SUPERTIPS
Carry-out
‘The vital piece of dad kit for me is a baby carrier. With my first daughter, I relied heavily on a classic BabyBjörn. It came everywhere with us and we had so many amazing walks. I also used to do housework with Helen strapped to my front!’ BabyBjörn Original John, dad to Helen, seven and baby carrier, £64.99, mothercare.com Elizabeth, three; @dadbloguk
Who’s the daddy? WITH ‘INSTADADS’ MAKING THEIR MARK ON SOCIAL MEDIA, CATHERINE HUDSON CHECKS OUT THEIR MUST-HAVES
Camera man
‘I’m slightly obsessed with our Nest Cam monitor. It has cool features, like night vision, motion activation and a speaker and mic, so you can talk to your baby. Having recently returned to work after paternity leave, I especially love the live-streaming option.’ Giles, dad to Teddy (left), four months, with nephew Bertie; @youthedaddy Nest Cam camera, £159, nest.com
Let your hair down
‘I cook and clean and my partner Alice does the DIY and drives us everywhere. But I think bath time generally falls to dads and luckily enough that’s my area of expertise. I love the Curly Ellie haircare range. Etta’s hair is crazy curly and thick, so it would be a nightmare without it. I’ve even been known to steal the leave-in conditioner from time to time.’ Gregory, dad to Etta, two and Ezra, two months; Curly Ellie full range @london_dad set, £50, curlyellie.com
BAG OF TRICKS ‘Changing a humdinger of a nappy in public can be chaotic and stressful. Dirty loos, kamikaze toddlers, ear-splitting screams and labyrinthine changing bags only add to the stress. Pacapod bags organise the chaos into handy detachable pods and come in cool designs – mine’s a chic rucksack that keeps my hands free.’ Jamie, dad to Edie, three and Arlo, nine months; @dayjam
Hastings Driftwood changing rucksack, £69, pacapod.com GURGLE.COM 81
SUPERTIPS
Bottle bank
Tommee Tippee Perfect Prep, £82.50, kiddicare.com
‘One thing I never thought I’d need or want is a Tommee Tippee Perfect Prep bottle machine. But time is a luxury and it makes things so easy – think of it as a Nespresso machine for babies.’ Simon, dad to Anya, eight, Marnie, five and 11-month-old twins Ottilie and Delilah; @father_of_daughters
Sitting pretty
‘I’ve purged all our plastic, from fold-up pushchairs to fancy drinking vessels. Mae mostly walks and if she is tired I put her on my shoulders. All I take is a thin juice bottle and maybe her Bam rucksack for old crisp packets or a tiny dinosaur – she is yet to join my purge.’
Matt, dad to Mae, three; @papa_pukka
Foldable water bottle, £3, trekmates.co.uk , and Bam Mini rucksack, £14.99, urbanjunkuk.com
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Nomi Concept high chair, from £179.95, evomove.com/uk
Go on
Poco AG Plus, £250, ospreyeurope.com
Back up
‘One accessory I can’t do without is my Osprey Poco Plus child carrier. Whether I’m hiking up a mountain with the kids or just walking around the farmers’ market, it makes carrying my youngest so much easier. Osprey has designed it in a way that minimises fatigue in my back.’ Alan, dad to Gracie, 14, Zac, 12, Nik, nine, Ali, eight, Wil, three and Rock, one; @thatdadblog
‘As a tech geek, I have a lot of fun with the GoPro Hero 5. It’s compact, light, waterproof and virtually indestructible – and takes high-definition pictures and videos. Stick your mini in a chest harness and you can get a unique toddler’s perspective on the world.’ Ben, dad to Billy, three and Olivia, one; @dulwich_dad
GoPro Hero 5, £249.99, argos.co.uk
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TRAVEL LIGHT
‘My must-have is a Potette Fold Away Potty Plus (£15, mothercare.com), a necessity when you have a toddler asking to go to the toilet, whether you’re on a train or in the middle of nowhere. I also love the Nomi Concept high chair, which makes it easy for little ones of any age to join family around the table.’ Sergei, dad to Alex, four and Max, two; @thedadlab