Jim's Blog

Jim Kayes' Blog: Sex talk

Jim reflects on his late mum as he encounters the trickiest parenting topic in the book.

Jim Kayes' Blog: Done with school

Jim comes to terms with his eldest daughter finishing high school.

Jim Kayes' Blog: Leave the door open

A family friend's death reminds Jim of his mum's open door policy.

Jim Kayes' Blog: Letting go

The toughest part of parenting isn't sleepless nights or the terrible twos, reflects Jim. It's learning to let go.

Jim Kayes' Blog: Long-distance parenting

Jim juggles fatherhood with the 4-hour time difference at the Rugby World Cup.

Jim Kayes' Blog: In plain sight

Jim discovers that misplacing belongings is hereditary.

Jim Kayes' Blog: Out of pocket

Jim's daughters get increasingly inventive for tapping into the Bank of Mum and Dad.

Jim Kayes' Blog: Father Time

When his daughter struggles to read a traditional clock, Jim reflects on how time never stands still with technology.

Jim Kayes' Blog: Hawaii Five-0

Jim reflects on his regrets and achievements while in Hawaii for his 50th birthday.

Jim Kayes' Blog: Texting lingo

Jim defends the English language as his youngest muddles it up with acronyms and alternative meanings.

Jim Kayes' Blog: Room makeover

As Jim helps his daughter rearrange her room, he recalls the territorial bedroom wars of his past.

Jim Kayes' Blog: The unworried well

The story of an old farm dog reminds Jim that there is nothing worse as a parent than not noticing when your child is truly sick.

Jim Kayes’ blog: The merits of exercise

Why does life sometimes make being active more difficult than it should be? asks sports-lover Jim.

Jim Kayes' Blog: School ball

Jim cruises down memory lane, recalling his Miami Vice-esque ball ensemble as his daughters get ready for school ball.

Jim Kayes' Blog: Sweet temptation

Jim is in a fizz over soft drinks.

Jim Kayes' Blog: Accident-prone

Jim reflects on his accident-prone past as his two daughters head to the operating theatre in the same week.

Jim Kayes' Blog: Telly troubles

In the age of Netflix and infinite TV choices, it's Dancing with the Stars which makes Jim's family gather around the TV.

Jim's Blog: Easter egg rankings

Jim Kayes debates which Easter treat is the best and gets hopping mad over his family's egg choices.

Jim Kayes' Blog: Cashless children

Giving kids cash for spending money is now an antiquated tradition in the age of EFTPOS, reflects Jim Kayes.

Jim Kayes' Blog: Finding the Spirit of New Zealand

In the days following the Christchurch mosque attacks, Jim Kayes reflects on the power of hope and the Spirit of New Zealand.

Jim Kayes' Blog: Too much homework

School-life balance becomes seemingly impossible for Jim's daughter when she comes home with five hours of homework.

Jim Kayes' Blog: Parental hypocrisy

As Jim nervously lets his daughter loose in Six60's 50,000-person deep crowd, he recalls his own gig mischief as a teen.

Jim Kayes' Blog: Hopelessly unromantic

When Jim's daughter gets a boyfriend, he hopes her beau is as unromantic as he used to be.

Jim Kayes’ Blog: Slip, slop and slap

Put your sunblock on, says Jim. Forget it, say his daughters.

Jim Kayes' Blog: The politics of camping

While camping in Mangawhai, Jim is envious of his mate's luxurious tent set-up which includes a bar leaner and Nespresso coffee machine.

Jim Kayes' blog: Christmas giving

Jim reflects on present etiquette — is it okay to shake the presents under the Christmas tree?

Jim Kayes' blog: Painful lessons

Jim gets trapped in the grey area between playful adventure and cotton wool parenting.

Jim Kayes' Blog: Losing my cool

Jim struggles to stay silent while sitting in the backseat during his daughter's driving test.

Jim Kayes' Blog: Exam season

As exam season looms, Jim's eldest threatens to take a three-year-long gap year.

Jim Kayes' blog: Set up for a fall

Jim, surrounded by pranksters, takes a fall.

Jim Kayes' blog: The daughter-approved shopping list

Jim is banned from buying certain items on his daughters' behalf.

Jim Kayes' blog: Forlorn about the lawn

Jim Kayes' weed eater is broken, and he can't handle it.

Jim Kayes' Blog: Man flu

Jim comes down with the flu and has a hard time receiving any sympathy from his family.

Jim Kayes' Blog: 49 candles

As Jim celebrates his 49th year, he reflects on how birthdays tend to matter less when you are older, that is, unless you have children.

Jim Kayes' Blog: Radio silence

Jim suffers in silence when his daughters go phone-free for a week.

Jim Kayes' Blog: Wheeling and dealing

Jim's daughter adopts a 'squeaky wheel' strategy to get a new car, while he reflects on the Ford Falcon that got away.

Jim Kayes' Blog: In the swing of things

Jim Kayes is egged on by a 12-year-old and gives a terrifying ride in Rotorua a swing.

Jim Kayes' Blog: Forget me not

When Jim's daughters say he is getting forgetful in his old age, he takes it to heart.

Jim Kayes' Blog: Lol moments

Jim's cringey efforts to use the latest lingo provide amusement to his teenage daughters.

Jim Kayes’ Blog: Girls Can Do Anything

Gender bias has no place in the Kayes’ household – and Jim is happy to don a pinny or even a frock when the occasion merits.

Jim Kayes' Blog: The leftover Easter egg

This week Jim is taunted by a chocolate treat in the cupboard

Jim Kayes' blog: Sweet 16

As his eldest turns 16, Jim remembers when she was just a wee bub and how fast they grow up.

Jim Kayes' Blog: Shirt tales

After being mocked on-air for his hit-and-miss fashion , Jim gets some clothing coaching from his girls

Jim Kayes' blog: "Here we go again"

Jim Kayes sings along with Ed Sheeran but draws the line at Mamma Mia.

Jim Kayes' blog: Half pai

This week Jim learns that if you need a job done right, do it yourself.

Jim Kayes' blog: Telling little lies

This week, Jim gets caught telling a few porkies.

Jim Kayes' Blog: Defending the Queen’s English

This week Jim, is like, totally, worried about vocabulary and grammar.

Jim Kayes' blog: Best foot forward

In Jim Kayes' blog this week - he’s not surprised by the ingenuity of an injured daughter.

Jim Kayes' blog: Big dogs vs small dogs

In Jim Kayes' blog this week - the family debates whether to downsize their next pooch.

Jim Kayes' blog: How to be an ace of cards

This week he takes losing at cards with good grace and a pile of soft cushions.

Jim Kayes’ blog: 'It’s a debate Dad, not an argument'

This week Jim ducks below the crossfire of sibling rivalries.

Jim Kayes' blog: Dad's on strike!

This week Jim is on strike to help improve his daughters’ usefulness around the house.

Jim Kayes' Blog: Get a job

This week Jim sends a daughter out to work - and not only for the money.

Jim Kayes' Blog: Playing with fire in Samoa

This week Jim takes the family to Samoa and it is confirmed, those daughters are an easy step ahead of him in his Apia-bought jandals.

Jim Kayes' blog: Saying goodbye

This week Jim ponders different ways of grieving and wonders, yet-again, if those daughters aren’t a step ahead of him.

Jim Kayes' blog: cutting the cord

It's the end of an era as Jim Kayes prepares to cut the cord to the land line.

Jim Kayes' blog: breaking bad

This week the sky falls in after a slip on the rocks.

Jim Kayes' blog: 7 ways to embarrass a teenager

This week Jim finds novel ways to humiliate his daughters.

Jim Kayes' blog: growing up quickly

This week Jim realises he’s been left behind - again.

Jim Kayes' blog: Musical tastes heading in One Direction (downhill)

This week Jim blames the girls for a bad case of musical infection.

Jim Kayes' blog: Am I turning into my mum?

Jim turns from hero to zero when channeling his mother's parenting style.

Jim Kayes' blog: Coach dad

Jim Kayes finds himself cast in the role of coach, but can he hold court in the world of school netball?

Jim's blog: Driving me mad

This week Jim Kayes teaches his daughter how to drive, and lives to tell the tale.

Jim Kayes' blog: Good morning sunshine

Jim Kayes has been a journalist for 25 years. He survived growing up with four sisters and is now married with two daughters. Despite this, he thinks he's in charge.