NORTHERN PLANNER

I had quite an October all in all. The birth of second child, moved house. It didn't all go swimmingly, not least because baby Evie spent her first week in hospital, the week we were moving house. Of course, in the grand scheme of things, it's not that tough really, but it seemed so at the time. When they say they need to scan your baby for brain damage,it's not something you feel very calm and rational about.

It meant that Mrs Northern was in hospital with Evie for that week too, which meant I was in full charge of my two year boy. I'm lucky, we've always had a close relationship, but something happened that week and we've become even closer. Which is all good, I've often been a little jealous of Juliette having more time with him than I do, even thuough, thankfully, I'm able to be more than a weekend Dad. That one week when it was just myself and him was pretty special amidst the chaos.

It also taught me that parenting isn't all about being there for your kids, in a very fundamental way, you're kids are there for you. They don't support you with kind words, good advice or a cup of warm cocoa or anything, they do it just by being alive. There's nothing that feels like home more than your little boy coming over and giving you a cuddle, or pleading with you to put up his train track.

Not even tea does that.