DAD DIARY: Thank God it’s February

January is, by its very nature, typically a long month psychologically. The month just gone was January on steroids, at least in our house.
And it wasn’t just the month that was on steroids, but pretty much everyone in the house, as we fell to one ailment or setback after another.
Myself and Aisling were all set for Monday, January 6. The kids would be back to school and there’d be a long-overdue ‘back to routine’ for everyone.
We had great plans for starting our own regime of healthy eating and exercise too. Christmas brings excess and bad habits, and New Year’s Day, for me, is never a good time to start turning the corner. I find it better to try after at least one full week of being back in routine.
But, as Mike Tyson famously said, ‘everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face’. And last month, it felt like we were walking constantly into one punch after another – and we still haven’t had a return to routine.
Éamon, our middle child, was sick that Monday and ended up in Mayo University Hospital on Tuesday for three nights with an infection. Thankfully, he is well recovered from that now, but the experience took a lot out of his parents too!
Various bad weather closed the schools at various times. Storm Eowyn brought power cuts, damage and more sickness. Poor Éamon, only just over his hospital stay, picked up tonsillitis, so more medication was needed. Frankie and Éamon’s school suffered storm damage, so it was closed for four days while the school authorities did everything in their power to source a temporary alternative location.
And then there is the youngest, Séimí! For months he was in a good sleeping habit, sleeping right through until 7am or later. He turned four on January 11 and decided that this significant birthday might be a good time to regress. So for what seems like every night since, he has woken multiple times during the night. The 2am-to-4am block seems to be his favourite. You’d just settle him back and be drifting off yourself again when he would stir and call you back.
As we age – and we certainly feel our age this month! – the importance of sleep becomes more pronounced. Between everything, it feels like we are walking around in a trance, trying to survive.
But a stay in Mayo University Hospital does not be long giving you a sense of perspective. Our troubles are small. Our kids are healthy – except for the month just gone. And next week, all going well, will be their the first full week of school since Christmas. So back to routine at last.
(However, for me, that does mean the new exercise and healthy-eating regime can no longer be put off. Darn!)

In his long-running fortnightly Dad Diary column, Edwin McGreal charts the ups and downs of the biggest wake-up call of his life: Parenthood.