The nappy school of staying grounded

It's a Dad's Life: The last couple of weeks have been slightly more full-on than usual. We are in the midst of domestic renovations, but neighbours of ours who are working abroad for a few months have agreed to let us stay in their house while the work is being done.

This has been good in that we have managed to avoid the dust and total mayhem, but bad in that I haven't been around to crack the whip with the builders. My original four-to-six schedule is currently approaching week 10, with only the slightest chink of light at the end of the tunnel showing. The house looks worse right now than it ever did, and I'm afraid to e-mail the neighbours to inform them we still have squatting rights on their swish pad. They have been incredibly generous, possibly unwittingly so, as the anklebiters give a house a hard time. We may have another renovation to do once this one is finished.

At the same time I have been cramming for an end-of-year exam and trying to wrap up a long college project. I have been getting used to writing this column every week and chasing some freelance editorial work. (Note - "chasing" not "doing", does anybody need a good book editor at the moment?)

The missus is still adapting to her new job and hoping nobody there will find out that she isn't perfect. And Nell is starting school in September, so we, in our usual organised manner, left finding one until now. It's all a little chaotic.

I am enjoying it. I have given up grinding my teeth in frustration and making plans, only for them to be broken a week later. The house will get done, or more likely the money will run out. Either way, we'll have a roof over our heads. It may have some holes in it, but at least it's summer. I'm pretty sure I passed the exam, and I will get the project done.

A bit of work will come my way and the missus is damn good at her job so there's no worries there. If no school will have my progeny then that's its loss, I can home-school her and educate according to a Rastafarian curriculum. We will be full of peace and heavy bass lines.

But most importantly, the kids are flying. I don't know if it's the season and they're revelling in getting outside more or if they are just buzzing off each other, but they are full of smiles and wonder at the moment.

I had anticipated that this time of year would be quite stressful and had hoped it wouldn't affect them, never mind me. They haven't batted an eyelid.

For me, that's their beauty. I spent a large part of my life worrying how to overcome every next hurdle and I still concern myself with planning long-term, with the goal of making our lives as comfortable as possible.

Often there are periods when everything seems to come at the same time, all the different parts of my life seem to approach a buzzing frenzy and I wonder how we're going to make it to the other side without something collapsing. But the thing is, the kids don't care.

In any one day I may have to get to the supermarket, the hardware shop, the bank, college, do some study, answer e-mails and maybe even do some paid work, but none of those things can be even considered until the monsters are taken care of. They come first whether I like it or not, and most of the time I like it.

I used to fight it and bemoan the extra pressure they put on me. In truth, they relieve pressure from me, they keep me in the present and they constantly remind me of what's important.

If there is one little thing I have learned from being around children in times of stress, which I believe should be added to the little book of Zen wisdom, it is this: The nappy must always be changed first.