Pawn moves first,
Bishop moves next.
Every step is a move.
Every move is a turn.
You take the King, you win!
You take like a maniac and you make your enemy weak.
Only the pawn gets upgraded if it reaches the enemy’s side.
You must swap your pawn for the Queen if it’s been taken.
If the Queen has not been taken you can choose another piece.
In that way, even a small pawn can win the game.
By Siddak Jhamat, age 6
As a child, my dad was my all-time favourite person. 
He took me everywhere with him, whether that was the cash and carry, the park, warehouses for shop stock, relatives houses, friends’ houses, the social club; we had fun. Continue reading
Things I want my son to know.
Lesson #15 – Follow your heart, create your path.
Out mowing the lawn on a gorgeous sunny Sunday, I look back and find that you’re mowing the lawn right behind me!
Like. A. Boss.
Somehow it doesn’t have the same ring as Nirvanas ‘Heart Shaped Box’ but it made me happier that he song did to see that my sone was beginning to enjoy the pleasures of cooking.
When you get your son his first Valentine’s day card from mummy and daddy … and it’s spot on for his room.
This is quite something to keep your little ones amused during half term!
So my wife and I finally managed to get away for a few days.!
We spent a week in the wonderful city of Mumbai in India without our 3 year old.
Like many couples with young kids it’s off in a fighting battle to maintain some sense of balance in your relationship whilst managing a young child.
I think we were very grateful to have had a few days to ourselves to reconnect and just be us!
The city has such a beauty and vibrancy about it that I cannot explain, but my last visit in ‘94 when I was just 15 is still memorable and I can see why.
We spent a few days in Chembur, a large district in central Mumbai and then moved on to Juhu Beach at the JW Marriott hotel – perhaps one of the most amazing hotels I’ve stayed in – ever.
Needless to say, we both missed our son immensely, however we loved each minute of being together and exploring the beauty of this treasured city.
Lesson #14 – Punch above your weight, launching dadessentials.co.uk, just for you.
It was a conversation that I had with a friend some months ago that inspired me to share this message with you. Continue reading
Things I want my son to know. Lesson #12 – Have Courage, But don’t be afraid to cry.
“Big Boys Dont Cry”is something I used to hear a lot when I was growing up.
When I was 22, my granddad died peacefully in his sleep. He was someone I loved so much, someone who taught me the art of DIY, allowed me to drive his cars all the time, sit with him and play with him.
I remember getting the news at about 3am when I heard the house phone ring, and I immediately sensed he was gone, and it was confirmed by my mum’s crying. I jumped up in bed and burst into tears. My dad walked past, knocked on the door and saw me crying and said “Let it out now, but be strong when you get to the house” but there was no time. Granddad lived 3 doors from us, so I quickly got changed and had to dry my eyes and “be strong” for my family. Continue reading
Lesson #11- You are You in Everybody.
The golden rule; “Treat others how you too wish to be treated.”
The age old saying of treating others how you wish to be treated was one that I was taught many years ago. It underpins cohesion and almost subtly enforced a social contract that I see you as someone with the shared values as I have and therefore will treat you as I expect to be treated. Continue reading
