Like all parents, I lose my cool from time to time. It’s just part of the job. When my frustration with my kids rises to a certain point, I’ve been known to raise my voice, grab hold, and reprimand. I’m human. But one day, I tried something different. A version of “Time Out” for Dad, but with a twist. Instead of pushing back with irritation, I danced, sang a silly song, and made them laugh. I challenged their state of mind by challenging myself.
As I did it, I thought of one of children’s literature’s most beloved protagonists: Big Nutbrown Hare.
If you’ve read “Guess How Much I Love You” (Sam McBratney, 1996) to your kids, you’re familiar with the spirited way Big Nutbrown Hare, and his child, Little Nutbrown Hare, profess their love for each other, just before Little Nutbrown Hare’s bedtime. (e.g. “I love you as high I can hop.”)
It’s a beautiful story, especially for dads, since it shows the father being the main care giver, and his child (it’s a son in my mind) performing earnest acts of jumping, stretching, and reaching to show his dad how much he loves him back. The father and son interaction is the highlight of the book, but what really gets me every time in this story is how effortless Big Nutbrown Hare makes fatherhood look. He’s at ease, confident, and so tender with his child.
In my moment of my annoyance, I tried on the character of Big Nutbrown Hare, and it worked. By turning exasperation into playful exaggeration, I bounded my way back to the good parts, the tender moments of fathering that mean the world.
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Photo credit: Robert Couse-Baker.