Learner Dad: There is something to be said for pretending that your kids don’t exist for an hour or two

"...the child-free chat gave us more time to gossip about a few people, swap our favourite TV shows, and I got to listen to the other two talking about their love of vinyl"

Picture: iStock

There is a lot to be said for meeting up with people who don’t have kids. Particularly if they’re men. As much as you might feel the need to tell a guy how your nine year old is doing at gymnastics, he won’t feel the need to listen. It’s a great way to leave parenting behind for a couple of hours.

I’m back in touch with a guy I knew fairly well in school and college, and we arranged to meet in Cork city centre last Saturday. He bumped into another former classmate on the way, so the three of us sat in the sun outside Idaho cafe on Caroline Street and caught up over lunch. There was a time this would have turned into a drinking session, but impromptu drinking is a poor choice when you’re in your 50s, because the impromptu hangover that comes with it can last for a month.