A survey was conducted at a primary school where children between the ages of 4-8 were asked “what is love”. The answers they got were broader and deeper than anyone could have imagined.
Such a simple question, this is what they said…
“When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn’t bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That’s love.”
– Rebecca – age 8
“When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You just know that your name is safe in their mouth.”
– Billy – age 4
“Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other.”
– Karl – age 5
“Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs.”
– Chrissy – age 6
“Love is what makes you smile when you’re tired.”
– Terri – age 4
“Love is when my my daddy makes me breakfast every morning”
– Ian – age 7
“Love is when you kiss all the time. Then when you get tired of kissing, you still want to be together and you talk more.
My Mommy and Daddy are like that. They look gross when they kiss”
– Emily – age 8
“Love is what’s in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen.”
– Bobby – age 7
“If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who you hate.”
– Nikka – age 6 (we need a few million more Nikkas on this planet)
“Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it everyday.”
– Noelle – age 7
“Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well.”
– Tommy – age 6
“During my piano recital, I was on a stage and I was scared. I looked at all the people watching me and saw my daddy waving and smiling.
He was the only one doing that. I wasn’t scared anymore.”
– Cindy – age 8
“My daddy loves me more than anybody.
He reads to me.”
– Clare – age 6
“Love is when my Daddy gives me the best piece of chicken.”
– Elaine-age 5
“Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day.”
– Mary Ann – age 4
“I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones.”
– Lauren – age 4
“When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come out of you.”
– Karen – age 7
“You really shouldn’t say ‘I love you’ unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget.”
– Jessica – age 8
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These quotes were sent to GreatDad.com in an email without attribution. If this is your content, please let us know so we can post the source. Thanks.
Not sure about other dads but I entered the world of fatherhood completely unprepared. I didn’t realise how demanding it was going to be, I think women have a better advantage. Women group together and talk about parenting, share stories and experiences far more than we ever would. So it is probably no surprise that their skills, ability and knowledge are more fine tuned when children arrive on the scene.
Dads going through hard times
Even though separation and divorce is common place, it still feels like failure and in some ways we are embarrassed at times because of it. We get pigeon holed into “single dad” or “separated father” when in fact we are simply a “dad” or a “father”.
When people think of domestic and family violence, they often think of how much it hurts the adult victim. It’s true that domestic and family violence is most often violent, abusive or intimidating behaviour. But what you may not realise is that children also experience domestic violence and this affects their physical and emotional health and wellbeing. Growing up in a family where there is a perpetrator of Domestic Violence can cause serious long term mental health issues for the children of that home.
Many children worry about what will happen to them when their parents split up, and it can be a big relief to them if the arrangements become clear and predictable early on. Working out a parenting plan as early and as quickly as possible serves many purposes such as it gets your children into a regular routine, you can have certainty around access, holidays, do we share in the buying of gifts and presents, do we share clothes etc.
Dear Mum and Dad,
Let’s talk about Men’s Health, it’s the week for it, and something we should always keep top of mind. It’s important to prioritise our health. By doing so we are a better version of ourself to our families, our children, our partners, our friends and… ourself. If you’re like me, I like myself much better when I’m feeling healthy.
Pick ups and drop offs can be tough! I remember there were times that if I had a heart rate monitor on, you would have seen my heart rate at…5kms away 110 bpm, 3kms away 135bpm, entering her street 150bpm. One of the things I have learned on this journey is that it is extremely important to get along with your child’s mother when it comes to shared parenting.
A bottle of water in the supermarket is worth about $0.50. The same bottle in a bar costs $2. In a good restaurant or hotel it can be worth up to $3. At an airport or on the plane, you may be charged $5. The bottle and the brand is the same, the only thing that changes is the place. Each place gives a different value to the same product. When you feel like you are worth nothing and everyone around you belittles you, change places, do not stay there. Have the courage to change places and go to a place where you are given the value you deserve. Surround yourself with people who really appreciate your worth. Don’t settle for less!
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