The Larry Lizard book review #DaddyReads

Well it's the final Daddy Reads post of the year and to go off with a bang with the first in a new series of Little Mouse Bedtime Stories. With the first book named Larry Lizard by author, Alison Murtough and illustrations by Chris Jaffe. 

Now Larry is a Lizard who becomes a wizard one stormy night by counting his way through the thunder and lightning, while counting shapes he grows fond all shapes, especially Hexagons. While it may sound a bit different it's not a bad read, but it's well worded and pulls the kids in 

The book is very brightly illustrated and Chris Jaffe has done a spectacular job here and both girls loved the artwork throughout the book and I agree with them, it's lovely. And to show the book off we've uploaded this for your pleasure. I make no apologies for these somewhat hyper but tired children in this clip!

On speaking to both girls after they'd had a sleep Lissy told me she loved the book and all the pictures, asking me to read it over and over whereas Vee loved the story but she felt there was a lack of describing words in the story but she's been on a mission to pick out words left right and centre, I prefer this to a tablet/video game staring zombie.

To wrap up, being the first in a new series of books it's off to a great start in what looks to be an exciting series of bedtime stories that I'll be more than happy to purchase more once the next books in the series are published.

If you'd like to pick up a copy of Larry Lizard It's available here in digital and print and for more info on the Little Mouse Bedside Stories series click here.

Paul

What makes the perfect Dad?

Heya everyone!

Today is special, I'm publishing this post from a hotel room in london just in case I don't get the chance tomorrow morning, as I'll be in a radio studio tomorrow morning talking with stations around the UK and Ireland about being a dad thanks to the lovely people at Burts Potato Chips and their yummy goodness!

The guys and gals at Burts were wondering how we can all be the perfect dad's. I've got an easy way to do that, ask the kids. If come out with the cute "you're the best daddy ever" or "you've got a big belly" or similar, in my eyes you've pretty much cracked it! Yes you can forget the cringe worthy dancing, the bad jokes and being a bank that never closes, all you need to do to be the perfect modern father is to always be there when needed in a crisis, give great life advice and cheer up your children when they’re down.

With Father’s Day just around the corner a study by Burts Potato Chips has revealed the top attributes that combine to make the best dad. Being able to help out with DIY in the house (43 per cent), give good financial advice (38 per cent) and give a great hug (28 per cent) also ranked highly on what makes the perfect dad.
When it comes to gifts, dads aren't demanding with less than half (42 per cent including myself) not expecting a Father’s Day present, a third (36 per cent) stating that the best Father’s Day present they received was something made by their child and a quarter (26 per cent including me) valuing time spent with their children on Father’s Day as the most important gift they could be given.

On speaking to Leane Bramhall, the Marketing Director at Burts Potato Chips she tells me “Our research found that 43 per cent of us feel that our dads rarely treat themselves, instead opting to treat the family more. Father’s Day is a perfect opportunity to give som
ething back and show them our gratitude.“

With more than a third of us (38 per cent) resorting to the same, boring presents each year and struggling to know what to buy, it seems however that we are giving them less and less thought when it comes to saying ‘Thank you’. What’s more, a staggering 10 per cent don’t even buy their Dad a present or a card – twice as many as those who don’t give their mother a card or present for Mother’s Day.

Leane continues: “We rely on our Dads for more than we give them credit for and with the research revealing that they often get overlooked, something as simple as quality family time together can make a huge difference. This year we are encouraging Brits to make the extra effort and show their appreciation.“

Stuck on how to celebrate fathers day this year, well how about the chance to win a deliciously epic supply of potato chips and a new TV thanks to Burts Potato Chips?

In the run up to Father’s Day, Burts Potato Chips are asking people to submit a photo of their dad, through their Facebook page www.facebook.com/BurtsChips, captioned with why they are #BurtsBestDad for a chance to win a year’s supply of Burts Chips and a state-of-the-art TV from Finlux.

I can't enter the competition as I'm representing Burts Potato Chips with this post but thought I would ask TheJess to chat with the girls while I'm in London what they love about their dad and this is what they thought.

"Daddy makes yummy dinner and gives great cuddles and loves making me laugh with tickles. We love playing in the woods with daddy and making treetents. And daddy makes the bestest pancakes ever" Roll on Sunday

While I stop blushing I'll tell you a little about what i think about my father too!

What Can I say about my old man, he wasn't the best judge of things and pretty stuborn but at times made up for his quirks with his skills behind the wheel of a truck, be it a DAF3300 ATI, Volvo F12, DxxxBEG, the limiter destroying Foden, you knew how to throw a truck around better than many and while not perfect you made a huge first step to smooth things over with us in the week you passed. so all I can say is thanks!

#LifeIsReborn Osmosis from bloke to Father!

Heya People!


I was approached by Johnson & Johnson who were looking for bloggers to talk about having children from the perspectives of other family members, be it brothers, grandparents and dads to tie in with a new campaign, called Life Is Reborn featuring the family as a whole. I like the idea of family (even if ours is as strange as the Addams Family) and more importantly think it's a good topic so I've jumped on board with this one.




Most of us have heard of Johnson & Johnson, after all it's a company that's been by the side of parents for over 100 years. In an ever changing world it's pretty cool to me for a company to be standing proud to tell the world there here to make things easier through their products. I'm not just saying that as they've approached me but say it as my Daughters from a young age used products from Johnson & Johnson and they always worked well and with my older daughters eczema. this is why I am happy to talk about their products.


I was going to jump into the questions , but thought it would be better to give an insight on how this strange bloke became a Father,

When I met my partner over 9  years ago, having children was not even a thought that had crossed my mind, I'd been misinformed in the past that I was probably sterile. But on meeting my partner all those years back when she told me she had a son it was weird. I said outright if he does not like me straight away I would not go much further as it's unfair on both mother and son for me to come and slap a potentially huge wedge between mother and son.
Although all was well we got on well, really well as. the years rolled by and he called me Dad, a word I was not expecting, this to me was one of the most amazing yet scary moments in my life. If he was happy to declare me his dad I was happy to call him my Son. For me it was a defining moment in my life. I'd been thinking more about the idea of having a family since being with my partner, I suppose that was the beginning of a new turn on my life without turning the page. As essentially I'd already taken the role of a father without realising what that role meant.
It was the moment I stopped being a childish 20something and stepped up to the role, I hope it didn't make me a bore or grump but it probably did, but we learn things every day and that's all that's important is be it good or bad we take those moments on the chin.

Eventually we decided it was time to try for a baby or two I'll not talk about that here in this post as I'm trying my hardest to keep this positive but I've discussed it in depth on Dadzclub and after a few bumps in the road we have three awesome children. Which brings me to the questions Johnson and Johnson asked me.

They asked if the way I saw my partner changed at all while having children. And how everything felt from my point of view. Well let us begin.

Originally I would not have thought about pregnancy, despite being told TheJess's first pregnancy nearly ended in tragedy for both mother and son it was only when we decided to try to have a child together this huge worry set in, with all the trouble we'd had to keep a pregnancy to stick we were both nervous wrecks, It could have pulled us apart, but it showed my partner in a new light, to know she was carrying our child inside her was as amazing to me as I could imagine an explorer would feel on finding Atlantis. It was monumentally amazing. And moreso to feel our little child say hello by kicks, or sharktailing so we can see it.

Both girls tried to escape multiple times, and they made sure we knew they were stubbornly not going anywhere from false labour to actual labour with no progression. Oh boy they made sure we knew it. It was a beautifully scary thing to watch and experience, but at the same time it was one of the most amazing points of my life.

One piece of advice I can give to parents who are struggling to conceive or going through the heartbreak of miscarriage is to remember the pain hurts and the thoughts will always be with you but when a stubborn child arrives, they'll come fighting and they'll never stop fighting to show you how great you are. Never give up.

Now for me being a dad before having more children was purely by osmosis. We got on and fit well like a missing jigsaw piece, I'm sure it does not always work like this. But to become a parent was strange, my life used to revolve around making money to play with computers, when I met my partner that changed and I sold nearly all of my tech gear on bar an old laptop and a couple of pc's and tried to make my somewhat shabby but home studio flat into a liveable place that was child safe for the times we planned things there.

I feel becoming a parent probably stopped me being an idiot, calmed me down a tonne despite still being a grumpy old sod but changed me for the better. As my parents are not with us I missed a lot of life lessons parents should probably give to their children. I only hope I'm doing a good job as it certainly feels at time's that I'm not. But only time will tell if I did well. But after watching the #LifeIsReborn advert I suppose the reborn one here was me really, from idiot to parent with L plates to dad of three.


Please, tell me if you think becoming a parent changed you for the better or the worst? There are no wrong responses. It would be fab to hear other opinions. I'll be happy to link other blogposts here too.

Paul.

For disclosure purposes I've got to tell you that In exchange for the post I'm being sent some goodies from Johnson & Johnson. those goodies are being given to a friend who's expecting soon. 

My thoughts on #BountyMutiny.

Oh my word. What a few days.

I've been catching up on the shitstorm that is the BountyMutiny.

What's that? Bounty a parenting company who give all mums a bounty pack with useful bits inside when pregnant. Then another on birth of lilun and more down the road too.

Some of the bits are useful and some bits are tosh. As I've not seen one in a while I cannot say how good they are. Some bits annoy people too, Like the photographers from bounty who are on commission to sell photos to you.
I feel for the people doing the job as many do it for the money and probably know that asking you for a photo of your baby is not always on the cards. I know when the bounty lady came to our room she got a bit of a shock. Partner recovering from emergency surgery, wires and mess everywhere. Baby ill in my arms, only resuscitated 4 hours beforehand and not wanting to feed, me stressed and trying to hold it together wondering what the flying duck just happened?

I politely declined the offer, explaining to her why. She came back 2 days later checking if we were ok now. Yes she tried a sales pitch which went down like a lead balloon in a mooncup. She was understanding and I understood she was only doing her job too. No problems.

However some are pushy, targets are probably hard to manage these days. I feel for the staff doing this job these days. It must be harder with the mutiny over their heads.

Also I feel for the NHS.

Have the people who thought this through wondered how the NHS would cope without it's small amount of money the bounty contracts may bring in each year?

It may be a few thousand a year but stone me dead the NHS is being shafted from behind by the government right now and needs little bit of help it can get. Instead of dumping this funding opportunity, sit around a table sort the issues out and make it work for the NHS, Bounty and the people in maternity wards.

The NHS saved my baby girls life. If £1000 from bounty helped in the effort I have no issue saying no thank you to a sales person.
It's also caused huge rows on twitter which i won't go into but screw me sideways it's grizzly.

The NHS needs protecting and saving for what they do is amazing.


There are more important things to fight over, a salesperson taking a  cheesy photo with a low end DSLR is not one of them.

Paul

Talking to kids about death.

Credit - Me! 

I was asked how I would approach talking about the death of a loved one, family member, friend or school friend to my children?

Depending on the situation I would try to do it in a way I would understand. Which made me think about how my mum told me she was dying of cancer.

I would happily explain it the way it was explained to me when younger. My mother sat me down, and explained that she was really ill and there was no way to win the fight against it. She explained the cancer in a child friendly way and how  everything would be ok, even if she was not there by our side in body she would be there in spirit. She also explained it would be sad but it would get easier.

If a friend of the kids passed away tonight, I would sit them down and explain to them the situation, if ill. Explain how they could not fight it any more, in a similar way mum explained to me. But if an accident or something they won't understand I would have to be creative, not in a way to lie to them, but to avert the fact their was an accident, in case it was gory or worse. But the truth would come out with minor censorship to protect them if it needed it

When it comes to older children (13) Tell them the truth. It's a lot easier. Ask them if they want to attend the funeral as it could help them understand.

I'm not an expert in any way shape or form but offering my advice for those who want it.

If you have any ways you would do it please drop a comment below, I'm not going to say my methods are perfect, but they worked on me. Hence i share what I know.

Paul