I have been a father of twins for a little under a year now, and this is what I have learnt from being Dad.
Children are my second chance at life. They have within them the potential to be everything I haven’t been, I want them to stand on my shoulders, stand taller and go further than I ever could.
There are few joys which can compare to the sound of my own children’s laughter.
Rather than protect my kids from the world, I seek to prepare them for the world. It is better to let them make mistakes and learn from the experience and instill independence from early on. I will not teach them to fear the dark, but to kindle their light. I will teach them that darkness fears the light that is within them.
Wrestle, wrestle and wrestle some more, especially with my boy.
I might think I’m a tough guy, but my little girl stole my heart before I knew what hit me.
Don’t intervene too soon when siblings fight. They are learning important social skills, learning about sharing, learning to deal with emotions, and also; learning how to fight back and defend themselves.
Teach the kids to dance to their fears. Our babies love dancing and will wobble their little bodies on command when music is playing. They would however get scared at the loud “whooshing” sound of a pressure cooker releasing steam. Their instinct was to cry and hide in our arms, until the next time the whooshing sound came we shouted, “dance dance!”. Now when they hear the scary noise they shake their little bums and smile.
When they hurt themselves, don’t freak out, make it look cool, show them how strong they can be.
Nurture curiosity, they are little adventurers by nature. Be ready to catch them when they fall and then help them climb those stairs again.
I love them more than anything, no matter what they do, and would not hesitate to give my life for theirs. With this realization, I now begin to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is God’s love for His Children.
Being Dad is one of the best gifts a man can receive, one of the highest callings he can hold, one of the greatest responsibilities he has the honor of carrying. Today I am incredibly proud to be Dad!
