The new normal

Diary of a First-Time Dad
Edwin McGreal

Frankie’s cousins were down for a few days’ holidays this week and it was a very busy house.
We’ve often been told that it’s one thing having your first child, it’s quite another when more come along.
Well, we will know all about that soon enough. Aisling is expecting our second child – due in early September – so this week was an eye opener to what’s ahead.
My sister and brother-in-law’s kids are six, three and two, and having three kids those ages is a whole different ball game when compared to having just one toddler, like we have with Frankie.
Just like the raucousness of a stag party tends to grow exponentially the more men are on it, the same principle applies to the number of small children in a confined space.
Draw whatever conclusions you want about grown men from that comparison.
And, much like stags who had not been out for a good while beforehand, Frankie’s cousins were very excited to be on holidays in Achill.
Frankie is their only first cousin, so they are thrilled whenever they get to see her. Frankie is in her element too, having other little people to play with. The excited whoops they were all letting out was great to hear, but, my, was it a different house. It went from what, in retrospect, was a zen-like state to a house party vibe in a flash. Both can be enjoyable, but for very different reasons!
Frankie’s cousins are all at a stage in their development where they are more talkative than her, and so it stands to reason noise volumes are going to rise. It gave us an insight into what the next few months will be like as Frankie develops, especially when we will have a second baby to look after.
Seeing my sister’s skills of negotiation tested by her very smart kids, who won’t be simply fobbed off with a glib answer as to why they cannot do something, showed us what’s ahead when Frankie – already showing plenty of signs of confidence – is able to make an argument.
My biggest concern, though, was when I had to go live on 2FM on Tuesday evening last to talk about the Mayo Ladies football controversy.
With no room for error, I was really worried about four excited kids running in screaming while I was in the midst of trying to explain a controversial issue.
I had visions of Professor Robert Kelly, the South Korea-based academic whose Skype interview with BBC ended up being a viral sensation when his two kids burst into the room, gatecrashing the interview.
So I was on guard. All kids, and even the adults, were locked into the sitting room while I was in the bedroom at the other end of the house. The interview passed without any unwitting contributors, and we were back to normal. Well, the new normal that is.

In his fortnightly column, first-time-father Edwin McGreal  charts the ups and downs of the biggest wake-up call of his life: parenthood.