I recently had the chance to interview co-owner of Miann & Co and father of three, Terry, to get an insight into his life as a father. See what his kids say about him in the video above, and take a read to see his highlights as a father and how he'll be spending this Father's Day below. Enjoy
What is your favourite memory of being a kid?
Going on long car trips with my parents for holidays. We would leave very early, like 3 am and I can remember the excitement of being able to take my blanket and sleep in the car while my dad drives and there was no-one else on the road.
What is your favourite memory of your dad?
My favourite memories of my dad is mostly of him laughing. My dad is a real teaser and he teases till he gets a reaction. I remember how he used to always make me laugh and as a dad myself now, I can understand why he used to do it. It is one of the nicest things to hear your kids laugh from their stomach and just hearing them laugh is enough to make you laugh.
What was one special thing you and your dad used to do together?
My dad used to take me to work with him and I loved it. Being a plumber looking after the main supply of water to the town, he had to drive far and we would go off-road into the mountains to the river where the water was pumped to reservoirs and then gravitated to other reservoirs in town. Sometimes he even use to put me on his lap and I could hold the steering wheel to pretend I was driving. We would be out all day in the wild and being in South Africa there was always lots of wild life, especially Baboons that would cause all kinds of havoc at the pump stations. (So we would have to go often). I remember how nice it was to get out there and be totally alone with my dad and it just being the two of us with no-one else in sight. I would play all day and if we were there for most of the day my dad would make a fire and we would BBQ on it.
What is your favourite thing to do with your daughter?
My little girl is 15 Months and our third child. We have 2 boys whom are a little older, 7 and 10 years. I never believed it till now, but the relationship between a dad and his girl is very different to that with boys. You love them all equally, however girls seem to have dad wrapped around their finger from a very young age. I love just sitting with her next to me or on my lap (which doesn’t happen very often as she is very busy and doesn’t sit still) I love watching her experience new things, like when we took her to the beach for the first time. Seeing the expressions on her little face as she experiences stuff for the first time is priceless and something I want to hold on to forever.
What do you enjoy most about being a dad?
Being a dad creates a lot of enjoyment. I love seeing my kids grow up, but at the same time I wish they would stay little forever. I love hearting them describe things in their own words and it is very entertaining to hear the funny ways they try and figure somethings out for themselves. Their imaginations always intrigue me. I love being able to take them to different countries and travel with them, to see their faces when they experience something new and different. There is something so rewarding about hearing your kids talk about things they remember from previous travel destinations that you thought they have forgotten or did not notice. A dad gets to do all the fun things like trowing them in the air and catching them again, or spinning them round and round thill they hurt with laughter.
What surprised you most about being a dad?
There certainly are a lot of surprises!! No-one can coach you into being a dad/parent. Being responsible and caring for little people is by no means easy, but it is by far one of the most rewarding things to watch them grow up into self dependant human beings. I am always surprised to see my kids taking the next step and becoming more and more independent with each step they take. It is also scary and sad to think that they end up needing you less and less everyday. As a parent I think you have a constant battle of watching them become more independent, but wanting to have them depend on you forever and never grow up.
How will you be spending this Father's Day?
I’ll be spending the day with the family and having everyone around me will be enough. Anything we can do together as a family will make it a day to remember.
