DAD.info
Free online course for separated parents
Forum - Ask questions. Get answers.
Free online course for separated parents
DAD.info | DAD BLOGS: New Dad Simon | The Great Outdoors

The Great Outdoors

On Monday at 9:30am I stood on the pavement outside our house in the pouring rain wrestling with our latest purchase…

We bought a second hand bike trailer a few weeks ago and up until this point I was fairly convinced it was the best decision we’d ever made. But, as the rain soaked through my (not so) waterproof I was beginning to regret everything and and a sofa day in front of Netflix was increasingly appealing.

Once the trailer was assembled the boys were released from the house in their new and fully functioning rain gear. They spent around 7 seconds in the rain before climbing into the waterproof trailer. I on the other hand may as well have been wearing a cotton onesie with my clothes weighing close to a metric tonne.

Determined to live an outdoor life, I carried on regardless, dragging my clothes and the boys excitedly through mud and puddles as the rain poured down. Spurred on by the laughter and shouting of my passengers I probably went further than I should. But, eventually we emerged from the wilderness and found a cafe and playground where the boys put their rain gear to the test – it held up a lot better than my own and they would have stayed playing in the rain longer. But, I was starting to feel weirdly nauseous and didn’t think I had much time left so we loaded back in for the journey home.

When we made it back to the pavement outside our house we were barely recognisable – the bike and boys were covered in mud and I’d developed a weird twitch. So maybe the outdoors had given me mild hypothermia and maybe it would take a week to clean my bike but we’d found adventure in the real world and that beats Netflix every time. 

Related entries

Running to Beat the Chickens

Running to Beat the Chickens

On mile 23 of the London Marathon I was overtaken by a giant chicken. Let's just say, it was a low point… Looking back on my London Marathon ‘success’ I can only assume it was someone dressed up in a costume or perhaps some kind of hallucination. The lactic acid build...

Running to Beat the Chickens

Bonfire Night

As we stood admiring a burning effigy of Guy Fawkes I thought it would be funny to ask my six-year-old son what Bonfire Night was all about… I assumed I’d get some random answers to what is a bizarre celebration. Unfortunately, the primary education system has...

Latest entries

Fun and easy Easter activities for kids

Fun and easy Easter activities for kids

It's not always easy to think of ways to keep kids entertained during the Easter holidays! So, we have gathered together some great, simple ideas for Easter activities for kids to keep them busy. These activities also result in lovely items that they can decorate the...

How to help a bullied child

How to help a bullied child

For parents, bullying is always a concern. With our child's school lives being mostly a mystery, it can be hard for parents to keep on top of their social interactions, and know how to help a bullied child should they need to. The Anti-Bullying Alliance has found that...

Pin It on Pinterest