Angry Dad

Babies, Photoshop And Body Image

There’s been a big hullabaloo lately in the British press about baby images being air-brushed and Photoshopped before they're put onto magazine covers and into circulation. Apparently, the major magazines, like Practical Parenting and Pregancy have admitted to digitally messing with babies' skin tone, eye colour and fat creases - all in the inter...

Angry Dad

Why I Hate Pocket Money

Our little boy is growing up. Even in the past few weeks he seems to becoming less of a child and more adult somehow. Well, not an adult. Just older. It seems as if everything has suddenly clicked. A threshold has been reached. A tipping point? Maybe he’s more aware or more self-conscious. Maybe it’s the way he looks at me or talks with us arou...

Angry Dad

Baby On Board? Oh. I’ll Slow Down, Then…

Is it just me or do you also find something slightly aggressive about those “Baby On Board” stickers people paste on the rear windows of their cars? Aren’t they just a tiny bit annoying? I don’t know about you but it just seems strange to me. Really you have a baby? In your car? No! Let me get the facts right here. You’re driving. With a...

Angry Dad

Hey! Parents! Leave Them Kids Alone!

I’m sick and tired of mothers and fathers who continue to micro-manage their children’s lives. There seems to be an increasing fear and anxiety about children these days. The idea of protecting your kid – against bullying, colds, lice, falling down, sleeping too little, sleeping too much, paedophiles, cars, dogs, violent television, sexy tele...

Angry Dad

The Cat’s In The Cradle Syndrome

I’m SO sick and tired of women bleating on and on and on. And on. About what? About how THEY are the biggest losers in this parenting biz. About how being a mother is SO difficult and how fathers have it SO easy. “Oooh the glass ceiling”; “ooh sexism in the work place”; “I wish I could have a career”; “raising kids is a...

Angry Dad

Telly Tubby Nation

Apparently the Australian government is about to recommend that kids under two years of age shouldn’t watch any television. The new “guide-lines” are part of the “Get Up and Grow” report on healthy childhood eating and exercise which is about to be released by the Federal Health Minister, Nicola Roxon. The latest government report wil...

Angry Dad

Celebrity Sex Crimes: Roman And Kyle

They don’t need punishment. They need gunishment. This week I really feel like following up on my column about paedophilia hysteria. The column generated a very interesting and often quite sophisticated debate. Since then paedophilia hysteria has hit the news big time in the form of the film director Roman Polanski. Polanski was recently arres...

Angry Dad

Dog Rage!

You think the park is a safe environment for your kids? Think again. It’s a jungle out there. I’ve had it up to here with pet owners who pathetically tell me that their little ‘baby’ is wonderful with kids. Believe me, I know they’re not. There is every chance that their cute little doggie or moggie will tear my kids face off given hal...

Angry Dad

Paedophilia Hysteria

I’m so sick and tired of the hysteria about paedophilia. The recent ‘outrage’ and ‘concern’ about Dennis Ferguson drives me batty. Come on people! Have we lost any sense of proportion? Not to mention any sense of human decency and compassion? We need to get our priorities sorted out. Dennis Ferguson was convicted in 1982 for kidnappin...

Angry Dad

Is Asperger’s The New Black?

Here’s something that really gets me steamed: gifted children. Have you noticed how many kids are gifted these days? Or how many parents think their kids will be competing for Nobel prizes in the next few years? Well, around my neighbourhood it’s a bloody epidemic of genius and talent. Every second parent I meet has a gifted son or daughter. Pr...