Coffee Shops and Vagisil Vaginal Cream

In today’s The Independent (UK Edition) there is an article in the Art & Entertainment section which reports on the latest memoir of an author whose fathering style left his son seeking the help of a therapist (link to the article is below). The article lists the children of numerous authors who have gone on to document how poor their father’s parenting skills were. The article reiterated just how important being a loving father really is. Reading this prompted me to move away from the sullen tone of the article and to focus on the joys of being a father instead; something which will be very personal to each and every one of us. In our household, one thing is assured; my wife and I have never laughed so much as we have in the past (nearly) three years; sometimes with our little one, but mostly at her...in a very loving way of course. The anticipation of what they are going to say or do next is infectious. Whilst bathing my little girl a few months ago, she looked up at me and said “Mommy is called Katie, daddy’s called Big Boy” – words fail me in trying to describe how funny that moment was.

In my line of work, I have quite a bit of time off, which means more daddy-daughter time. I have become an avid fan of taking my little girl to a local coffee shop chain where I spend the time drinking Mocha’s whilst she leisurely sips on her little chino (which the coffee chains’ call Baby Chino’s – frothed whole milk with chocolate sprinkle on top). It’s a great way to just sit and pick the mind of a two-and-a-half-year old. We have conversations involving the most wild imaginations possible! Each and every stage seems to get better and better. I distinctly remember my wife saying during one of the more prominent stages of early development that she wished that our daughter could stay that age forever...and then that feeling came back at the next stage...and the next stage...and the next. Each and every step in her development so far has been a whole new, exciting adventure.

In the next blog I will get back into exploring areas of psychology which are pertinent to understanding our little ones, but for now, I will leave you with my most amusing memory to date...

Shortly after her second birthday, my daughter and I were walking through a well-known pharmaceutical / beauty chain here in the UK. She ran off, and when I found her she was holding a tube of Vagisil. She held it up towards me and asked “my face cream?” I whispered quietly to her that is was not face cream, but rather fanny cream. She lifted the tube above her head and bellowed out “My fanny, my fanny cream” in an embarrassingly loud voice. The lady who was standing a few paces away looked rather perplexed as if to say “what is this father teaching that poor little girl?”...I turned away mortified; what a splendid memory!

**SIDE NOTE**

This blog is now one (whole) week old. I have enjoyed writing it so far, yet there is this surreal position I find myself in – am I writing to an audience at all? Is anyone out there? If you have been reading my blog, please post a little “hi” in the comment block below or a message or a simple “I’m here reading”.  

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/features/great-author-terrible-father-memoir-portrays-saul-bellow-as-an-egotistical-womaniser-who-drove-his-son-into-therapy-8577412.html