Brilliant dad feature week 61
This week our brilliant dad feature is Jamie from the UK. He is married to Georgia and a dad to two brilliant children, Edie and Arlo. They live in Berkshire where they spend their time exploring the countryside with their dogs. When they are not being dragged through a muddy bog by their two hounds, they spend a lot of time in London with friends and family. Jamie works in education so he is lucky to be surrounded by the warmth and wonder of children all day long (which means, whether it’s at home or at work, He can’t get away from the little monkeys…) Jamie is also interested in music, fashion and football (Wolves, before you ask!), but above all else, he loves spending time with his wife and children. He blogs at A Day in the Life.
Jamie is a finalist in the MAD Blog Awards 2016 not just in one category, but three categories which are: Best Baby Blog,Best New Blog and Best Writer which is an awesome acheivement so if you can spare two minutes please vote for him here.
Thank you very much to Jamie for taking part.
1. Have you always wanted to be a dad?
I’ve always known that as soon as I met the right person, I’d be happy to stop painting the town red and paint a glitter-encrusted waist-high easel instead. So, yes, I’ve always known. Even in my early 20s when I lived on my own, I had two dogs, who were a huge commitment, but one that I relished. I like to think that the love and devotion I had for them was perhaps an early indication of what was to come, but a kind of love and devotion that’s been multiplied a billion, zillion times with the addition of my beautiful family.
2. How did you feel when your children were born?
When Edie was born it was a mixture of relief and complete happiness. It all got a little tense towards the end of Georgia’s labour, so when she arrived safely I was elated. As soon as I saw her my heart just swelled with a love I’d never felt before. There were tears of joy, tears of worry, lots of cuddles and some God-awful singing at the top of my voice as I drove home from the hospital a father.
When Arlo was born that feeling of love just flooded me all over again. I think all parents will know what that feels like – that sudden surge of love that just blindsides you, coupled with that fierce sense of protection you feel, is almost overwhelming. It feels a bit like everything you’ve done before in your life doesn’t really matter, because it all just becomes about that very moment.
3. What have been your most rewarding experiences so far as a Dad?
Just seeing Edie flourish each day as a bright, happy child with an imagination that’s so incredibly wild and wonderful. Sometimes I have to pinch myself to remind me that it’s real and not some bizarre dream, written by Roald Dahl and the Monty Python team. Arlo is still very young, but already he fills me with such pride with his infectious smile and cackling giggle. Even his hazardously toxic-yellow poo can’t fail to brighten every day.
4. What are some of funniest moments to have happened to you as a dad?
Every day there’s something that makes me chuckle, but one thing I love is when Edie makes up entire languages that fit into the crazy worlds that her games exist in. For example, she’ll tell you that an apple is actually a “jader-limder” or a bike is a “fizz-brad”, which is innocent enough (albeit a little weird).
5. Have there been any situations with your children that you have found difficult to cope with?
Not really. That sounds a bit boastful and of course having a child is challenging, but the difficult situations are to be expected and can be dealt with. There’s the obvious shock to the system in the early days when surviving on an hour’s sleep and copious amounts of coffee is all you know, and then there’s the not knowing – why is my child behaving like this, is there something wrong with them, why do they have this rash etc, but you sort of navigate your way through all that and eventually come out the other side. I suppose we worried a little more the first time round with Edie as it was all so new, but I wouldn’t say we found it impossible to deal with. Crucially, we’ve learnt, especially now time has passed and we have our second baby, that everything passes and there is a light at the end of the tunnel. If they’re not sleeping, they will eventually; if they’re being naughty, with correct guidance they’ll get better. And it works the other way round too, a perfect child could become an absolute nightmare for a couple of months, but it won’t last forever (he says whilst looking up the phone number for Super Nanny from the TV).
6. What are your dreams and hopes for your children?
That they’re happy and get to do whatever they want to in life (to a point – I don’t want them taking drugs or supporting West Brom). I hope they grow up feeling like they can be themselves and are not restricted by what society expects them to be. Edie is a happy girl who loves Star Wars and skateboards and yesterday she told me she wants to be a builder. At the moment, she has absolutely no interest in princesses, fairies, dolls or the colour pink, which is something we’ve had absolutely no influence* over – just as it should be. This of course may change 100 times before she really finds herself, but I think it’s important that she’s free to make up her own mind about those sorts of things. We’ll do the same for Arlo and wouldn’t have it any other way.
*ok, maybe the Star Wars bit is my doing!
