My children are no longer at primary school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It therefore marks the end of the handcrafted keyrings, ties, photo frames and t-shirts that I always faithfully received as Father's Day gifts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sorry to hear that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Not that I always believed what was written on the homemade gifts. Politically correct sentiments about being the best and kindest father and so on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What nonsense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I don't know, but I think children learn to lie very well at school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Until your child goes to primary school, you can still convince them that Dad can do anything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But as soon as they are at school, they lose that idea very quickly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dad can't do everything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dad doesn't know everything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The most common comment my daughters make to me is: \u2018childish, you know!\u2019. But perhaps that's more down to me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In any case, there was quite a lot of dishonesty in all those Father's Day presents: there were often things on them that my children, I believe, didn't really mean.<\/p>\n\n\n
Now that the children can choose a gift themselves (and no longer one that the teacher has thought of), they sometimes come up with unexpected things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I had a DNA test yesterday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Are they not sure that I am their father?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fortunate. It's not that kind of test.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It is a test to find out what your genetic ethnicity is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Am I from the Netherlands?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Do I have ancestors from other parts of the world?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That's quite nice to know. For my children too, by the way.<\/p>\n\n\n
Do you yourself have an idea where you come from?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You can find that out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But the question you're heading towards is perhaps even more important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n