Julie Jay: It’s Daddy for craic and Mammy for survival in our house

"My husband can parent no problem, but when I’m in the vicinity, I automatically step in as our three-year-old comes straight to me with picklers like opening yoghurts and re-adjusting his sunhat."

Pic: iStock

I know my husband is more than capable of minding the fort, but I still couldn’t hide my surprise when I returned after a couple of days away to find four walls intact and minimal evidence of small fires.

“We had great craic here at bedtime,” my husband announced worryingly. Even more worrying still, I discovered two melodicas and an accordion at the bottom of the duvet, but I said nothing because in the scheme of marital crimes, you could be doing a lot worse than finding a melodica in your bed after a few days away.