Nicky Bailey

I lied about my parents….. It’s not easy to say this, but it’s true All through school I would make up lies about my parents… all because I was embarrassed of the truth. My dad was an alcoholic and I barley knew my mum. I wanted to be from a ‘normal’ family. Like, mum and dad together, both working, holidays to Spain, dinners around the table, I wanted what I saw in the movies. I remember one time someone asked me about my Mum and I made up this lie about visiting her on weekends. When the truth was I hadn’t seen her in over 10 years. I think deep down it wasn’t just my friends I was lying to but also myself. The lies allowed me to live a little fantasy in my head of how it could be. I don’t want my children to lie about their father or mother to anyone. I want them to be proud of who I really am. Not hide me because they are ashamed of me. I want to be their role model, someone they can use as an example to behave better, not to be embarrassed and have feel they have to lie about. Fatherhood means everything to me