Father’s Day - Care Home Residents Share Their Best Advice For New Dads
Estimated Reading Time: 5 minutes
With Father’s Day fast approaching, we visited care homes across the country, including the Waterfield House in Ipswich and Braywood Gardens in Nottinghamshire. In doing so, we spoke to a handful of residents about fatherhood. These residents enthusiastically shared words of wisdom for new fathers and dads-to-be.
Their advice - based on decades of experience - ranged from uplifting to heartwarming in equal measure. Above all else though, the tips these inspiring care home residents provided were incredibly useful and should be taken on board by any new or upcoming father.
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Albert Wolton - Waterfield House
87-year-old Albert has four sons with his wife Betty - the pair have been married for 50 years! Above everything else, Albert loves being a family man. He particularly enjoyed looking after his boys when Betty went out to work in the evenings.
Albert says that “Children make a family! I loved being a family man - it’s important to help your partner look after the kids, so work together and enjoy the memories together.”
Denys Gage - Waterfield House
99-year-old Denys said this of new fathers: “Don’t have any fears - it’s not as daunting as you think it will be! Above all, try and provide a secure and safe home for your children to grow up in.” Wise words from Denys indeed!
Denys has two children and greatly enjoys being a family man.
Michael Green - Waterfield House
79-year-old Michael has two children and a granddaughter. Michael remembers a then-nervous experience from when his children were younger. His son got onto the roof and was running around with little care for self-preservation. Thankfully, Michael was able to get him down safely, without any injuries!
When asked to provide some advice for new and soon-to-be fathers, Michael’s main tip was to “make sure your children have a good education”.
Ken Ralph - Waterfield House
Finally, 96-year-old Ken has three children, all of which are boys! Ken’s heartwarming advice was to have a smile every day. He also said to “get plenty of sleep”. We’re sure that this bit of advice is one that many fathers can relate to.
Ken’s fondest memories of being a dad in his younger years came from sharing his love of steam trains with his children - something that they still enjoy to this day.
Here’s what advice other care home residents had to offer for Father’s Day:
Dr Canter - The Burlington
“Brandy is a cure for everything.”
Noel - The Burlington
“WD-40.”
Harold - The Burlington
“Take an interest in what your children are doing. Make sure that you understand what they enjoy doing. Give them the opportunity to learn something new.”
Jonathan - Braywood Gardens
“Be kind to your children.”
Betty - Braywood Gardens
“Keep them on the straight and narrow path.”
Betty remembers her and her other siblings asking their dad for a weekly halfpenny. He always gave it to them, but each sibling tried to get the other to ask for it, nudging each other and saying “you do it”, “no, you do it”.
Olive - Braywood Gardens
“You need a lot of love.”
Olive remembers going for a walk along Trent Bridge on Father’s Day, with lots of other families would do the same. There’s be people selling fresh fruit, including oranges and apples. Olive and her father would take a picnic and enjoy some precious time together.
Olive also feels it important to teach children manners, saying that manners cost nothing, no matter what your background.
In a Nutshell - Care Home Residents’ Best Advice For New Dads
Make sure they have a good education
Don’t have any fears about being a parent
Provide a safe and secure home
Have a smile every day
Get plenty of sleep!
Always help your partner look after the children
Work together
Lindsey Fletcher, Customer Relationship Advisor at Waterfield House told us about the care home’s plans for Father’s Day: “Our residents love to celebrate Father’s Day. We’ll be welcoming many of our resident’s children and grandchildren into our home on Sunday! It’s a great opportunity for families to share their fondest memories of growing up together. We’re expecting lots of smiles and laughter to mark this special day.”
It sounds like the residents at Waterfield House will be having an amazing time this Sunday. There’s little more rewarding than spending time with your family, especially when reminiscing about endearing memories from the past.
The Benefits of Reminiscing For Elderly People
There are a surprising number of benefits to reminiscing in later life. Reminiscing is such a great activity to do with your elderly loved ones and benefits the whole family.
After remembering happy memories, you’ll find that your older relative is often brighter and may smile more. Engaging in these types of conversations helps maintain balance. It can even bring family members closer together. These past experiences that your elderly relative shares are valuable memories that can be passed on to future generations.
Reminiscing together is a wonderful way to communicate with anyone living with dementia.
Activities involving reflection can improve their self-esteem and physical health by lowering their blood pressure. It also improves their communication skills and lowers their stress levels.
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