Guest Blog

Maintaining mental health in middle aged males. I’ve never been too concerned about my physical health. I cycle to work, clocking up about 40 miles per week, and apart from my vasectomy have never had more than a day off work in any one of the last 25 years of gainful employment. I’m probably a bit overweight but not in a way that bothers me or my wife. Until 2012 I had a similar indifference to my mental health. Happily married, two birth kids, a succession of foster kids, healthy finances, plenty of friends and… Read More »Maintaining mental health in middle aged males – Guest Blog Post

5 steps to navigate social media with your teenage children. ‘When my children get smartphones, I will make sure they don’t have any social media apps’… when a good friend of mine said this to me recently, I challenged him with the reality and practicality of that statement. Is it possible in this day and age to deny our children social media… and if not, then what can we do to minimise any negative impact social media might be having on them? In this brief article, I want to answer these two questions while offering some… Read More »5 steps to navigate social media with your teenage children – Guest Blog Post

Dads, show your kids that Mums can also be fun. We dads always think that we’re being very loving and considerate when we plan activities during the weekend that will take the kids away from the house and allow the moms time to rest. First of all, This Dad Can would like to say respect for the effort. Being insulated from the chaos that moms traditionally commonly live with on a daily basis, it’s understandable that we think it’s a gift that we can bestow on our partners. Moms truly do appreciate these moments of… Read More »Dads, show your kids that Mums can also be fun – Guest Blog Post

Art Therapy. Art therapy. As a male trainee, I have dealt with the criticisms and comments first-hand regarding its worth. In a field dominated by women, not only attending therapy but also becoming a practitioner can be seen as ‘feminine’. Coming from a group of mates working as prison officers and salesmen, I know this better than most. These thoughts are usually those of people denying their own need for such therapy; a projection of their own internal defences. Although a lot has been done in promoting mental health awareness, it seems there is still… Read More »Art Therapy – Guest Blog Post

Why I don’t want my son to have a better childhood than I did. How many parents say ‘I want my child to have a better upbringing than I did’? It’s often considered to be one of the most basic desires for a new parent. It’s understandable, isn’t it? You want your baby to have the best life possible. And for so many, that means wanting them to have a better childhood than you did. A better house, better clothes, better toys, more holidays – whatever it may be, so many parents want their children… Read More »Why I don’t want my son to have a better childhood than I did – Guest Blog Post

Trying to be a soldier and a parent – how I am trying to be a better squaredawaydad. Work-life balance I have experienced 20 years of military service and 12 years of parenthood. I have deployed on numerous operations overseas and experienced long periods of separation from my family. I love being a soldier and I have enjoyed every minute of it so far. I also love being a parent, but it took me a while to realise that I needed to invest more in this side of my life. I am sure my story… Read More »Trying to be a soldier and a parent – Guest Blog Post

Postnatal Depression – What it felt like to me and ways to help. Postnatal depression wasn’t something I ever expected to suffer with. Sure, I’ve suffered from depression for a large part of my life, but having a baby was something I had wanted for years before my wife even got pregnant. I thought I would have that overwhelming feeling of love and happiness that you hear so much about. But when my daughter was born, and she was placed in my arms, I didn’t really feel anything. For some, it takes a while for… Read More »Postnatal Depression – What it felt like to me and ways to help – Guest Blog Post

Writing a book about fathers showed me why I need my own dad. I’ve been thinking a lot about dads recently. My book, Inside Fatherhood, has just been published to mark what many regard as 80 years of Father’s Day this June and I’ve spent the last year talking to a group of men about their own unique experiences of fatherhood. These dispatches from the frontline of modern parenting were intended to give a voice to fathers. After all, 89 per cent of British men aged 70 years or older have fathered a child or… Read More »Writing a book about fathers showed me why I need my own dad – Guest Blog Post

The Crown. Herein begins a fatherly tale of intrigue, steely determination, and masterful skills. Only dads with strong character, ruthless nature and cunning creative talents can survive. This is about a cruel test of endurance to win the ultimate prize: the crown. No, I am not talking about that Netflix show, although The Queen does feature in this parenting story. What’s it all about then? Like all good dad tales, this features an innocent child, a sharp pair of scissors and a glue gun. A sparkling, fake jewel also plays an important role in determining… Read More »The Crown – Guest Blog Post

How To Be A Thriving Dad In A World Of Zombies. “My father didn’t tell me how to live. He lived and let me watch him do it.” – Clarence Budington Kelland My Story So, there I was, a mentally stretched rubber band about to snap, confined to a small room that smelled of Latex and rubbing alcohol, waiting for the doctor to release the emotional tension. I could tell he saw the desperation in my face like it was a rat in the corner of my eye. Fear shot from my pores like bullets… Read More »How to be a Thriving Dad in a World of Zombies – Guest Blog Post