
Justin is a London based dad of three. As well as being a content creator, he's also interested in all things tech, law, software engineering, and photography related, and likes to cycle in his free time.

Through his content, Justin aims to show the true reality of personal parenting alongside fun activity recommendations to do as a family. He focuses a lot on sustainability as his family tries to live in an environmentally conscious way.

Follow him [on Instagram](https://instagram.com/alldadstalk).


Justin


I don’t remember my parents’ old TV much (except that it was black & white and rather dusty), but I do remember that the entire family was watching one movie each week. As a child, Friday was my only movie night and half way through I was always falling asleep.

![Embrace Dirt Photo 001](/images/blog/embrace-dirt/embrace-dirt-pic-001.webp)

Most of the time I had my brother and three sisters keeping me busy hide and seeking in the garden or running wild on the football pitch. Our summer holidays were well spent going fishing with my dad, yet I remember vividly the generous sized sandwiches my mum was always carefully placing in our picnic basket. I was a lucky child who spent most of his childhood in the countryside, way long before my university days and a fun career in law in this buzzing capital.

![Embrace Dirt Photo 002](/images/blog/embrace-dirt/embrace-dirt-pic-002.webp)

## Tech balance

What I was trying to highlight before the various memories started to get me all emotional, is that my son doesn’t live the same childhood I did. Neither does my daughter. Lucas may have cooler shoes and lots of screens that he can already easily access, but he doesn’t have the woods I grew up in. In the beginning I found his fast learning entertaining, I was impressed with how fast kids pick things up, Lucas wasn’t even two and he knew how to access apps on my phone or on the iPad. Currently he’s not even 5 and he’s asking Google Home for baking recipes and YouTube access. While I’m a tech fan who follows all trends and updates, and encourage my children to learn as much as they can with the help of technology I know that too much time spent inside is less time spent outside.

![Embrace Dirt Photo 003](/images/blog/embrace-dirt/embrace-dirt-pic-003.webp)

So not long ago, I started to question my own parenting style. Do I encourage my children to spend as much time outdoors as my parents did with me? Do I initiate any outdoors experiences where I can be a part of? The answer is I could always do more and that is my main focus at the moment. I believe that it’s our duty to help our children’s cognitive, emotional and physical development be at their best, therefore ensure they build resilience and imagination, two things that in my opinion are so important for achieving an accomplished life.

![Embrace Dirt Photo 004](/images/blog/embrace-dirt/embrace-dirt-pic-004.webp)

This year Persil wants everyone to ‘Embrace Dirt’, taking time away from screens to fully involve themselves in the educational and therapeutic qualities of the outdoors. I read something interesting a few nights back, that children are very active by nature and they tend to learn and develop brain connections through experiences, therefore sitting for long periods of time, while staring at a screen, is a very unnatural behaviour for them. Persil recognises the importance of children playing and embracing dirt – as such, they have been promoting the benefits of outdoor play for over a decade. Together with experts and partners, Persil is committed to helping address this outdoor to digital play imbalance.

![Embrace Dirt Photo 005](/images/blog/embrace-dirt/embrace-dirt-pic-005.webp)

![Embrace Dirt Photo 006](/images/blog/embrace-dirt/embrace-dirt-pic-006.webp)

![Embrace Dirt Photo 007](/images/blog/embrace-dirt/embrace-dirt-pic-007.webp)

## Screen-time is alone-time

A new study has revealed that, by age 7, children will have spent 2 years and 3 months of their lives in front of a screen. More than half of that time is ‘mindless’ screen time – spent without family or friends, in solitary, screen-based activities. That’s a scary figure of 456 days of alone screen time by age of 7 versus 182 days of outdoor free play...

![Embrace Dirt Photo 008](/images/blog/embrace-dirt/embrace-dirt-pic-008.webp)

![Embrace Dirt Photo 009](/images/blog/embrace-dirt/embrace-dirt-pic-009.webp)

## Dirt is good 😀

Currently we are having so much fun embracing the outdoor play thanks to Persil! This mud-kitchen is keeping the little ones busy for hours and it’s often such a great way to actually keep us all entertained! If you wish to get involved in the Dirt is Good campaign go to [persil.com/dirtisgood](http://www.persil.com/dirtisgood).


I don’t remember my parents’ old TV much (except that it was black & white...

Embrace Dirt - Green Time vs Screen Time


> LET’S BE HONEST – FOR ALL THE INNOVATION OF THE INTERNET AGE, PARENTING IS STILL ONE OF THE TOUGHEST GIGS AROUND - says [Bubble](http://joinbubble.com/we-are-bubble/) and I can’t agree more.

As a new and first time dad, I’ve learnt the hard way that the life of a parent is mainly organised chaos (if you’re lucky enough to learn how to organise it!). I’ve also learnt that one should not miss the spontaneity of the right moment to unwind and take it all in: the noise, the sore muscle, the eye circle, the tantrum, the cuddle, the first tooth. The white nights...

![babysitting-bubble-004.jpg](https://res.cloudinary.com/dpgowkqsr/image/upload/v1611946284/toys_1903273_1280_51da1e8cc7.jpg)

But as a young couple sharing a tiny human, we have been both struggling to find out how to make time for each other and most importantly, how to make the most of each other, because truth being told, we have also been discovering the heavy weight of ‘now’ in parenthood and the dangers of procrastinating the ‘us only time’! Of course, the child is now part of a heavily altered routine and more steam, focussed attention and even (here goes the cheesiness!) our full hearts and souls are now much needed to be shared. Our bodies too – because rocking a baby to sleep for over two hours numbs your arms (and will power), and those ribs that suffer massively during cosleeping with a drunk octopus called A TODDLER, are getting tired (stole the comparison from AllMumsTalk, shhh).

![babysitting-bubble](https://res.cloudinary.com/dpgowkqsr/image/upload/v1611944788/characters_1853286_1280_b868403794.jpg)

Nevertheless dating was never easy for us, even before parenthood took over, we both had a tendency of over working and starting several projects on our own, so adding a baby to the equation was indeed ... rather brave. I started on the wrong foot by missing all her doctor’s appointments and scans during pregnancy, forget about scary antenatal appointments talking dad’s role and birth support – I didn’t even know I had to have an opinion on how a baby should be, well, delivered into the world! I was instead coming home late and she was sleeping, mornings were hectic, arguments and frustrations were at their peak. We had blamed it on our lack of parenthood knowledge and different, higher expectations; the new arrival was becoming increasingly overwhelming, and still it was a wakeup call – THE wake up call, one that we clearly heard after his first birthday when we understood life is more than sharing parental duties, more than work, commuting, or scheduling weekend trips well in advance and pretty much everything else we knew before. It was high time we started dating like all parents should: more often, less planning, more action.

![babysitting-bubble](https://res.cloudinary.com/dpgowkqsr/image/upload/v1611944785/cat_woman_1115933_960_720_dd7df7518f.jpg)

Do or do not, there is no try – keeping Yoda’s wisdom in mind is rather a clever way to remind ourselves we need to disconnect, recharge batteries and keep the couple’s sparkle on. Aiming for a good night out and long uninterrupted adult conversations may not be enough, but it’s now pretty much on our weekly list. We sometimes fail at catching up with each other because of glorious nursery bugs that the toddler is generously sharing with all of us (grand perks of parenthood), but most often we make it happen. Living in London, far away from both our families means we are constantly finding ourselves stuck to a tricky routine ruled by our worries around a child, while we tend to make excuses not to make dating any easier. But that’s not what Yoda would do ... So date or date not, there is no try; when excuses start building up, pick up the phone looking for help – nothing wrong in sourcing a friend or a trusted professional sitter to come and save the day ... or date!

![babysitting-bubble](https://res.cloudinary.com/dpgowkqsr/image/upload/v1611946282/star_wars_1176168_1280_2c7b073e7d.jpg)

This article has been published in partnership with Bubble, you can download the brilliant app [here](http://joinbubble.com/). The app connects parents and sitters to each other via mutual friends and contacts. This allows parents to tap into the trusted sitters their friends already know and use. Bubble is mainly London-centric at the moment, but it will be rolling out to the rest of the UK soon, so watch this space!

![justin-and-lucas-in-the-air](/images/justin-and-lucas-in-the-air.webp)

Both I, here at AllDadsTalk, and [Bubble](http://joinbubble.com/) team would love to hear how you manage to find time with your other half. Share your stories on Twitter and Instagram using the hashtag #datelikeaparent. Read more reviews and engage with other users on Bubble’s [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/bubble.babysitting/?hc_ref=SEARCH&fref=nf) page. We’ll share all of your posts!


As a new and first time dad, I’ve learnt the hard way that the life of a parent is mainly...

Date or date not, there is no try


What we unmistakably learn while becoming mature adults is that parenthood is an un-smooth, unrehearsed and, quite often, a pretty unplanned game changer. Well, at least this is what the latest two years of fatherhood have managed to teach me. The pressure is even harsher as the new addition requires not only constant energy and pretty much all your bank resources, but the most invaluable tribute of them all: time.

![nursing-mum](https://res.cloudinary.com/dpgowkqsr/image/upload/v1611946217/IMG_5527_f3da0f74cd.jpg)

Thanks God I’m part of a strong team where SHE is the influence, the inspiration and spark we rely on as I am not utterly sure I could manage all this fun that comes with these 10 perfectly shaped wee fingers and toes. Here are the things that amaze me day after day when she’s around but never got to say out loud…

![nursing-mum](https://res.cloudinary.com/dpgowkqsr/image/upload/v1611944965/IMG_1746_1_5b64399dcd.jpg)

1. HUNGRY? TEETHING PAIN? THERE’S A BOOB FOR THAT.

I think my better half is stronger than she looks. Oh, but she is! Three reasons she may be the toughest cookie in this house: sore nipples (I can’t imagine we, men, could live with this, only the thought of it makes me brrrr shiver!); having to fix tantrum after tantrum after tantrum after tantrum after tantrum 24/7 (well, I could but not without three pints of lager) and managing the longest whitest nights nursing, changing, nursing, nursing, nursing; this kid is definitely having the longest meals in the history of parenthood. She does somehow survive them all.

![nursing-mum](https://res.cloudinary.com/dpgowkqsr/image/upload/v1611944963/IMG_1738_01768a6274.jpg)

2. SHE’S A MAGIC POTIONS WIZARD.

What’s my superpower? Seemingly, making milk is not equal to men’s ability to successfully fixing broken things around the house, even changing risky nappies or free falling from outer space at Mach 1. In men’s world these must count as superpowers, but not in mothers’. I got to learn that nor does solving this quadratic equation equals their efforts of upbringing our children…

![nursing-mum](https://res.cloudinary.com/dpgowkqsr/image/upload/v1611944959/IMG_1731_439ad79646.jpg)

3. I CAN STILL SLEEP LIKE A BABY.

She can’t. And I do feel guilt about it. She may be able to create and support life, but she can’t make a the toddler sleep at 4am. She lullabies for hours, nights, then years, grumbling about her eye circles and constant baby brain, but she kindly manages to spare me on most nights so I don’t get any of her vibes of zombie-ness at work with me.

![nursing-mum](https://res.cloudinary.com/dpgowkqsr/image/upload/v1611944949/IMG_0869_1710e3e918.jpg)

4. I ENVY HER.

Sometimes. All the time (except for those endless night shifts). But I do envy her like I never envied anyone. For all those winks when she holds on tight that tiny creature and all those times he gazes deeply into her tired eyes while softly nursing as if there’s no one else on planet Earth but them two alone.

![nursing-mum](https://res.cloudinary.com/dpgowkqsr/image/upload/v1611944959/IMG_1701_8f4385698c.jpg)

5. SHE’S STILL THE BREAKFAST QUEEN

She’s still cooking it. Single handed most often. While I’m dragging myself away from the warmth of my king sized bed, right before slamming the front door ungratefully because I know I have to adult again in an office full of people on the go. Today she won’t be strangled by a bright expensive tie, she won’t attend late meetings, yet fighting stains of beetroot purée on her old designer shirt (now half pjs) which had recently been sacrificed in the name of motherhood sound like a lot of fun. I have breakfast, I go to work, but she gets her breakfast in the afternoon…

![nursing-mum](https://res.cloudinary.com/dpgowkqsr/image/upload/v1611944960/IMG_1735_5d5fc5fd1e.jpg)

Ergo she’s "thy goddess".


What we unmistakably learn while becoming mature adults is that parenthood is...

Embrace Dirt - Green Time vs Screen Time

Date or date not, there is no try

FIVE things I’ve learned about the nursing mother of my child