There’s something about chatting to dads which gives all of us mums some kind of perspective.  Less domestically competitive and certainly less emotional, a dad can make any parenting challenge feel more like a game. So when I was offered interviews with a couple of well-known dads about their work/life balance*, I literally leapt at the chance in the hope that I might pick up some parenting skills at the same time.

First up was James Cracknell.  Having survived a near fatal crash, the Olympic gold medalist probably finds looking after his three smalls a bit of a breeze.  We chatted about ‘those other dads’ at the school gates, home births and the possibility of pressure on the school sports field.

The other dad I met is one of my foodie heroes.  Jason Atherton is a Michelin star chef and, having reviewed ALL of his London restaurants, I was eager to know how he runs his empire whilst juggling being a super dad.

As it turned out, both dads were pretty honest.  Parenting (of course) isn’t a piece of cake nor a row in the park. But the bottom line is being present (both in person and without an iPhone).

*Thanks to Not On The High Street for setting up these interviews for me as part of the dadpreneur campaign.

Does this ring any bells?

Your first born
How old is your baby? Oh he’ll be four months and two weeks on Sunday. (Accurate to the day)

Baby #2
How old is your baby?  Almost 5 months. (Near enough is good enough)

Baby #3
How old is your baby? Hmm, let me see. January, Feb…May. Four, no, five months, I think. (Ooops, he’s healthy, happy, meeting all milestones and alive. That’s all that matters)

Parenting takes many forms and sometimes you will not have all the answers. It is a skill most acquire with time and practice but I’d like to think there is thought and effort involved than mere circumstance….well, most of the time.

A few considerations for parents and nannies …

Children need risk in their lives - the playing outdoor/skinned knee kind to help them learn self-esteem, incentive, even to read signs of danger, and a myriad of other healthy risk-taking behaviours.

Parenting in this case is a balancing act but it’s not rocket science to allow your child to learn from mistakes. Mum and Dad’s over protection and indulgence can present an obstacle for learning problem solving and social skills.

Beware of mistaking intelligence or talent for maturity. If your child is gifted in one aspect of life, don’t assume it pervades throughout. There is no magic “age of responsibility” so assess each child with individuality of personality and development.

And practise what you preach. This is about as important as it gets in parenting and nannying. Being a responsible role model who is accountable and dependable for words and actions is probably the most beneficial learning for your children.

Parenting is the ultimate work in progress. Just when you think you might have mastered a skill or two, and even start to feel comfortable in your role, you might find yourself bamboozled by a situation or by child number two who is nothing like your first born. Soldier on. Smile. Breathe. Sing. Whatever it takes to get you through til they are safely tucked in bed and it’s “ME” time.

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