Commando Dad on a mission to prepare men for fatherhood

 
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2 May 2012

A commando who cleared minefields and dodged sniper fire in Iraq is training London men for another daunting mission: fatherhood.

Neil Sinclair, 41, has written a military-style guide called Commando Dad, which has been applauded by the Mumsnet forum for its hands-on approach.

The former Royal Engineer commando told how when his son Samuel, now 10, was born he wished he had the parent’s equivalent of the Army’s basic training manual.

The book uses terms including “bomb disposal” for emptying the nappy. Newborns are “BTs” (baby troopers), and chapters include Preparing Base Camp (the baby’s bedroom); An Army Marches On Its Stomach (feeding); Welcome To The Thunderbox (toilet training); and Dealing With Hostilities.

The book encourages parents to be “actively engaged in parenting manoeuvres”.

Mr Sinclair, a qualified childminder, stays at home to look after Samuel, nine-year-old Jude, and Liberty, five. Wife Tara, 40, is a PR executive.

He said: “As a commando, you know what to do in any given situation. “But as a new father I was more scared — there was no training.

"The way I felt when I took my first son home was ‘Oh my God, what do I do?’ I wanted to bring military precision to being a parent.”

Mr Sinclair, who now lives in Staffordshire after moving from Kennington, completed a six-month tour of Iraq following the first Gulf war in 1991.

Basic training: top tips

Preparing base camp

Do as much preparation as possible beforehand to save yourself precious time and energy: both will be in short supply in the months to come.

Sleep and other nocturnal missions

For the sake of the health and well-being of the unit, you need to ensure that you all get as much sleep as possible and that you introduce an effective sleep routine.

Morale: Commando Dad’s secret mission

Parenting is a hugely important, responsible and, ultimately, rewarding job. However, at times it can feel like an isolating, unrewarding and thankless task. You need to build and maintain high morale so that, if “down times” come, you are prepared.

On manoeuvres: Transporting the troops

Manoeuvres are an essential part of everyday life. Ensure that when you are transporting the troops, you are prepared for anything and that your troops are safe and accounted for at all times.

Entertaining the troops

Bored and under-entertained troopers can change from lovely little allies into the disgruntled enemy very, very quickly.

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