Understand Me!

One of my little men can be a bit naughty. He clearly does it for attention but he also does it when we are all playing together. He deliberately does things to disrupt the game or bathing process or whatever. It is very frustrating at times and difficult not to get very cross. Do all Fathers have this sense?

But I have jusfinished reading Jean-Louis Fournier's book "Where We Going Daddy" and this has made me reconsider the situation. Actually the book made me cry and I am a soldier; we don't cry easily but the man's pain is heartbreaking. The book also made me realise how fortunate I am to have such perfect children because it is about being a father to two very disabled children. Fournier describes a moment when his son, who can not speak, constantly and deliberately throws his ball into places that require the father to come retrieve it. The boy finds his dad and takes him by the hand to fetch the ball. This annoys the father until he realises that being led to fetch the ball is the only time he holds hands with his son. So as well as making me sad, the book also made me realise that, as a father, it is my responsibility to understand how my toddler feels, not his responsibility to explain it to me.

It is a book that is devastating and thought provoking, especially if you are a father, I strongly recommend it: