Get out my (mud) kitchen! Last Friday, my son turned 3. To compliment his presents, the wife asked me to build a mud kitchen. " Absolutely darling, of course, easy...........no problem ". I always live on the edge, agreeing to things, then figuring it out later. In business, they tell you to " fake it, until you make it ". I'm sure it applies to mud kitchens? Yes, no? In fairness, I welcomed the challenge. After a brief look on  Pinterest , I felt confident. I'd give it a go, and see what transpired. This is a good project, for the aspiring DIY enthusiast. Fathers should embrace these creative opportunities. Flex your DIY muscles, and test your limits. You aren't a man, until you've attempted the mud kitchen! 😆 What Is A Mud Kitchen? In a nutshell, mud kitchens are outdoor workstations. They mimic a real kitchen, and are usually built from wood materials.   Mud kitchens help to stimulate your child's creativity and imagination. Children can spen...

We are the champions, my friend. Recently I had the pleasure of cycling 52 miles, from  London to Southend. I say "pleasure" in the loosest sense. My ass felt so sore, I walked like John Wayne for two days. The whole event was a random occurrence. A  friend was planning to complete the circuit with his wife.  Unfortunately she pulled-out with injury, so he asked me if I fancied it (the bike ride, not his wife).  Without thinking, I agreed. I'm moderately fit, how tough could it be? I guess with hindsight, I jumped into it too eagerly. I didn't want to bottle it, and let down a friend. I resumed cycling, just last year.  Back then, my focus was to remain fit and fend-off the "dadbod".  If you've read my ' Cycling: Embracing The Bike, Tour de Dad ' post, you'll know my story.   My longest cycle was  20 miles; well short of 52 miles! It probably  screamed "mid-life" crisis. My wife certainly thought so. The good news is, I survived and...

September 11th, 2001. A serious post today. Yesterday marked twenty-years since the 9/11 attacks. Thousands of innocents died that day. Imagine the family impact? Many mothers and fathers, did not return to their loved-ones. The world suddenly seemed cruel and brutal. Back then I was much younger. It was shocking and still I can't process it. It didn't make sense. For my generation, it felt like a significant period in time. Much like the JFK assignation or the moon landing, you remember where you were. Years on, as a parent and family man, I view it with further sadness. A generation of children were left without a parent, and are now adults themselves. For twenty-years, they have functioned through grief. Time doesn't heal everything. Their loss must feel as real today, as it did back then. Showing Compassion Sadly terrorist attacks still occur, all over the world.   And the world feels divisive, and in conflict. Terror attacks, wars, pandemics and climate change, only ra...

Home-working, what a thrill, what a Buzz! The children returned to school this week, but there were no changes for dad. It's now eighteen-months, since I joined the 'working from home' gang. School closures, lockdowns, and Joe Wicks workouts, seem a distant memory. The world is (supposedly) returning to normal, but not for me. Imagine working from home for so long, ABBA have reformed, and put out new songs! In some respects I'm lucky. Being at home affords me time with the kids, and that's a blessing. For now, there's no alternative option. But I'm not fully onboard. I miss the office life, personal space and even the commute. Because, by default, I'm an introverted lone soul. Imagine working from home for so long, ABBA have reformed, and put out new songs! That said, I'm making the best of this situation. With planning, structure and boundaries; you can operate as worker and parent. So this is how I do it, for what it's worth. 1. Create A Dedica...