Parents...
Listen up. You weren't always a parent but from now on you
always will be.
So it's important to do three things.
1. Make time for you without the guilt.
2. Make time for your family, it's a balance you need to work out.
3. Never ever give up.
DadsGo. Founder
Richie F's take on
parenting life
Parenting: A Beautiful Mess
Parenting has always been part of life. So much so, you could argue it started right at the beginning of life itself.
Sure, there are massive differences between how parenting played out thousands of years ago and how it looks today. Some things haven’t changed — love, protection, guidance — the way we parent is shaped by the societies we live in.
Personally, I’ve always taken a kind of lazy, holistic approach to parenting. It has its pros and cons, don’t get me wrong — I teach my kids good manners, independence (like climbing a tree and having to figure out how to get down by themselves), and the importance of being kind and considerate to others (though apparently I don’t count as an “other”).
But let’s be honest: no one has truly mastered the art of parenting. It’s like the art of war — complex, unpredictable, and often chaotic. Maybe someone outthere has cracked it. But I doubt it.
The goal? Decent kids who grow up to be resilient, strong, and successful.
I get parenting wrong on so many levels that I sometimes worry I’m setting my kids up for future therapy costs. But I also get some things right. I drop everything for them. I make their plans work. I feed them — often separate meals, which is fine because I like being busy. I tell them off, more often than I feel good about, I shout, but I also hug them more than they probably need. They do love a good hug even if they don't get a say in it.
I push them with humour, trying to help them navigate the world of banter. It’s important to learn how not to take everything to heart — to build resilience. I try my best. I just hope they’ll forgive me one day for not being perfect, but for always giving it my best… most of the time.
Despite the arguments, tantrums, meltdowns, and general chaos, there’s a lot of love. I just hope it’s enough to get us all through to the other side unscathed. Raising a human and guiding them in the right direction is no easy task. I’m sure I’m messing it up in my own way, but I do have three young girls who are strong, independent, and proudly pro-women — and I love them for that. But bloody hell, they bring the drama. I hate drama. I don’t have time for it. They thrive on it. It’s loud, relentless, and sometimes unbearable.
They’re argumentative, emotional, fiercely opinionated, and completely different from one another. Reasoning with them is like trying to negotiate with a tornado. They’re so competitive they’ll ignore me just to win an argument. C and I spend more time refereeing their fights than necessary. They’ll argue over dust if it means not backing down. Six in the morning? Full-blown row. Middle of the supermarket? No problem.
It’s stressful, emotionally draining, and it spills over into how we treat each other — especially our partners.
So there we are. The kids kick off over some pointless, energy-sapping nonsense, and before you know it, you and your other half are having a row, everyone’s miserable, and the atmosphere is toxic. That’s us. We’re that family. Maybe you’re not quite as extreme, but you know what I’m talking about. Deep down, we’re all that family.
I look at other people’s kids and think, Why can’t mine be like that? But the truth is, those kids are no different — they’re just not tantrumming right now.
I’ve always tried to keep parenting chilled. Give them space to make their own decisions, develop their own routines. But maybe I gave them too much freedom. Maybe I wasn’t strict enough. Maybe I’m paying the price now for being too soft.
Stricter parents probably have it easier now their kids are older. But not always. Behind closed doors, I bet there’s just as much anguish.
My kids are mostly feral. It’s useful sometimes, but they’re often the worst behaved of the bunch. Though, to be fair, they’re only rude to us — and to each other. In public, they’re usually lovely, happy, polite. People think we’re a happy family.
So maybe they’re just playing the system. Let’s be honest — we all do it. Have you ever had a blazing row with your partner, then walked into a party and switched on the charm like nothing happened? That’s self-preservation. It’s decorum. It’s society telling us not to bring our mess into public view. And maybe that’s okay. Maybe it helps heal the tension. Maybe the argument was overdue and just came at the wrong time. Or maybe it was the right time — because being around others forces us to cool off.
The point? I don’t have advice, just experience. And it’s comforting when other parents relate. That temper-blowing trip to just buy some bloody milk isn’t as bad as it feels — because it’s not just you.
Is this parenting? Yes.
Does everyone deal with it the same? No.
Is it you? Yes.
But it’s also me, and him, and her, and them. Yes!
Could we all do better? Of course we f**k**g can.
Do we give up?
Hell no.
Tagline
Toddlers, uh!
Parenting Toddlers: Behaviours, Bedtimes, and the Quiet Question We All Carry
There’s a moment in every parent’s life when you look at your toddler—this tiny, determined, emotionally unpredictable human—and think, How on earth did we get here? One minute they’re a sleepy newborn curled on your chest, and the next they’re shouting “NO!” because you dared to offer them the exact snack they just asked for.
Toddlerhood is a season of contradictions. It’s the most exhausting, hilarious, frustrating, heart-expanding chapter of parenting. And it’s one that forces us to confront not just our child’s development, but our own.
The Beautiful Chaos of Toddler Behaviour
Toddlers live in a world where everything is new, everything is big, and nothing makes sense yet. Their behaviour reflects that. They’re not trying to be difficult—they’re trying to understand.
Big Feelings in Small Bodies
A toddler’s emotional range is astonishing. They can go from delighted to devastated in the time it takes to cut a sandwich into triangles instead of squares. Their brains are still learning how to regulate emotions, so the smallest disruption can feel like the end of the world.
And yet, in the middle of the chaos, there are moments of pure magic:
The way they proudly show you a scribble as if it belongs in a gallery
The way they belly laugh at something simple and silly
The way they run to you for comfort, no hesitation, no doubt
These moments remind you that beneath the tantrums is a child who is learning how to be human.
Testing Boundaries (and Your Patience)
Toddlers test limits because they’re figuring out where the edges are. They’re scientists in nappies, experimenting with cause and effect:
What happens if I throw this?
What happens if I say no?
What happens if I climb this even though I was told not to?
It’s not rebellion. It’s research.
But that doesn’t make it easy. Some days you feel like a broken record. Some days you feel like you’re negotiating with a tiny lawyer who has no legal training but a lot of confidence. And some days you feel like you’re failing because you lost your patience or raised your voice.
You’re not failing. You’re human.
The Bedtime Battle: A Daily Epic
If toddler behaviour is unpredictable, bedtime is its own special category of chaos. It’s the time of day when you’re tired, they’re tired, and the universe seems determined to test your resilience.
The Routine That Isn’t Really a Routine
You try to create a calm, predictable bedtime routine. You really do. But toddlers have a way of turning even the simplest plan into a multi‑stage negotiation.
Bath time becomes a splash zone.
Pyjamas become a philosophical debate.
Books become a hostage situation (“One more! One more!”).
And then there’s the water request. Always the water request.
But here’s the thing: bedtime is also one of the most tender parts of the day. It’s the moment when the noise fades, the lights dim, and your toddler—this whirlwind of energy—finally slows down.
You see their eyelashes flutter.
You hear their breathing soften.
You feel their hand reach for yours.
And in that moment, you remember why all of this matters.
The Night-Time Reflections
Once they’re finally asleep, you tiptoe out of the room like a ninja avoiding floorboards. And then, in the quiet, something else arrives:
The self‑doubt.
The Question Every Parent Asks: Am I Doing This Right?
It’s the question that sits in the back of your mind, especially after a hard day:
“Am I a good parent?”
You replay moments you wish you’d handled differently. You compare yourself to other parents who seem calmer, more patient, more organised. You wonder if your child’s behaviour is normal, if you’re too strict or too soft, if you’re giving them enough attention, enough boundaries, enough love.
But here’s the truth that’s easy to forget:
Good Parents Question Themselves
The very act of wondering whether you’re doing a good job is a sign that you care deeply. Parents who don’t care don’t reflect. They don’t worry. They don’t try to grow.
You’re not supposed to have all the answers. Parenting isn’t a test you pass—it’s a relationship you build, one day at a time.
Your Toddler Doesn’t Need Perfection
They don’t need a perfect parent. They need a present one.
They need someone who tries.
Someone who comforts.
Someone who apologises when they get it wrong.
Someone who shows them what love looks like in real life—messy, imperfect, and unconditional.
The Hidden Gift of Toddlerhood
Toddlerhood isn’t just about raising a child. It’s about being reshaped yourself.
You learn patience you didn’t know you had.
You learn to slow down.
You learn to laugh at the absurdity of it all.
You learn that love can be loud and chaotic and still incredibly deep.
And one day, you’ll look back and realise that these years—these exhausting, beautiful, overwhelming years—were the ones that taught you the most about who you are as a parent.
A Final Thought
If you’re in the thick of toddlerhood right now, feeling stretched thin and wondering whether you’re doing enough, here’s a gentle reminder:
You’re doing better than you think.
Your child doesn’t see your doubts.
They see your love.
They see your effort.
They see you showing up, every single day.
And to them, that’s everything.
