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David Willans
David Willans

611 Followers

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Nov 26, 2021

Micromanaging or how not to get your kids to do what you want

It’s called over parenting. None of us want to do it, we want our children to be confident, capable, self-sufficient, responsible people. But life’s busy and things are easier if they’re controlled and predictable, so we try to micromanage them. …

Parenting

3 min read

Parenting

3 min read


Oct 14, 2021

Not wanting to go to school

At some point, every parent faces this resistance. We had it this week with one of our boys. He’s having a tough time because his normal group of friends have stopped playing with him. He’s in the playground reading by himself. The first feeling this created for me was sadness…

Parenting Advice

2 min read

Parenting Advice

2 min read


Apr 30, 2021

Naggy dad, maybe that’s actually a good thing.

My kids are now 9 & 12. A few days ago my eldest told me I was ‘less naggy’ than I used to be. Is it true? I don’t know and it doesn’t matter because it’s true to my son, and he matters. Did it hurt? Yes. I never wanted…

Family

3 min read

Family

3 min read


Apr 3, 2021

How to set your expectations of your kids at the right level.

I did another podcast interview this week. With Matt. In it we discussed how we set our expectations for our children. We agreed we didn’t want to set the bar too low, doing things for them they can do themselves and robbing them of the ability to look after themselves…

Parenting

2 min read

Parenting

2 min read


Jan 29, 2021

How this dad’s finding ways to cope with COVID lockdown

Rising COVID in Europe, UK lockdown that looks set to last and the US attempted coup. Stressful times that will sap your patience, suck you into social media, make you stay up later than is good, sleep worse, and take your attention away from your children. That’s what’s happened to…

Parenting

3 min read

Parenting

3 min read


Published in

The Shadow

·Jan 28, 2021

How lockdown parenting can help us build a stronger relationship

I’m writing this at 6:20am on a Friday in January 2021, before anyone else is up. I realised on my way downstairs, as I passed his room, how proud I am of my eldest son. …

Parenting

4 min read

Parenting

4 min read


Jan 24, 2021

Parents, it’s fucking hard right now, but we’ve got this. Here’s why.

What with Biden in and Trump out, and various vaccines making their way into the veins of many millions, it feels like maybe, just maybe, it’s time to start looking forward a bit further ahead in life. It feels like when you’re out in nature, on a long walk, and…

Parenting

3 min read

Parenting

3 min read


Jan 16, 2021

Coping with parenting in lockdown

Rising COVID in Europe, UK lockdown that looks set to last and the US attempted coup. Stressful times that will sap your patience, suck you into social media, make you stay up later than is good, sleep worse, and take your attention away from your children. That’s what’s happened to…

Parenting

3 min read

Parenting

3 min read


Jan 16, 2021

Seeing gaps and choosing struggles of fatherhood

I don’t know about you, but for me, everything feels so bloody hard at the moment. Lockdown, governmental madness (unless you’re in NZ, lucky you), WFH, shorter days, longer nights and no end in sight. But, but, but, but. BUT. Like my old rugby coach used to say, if you…

Fatherhood

3 min read

Fatherhood

3 min read


Dec 6, 2020

Learning lessons

Bar breathing, very few things come naturally, without effort. Our children teach us that. We get to see up close that everything needs to be learned — to roll over, eat, walk, talk — everything. It’s a steady structural construction. We learn how to pull ourselves up before we can…

Life

4 min read

Life

4 min read

David Willans

David Willans

611 Followers

Working out how to be the best dad I can be at www.beingdads.com | @Being_Dads.

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