Hey everyone, it's that time again just like last week...and the week before that...and so on and so forth. This week is a light one to keep your eyes on the screen and on the kids and so I don't bore you enough to start not reading FriDad. Please keep reading it, it makes Laura talk to me.

So for you this FriDad is 10 signs of a man child dad.

1- Matching outfits. Wearing big and small tops is a comically cute thing to do. If the tops have the writing the other way round the irony would be great. The manchild-ness emerges as the father sees your son in a Buzz Lightyear onesie and thinks "that's what I wanna rock...the same time he's wearing it". Bonus points go to dads who do matching face painting...especially if it's KISS.

2- Toy Purchasing. Kids loves toys and kids love parents playing with them, it's what makes parents great. If you try to combine the two, you're looking at an unhappy kid. Dads who buy toys that they want to play for themselves as well causes disruptions. Children are already loud, why would you Initiate that by 'borrowing' their xbox for call of duty then to top it off let them play?

3- Sports team clothing. I get it, because I've done it. You want your child to be into the same stuff as you...except Jaeger trains when they're that age. Sport is a good thing to get them into to get them active and learn that winning isn't everything...(it's the only thing!). Now you've taken them to the park, shown them football, cricket, tennis etc. I suppose they're born for the sport, let's model them in your sporting hero. Again, bonus points if it's similar to yours...just like this pic...

4- Sharing films. Everyone has a favourite kids film, you know, the one that made you lose your mind with wonder. Same applies with tv shows, though it's almost a felony how modern Postman Pat and Noddy look. Why not give yourself an excuse to reminisce. Of course the kids will love it.

5- Sweet purchasing. Yeah sure, screw diets and early bedtimes, who doesn't want to pig out on Haribo?

6- Birthday party games player. Okay I witnessed three manchilds, including myself do this. Three grown men joined in a big soft ball fight with the kids...soon enough, the kids got bored and made their way to the slide. The dads, however, continued their game and saw how good their reflexes were. Maybe being the games creators and outplaying the game was enough to show us up...better yet, we were on a CCTV for the whole play area to see.

7- Competitive gamers. If it's a board game, sport or video game, the heat is on for dads to show superiority. Sportsmanship is key to showing kids respect and showing humility...not in a manchild dad's world. It's vital to show your young one who wears the trousers at board games...whilst probably only in underwear (because you're lazy...let me at least clarify that much). Bonus points go to dads who rub victory in their child's faces.

8- Watching kids shows...for all the wrong reasons. In my last FriDad post I talked about comedy dads e.g. Jim Gaffigan, Kevin Hart etc. One man I missed out was Jason Manford. Now, one thing he mentioned in one of his specials was about watching shows and making up immature story lines for the characters. The same applies to dads who do the same or think in their head things that aren't exactly PG friendly. Bonus points go to dads who laugh out loud at things, then lie to their children what they found funny.

9- Imitating childish behaviour. Okay, it's fine if you're children kick off and throw a tantrum and use cute sentences. But a manchild can be sniffed out quickly if you start to copy that behaviour...for attention.

10- Trying to talk off child like behaviour. This one is for any mum to point to their guilty other half, it's mildly similar to number 2. However, it's about being caught red handed by their partner when trying to act adult. If that dad gets caught adding kids cereal to the shopping list, sneaking Lego into their manhole, buying a sports kite for 'family fun' and planning trips to the cinema for sequels and reboots of classics for 'family entertainment'. Bonus points to mums who say to their partners face that they are a manchild.

Of course there is no shame is manchildhood. As long as you're the role model you need to be for your children, then ride that wave. I'm happy for good dads who aren't afraid to show their flair for fun.

So that's FriDad, see you before the Super Bowl (GO HAWKS!) have a great weekend

First of all to dress them up in the day I would team it with something simple and classic.

Jeggings (New Look) and leggings are my go to for every day wear. Having Max, I am always bending down, jumping and running which is pretty hard to do with skin tight jeans on!

With that I have added a simple striped top (Zara), and a lightweight cardigan (H&M) as I love to layer clothes especially in this fluctuant weather.

The classic doctors bag (River Island) works perfectly with this outfit as it is big enough to keep some of Max's things along with my own personal stuff.
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• The Cocoa Delight bar is a great traditional chocolate bar that has a really strong chocolate flavour despite there only being a less than 10% chocolate content! Being packed with dates and nuts makes this a great alternative to picking up that Dairy Milk bar.
• The Caffe Mocha, Cocoa Orange and Cocoa Mint are great chocolate bars with a twist. Scott was in love with the mocha flavoured one and stole them all. The mint and orange ones were bursting with natural flavourings and a lot yummier than the other alternatives on the market. 
• The Berry Delight bar was really fruity. It was my personal favourite as I love indulging on berries especially in summer. This is a great product that I can eat all year round. My brother was even won over by this product. He doesn't even eat much fruit which made me really impressed by the product. 
• Max's favourites were the slightly obscure flavoured ones. Pecan pie had a gorgeous nutty flavour that reminded me a bit of Snickers. Gingerbread was wonderful and a great wintery treat and alternative to biscuits. Cashew Cookie was so soft and sweet. Like biting into slightly undercooked cookie (my favourite type of cookie) Finally was rhubarb and custard which Scott said was a lovely blend of sweet and sharp flavours to create something he never would have though could taste good in a bar!

We loved these products and have now gone and stocked up on loads more. They aren't the cheapest (75p ish per bar) but are still reasonable when compared to other bars, fruit and chocolate! I would rather give Max one of these as a treat rather than a packet of chocolate buttons as I then know what is inside them and know he is getting goodness rather than rubbish. It's a massive thumbs up from us.

• "You look like you should still be in school yourself!" - Umm I'm 23, not 13! I know I look young for my age but I seriously don't look underage!
  
• "Is this your sibling?" - Yes, because all young siblings call their older ones mum/dad.
  
• "I take it you sit at home all day?" - No, not all parents or young parents sit at home on their bums all day. I do in fact have a job and a degree.
  
• "Were they planned or unexpected?" - First of all it's none of your business if my child was planned or not. If I want to tell you then I will, chances are you are a complete stranger so why does it even matter to you.
  
• "How did you cope with it all?" - With being a young parent? With working and studying at the same time? Copious amounts of coffee and sleepless nights of course. The same way most parents cope with early parenthood.
  
• "Don't you regret that you've lost your youth?" - No because I have a fantastic child and when he's grown up I'll only be 40 and can sit on a cruise drinking a cocktail (or 6) whilst all my other friends have toddlers.
  
• "Are you still with the dad?" -  Umm I have an engagement ring on my finger? So yes I am, and even if I wasn't would that make me any less of a parent?
  
• "Bet you did it so you could get a council house." - Seriously? I'm not even eligible for a council house. Even if I was it's none of your business. Did you want my national insurance number so you can file my child benefit application too?
  
• "My cousin's friend's sister's daughter was a teen mum and now has 8 kids. You should talk to her." - Good for them, I doubt I'll ever have 8 kids. I am capable of making my own friends too.
  
• "You must have so much time and energy being young." - Do you have kids? If so then tell me where I can buy this thing called time and energy?

Hi FriDadders, this week I've spent reflecting as the year tipped backwards and headed in reverse on the optimism I had. So to relish the negativity floating round my brain, here is a short list of regrets I have. Do enjoy,

10 Regrettable Decisions I've made as a parent:

1: Introducing technology

Yep that's right. iPads, laptops, iPods, TV, laptops, mobile phones and even Gameboys. Sure, when you're older kids are going to learn about these things, but as a toddler in a blind panic to ease temper tantrums was a mistake. Now the trouble stems from overuse of technology, causing havoc on devices and the number one reason for temper tantrums.

2: Introducing music (my music)

At first it's great getting your child into stuff you dig. But when it is requested and played over and over...suddenly rock bands make me act like a pensioner and reach for stuff I didn't like originally...I never knew I was a fan of Erik Satie until now.

3: Getting caught swearing

Okay, I'm not the only person o do this. But, I must ask my child why pick the worst times to say them...like to a pensioner, offering you money for sweets. Why call them a bastard?

4: Late nights.

Being a fan of the NFL has it's pros and cons. It gives me content to look forward to, something to cheer for other than my football team, which has been trying to say the least. It's issue is the time zone difference. Really? It finishes around 2am most nights...but it's a big, important game I'm desperate not to miss potential sporting history......Great, a boring game I struggled through, now catch up with sleep that's left before getting through the day with heavy eyes.

5: Giving In

Some things in the world you can let slide, majority of the pizza you share isn't consumed by you, hangovers are self inflicted and getting cut up on the road happens often. But dare I ever let my son win on a little accident, because heaven forbid he'll do it again and again until his hearts content. Consistency is key.

6: Tasting baby food

Once...and never, ever, ever, ever again...

7:  Not acting on my own words

Note to self: Going out means going out, not getting caught up watching Vines and waiting for my son to respond.

8: Offering rules as questions

Another note to self: Bedtime is happening when I say, not if he likes it or not.

9: Not putting in enough educational time

It would be great to give my child some worldly advice and lessons and open his eyes to so much that he can do...rather than show him what twerking is.

And

10: Forgetting moments

There are so many great things my child has made me realise, I wish I could remember every moment. He makes me laugh, smile, feel warm and proud and I just wish I could capture it all and not miss a moment.

So there we go a brief post for you all to think about. Share your experiences and regrets, surely you've got something that's worth pondering. Until then, have a great weekend.

This great guest post from a teacher about literacy lessons is great. Being a parent and book lover I know the importance of making sure children understand reading and writing! I hope this post is a nice insight into the mind of a teacher. 


As a teacher it is important for you to find ways to get all children involved in your
lessons, which you would surely agree with. There are some kids that just don’t want
to get on board when it comes to traditional ways of learning, either because they are
struggling to understand something, or they get bored quite quickly. No matter what the
reason is, it is vital to find a way to connect with them.


That is why you can try alternative, or ‘fun’ ways to get children involved in their lessons.
In this blog post, you will discover some tips and suggestions that should assist you
with the topic of literacy. Once you have read this post, make sure to head over to
pencilstreet.org as there are many more ideas for this topic and others on their site.

Rhyming Poetry

The first thing you could try is to get kids to appreciate poetry through the art of rhyming.
There are many words that rhyme, especially those ending in “ing” or “e” sounds.
Perhaps you could all come together to write a story that is exciting, and carrying the
theme of rhyming all the way throughout. This should help children to discover more
words, add them to their vocabulary, and understand what they mean in context.

Word Searches

Only some kids look forward to spelling tests, but another way to get them to
understand what letters follow others in words, why not introduce the idea of a daily
or weekly word search? The best form of word searches are those that have very
similarly spelled words included, so that the kids really have to pay attention to spelling.
Slightly older kids may also appreciate doing a crossword when they have a further
understanding of definitions and the use of certain words in sentences.

Neighbourhood Walks

Sometimes it is just nice to get out of the classroom. Luckily, English and literacy can be
taught within the neighbour as there are so many things to be seen. Younger children
could go on a colour trail to find all of the red items they can find; they would get a point
for each correctly spelled item on their list. Older children might do surveys or generate
ideas for a short story. It is all down to your creative thinking, some come up with some
ideas that will get kids excited.

Making Cards And Writing Letters

As many kids enjoy art class, could you try and combine both of the subjects together? This can be done through the means of creating greetings cards for special occasions,
whether Easter, Christmas or Hanukkah. By combining the elements of craft, drawing
and writing, you should help to engage kids for a longer period than you would if you
were reading from a text. Older children can experiment with the art of writing letters, or
even emails in this day and age. These are practical learning activities that they will be
able to improve upon.

Happy first FriDad of the New Year people! I apologise for my unexplained long hiatus, I have been on since before Christmas. The only explanation I can give to you is an honest one. I have been reflecting on the year just past and glancing at the darkened road ahead. I realise that the big jump from University to reality has been a HUGE one and those grand plans I held never grew to fruition. I had a few setbacks after University and because of it, my confidence dropped.

However, that time away left me thinking. Last year, I got engaged, graduated University, pitched a script to a Hollywood exec. (If you’re wondering how it went, I’m here in Hampshire, not in L.A), a film I made got picked up and applied for a promotion at work. I had a pretty solid year, but I felt uncertain of my future. With money supplies dwindling, our car falling apart as was our energy levels I panicked that we would simply collapse as a family. I found myself distancing from friends and simply fell off the radar. No money, no home, no friends, no dream, no hope.

Whilst stepping away from FriDad to quite simply guzzle down beer and accept defeat I kept saying to myself: I can’t let this happen to me, I don’t want my family to be put through this. It took a while for me after talking to Laura, talking to family to know that nothing has really been lost. Okay some money got spent to stay alive, but dreams don’t die, not if you truly believe that they are possible.

That’s when after Christmas it hit me. There is no defeat, only setbacks. If you let problems and obstacles overcome you, you give in without attempting to try and succeed. What I needed to do was lick my wounds, pick myself up and march towards what I believe is the next step for my family.

I made a note of everything that I wanted to accomplish the coming year: Write and complete a handful of scripts, go make business contacts, socialise more, teach Max some things about life, save up for our own place, get a new car, stop drinking…that’s never gonna’ happen. I know exactly what it was that was going to make me wipe that miserable look off my face and fill my belly with a fire.

The morning of the New Year I began straight away, I put into plan everything that I wanted to do. I’m confident that the goals I set are possible. They are doable with a push, but if I made it easy I’d have no real reason to try. I wanted to give myself a challenge to get better, show that I have plenty of space to grow as a writer, a father, a spouse and a person.

At the end of the year I intend to tell you how it all went on, if I succeeded or if I failed and if I did, what I learned from it. I hope that everyone reading has set aside their goals for the year and given themselves a chance to go do something they’re truly passionate about…it’s certainly not to late to plan something now.

Anyways, that’s why I’ve been away so long, but it’s good to be back, it’s good to tell you I’m acting on the grand plans I have and how proud I am of my family pushing to do the same.

Have a great weekend and go get every bit that think you’re worth.