Jan 15, 2021Member-onlyKill your respondents with kindnessAnd respond to other people’s posts as you want to be treated — I wrote on post on Medium a while back that has had more of a response than any other I’ve written. When I talk about response, I’m not talking page views or claps, I’m talking about people adding response comments to the post. Why I Put My Own Child into Foster care I never thought I’d write anything about sending my own child into foster care. I don’t consider myself ‘one of those…medium.comRelationships3 min readRelationships3 min read
Jan 8, 2021Member-onlyCan you be Mr Reliable rather than Mr Rockstar?Do you have to be Tom Hardy rather than Tom Hanks? — I wrote a post the other week about how Woody Allen and I had some things in common. It was a post that focused on the fact that we both had ex-partners who did all in their power to make our relationships with our children hell. Someone didn’t want to…Relationships4 min readRelationships4 min read
Jan 3, 2021Member-onlyI didn’t think I had much in common with Woody Allen … but I doBut thankfully not too much — I’ll clarify the title of the post very early on in order to avoid any awkwardness. I have NOT married someone who is 35 years younger than me My wife is NOT the adopted daughter of a former lover I have NOT been accused of sexual abuse I have NOT…Movies4 min readMovies4 min read
Dec 30, 2020Member-onlyWhat do 26 movies tell me about my marriage?Does an A-Z of films give an insight into our compatibility? — Earlier in 2020, in the middle of the monotony of lockdown, my wife and I decided to liven up our ‘date’ nights and we started down the A-Z of movies. The simple rule was that the first movie starts with A, the next with B, then C etc… We also…Relationships4 min readRelationships4 min read
Dec 28, 2020Member-onlyWhat I have achieved in 47 years?How does my life compare to others my age? — I’m 47. When I was born in the UK in 1973, my life expectancy was a little over 69 years if things continued as they were. Thankfully, medical care has improved slightly since then, so those clever healthcare people have added a few more years to my life, and now…Life4 min readLife4 min read
Dec 17, 2020Member-only“My 11 year old daughter is driving us crazy accessing adult content on her phone”Should we really be asking this to strangers? — I recently signed up the Netmums forums because … well … I thought it would be fertile ground for some ideas for things to write about. I have to have say, it never ceases to amaze me about the things people post on there, mainly for two reasons. Firstly, I’m…Parenting3 min readParenting3 min read
Dec 13, 2020Member-onlyTen 80s song lyrics that just don’t make senseWe shouldn’t rely on 80s songwriters for geography, science or love life advice — I was happily making a roast dinner the other day and Alexa was blasting out 80s tunes in order to keep me entertained, when for some reason my ear picked out a lyric from Jermaine Stewart’s “We don’t have to take our clothes off”. What sort of a woman would…Songs5 min readSongs5 min read
Published in familybookreview·Dec 4, 2020Member-onlySmart Parenting, Smarter Kids: The One Brain Book You Need to Help Your Child Grow Brighter, Healthier, and HappierDavid Walsh — I have to admit that I love it when someone backs up their opinion with science and data. Don’t just tell me what you think, show me that what you think is true. David Walsh in Smart Parenting, Smarter Kids looks at the science behind memory, language, emotions, nutrition, and…Parenting2 min readParenting2 min read
Nov 29, 2020Member-onlyWhich celebrities am I allowed to like these days?Is it OK to watch Allen, Spacey, or Stone? — My in-laws live with us, in a lower ground floor flat, and they have a dog named Whisky. He’s really my father-in-laws dog and he’s the one who takes him out for a walk, as it helps keep him fit and gives him some focus for his day. Recently, my…Celebrity4 min readCelebrity4 min read
Published in The Parables·Nov 22, 2020Member-onlyWhen Did Giving Presents Turn Into Picking Your Own Presents?How being in a relationship can ruin the gift surprise — The tradition of giving presents at this time of year harks back to a number of historical events. The Romans had a tradition of giving gifts during Saturnalia, which was a festival that began on the 17th of December and lasted until the 23rd, and of course, giving gifts at…Family3 min readFamily3 min read
