The challenges of being a parent- The hairy father and his story!

July 26, 2019

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As part of the parent blog series, we got to chat with the wonderful dad blogger- The Hairy father. His story and struggles are brilliantly frank, and his openness is so refreshing!

So, what is there to know about me? Well I am a 30-year-old hairy father of two boys, Fin and Jax, aged 4 and 2. I have been married to my best friend for just coming up to 1 year but we have been together for 5 years.

I am new to the whole world of blogging and Instagram (hairy father). I post pictures of my parenting failures and funny things that me and my kids get up to daily. I have been a sports man for many years, and that has taken a massive back seat since I have started blogging and becoming a father.

Being a parent, you face many struggles. From a full meltdown baby, to changing the first nappy after birth. Changing that first explosive poop and running out of wipes, or the baby wriggling away.

In day to day life some things are tougher. My boys love to wake up early they get up between 5am and 6:30am and with my work I get back around 11pm. Getting enough sleep does get hard. I sometimes feel that I snap at the boys which does not help the already tough situation.

Sometimes, I think parenting has changed. The way we teach or children right from wrong is different. Different parents have different methods of parenting, which can be a challenge.

Being a parent, you must understand budgeting. You need to get items for your kids like nappies, milk, clothing from the weekly or monthly budget. It’s not nice being caught out without any of those things. Being a parent, you do learn to live without for the sake of your kids. It gives me the ability to treat them when I can.

I’ve found it challenging to split my time with my family. I try and spend time with my children equally, so that my older son doesn’t feel unwanted or unloved. Again, I want to spend time with my wife too. I don’t think that I got the right amount of paternity leave to help and support my wife with the children.

Challenges? There are a few! Criticism from others is another massive challenge to new parents. You need to know what is right for you and your kids. I find being tired and not rested properly is hard work. Another challenge would be to keep cool and calm with your partner. I know me and my wife have had stupid arguments over petty things due to lack of sleep.

As a new parent, there are some golden rules to follow and these are mine:

· Its OK to say no to visitors.

· Its OK to go at your own pace – don’t be forced by social media or family/friends.

· Understand that it’s going to be tough but things do get easier – trust me.

I worry about the environment and climate change because nature won’t be here for future generations. We try to make conscious decisions to help the environment and buy lifelong items instead of items that go off quickly. Trying to be eco-friendly, we try to buy items outside of plastic and when possible like to buy fresh produce from local growers.

The biggest challenge to be eco-friendly is cutting down wastage on food. Followed by plastics and using the car less because we live quite far away from family. I believe that there is advice on the internet for families if you can find it. There needs to be more information available to people who cont have access to the internet.

Being a parent in general is hard, but I it has it perks. I love it when you say “no” to your kids with a straight face when they have done something funny. Another one would be “the afternoon nap” . When you go out past 2pm any day of the week, and they fall asleep. You know they are going to be the worst pains to get to sleep at the “normal” bedtime routine.

The best feeling is coming home from work, and they come running at you shouting Daddy. Coming for cuddles, the joy when they say your name for the first time. The number of funny things they do daily and when they say I love you. They make the hard times all worth it.

Personally, I believe that there are places online for parents to talk openly and honestly. However, there are always those few individuals who like to ruin it for others. I use my Instagram account to talk open and honestly about my family and issues I have about the world.

If I had a parenting superpower it would be the ability to make my children listen the first time! I asked my wife this question and she replied with “deafness so she can’t hear them arguing!”

Follow The Conscious Parent on Instagram! Follow the hairy father – @thehairyfather

How do you find parenting in modern world. The world is changing fast! We would love to hear from you. Contact us with your story.

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