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The tables have turned
Slightly unusually I have nothing but praise for my ex-wife. I told her the other day that I was proud of the mother she had become. Pompous and patronising and quite rightly thrown back in my face with a "quel con" added for good measure.
But I meant it all the same. She's been up to some of her new, inspirational parenting recently which I wanted to share.
Fighting on the front line every morning
Breakfast in our household has become a bit of a bun fight - lots of arguing and whingeing and none of that perfect family harmony we aspire to. Waking up, getting dressed, checking homework, brushing teeth - all small depressing battles in an ongoing version of trench warfare.
Well, ex-wife decided enough was enough. She took herself off with a coffee and announced that if the children wanted to go to school, they should present themselves 'pressed and dressed' at 8:10am in her room. Brilliant. And sure enough at 8:09am they were all set and ready to go.
They'd fed themselves, made their beds, cleaned teeth, donned ties and whilst the youngest might have looked like she was off to Mardi Gras, all-in-all it was pretty good.
Sometimes shock tactics are needed
Other than easier breakfasts there's a point here. Sometimes a short, sharp shock is absolutely the best way. Which gets me, slightly clumsily, to Richard Scudamore.
He's the urbane, diversity-fluent, charming head of the Premier League (who just happens to send loads of repugnant, chauvinistic emails to his mates). It was massively disappointing. He seemed to get it. If you're in a public position there is just no room for such antiquated rubbish.
So yes, a public sacking would help get the message across. Unfortunately that is unlikely to happen because he's good at his job and profits come a long way ahead of equality on the corporate priority list.
Perhaps he should try having breakfast with my ex - she might help him see the error of his ways.
Ben Black
