DadTalk

Home Alone: just me and the TV Remote

Every year the wife and boys head off for a week’s holiday to Nana and Granddads’ in Devon. They look forward to it every summer although I think for very different reasons.

The boys love the fact that Nanas house is right next to the village park with all its slides, swings, and built in trampoline plus because the village is soooooooo quiet they can be there for hours without seeing a soul. There are also woods to explore, beaches to be conquered and cows to laugh at! (you kinda have to be there!) For 2 boys growing up in a small terrace house within an urban landscape Devon really is Heaven.

For Mum the week is 100% about chillaxing with her mother. For these two women who love to talk it’s all about getting some time together, be that cooking or taking a coffee over the road and sitting in the sun whilst the boys play in the park (this activity can last for literally hours as it suits both boys and mum!) the chance to converse is paramount.

But what does this week look like for dad who’s left at home. To be honest it’s the hardest week of the year. Sure it has some perks like coming home to a toy free zone in the lounge, having control of the TV remote, sleeping in past 6.30am but at the same time I find myself bereft of something deep.

In the days building up to this week I often find myself quiet, thoughtful and insular, all of which doesn’t go unnoticed by the family. I try to explain that I’m going through a process of preparation for their departure, I’m taking stock, I’m digging in. This may sound OTT but I’m preparing myself for a week where I carry a sense of inner solitude that comes from doing life without my companion and kids. No amount to tidiness or trips to the pub with mates comes close to being with those you love and have a deep connection with.

Within a few hours of flicking through the TV remote I will mostly end up on Cartoon Network because its inane sounds are so comforting. Simply put I miss them .....