Learner Dad: Every time my children feel sad they add to their wish-list of pets

My wife asked me to add chickens and a goat on to her part of the list. We could end up as a vet’s dream

Kittens are incredibly fun for a year, until they grow up into proper cats and treat their owners with simmering contempt, just like teenagers.

As I mentioned last week, we’re in the final stages of moving house. Packing and throwing out anything you haven’t used in a year is the easy bit. The emotional side is trickier. My wife and I are anxious about the effects the move will have on our two kids. They’re the ones moving school. We’re just moving to a house in the country .

Our kids are sad about leaving their friends behind, the kind of sadness that comes in waves. Every time they feel sad, they seem to add a new creature to their wish-list of pets. I’m inclined to get them what they want if it will soften the blow of moving, although we might end up applying for a licence to run a wildlife park.