I just gave Tim Denning some advice…

Parenting advice!

I didn’t mean to write this story but then I commented on this story by Tim:

I’m About to Be a Father in 21 Days. Here Are the 21 Principles I’m Going to Teach My Daughter.

And thought — well, I should write a story about this! I have four kids after all! I’m qualified to give advice on parenting, aren’t I?!

I shouldn’t swear when I write about parenting but my advice is this — fuck advice.

That’s what I recommended to Tim, albeit in much softer words, in responding to his idea of “teaching” “principles” to his daughter. You can find my comment on Tim’s article. I don’t want to copy and paste.

The idea is this — don’t view parenting as “teaching”.

It’s a kind of teaching. But it’s so-so complicated. You don’t teach your kid 21 principles.

I wish I was that simple.

But it’s complicated.

Did I say it’s complicated?

I don’t think I’ve ever given any straight, explicit advice to my kids.

I talk to them. I listen. We debate. We disagree.

I think parenting is about handling a gazillion of individual situations, from the moment when you are cuddling with your newborn baby, to the moment when…