Brilliant Dad Feature Week 99 

This week the Brilliant Dad Feature is Mark. He is a professional footballer playing for Cambridge United and he has a sports journalism degree, but as he says, he was looking for something else to write about that he felt equally passionate about. Mark has always loved to travel and nutrition is an important part of his life as a professional footballer. He wanted to help others making their transition into parenthood so his blog, Twinform, was born. With the two main topics being #twinsontour and #thedadsdiet. Check it out. You won’t be disappointed!

Thank you to Mark for taking part.

1. Have you always wanted to be a dad?

We actually discovered we would be parents on the plane home from our honeymoon to Cambodia and Vietnam. It was the perfect end to an unforgettable trip. My wife was convinced from the outset that she was having twins (call it a mothers intuition!) so when the doctor told me at the first scan that there was “two in there” it was a head in hands moment. Not because it was ‘double trouble’ but forever I’ll be reminded that women are always right!

2. How did you feel when your children were born?

It’s difficult to sum up into words how I felt at the birth but like any parent it was a day I’ll treasure forever. There was a scare at 34 weeks that my wife would deliver prematurely, but in the end we went full term (for twins) 37 weeks and one day.

We were booked in for a c-section so the usual panic that surrounds a first birth was drastically reduced and thankfully, things went as smoothly as we could have hoped for. Jackson and his little sister, Lilah, were born just two minutes apart and nothing can compare to seeing their little faces for the first time.
I don’t mind admitting I shed tears of joy, relief and pride. I remember walking around the hospital afterwards, floating on air and feeling 10 foot tall. I just couldn’t stop smiling!

3. What have been your most rewarding experiences so far as a dad ?

Everything to be honest and even the smallest things will amaze and surprise me. I think the most rewarding part of becoming a parent is sharing our lives with our children. My wife and I have a passion for travel and rather than thinking those days are over we have embraced the opportunity to take Jackson and Lilah around the world.

Last summer we visited Barcelona, Morocco and Canada and each adventure was more magical than the last. Some people might think we were crazy for daring to travel with five month old twins (at the time) but we’ve made a conscious decision to approach every aspect of parenthood with a “let’s do this” attitude.

You discover nothing is as bad as you imagine and the rewards are most certainly worth it. So we felt the sand between our toes and splashed in the swimming pool, we explored the souks of Agadir and even experienced the incredible Niagara Falls on the Horn-Blower Cruise.

Your bucketlist doesn’t have to wait and creating family memories has made travelling that much more special.

4. What are some of funniest moments to have happened to you as a dad?

Fatherhood has taught me the value of laughing at any given situation and never to take life or myself too seriously. So I’ve thrown myself into becoming a dad and love every single minute of it.

I’m not going to be one of those dads sitting on the sidelines at the play barn so I’m in the ball pool getting attacked by kids that are not even mine. You quickly understand that life goes by in a flash and those special moments will come and go.

Having twins throws up a whole host of funny scenarios and despite our best efforts we still get caught out from time to time. On one occasion driving back from the seaside we’d run out of nappies. A long way from home and the nearest supermarket we had to think on our feet. I say we, I of course mean my wife. Because whilst I unpacked the entire car in vain, she had managed to turn a baby-grow into a makeshift nappy. Crisis averted. Jackson and Lilah in hysterics. I hadn’t realised I’d married the Bear Grylls of the mother world.

5. Have there been any situations with your children that you found difficult to cope with? 

Many people ask how we cope with twins but for us we know no different. I like to call it ‘wonderful chaos’ and although there are the obvious logistical challenges, part of the fun is learning how to overcome these situations together.

Of course we have our ‘moments’ but it’s amazing how I find calm when I see other parents go into complete meltdown. Sometimes you have to accept that things are out of your control and there’s little you can do about it so you may as well enjoy the ride! Your little one(s) clearly pick up on your stress levels so blowing a gasket is going to do nobody any favours.

I remember the first time we took our twins on the train to London. They were just eight weeks old and things were going great when we boarded a quiet carriage close to where we live. But as more passengers piled on it soon dawned on me that Arsenal were playing at home. By the time we got to Finsbury Park the train was like a tin of sardines and rowdy football fans don’t always watch where they are going. It’s a good job Jackson and Lilah slept blissfully unaware throughout the whole ordeal because the sight of their daddy with a right sweat on was not something anyone wants to see.

Having survived a train full of gooners I felt I was ready for anything. Well at least next time I would know to check the fixture list!

6. What are your dreams and hopes for your children?

Like any parent my wish is for them to be happy and live a life full of wonderful experiences. I’ll encourage them to chase their dreams in every way that I can so they trust and believe that they can become whatever they hope to be.

As a twin they share a very special bond with their sibling so they will always have someone they can turn to. My hope is that they always see me as their father who they love but also as their friend that they trust.