Introducing...Steve.
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- Category: Blog Friday - Steve
I am the dad of a family of five who, in just over 4 months, will be putting on our backpacks and heading off round the world for nine months.
We are: Steve(that’s me), 42, Victoria (shall I be coy about this?), Eve, 8, Ned, 6, and Dickon, 4. We will be heading off to some of the most amazing and beautiful places in the world, including Hawaii, New Zealand, and a personal favourite – Borneo.
Your first reaction may be: “Jammy sod, going on a nine-month holiday” – and yes, you would have a very good point: wonderful beaches, amazing jungles, volcanoes, and more wonderful beaches. In addition, there will be no commuting, no nine-to-five, and the added bonus of missing an English winter. We are an immensely lucky family to be able to do this and I realise that many others would long to do the same but, for a host of reasons, cannot.
However, your second reaction may be: “Crikey, but he is taking the kids with him.” This will be nine months of full-on, 24-hour fatherhood (and motherhood). To be honest, after a gruelling Christmas break, there is a spring in my step as I close the door and head off to the office. On the trip there will be lots of sleeping in the same bedroom, long flights at odd times and all-round “stuff” that happens when you travel.
We are in no doubt this will be an amazing experience for us all. The kids will have some totally unique experiences and some wonderful adventures.
But what will this mean for our little nuclear family?
We do, if I say so myself, get on well, and at our kids’ young ages they still love to have mum and dad around. We have yet to hit the teen angst stage – although Eve does show flashes of it already. There is a certain dad joy the first time you embarrass your daughter – or is that just me?
This is, in many ways, a test…
...an experiment…
...certainly an experience in our parenting.
However, with a little worry, we still feel amazingly privileged to go on this adventure.
