What makes parenting so hard? From a parent in the thick of it (two under five) to any expecting or new parents. The below list is an exploration of ten of the big changes involved. Together they make parenting the challenge that it is. Written to explain what new parents… Read More »Why is parenting hard? What new parents need to know
A nearby temper tantrum Today, I witnessed a horrendous tantrum. I was waiting in a queue to pay for lunch at Thatcham garden centre café. I had my two young children there with me. As I was keeping an eye on them clinging to my legs, I heard an awful… Read More »Learning from children: adopting a playful attitude to life
Apologies for the self-indulgence This is a post about my plans for the year of the rabbit. As of now I am currently living in an economically declining country on the edge of a successful and (mostly) civil continent where it left the main players club. This leaving, commonly known… Read More »Behold the Year of the Rabbit
A corner of the Congo where suffering is rife I recently learned about an affront to human decency which the world is silent on. Beyond the horrors of the conflict in Ukraine and the recent crackdown on rights in Iran there is another ongoing abuse of humanity. It is so… Read More »Happy New Year! Same old suffering world, this time the DRC (aka Congo)
Contrasting Experiences Round and round the garden he rode the bike excitedly. The happy curly-haired boy was seven or eight years old. Perhaps a little older. It was fun, it was a thrill. His mum looked on from the patio in pleasure at the newly learned technique. He was doing… Read More »Milestones in Parenting
Do you feel lucky? Here’s the good news. It’s simple. You can be more lucky in your own life straight away. Right after reading this blog post. You’ll need to get to grips with two points. Let me explain. First you need to accept that luck is all relative. Once… Read More »On perspective: How you can improve your luck in life
Cataclysmic. Seismic. A momentous event. You would think the world had ended ten days ago. The death of HM Queen Elizabeth II catapulted the United Kingdom into a parallel universe from which it is unlikely to return until later this month, if at all. The pomp and pageantry has gone… Read More »On the Queen’s death: A sad reminder of the state the UK is in
If only I could give out medals for services to my life. I would award Lex Fridman ‘Most Informative Podcaster’ for his excellent work interviewing a wide range of public intellectuals. He consistently puts out thought-provoking and intriguing episodes. His work rate is phenomenal. The discussions themselves are deep. The… Read More »On being bothered: Do you recognise your zone of control?
I’ve been thinking a lot about perspective recently. On this day, exactly one year ago we picked up the keys to our new house. With this we increased the hope of a better life ahead for us. Not that life had been particularly troublesome for us up until that point.… Read More »The Power Of Your Mind
Parenting is rewarding. Parenting is worthwhile. It’s the greatest thing you’ll ever do. Some people would give anything to be able to conceive so count yourself lucky if you can have children. I’m sure these were things I heard in relation to being a parent, possibly long before I actually… Read More »Is it me or does parenting suck?
The first Breakdown of the Day Communication matters. This was it. This was dinosaur day. A trip up the A34 to Oxford to the Museum of Natural History. Mostly to indulge my three-year-old’s current mega obsession with all things prehistoric and lizard-like but also to find a renowned cake shop.… Read More »On Communication and Stress (dealing with family days out)
Insulate Britain’s activities Insulate Britain is an environmental protest group. It is the offshoot of Extinction Rebellion that’s been winding up motorists across the UK and bringing attention to the climate crisis. Basically, to date they have been causing havoc on roads in an organized but peaceful way. What they… Read More »On Insulate Britain: Civil Resistance Works, They Need Public Support