7 things my dad taught me

This early life lesson may not have been taught intentionally, but it has definitely come in useful time and time again. When you want something and the person you expect to provide it says no, don’t give in, ask someone else! Just think; all of that practise at begging someone to buy you a 99 at the sound of the ice cream van could actually come in handy in adult your life. 

It isn’t made obvious whether men get more practice in the field of telling porky-pies or if they feel it is their responsibility to warn their children of the consequences of telling lies, but it’s a given that many of you gentlemen will be guilty of telling a lady that you have an expensive car covered up in the garage, when you’re really only storing a rusty old Ford. These are definitely crucial words of wisdom passed from dad to child, even if the moral isn’t quite there.

Inevitably as a child you asked your parents squillions of questions about everything from why water is wet, to what happens when we die; all queries you expected them to know and trusted their answers. The thing is, despite your parents knowing a lot more than you, they don’t know everything. This concept is something we all struggle to get used to. Let’s face it, you’ll always trust your Dad to provide some sensible advice when absolutely necessary, or at the very least regurgitate some useless information from that documentary that was on last night.

Dads are the first ones in the family to tell their kids to grow up when they act immature or make decisions that show a clear lack of judgment. Yet when it comes to moving out, getting married or generally just doing adult-things, Dads often get nostalgic and start reminiscing over their children’s childhood, wishing time would slow down, just a little bit.

Dad’s will be quite vocal in sharing their expectations in terms of achieving the top grades possible, yet when it comes down to what’s printed on a piece of paper, he’s just happy that you’re achieving your potential. It’s all well and good to cram for a test and get that A ready for your CV, but if it hasn’t developed your intellect, it isn’t worth the certificate it’s printed on. This lesson doesn’t just apply to school students, but is a valuable lesson to retain when it comes to using your brain.

When it comes to money, all dads agree on this one thing; money is superb when you have enough of it to do what makes you happy, but it shouldn’t be the thing that controls your happiness. This lesson might be based on a cliché but it makes you think about what really matters. My Dad always told me to spend my money on the necessities and not to rely solely on money for entertainment; you can socialise, travel, and get new things without spending a fortune.

Happiness is not an object, happiness cannot be bought and much like lesson number six, happiness is a concept that must remain in your control; not in the hands of someone or something else. Dads do seem to know best when it comes to happiness (despite being easily agitated when flicking through the channels or changing a fuse box). After all, it is often the little things that make you happy, many of which are free.