I'm just showing off

One of the many perks of being a parent is being able to take Harry out and about. I know it’s wrong, but I can’t help, frankly, showing him off.

And, sadly enough, I love it when strangers wander up to you in the street and ask about Harry and do the whole baby-noise thing. As you can tell, I’m quite proud of my son. Fortunately, Harry loves it and always charms strangers by smiling at them happily, even when he’s been a little terror behind closed doors.

It also means that I like to be in charge of the pushchair, which occasionally causes friction with Melissa, who also likes to show off. We’ve even had to come to an arrangement – Melissa pushes during the week, I take control at the weekends.

Of course, going out is not always straightforward, particularly if Harry decides he doesn’t want to go in his pushchair, and it always involves taking bags of spare clothes, food, and so on, which can make it seem a little bit like a military operation.

Generally, though, I love it and, with the sun out, we headed off to Chester last Saturday to stroll around the city and do a bit of shopping. The races were on, which meant navigating the buggy through the crowded streets was occasionally tricky but this in no way detracted from an enjoyable day, helped by the fact that Harry was fascinated by the sights and sounds of Chester.

On a practical note, I must praise the café located on Browns of Chester’s top floor. Not only is there plenty of room for pushchairs and all the associated paraphernalia, there are also plenty of highchairs and an excellent baby changing room.

It’s something of a relief to find such baby-friendly facilities. I know some cafes don’t want babies or pushchairs and that’s fair enough – I’ve complained often enough in the past about screaming kids ruining a quiet bite to eat. But it can be difficult to find somewhere to grab some lunch and feed and change Harry. Believe me, however boring this sounds, these things are important when you have a little one – especially when you want to show off.