Top tips from the Herron family

Family of the Week features Sean Herron and his wife of seven years Michelle and children Willow, seven, Hazel, six and Rosie, three. The family live in Wortley but have also lived in Bramley and Armley. Sean, originally from Blackpool and is part of Leeds Dads support group, works for Vp plant hire in Harrogate and Michelle, from Manchester, volunteers at Bramley Busom Buddies breastfeeding support and WY Sling Library.

What are your top tips for getting children to do what you ask? Give them two options, which are really two different ways of doing the same thing.

What family task takes you the longest? Leaving the house! There always seems to be some kind of delay.

What’s the weirdest thing your children have done/brought home/done to your house? Brought home – pet ants and ladybirds (several times!)

Have your children ever really, really surprised you? How and why? Hazel started to whistle on her 4th birthday, after saying for months that she would be able to as soon as she was four.

Mini moan - what really gets your goat? All the paperwork that has to be filled in three times with the same information for schools, doctors, etc

What’s your favourite family day out? Picnic and sports in the park, then maybe Eureka in the afternoon, or Leeds Dads if there’s an event on.

What hobbies/pastimes do you enjoy as a family and separately? All the girls have their own hobbies, we love going to the park together and cooking with each of them.

What’s the hardest thing about being a parent? Getting the right balance between working and family time, especially as I have to travel for my job.

What’s a typical evening for the grown-ups once the children are in bed? Prepare for the next day, maybe an hour at the gym, do chores, read, social media or watch TV.

What is Leeds’ most family-friendly restaurant and why? The girls love the Old Brickworks Wacky Warehouse in Drighlington, as the balance of play and childrens’ food is really good and the staff do make time for the kids.

What’s the best thing about weekends and why? Spending time together, whether on a family outing, going to groups like Leeds Dads or just playing in the park.

What is your most treasured memory? Creating Easter hunts each year for the girls.

What’s the number one thing you would change about Leeds? Being from Blackpool, it’s too far from the sea.

What’s the children’s favourite food/meal? Fish fingers, mash and vegetables.

What’s your top penny-pinching tip? Making picnics from scratch instead of eating out is a cheap and fun way to feed the family.

One family member’s proudest achievement? Michelle’s is donating breast milk to Calderdale milk bank.

What one item can you not live without? My glasses/contact lenses.

What can your children not live without? Cereal for breakfast – they tell us that anything else isn’t breakfast!

Child’s favourite book and author - Mr Men (Roger Hargreaves) and any Julia Donaldson.