There's one part of life with kids that really brings it home to you that we are but humble members of the animal kingdom. No, it's nothing to do with eating or drinking or allied activities, although they certainly qualify. What stands out is physical stuff – the boundless energy that kids have and how they test to see just how far those boundaries will stretch.
Here, dads are very much in the firing line, literally so. I'm reminded of those wildlife films we love to see on the TV – the ones where there's a family of lions, with the adults sleeping in the midday sun. The cubs though have other ideas, jumping on the big lions, prodding this and pulling that, until they are cuffed away, only to come back a few seconds later.
Cut to me on the sofa, with twin boys doing exactly the same, experimenting with just how far they can, variously, jump on me, slide down my legs, steal my glasses, and pelt me with cushions. Inevitably, this leads to a reaction and we all end up on the floor in a bundle of shrieking boys and roaring dad.
Seriously, I guess, dads have a vital role in their physical development – all those piggy backs, mock fights, spinning round and round and deploying them on advanced pieces of playground equipment obviously serve a purpose.
And what's also obvious is just how much they like that stuff. The merest hint of a bit of rough and tumble is enough to switch their attention instantly from rather less absorbing and,let's face it, less useful activity such as watching a cartoon.
Now if I could only find my glasses I could go and find those pesky kids – trouble is, they're hiding. Perhaps I'll just sit and wait in peace.
Catch up with previous 101 Uses for a Dedicated Dad here.