"Are we nearly there yet?" Apparently at age 14 this is still a valid question as we approach Newby Wiske Hall in North Yorkshire ..read more

Ah, the joys of fatherhood. It's not all fixing bikes, dishing out impromptu advice, and wondering how an entire loaf of bread disappeared in the blink of an eye. Sometimes, it's dealing with the whims of a 15-year-old who believes he's struck gold on the way home from school. Let's dive into the latest episode of "Dad's Adventures in Teenager Land." Yesterday afternoon, Lyall burst through the door with the excitement of a pirate discovering a chest full of gold coins. Except, in his case, it wasn't a chest of gold but a hefty pile of VHS cassettes. Yes, VHS, those rectangular relics from ..read more

Being a dad is hard. Being a dad to a 14-year-old boy who's in the midst of choosing his GCSE options is even harder. You have to deal with a hormonal, rebellious, and clueless teenager who thinks he knows everything and you know nothing. To make matters worse, you're expected to navigate a school system that bears no resemblance to how you remember it - what was wrong with A, B, C grades, and who came up with 1-9 as a better option? And, you have to confront the dreaded multiple-choice careers predictor questionnaire results. If you did this as a 1990s teenager, as we did, you might remember ..read more

If you have a teenage boy at home, you know how tough it can be to deal with his attitude, risk-taking, messiness, and his unquenchable appetite. You may feel like you are losing your cool, your authority and your bond with your son. But don’t give up, you are not alone. Many Dads have faced the same challenges and made it through. In this post, we'll share with you our six top tips on how to cope with the perils of raising teenage boys and keep your sanity intact. 1. Be firm and consistent Teenage boys need discipline and direction, even if they act like they don’t. They need to know what is ..read more

Does this sound familiar?... "Dad?" "Yes, Lyall" "Can I have an iPhone for Christmas?" "Erm unfortunately, lad we don't have a million pounds!" "Nikes?" "Still the same answer, babe." Cue a five-minute sulk before Lyall's lured back to his normal (hormonal) self again with the help of a couple of Oreos, a fizzy drink and a Snapchat from his best mate Louie. Phew. Here's our run down of our fave gifts for teenage boys! Loop Lasso EVO From £30 https://cdn.shopify.com/videos/c/vp/bb99e0283bcf45d68ba02c95beea44d3/bb99e0283bcf45d68ba02c95beea44d3.HD-720p-1.6Mbps-20640601.mp4 Loop Lasso EVO is the ..read more

Did you know, in addition to our blog and social media channels, I (Daddy speaking) also love to appear on podcasts? It's become my fave hobby - providing advice and talking about my experiences as an adoptive dad for podcast listeners. Here's a handy list of my podcast appearances so you can have a listen! They're all available on the main podcast channels including Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Dadvengers Podcast Hosted by CBeebies' Nigel Clark Click here to listen now You Can Adopt Podcast Hosted by The Only Way Is Essex' Debbie Bright Click here to listen now The School For Father's Podcas ..read more

Proudly working in paid partnership with ,Boots Father’s Day is fast approaching and whilst we’re all here for homemade treats (last year’s Coco Pops box space helmet was a delight) I’m sure you’d all agree we’d rather something equally imaginative but also useful. At Boots there’s a gift for every dad – let’s take a look at some of our favourite gifts for him for our favourite types of dad here… The hipster Dad King C. Gillette Men's Style Master Cordless Stubble Trimmer - £19.99 (was £39.99) This tidy little trimmer stays sharp for up to six months and provides a very close-shave, perfect f ..read more

With input from Tiktok's Head of Child Safety, Alexandra Evans Tuesday, 5pm "Daddy?" "Yes, Richard?", rolling my eyes as this will be his tenth question in succession, all of which so far have been a no. "Urm, can I have Tiktok?" "I don't think so, babe. You're not old enough." "I am actually, cos like literally all my friends have it though, actually." "Well thankfully Richard I'm not responsible for the rest of year 7" I wander over to look over Richard's shoulder at his phone screen. He's sitting right in the far corner of our huge sofa, knees up to his chin and facing into the room so his ..read more

Welcome back! After a few years' break here I am again - sitting at my laptop at midnight with a huge glass of merlot, writing a blog post. It's been a while since I wrote anything down and I admit I got a bit lazy. Social media and showbiz took over - apologies. Send all your complaints to Tom and I will pop them into my special folder where your complaints will be joined by emails from educational apps and pitches from tutor businesses who address their emails "Dear [man or woman]". That actually happens and I just think, 'What would their mail merge actually replace man or woman with?' Lik ..read more

In partnership with easyJet holidays #ad As I lie here on my sun lounger (Daddy speaking), sipping a cold beer from a little paper cup, Adele's new single quietly swooning through my headphones, I can't help feeling as though this holiday has been long overdue. We booked our holiday to Tenerife a year ago on the easyJet holidays website - you might remember seeing a pic of our booking experience around this time last year on Instagram (pictured below). The pandemic got in the way but easyJet holidays' Protection Promise allowed us to defer our trip until it was safe, which worked out well as ..read more