Ever since my own kids were born, I've made a conscious effort to keep a childlike outlook. When my two were toddlers, they had far more to teach me than any college professor. One of the greatest lessons was observing their spontaneous joy - both Daniel and Natalie had happy natures and they were always a split-second away from laughter. No matter what was going on - meal-time, bed-time, bath-time, any time - they were able to fix their attention instantly on fun and share their enjoyment. That's so different to the adult approach. To have fun, we must plan it for weeks, lavish a fortune on the preparations, lie awake worrying about what we've forgotten... and then, as often as not, grit our teeth when the whole enterprise goes down in flames.

I believe the best times happen when we stop trying to shape our fate and simply go with the flow. Most of all, I believe in living for the moment - I don't dwell on what happened five minutes ago, and I don't fret about what's coming up in five minutes time. The adult world regularly tries to shock me out of those beliefs, of course, and it's always great to spend time with young kids, to rediscover their carefree sense of immediacy.