A blog about being a pretty average dad… and stuff (formerly Henry's Blog)
As many of you will know, one of my favourite parental activities is reading with my boys at bedtime. I don’t always get to do it (usually due to a delayed commute, or the occasional late stay at the office) but I try to make it as much as is humanly possible, such is the…
Whilst September has never been my favourite month of the year (that honour goes to December, FYI) it is certainly up there in my top 5. Two pleasant milestones take place during this month, both of which I look forward to throughout the summer heat: the start of Autumn, and my birthday. But September 2015…
As I stood waiting for my train this morning, mentally planning my timetable for the upcoming day, I found myself confronted by a large poster for the new Julia Donaldson book – The Scarecrow Wedding (in paperback at last!) I’m sure I’ve mentioned this a few times before, but I’m a big fan of Donaldson’s…
This morning my wife and I attended an appeal hearing at the local council building, to appeal the placement of our son Freddie at the school he has been placed in. Or more accurately, to appeal the decision to NOT send him to the school his older brother currently attends. I won’t go into the…
Any of you who have come into contact with me online will know that I’ve got a reasonably keen eye for a good gadget. Back when I first started this blog in 2011, for instance, I wrote a piece called “Baby gadgets aren’t always baby good-gets” which outlined some of my favourite gadgets for making…
Another week, another review – I must be getting better at this! Either that or the people offering me things to review haven’t actually read any of my other reviews. But it can’t be that, surely? :D Anyway, the people behind the ‘Toucan Box‘ club (club is the best word I can think of for…
Having now been a parent for close to seven years, the list of ways that my children make me happy is enough to fill up a large-volume novel. Every day I wake up a dad, I count my blessings – I’m fully aware of how lucky I am, what a charmed life I lead and…
In an effort to incentivise our children to do good things, parents turn to many different options. Some choose money – whether ‘pocket’ money or ad-hoc rewards – others choose praise (good luck making that last past 18 months!). Some reward with presents, some use sticky charts or tables and some believe that to ‘reward’…
I don’t write about my children often. I love sharing pictures and amusing stories, but when it comes to anything serious I was always conscious of coming across as one of those people who either never shuts up about their kids, or would imply that a certain method of parenting is better than another. But…
As a parent, it’s common to want to solve your children’s problems. Scraped knee? Easy to solve. Problems with some homework? Simple. Trouble playing a new game? Let’s play together. Solving problems is one of the main challenges in parenting – and also one of the most rewarding aspects. However, it’s not always quite that…