Adam Green: Mum away but we survive . . . sorta

Adam Green

I'd like to consider myself a pretty good dad.

I'd like to, and sometimes I do!

There are moments I can reflect on in my parenting career and say, "Yeah, I could have done a bit more of the ol' parenting there" or "maybe, in hindsight that hill WAS too big for a 5-year-old to skateboard down" but all in all, I manage to take care of three daughters in a slightly above adequate manner.

But it's not until my wife goes away for the weekend that I realise fulltime all the time parenting may be above my skillset.

I genuinely take my hat off to solo parents, because here are just some of the things I let slide. Maybe I should title this column "Confession to my wife!"

Yes. We did have muesli bars for breakfast on Saturday.

Why? Because we had a little sleep in. And when I say we, I mean I.

The kids were quite happy watching Peppa Pig marathons and in the midst of the quiet I may have dozed, surrounded in daughters for a few minutes.

Which meant we were running late for our appointment, thus, breakfast of champions.

We ate the Tim Tams. The whole packet. For afternoon tea . . . okay . . . morning tea.

Bed time was fluid. Pretty sure if you are living a holistic vegan wheat-free paleo moon life, which the internet recommends, then this is a part of the lifestyle anyway.

So we basically became a health retreat in the evening.

A health retreat with a viewing of Richie Rich, and an hour of classic Red Hot Chilli Peppers on YouTube. And ice-cream.

Two out of three children came to a work event barefoot on Sunday.

First, we couldn't find shoes, then they didn't want shoes, then I spent too much time cooking myself bacon and eggs, then we were late.

It was a nightmare combination of unforeseen circumstances so you see I HAD to leave with barefoot kids.

The face paint the kids wore to the Halloween Party on Sunday was their face paint from Saturday. But I feel like that's just recycling and good for the environment.

Oh and one of them ate a sandwich from behind the couch. It was old.

The great news is we got through the weekend alive, and in the kids' own words it was the "Best Weekend Ever".

It's not every weekend you get to have Tim Tams for breakf . . . morning tea!

• Don't miss Adam Green and Sarah van der Kley on The Hits Hawke's Bay from 6am to 9am, Monday to Friday.