Dad You Suck: And other things my children tell me

by Tim Dowling

Written with self-excoriating candour and the driest humour, comes a book about being a dad from one of our best loved journalists.

“For me the hardest task of fatherhood was always the oppressive obligation to lead by example. My sons have been present on countless occasions when I have, as we say in my homeland, completely lost my shit. During these stressful moments I have often wished to turn to them as a judge might to a jury and say, “Please strike the next few minutes from the record”, but many of those instances are chronicled in these pages. It’s not because I’m any less ashamed now; it’s because if I left them out there wouldn’t be enough for a book.

Perhaps this is my life’s true maybe I’m here to teach my sons that self-esteem comes and goes – it can get rolled right out of you at short notice – but that you still can get by in life without any, as long as you don’t want to be a contestant on The Apprentice. That, at least, is my experience. And for what it’s worth, my example.”

242 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 18, 2017

Reviews

[Adriel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book, any book that makes me laugh out loud is a winner as far as I'm concerned. Dowling describes life as a parent in a fully humorous account including all the mishaps through pets, holidays, school, sports, and the kids leaving home.

[Emer Tannam · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

I always enjoy Tom Dowling’s writing in The Guardian, so I sought out this book. It’s a collection of his columns so it is probably best read a little at a time, rather than one after another as I did. But I enjoyed it, and it made me laugh. His bit about being “gay-married” to “Sean” hasn’t aged well, but otherwise I liked it a lot.

[Mr E. Maycraft · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very funny and scarily too close to the truth

A good easy read and very funny. Lots of parts that bring back memories of my own experiences as a Father.

[Anya Bramich · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m a big fan of Tim Dowling’s column. It’s one of the first things I read in Saturday’s paper. So as an extension of those columns this was an enjoyable read. Probably one to dip in and out of rather than as a book to read all the way through in one sitting because of the way it’s written but an amusing bit of entertainment.

[Paul Lawford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny and to the point. A good easy read that ticks the boxes of being a parent. This was my coffee shop partner for just shy of two weeks, and I’ll miss the many ‘laugh out load’ moments we had. The last few pages are quite touching.

[Jevgenij · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did snicker a couple of times, the author _can_ be funny. It feels like not that the jokes are not funny, but there are just too few of them. In addition to that, the audiobook narration by the author felt far from the best delivery.

[Steven Carpenter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite an entertaining and light read

[Poetreehugger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes a good laugh is all you need to feel better.

[Chris B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wryly amusing

[Ilija · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious, heartwarming, and very smart.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I follow Tim Dowling on a weekly basis in The Guardian and vey much enjoy his whimsical articles. From that starting point this a great little relaxing read, easy to pickup and put down, but not quite as sharp as How not to be a Husband. Lots of light observations, a couple poignant, probably better read episodically than straight through as you become a little immune to the humour.