A triumph for yours truly this morning. My two small daughters were having lollipops. They enjoy their lollipops greatly and wanted more.

‘More?’ I said, ‘you’re clinging on to outdated mantras that bear no relation to the reality of life.’

They cried and cried. ‘More lollipops, daddy, we want more lollipops.’

‘It’s delusional to talk about these things in the future when we didn’t do them in the past,’ I said. ‘You’re splashing around in the shallow end of the lollipop debate.’

They blinked at me uncomprehendingly with their piggy little eyes and waved their piggy little fists. Game, set and match to me.

I don’t go round picking fights. I lead. I don’t follow my family. I lead them.