Fatherhood has changed me. No doubt about it. I think differently, act more sensibly. I’ve become more empathetic, compassionate – I feeeel more. I also have less hair, more wrinkles and a twitch developing over my right eye, but all in all, I’m a better person because of those little bundles of chubbiness. But I never believed I’d have to use so much bribery, ahem, bargaining power, to parent my boys. I used to scoff into my single man’s red wine, watching parents shoving iPhones into their kids’ faces in restaurants. ‘You’ll never see me do that,’ scoff, scoff, scoff. What a fool, what a naïve fool I was. I really miss that guy. How did I fall into this trap? Sleep deprivation, probably. Wanting an easy life, definitely. But it’s not an easy life is it? Not in the end. Eventually, I’ll have nothing to give, and then what? When they’ve eaten all the cakes, watched all the films and drank all the variations of concentrated organic juice this world has to offer, what’s next? I think I’ve figured it out. I’ve been trying to protect them from feelings of disappointment. When they react to a decision which infringes upon their happiness, like leaving a fun event or not eating all the grapes in one sitting, I’ve plastered over their natural response to disappointment with a reward system that only delays their frustration before it moves onto the next issue. Time for a bit of tough love. How do you deal with saying no? #instadads #instamums #parentingstough #sleepsforwimps #bribingthekids #toughlove #creativekids #creativeparents https://www.instagram.com/p/CAj8MUalDlA/?igshid=7sr0ac4h1e47