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Gareth Ellis
- Jan 14, 2022
- 2 min
The Taboo Of The Stay at Home Dad
I’ve been a Daddy for almost four years now. I know what you’re thinking, Rupert’s only three, how can you have been a Daddy for four? Well, I counted myself as one the moment Jess told me we were going to be having him. There are some who may not agree. Who think that you’re not a parent until the baby arrives, or the baby/child arrives in their home, but I chose to view it differently. For the most part I love being a Dad. I love getting out and about with the kids and taki
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Gareth Ellis
- Jan 11, 2022
- 2 min
Independence Days, Sometimes
I love my kids. They’re funny, they’re sweet and although I may be biased, they’re bloody gorgeous as well. But bugger me they can be a bit full on at times. Currently, Rupert wants to do everything for himself – everything but use a potty that is, but that’s another matter. Now, I know what you’re thinking, a bit of independence is great, children should learn to do things for themselves, and yes I’m all for that. Now, imagine independence while picturing a three-year-old po
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Gareth Ellis
- Jul 30, 2021
- 3 min
Never Wake a Sleeping Daddy
I love sleep. I’m a man who needs to get his eight hours a night in or I feel perpetually tired throughout the day, moving like a zombie who’s been kept awake all night. I know what you’re thinking; becoming a Dad was the worst thing that I could have done because your sleep schedule gets torn up, pooed on, and thrown out of the window by your adorable little angels. When babies are tiny you almost enjoy it. With both Rupert and Emilia, I wanted them to cry sometimes because
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Gareth Ellis
- Jul 1, 2021
- 3 min
Safety First
I’ve always been a cautious kind of guy. When I was younger I didn’t really want to climb trees or do anything dangerous, I rarely talked back to my teachers at school for fear of the repercussions, and I liked doing things that were safe. So, it’s no surprise that as a Dad I am very cautious with the kids as well – I think the number one phrase that comes out of my mouth when I’m with the kids is either ‘careful’ or ‘be careful.’ Jess and I have a very different approach to
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Gareth Ellis
- May 28, 2021
- 3 min
Planning a 1st birthday party
I’m in a reflective mood today. I’m very much still trying to get my head around the fact that we have a one-year-old and a two-year-old, after Emi’s birthday – which is incredibly just over two weeks ago. I wanted to recap that day a little bit and also give some advice to anyone who may be planning their own little one’s first birthday party. First of all, let me make it clear, there is absolutely no ‘need’ for a party for a little one’s first birthday, none at all. For us
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Gareth Ellis
- May 17, 2021
- 3 min
Hooray for Indoor Play
Today has been a very big day in our return to normality. Today marks the day that people can see each other indoors and get that all important hug they may have been missing for the past however many months. For me, it means that indoor play dates could soon be a thing, and with the weather being as bad as it has been just recently that could be a godsend. The problem my wife Jess and I have found is that without being able to meet anyone outside of your support bubble, we’v
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Gareth Ellis
- May 14, 2021
- 4 min
Mental Health Awareness Week
I am struggling. It hurts me to say it, to admit it, but I’m having a hard time right now. I’m putting on a face a lot of the time but behind closed doors the bad days are outweighing the good. Jess has gone back to work and I’m full-time Daddy, something I thought would be a lot easier and much less exhausting. However, as it’s mental health awareness week I thought I would share not only my true feelings, but a little about my journey as well. In the past I’ve struggled wit
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Gareth Ellis
- May 12, 2021
- 3 min
Being a full-time Daddy
Just recently I started a new job. I say new, I’ve been doing it on a ‘part-time’ basis for two and a half years, but now I’ve been ‘promoted’ to full time Daddy. My wife, Jess, went back to work this week after taking the last year off on maternity leave and I’ll therefore need to be on hand to take over the parental responsibilities. I’m not scared, you’re scared. To be honest, I’m not really that worried about it. For starters, they’re my children, and I know them pretty w
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Gareth Ellis
- Apr 29, 2021
- 2 min
Love MK Day 2021
For the last 35 years I have lived in Milton Keynes – and I’ve loved it. I went to school in Newport Pagnell, my parents lived here, and my family (at least on my Dad’s side) has a long history here. For years I would tell people where I was from and they would look confused, before asking where that was. ‘About an hour or so North of London’ was usually the easiest way to describe it, as otherwise people would be even more puzzled. It’s one of those places that seems to get
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Gareth Ellis
- Apr 27, 2021
- 3 min
Review: Thrift Farm
As parents we’re always looking for things to do with our children. Sometimes it can be something simple in the garden or a nice walk, and other times it’s a day out. When they’re babies it’s fairly easy, you get to do all the things that YOU want to do and they come along for the ride. But as they grow, children have an increasing awareness of what they like and what they don’t. With Rupert, we can’t often pass a park without him running in or wanting to play, and fortunatel
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Gareth Ellis
- Apr 12, 2021
- 3 min
Review: MK Play Association
Getting the children out and about is sometimes hard as a parent. No wait, let me rephrase that. Getting them out is easy as you can always go for a walk, it’s varying things that I sometimes struggle with. It’s also the interaction side of things that I feel is hard, especially at the moment with this bloody pandemic. So, imagine how pleased Jess and I were to get Rupert booked on to a Milton Keynes Play Association event just recently (and even more pleased that the weather
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Gareth Ellis
- Mar 25, 2021
- 2 min
Nursery Rhymes are Nonsense
Nursery rhymes and children’s songs are weird. I mean, have you ever properly listened to one? At the moment, it’s a common occurrence to hear the phrase ‘Alexa, play children’s music,’ to keep Rupert and Emi entertained. But in listening to that every day for the last two months I’ve learned a lot of the lyrics to these songs and my god are some of them weird. Take, for example, Old Mother Hubbard. It’s a charming song that starts out simple enough. Old woman has a dog, goes
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Gareth Ellis
- Mar 17, 2021
- 3 min
I Pledge to Protect my Daughter
‘Let me walk you to your car.’ ‘I can go with you if you like.’ ‘Message me when you get home safe.’ I have said all of these throughout the years to people of both genders, but mainly to my female friends, girlfriends and family members, but why? Society dictates that we need/needed to look after females when they were going out alone, or as a small group because they were more in danger than men. This is unfortunately because there are some absolute sickos around. A recent
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Gareth Ellis
- Feb 19, 2021
- 2 min
9 Months In, 9 Months Out – Part 2
Just recently, Emi turned nine months old. And yes, just like every other month, I can’t quite believe how fast time is going. I know, I know, it sounds like a cliché, but it really is true. Time flies when you have children. In the nine months she’s blessed our family she’s grown so much and already learned a hell of a lot. This time, around 18 months ago, I was writing a very similar blog about Rupert turning nine months, so I’ll try not to compare the two of them too much
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Gareth Ellis
- Feb 3, 2021
- 2 min
Navigating Through the Terrible Twos
As a parent it can be excruciating sometimes to hear cliches – mainly because most of them are true. Time really does go too quickly, it IS the hardest but most rewarding job you could have, and the terrible twos are real. Unfortunately, that last one has become blatantly obvious in the last few months thanks to our little ‘two-nager.’ Don’t get me wrong, Rupert can be a hilarious, cute and very caring little boy, and he is clearly besotted with his little sister but sometime
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Gareth Ellis
- Jan 16, 2021
- 2 min
Teaching Tolerance, not Stereotypes
This week, Emilia turned eight months old. She’s had a big week this week, because as well as pulling herself up from sitting to standing, she’s also started to crawl (she seems like she’s going to be an all or nothing kind of girl.) As well as developing at a pace that makes me wish she was still a tiny bundle of joy, her hair is starting to get longer too. With longer hair comes the responsibility of keeping it out of her eyes with clips etc, and soon I know it will advance
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Gareth Ellis
- Jan 5, 2021
- 3 min
The Fun of Feeding Two Children
When you have to feed one child it can be difficult, feeding two can be hectic. We started feeding Rupert solid food when he was around six months old, starting with mashed banana, and advancing to things like Weetabix and sweet potato. For the most part he fed really well. He was one of those children who you couldn’t shovel the food in fast enough, he was just ready with his mouth open for the next spoonful. As most of you will know, all children are different. So, some chi
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Gareth Ellis
- Jan 1, 2021
- 6 min
Review of the Year: 2020
This year has been a strange one. Dominated strongly by one thing, we’ve seen the best and worst of the human spirit as people battled through tiers and heartbreak with laughter and strength. It was a year where we welcomed our beautiful daughter, Emilia, to our family and she made us feel complete, yet we weren’t allowed to meet up with family so they could share in our joy. Here’s a rundown of life in the Ellis household in 2020. January: Rupert walked for the first time ou
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Gareth Ellis
- Dec 18, 2020
- 2 min
Book Review: There’s Two of Us Now
Jess and I love reading to our children. Rupert has a story or two before he goes down for a nap, and two more (sometimes the same two) when it’s time to sleep for the night. With Emilia it’s hard to hold her concentration for that long but still, you’re never too young to be read to. Our beautiful boy, Rupert, arrived in November 2018 and when his sister, Emilia, arrived in May of this year we wondered how he would not only take to being a big brother but how he would adapt
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Gareth Ellis
- Dec 2, 2020
- 3 min
Sleep Training: Worth it in the end
Sleep training is a difficult thing to do. Right now we’re doing just that with Emilia and, as with everything else, it’s giving us some mixed results. Some nights she can go down and sleep easily and give us four hour stints and be very easy to settle again once she wakes up. She’s recently moved into her own room into a big girl cot so it’s a huge couple of changes for her to handle at once. Throw sleep training into the mix as well and it’s a little bit of a recipe for dis
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