Dads in the Limelight – Paul Woolhouse of Family Aid UK

My name is Paul Woolhouse, I live in East Sussex, UK. I run multiple websites including FamilyAid.co.uk. I set up a FamilyAid to show my knowledge as a father after it was decided by a family court that I should only see my children twice a month – despite me living opposite (50 yards) from my children and across the road from their school. I was the children’s full-time dad, so it has been extremely difficult and I sympathize totally with dads that face the same struggles. I spend most of my free time trying to support parents going through similar issues using FamilyAid.

I am a single dad. My children are the bosses here. Recently, after much hard work, I managed to help all my family move from the Welsh valleys to be nearer my children. Which is kinda cool.

For me, it’s trying to be in my children’s lives in a meaningful way and seeing the hurt and lies my ex exposes the children too. It’s also been very hard seeing how the system that purportedly put’s children first, totally fail children resulting in children without parents and in some cases parents suffering mentality and contemplating suicide. God help the ‘system’ if I won the lottery!

Guys, enjoy every moment with your children and always put them first. They are only young once so make life special and magical for them. Your children depend on you to mould them into decent happy adults – so give them a good start in life! And take lots of pictures!!

A life? What’s that? I live in the children’s house, not my own.

I learnt there are a lot of fathers enduring immense suffering to be in their children’s lives. Number 1 issue always seems to be money: I say share the care, share the cost!

I have minimal (or standard) contact, so I plan ahead and optimise my time with the children. Even though my ex is horrible; I focus on my children 100%. So in the days leading up to my contact, I build out their lego sets, bury treasure/bones in the woods near me and then make a map, I make YouTube playlists for them (classic cartoons – tom and jerry etc), dressing up (hulk, batman, superman) I get on that as well – I’ve painted myself green, put an old shirt on then burst out of the cushions and blankets and ripped it off my shirt as HULK and chased the kids! As a dad, I believe my only job is to make the kids feel happy and loved!

So many. Me peacefully sitting on the loo, reading the news on my tablet when my little one suddenly burst in, sat down in front of me, pointed at the tablet and said “Wheels on the bus, daddy”! Or when we went fishing by the sea – and I secretly bought a large full-size fish from the supermarket – using all my cunning I managed to sneak into their net – omg the excitement!! I once turned myself into a robot and used a cordless drill to mimic the sound of my limbs as I moved – kids loved it!