Your Dad Does Podcast - New starts, school routines, and the parent strike. Paul and Col cover a week packed with firsts, from Lainey’s first concert to both kids starting primary school and settling into new routines. They also dig into the Parent Strike in Belfast, sharing a wider conversation about paternity leave, childcare support, and how families juggle work and home life.We discuss the joys and headaches of parenting through change: concerts, sports clubs, school drops, family lunches, and the small wins that make the chaos worth it. Along the way, both hosts contribute their own experiences, including different work patterns, childcare setups, and views on how parents can share the load more fairly.Key topics In this episode: Lainey’s first concert at a Lewis Capaldi show, including the decision to take her as a 4-year-old and what made it work.We discuss how strangers approached Lainey directly at the concert, raising questions about boundaries, confidence, and stranger danger.Paul and Col talk about both children starting P1 and how quickly school life changes family routines.The hosts unpack the reality of school costs, settling-in periods, and how work schedules have to shift around school hours.They reflect on school contact lists and who gets called first, challenging assumptions about mothers always being the default contact.In this episode: childcare and daycare get a strong defence, with examples of how early structure supports social skills, toilet training, and confidence.The kids’ after-school activities come up, including mini rugby, gymnastics, jiu-jitsu, swimming, and cheerleading.Paul shares a bike-riding hack using a towel for support while teaching balance without stabilizers.We discuss the Parent Strike in Belfast and the campaign for better paternity leave and stronger childcare support.The episode closes with a broader conversation about raising respectful kids, social expectations, and the pressures facing parents today.
