Who's Your Daddyo? And What Does He Do?David from Potty Adventures talks to us about his love for the outdoors and how it’s a big way for him and the family to unwind in this edition of Who’s Your Daddyo?

There are loads of Dad’s out there. All of us came in part from one. All Dad’s are bonded by the common factor of experiencing fatherhood. For some of us, it bonds us. Despite this similarity, most of us are quite different, whether it be profession, hidden talent, parenting style, etc., we all tick differently. This feature, Who’s Your Daddyo & What Does He Do? features a different Dad each time, each filling out and answering the same questions.

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Name: David Mellor

Location: North Wales

Blog: www.pottyadventures.com

Current Gig/Job/Way of Spending Your Day:

I’m an English teacher by day, toddler and baby tamer by night and avid adventurer at weekends.

Number of kids:   I’ve got 2 kids, Jesse, aged 3 and Amelie, aged 1. Jesse is an over dramatic, fun-loving, cautious loon (in the nicest possible sense).  Amelie is a strong-headed, loving ball of cuteness with the temper of a very angry thing (her mother/my wife)

David Mellow of Potty Adventures

One word that best describes how you Dad: Adventurous.

What one thing (tool, device, accessory, etc.) makes your life as a Dad easier? 
The child carrier. We spend a huge portion of our free time as a family outdoors and we’re hardly ever without our Osprey child carrier. It’s been up mountains, around lakes, along rivers, taken camping, and taken to music festivals.  We’ve also taken it out in literally all weathers (it has a waterproof cover) so I couldn’t think of parenting without it.

What’s your favorite thing about being a Dad? 

Watching them grow. I just wish I could turn down the dial on the old passage of time to slow things down a little. They amaze me everyday.

What every day thing are you better at than everyone else (doesn’t have to be Dad related)?

This may sound like a bold claim but I seriously believe my mash potato is the best in Wales, possibly the world!  A bit like a Colonel Sanders it’s my unique blend of ingredients and the way I can whip them around a pan. Bodger and Badger, of 90s children’s TV fame, would love me!

What do you do that makes your kids think you’re a super hero/super dad?

Jesse who is 3 and recently started ski lessons watched a YouTube video of me skiing in Italy last month and he was amazed. I also regularly play the part of Luke Skywalker in our usual living room theatrics and remind them both often that I have Jedi powers. A little fibbing never hurt anyone, right? Amelie, who is 1, just sees me as giant who throws her up in the air quite often. She laughs and in amongst her baby babble I’m pretty sure I heard her say ‘my hero’.

What centers you when the kids are acting up? 

Nat, my wife, definitely. She has the patience of a saint where I’m more of a bottle of coke with a mento thrown in.

What’s your favorite way to unwind? 

The outdoors. We’re always up a mountain, playing by rivers, thinking of our next camping trip etc. We both have pretty intense jobs (I’m a teacher and Nat is a social worker for children’s services) so getting into the great outdoors really cleanses us. It’s amazing, we can go out all tense and worked up and come back completely different people.

What’s your best Dad-related tip?

Go with the flow and always expect the unexpected.

What is your favorite Dad story? 

Taking Jesse to his first music festival aged 1. We were at Kendal Calling watch Snoop Dogg on the main stage. Nat was 36 week pregnant with Amelie bopping away at the side of me (as best she could being that heavily pregnant) and Jesse was on my shoulders clapping to the music. The funny thing is none of us even like rap music but it was an amazing moment as a family.

Fill in the blank: I’d love to see DIYDaddy answer these same questions.

Think you may be in luck on that one David!

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