mutually beneficial to both him and us, his parents. I wanted to reward him for doing something which will be good for him, will encourage him to try new things and step out…
Fatherhood²: Football, Frustrations, Frantic Fathers and Followed Footsteps
Today I realised that my son is unlikely to be the next David Beckham. I also realised that, unlike a lot of my fellow fathers, this doesn’t bother me in the slightest. This story starts back in the Spring. Whilst playing in the park with the other children looked after by our child-minder, Robert began…
Fatherhood²: 30 Reasons My Wife is Awesome…
Today is my wife’s birthday – I won’t embarrass her by telling you her age (older than she looks – that’s a nice thing to say, right? I hope so) but I will tell you that she is one of the least publicity-hungry people I know. She never gets the credit she deserves on my…
Fatherhood²: Family Days Out – The Natural History Museum
With just a few days left of the summer holidays, I’m probably far too late to be of any use with this review – but hey, when has irrelevance ever stopped me writing a blog post? Last weekend (after our trip to the View from the Shard) we headed over to the Natural History Museum…
Fatherhood²: In Defence of President Business
Ever since the Lego Movie came out this year, I have earned myself a new nickname in our house: President Business. Now I should probably clarify at this stage, I don’t THINK they’re suggesting I’m an evil, maniacal overlord who wants to destroy cities and stamp on all types of creativity. I THINK they’re calling…
Fatherhood²: Family Days Out – The Shard
As I’ve reviewed a few family days-out now (all at my own behest, I hasten to add – though if anybody wants to send us anywhere nice, just shout!) I decided I might as well make a bit of a feature of it and review some of the other days out that we have as…
Fatherhood²: Eighteen Go Crazy in Carnac*
* Mainly through lack of sleep Earlier this week we arrived home from a holiday in Brittany, France – the little (and very historic) town of Carnac to be precise. And we sure had an eventful week! As well as being Freddie’s first trip abroad, it was our first holiday with a big group –…