No More Fathers Day?

It used to be that I was excited about fathers day, going to school and making a nice card for my dad. Spending my pocket money on a small gift for him such as a cheap aftershave or a packet of hankies.

I got excited about fathers day, letting my dad enjoy a well deserved long lie in bed and bringing him up breakfast and his morning coffee; after all he worked hard all year around to put bread on our table and a roof over our head.

He always seemed to enjoy Fathers day too, he would always have a big smile on his face when he read my card and opened up my gift to him, he would always say the right things and the big hug that followed always made me feel happy and special.

Things have really changed over the years since those innocent days of my childhood and now that I am the father of four children it feels to me that the magic of fathers day has lost it's sparkle.

Mothers day is a big thing in school these days, the children all muck in and make cards, cakes and buy some chocolates to gift to mummy on her special day. At the school my children attend they even put on a special assembly on the Friday before Mothers day and invite the mothers along. The children sing and perform songs dedicated to Mothers day and all of the mothers are presented with a small bunch of daffodils.

When Fathers day comes along nothing! not a card, not a cake, not a chocolate and of course there is no special assembly for Fathers day.

I used to look forward to receiving a hand made card with bits and bobs on it, a bit of pasta stuck here a bit of wool stuck there or a bit of shiny paper stuck where ever my son or daughter had the urge to stick it on the card, but even when they were in kindergarten Fathers day passed by without a thought.

It is rather a sad reflection of today's society that Schools will not celebrate fathers day because "A lot of the children don't have a father,"

The increased number of single mothers these days does mean that there are a few children in each classroom who don't have a father but why should that make any difference to the children who do have both parents?

The school caters to many cultures and religions but they still celebrate all of the Christian Holidays even if a few pupils in each classroom are non-Christian, so why should children with dads have to miss out on the special feeling that I got when I was younger and making up card and gifts for my dad?

Some of the children may not have a dad so why can't they make something for another member of their family? A Granddad card, a brother or sister card or even another card for mommy whilst the children with fathers make their fathers day cards and gifts for dad.

It is a great feeling getting a lie in on fathers day and hearing the hushed excitement of my children as they try to tiptoe upstairs to surprise me with breakfast in bed. Pretending to be asleep with the aroma of a house burning down and what sounds like a giant herd of elephants in a charge towards you is a difficult task but I think I manage to pull it off without them noticing that I am holding in a laugh.

Breakfast arrives with four excited children thinking that they are the best children in the world for doing all of this just for daddy and at that moment in time in my mind my children are the four best children in the world.

Then come the gifts, these too come as a great big surprise to me, after all they know what I like and I get the same gifts every year but who will give me what this year as they change who gets what for dad every year.

Socks, aftershave, a box of chocolates and a pair of comfy slippers, my children know me so well.

I hope though just like my dad before me that I react properly and always manage to say the right things and make my children feel special about themselves.

I am always a little disappointed though when I open my cards from my children, although I try not to show it, and find that they are store bought, just once I would love to receive a card that has been made by hand.

Don't get me wrong, I do love the cards because they each put their own individual messages in them, they always seem to be well chosen and fit each of my children's personalities but it just isn't the same as a card made by their own fair hand.

I love the feeling I get on fathers day when my elephant herd make their way up with breakfast, I love the proud and excited looks on their faces as they "wake me up" with breakfast and then hand me their gifts and cards. I love the fact that my children are for that one moment in time every year perfect little angels but most of all I love the fact that one day out of every year every my family make me feel like the most important person in their lives.

Schools need to respect the fact that children love fathers day and should be allowed to create a simple card to celebrate it.