In honour of Fathers Day, We thoughts we'd ask some of our Favourite Smalls Dads to sum up Dadding it ...Happy Fathers Day!
Russ, Father of three Daughters...and Smalls
Being the dad of three girls is a gift I could never have imagined. Their love of family, life and fun is infectious and constantly amazes me. Today is Fathers Day - every other day of the year for me is Daughters Day!
Will Greenwood, Sky Sports Presenter, Rugby Legend and Father of three
Dadding it for me is all encompassing. My time on the Rugby field and in the commentary box has certainly been easier than wrangling my three beautiful and charismatic children. Becoming a Father for me was a heart-aching journey. “We lost Freddie 6 months into Caro’s pregnancy, we wouldn’t have met Professor Mark Johnson if not. Archie wouldn’t be here without Mark, fact. We made a vow to support him in any way we could when he arrived. Mark founded Borne and asked for our help. We did not need asking twice.”
Since then dadding it for me has been full of belly laughs, Sunday sport, bedtime cuddles, and climbing the odd mountain for Mark Johnson. Without doubt my biggest teacher has been Matilda. She’s’ connected me to what it means to be a parent, and now with my wife Caro launching her blog to raise awareness for her needs as a child with what has been described to us as a “spikey profile”, I am bursting at the seams with pride.
Richard, Dad of twins, CEO and founder of Surrogacy with confidence.
EJ asked me to write about dadding-it in honour of father's day. Who would have thought that I would be a dad! Definitely not me! As a gay man living in London for many years it was the furthest thing from my mind and yet here I am, celebrating our 4th Fathers' day with our twins.
To me Fathers day is all about recongising how much my life has changed and the journey that I have been on to get to this point. Having that responsibility is huge but actually recognising it is even bigger.
I mostly feel that I have no idea what I'm doing when dadding-it. I look at so many other parents and wonder how they've got it all together, but then again maybe they're all thinking the same thing!!
What I do know is that I have two amazing children, who every day make me smile. They're funny, actually, they're really really funny, how can a 4 year old just have such a wicked sense of humour - especially when they've done something or seen something that just tickles them and the belly-laugh comes out. Just makes me smile thinking about it. Listening to them talking every night after lights-out about stuff is frustrating as they should be asleep, and yet it's amazing!
I always remember my son one night when we drove home late, he woke up as we got him out to the car and he looked up and just said "stars". He'd only ever seen them on the TV or read about them in books - never seen them in person. It made me realise how much we start viewing the world again through new eyes. Things we take for granted on a daily basis are things that they have never encountered and how we then frame that moment can form their assumption on it for life. So I make sure I grab that moment and make them love it.
I'm not the rough and tumble kind of dad my husband is the one who gets muddy, hangs out in the sandpit or just is the "fun dad" but, do you know what, I'm ok with that; I'm the one that sets the boundaries and has the frameworks, the one who castigates but also cuddles. I tell them every single day that I love them to the moon and back. I always ask them how much do I love you and their reply of "so much" or "as big as a mountain" just bursts my heart and I want them to always remember they are loved beyond words. Being a dad has taught me unconditional love, they really can do nothing that will make me love them any less. I don't really think I can say that about anyone or anything else in my life.
Making the decision to go through the rollercoaster of surrogacy was the best decision I have ever made as frankly being a dad is the best thing EVER.