No gimmicks in the title of this post. I didn’t feel they were necessary.
If you don’t know by now that I’m a dad to a twenty month old boy then you haven’t been reading my blog. So if this is news to you please stop reading this and start again from the beginning. Now! Go!
Good boy/girl. So now you’re all caught up you’re well in the know. If you’ve cheated and are just reading the rest regardless then you’re only cheating yourself!
Fatherhood then. This is something so difficult to sum up. Have you ever not wanted something so badly that the mere thought of it makes you feel ill? That’s exactly how I felt about being a parent.
I’ll explain a little as to why I was so against the idea. When I was twenty-one (a long time ago) I got my girlfriend at the time pregnant. She announced she was keeping it and initially I was petrified. However, I quickly came round to the idea. I actually got excited about it the more I procrastinated. Then one day I got a phone call at work to say my girlfriend had been admitted to Wythenshawe hospital.
She’d miscarried the baby and that was that. The relationship came to an end a couple of months later and I have little doubt that this awful turn of events was the root cause.
As the years passed I grew more and more against the idea of children. I felt I was too selfish to give up the biggest majority of myself for the sake of a son or daughter. I wanted to be a DJ. I wanted to be a writer. I wanted to travel the world. I wanted to do anything other than sire a miniature me.

So I wanted to do all the aforesaid stuff. All of it was my dream. What I actually did though was get drunk a lot and act promiscuously. In reality I achieved nothing. It was always a case of me convincing myself there was plenty of time for all that after yet another pint.
When my current girlfriend announced she was pregnant with the foetus that would eventually become my protégé, I had the same misgivings as I’d initially had nine years before. I didn’t want to be a dad and I shamefully admit I urged her to terminate. She effectively told me to p**s off or die trying. I was going to be a dad whether I bloody liked it or not.
I quickly got used to the idea. I think we all do after the initial shock. After that I grew to love the idea. Again, I think that’s something we all do.
Nine months passed in the blink of an eye and, a smidge over a month before my thirty-first birthday, Caellum Edwin Bailey made his debut appearance. Everything changed. I’m not just talking in the way a person changes when their child is born. I mean everything changed. Some changes were immediate and others were more gradual. My work circumstances, for example, were an immediate change (the less said about that the better). The change in my attitude towards life and taking my dreams more seriously happened gradually over a number of months.
In many ways, I think I’ve adapted really well to this little person who’s turned my world upside-down, but I also know there are many areas I could perhaps do better. I’ve come to realise that you’re always learning as a parent. There’s no definite to anything. Things change all the time because the child changes constantly. You have to be on your toes at all times.
I have to say that this thing called fatherhood; this thing that for the longest time I really wouldn’t have touched with a bargepole; has been interesting. In a good way too. I don’t think I need to go into great detail about the unconditional love I feel for Caellum. He’s the fruit of my loins; how could I feel anything other than the deepest love for him?
The little things are definitely what makes fatherhood such a great experience. When there’s something he wants and he laughs excitedly when you go to get it for him. How he simply cannot sleep unless he has a dummy and the blanket handed down from his brother Matthew. The gobbledegook he frequently talks as though it’s a perfectly coherent sentence. How he simply has to hold your index finger as he walks along. He knows the difference between fingers; trust me! So many things that make my heart swell so much I feel it could burst whenever they happen.
There’s the fear that he’s growing up all the time too. It’s absolutely devastating that the little helpless thing wrapped in swaddling I brought home that day twenty months ago is now running around, eating grown up food, trying to talk and looking less like a baby every day. You can’t stop time, but when you have a child time is your very worst enemy.
Alright, fatherhood is far from glamorous. The nappies that fail to contain excrement causing poo to go all up his back never become endearing no matter how much it happens. The bodily fluids are easily the worst thing about it all. I could throw up when he tries to slam his slimy dummy into my mouth. He likes doing that!
The less than glamorous things are just so unimportant in the grand scheme of things though. The cuddles you infrequently receive and the bedtime kisses he’s learned to give are enough to make up for any slimy dummy a million times over.
As much as I hate the fact that he’s growing up quickly it’s nonetheless vital for me that he grows up right. My version of right will probably differ from yours; we all have our own values. I want him to have the best possible chances of succeeding in whatever it is he chooses to pursue. I want to encourage him no matter how daft an idea it might seem. Could it really be any dafter than a dream of becoming a DJ or an author? I want him to know that no dream is too small.
His brother Matthew has designs on becoming a footballer and I always used to urge him not to put too much stock in the idea because so few people actually go on to make it. Most all young boys dream of being a footballer at some point. Even I did for a while. I stopped telling him not to put all his eggs in the one basket after a while. It wasn’t right of me to try and pour cold water on his dreams. Now I try to advise him in the best ways of going about achieving it. He doesn’t always listen, but what eight year old does?
I hope he does make it as a footballer. If not then I’ll help him achieve whatever else he decides to do. He may not be my son biologically speaking, but that doesn’t stop me from loving and caring about the boy. I want him to succeed just as much as I want Caellum to.
What I also want is to continue pursuing my dream. I want to succeed as a writer so that Caellum has a father he can look up to and be proud of. I want him to be able to tell his schoolmates that his dad is an author and a reasonably successful one. It isn’t even about the money or the fame for me. I’d be happy to earn just enough to get by; enough so that I wouldn’t have to work menial jobs that mean nothing to me anymore and I could concentrate on my writing full-time.
Becoming a father has made me hungrier than ever to succeed partly because I’ve really realised how finite time is and how quickly it goes. I only have this short window in space and time to do something worthwhile. After years of messing around I’m finally cracking on with it to the best of my abilities. I have Caellum to thank for that.
I also have him to blame if he doesn’t stop trying to press keys on my damned laptop…
How do you rate parenthood? Do you feel the same way as I used to and abhor the very idea of having kids? Has having children inspired you similarly to the way it’s inspired me? I’d love to read your thoughts and comments on the subject. Thanks for reading!
What a special read so much positive energy in it, love the part about there dreams no matter how grand they may be you support them, that I think is the true measure of a great parent
Hmm question how do you not go about being the typical dj dad, I mean you want his introduction to sound to be a natural one, then again we all like some of the stuff out parents liked at one point or another
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s a good question. In all honesty I tend to listen to my music through headphones as not to disturb anyone so he’s not really getting introduced to my music. Sometimes he’ll get in on it and grab an ear piece off me to have a listen, but it’s rare. At this age all he cares about is a beat to wiggle his bum to. Apparently, I was all about the beat as a baby too.
LikeLike
I think things have a way of skipping our attention in the WordPress mire. There’s an awful lot to see
LikeLiked by 1 person
What? How the hell do posts just disappear?
LikeLiked by 1 person
He is so cute. I’m glad that you are now in the correct phase and why not, this little person is so adorable. Blessings for the three of you! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you 🙂 Unsurprisingly I find him rather adorable myself. Haha. If this experience has taught me anything it’s that sometimes life can bless you even if it looks like it’s trying to do the opposite
LikeLiked by 1 person
Reading this really has made my day. You seem like such a loving, caring father and he must be so proud to call you his dad! I can relate completely to the fear of him growing up, each time his clothing size goes up or he reaches another milestone I feel so much sadness along side excitement, it’s a hard feeling. X
LikeLiked by 1 person
It really is bittersweet watching them grow and develop. Beautiful and ghastly at the same time. I hope I make him proud. I’m working hard to make it so. As I say, your blog helped inspire this post so you can give yourself a pat on the back too 🙂 x
LikeLiked by 1 person
He looks just like you too. Adorable pictures. 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
I know. The poor little bugger! Haha
LikeLiked by 1 person
He certainly is growing fast Paul. The photos so the bond you are creating between you and this bond will be unbreakable. You are and will continue to be a wonderful father
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you mate. I try my hardest. He’ll probably hate me for this post when he gets older. Haha
LikeLike
When I was 10yrs old, I wanted 8 kids. Thank goodness I toned it down. Because hell no…
They take a lot of money, time, and energy, but they are definitely worth it. Plus you get to see this cool person you made get better and better every year. It’s awesome. Enjoy that cute little guy and get all the snuggles you can. There’s nothing better.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s like the one gift in life I never wanted, but turned out to be the best I ever got. I always get my snuggles in whenever they’re offered. He’s not the cuddliest of children though. Has to be in the mood for it
LikeLiked by 1 person
Well I’m glad fatherhood ended up agreeing with you. He is definitely a cutie. I love that young age, before they discover sarcasm and eye rolling. haha
LikeLiked by 1 person
You say that, but he pulls these faces as if to imply his mum and/or I are dickheads sometimes. It’s hilarious when he does it
LikeLiked by 1 person
I has begun…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hardly a shock with me as a dad. Surprised his first word wasn’t the C word. Haha
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hahaha yes, true.
My daughters first sentence was “Oh Shit!” I didn’t even realize I said it that much. What’s funnier is she would use it correctly. Its so hard to get your kids to take you seriously when your fighting to keep a straight face.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Caellum went through a phase of saying shit. It was his bloody aunt who taught him it. Haha. Like you say, it’s very difficult to look cross when you’re laughing at them
LikeLiked by 1 person
I still have that problem, and mine are 6 and almost 13. But mine are witty little boogers, which they get from their dad, not me.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yeah right! You’re witty too. You’ve gotta possess some kind of wit to write I reckon
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nah, my wit only works on paper. My brain can’t work as fast as my mouth spits out socially awkward nonsense. Unless I’m a bit drunk then they work together perfectly for some reason. Haha
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sounds about right for the majority of people. I get what you mean though. I’m much more articulate in the written word than spoken
LikeLiked by 1 person
I wonder if that’s true for most writers, and that’s why their writers?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Perhaps. I’m not a bad talker and quite the wordsmith, but I feel more comfortable doing it in writing
LikeLiked by 1 person
You are a skilled writer, although I haven’t read any fiction. I will trust you on that. It’s great that you possess both skills.
LikeLiked by 1 person
My next blog post should get a little of my first person fiction writing style across. It’s only about 1500 words long, but totally off the cuff. I wasn’t intending to write the post that way at all. Thank you by the way. It’s a great confidence boost to know a fellow writer thinks I’m a decent writer; especially one who’s pretty brilliant herself 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Well I am excited to read it, and I do prefer stories in smaller chunks because I end up reading them on my phone, which is a drag. Thank you so much for the complement!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I should get round to posting it on Sunday. I post every three days. It’s nice to have a routine
LikeLiked by 1 person
Cool, I’ll keep an eye out
LikeLike
Cool, I’ll keep an eye out. 😜
LikeLiked by 1 person