Daddy Cool

This Father’s Day, we celebrate our heroes, showing appreciation for the men in our lives.

By Nadia Gardner

Some lessons don’t come from technology, culture or education. The priceless lifelong lessons often stem from shared moments of laughter, gentle nurturing and making mistakes. Soul-satisfying joys and lasting memories create that everlasting paternal bond.

This Father’s Day, we discover the ups and downs of the joyful role of fatherhood, as one dad shares the moments that define what it means to be a father.

“My name is Stevie Kahn, and I’ve been living in Dubai for 14 years. I’m married with two beautiful children; I work for the London Stock Exchange and am a part-time landscape/cityscape photographer. I enjoy making memories with my family, travelling, watching the mighty Liverpool winning trophies, binging on Rick and Morty and hysterically laughing at my own dad jokes. I also truly appreciate a good British cup of tea and people who know how to queue!”

What do you love most about being a dad?

Truthfully, the list is long, but if I had to only choose one thing it would be, seeing the pure joy and excitement on my children’s faces when we do fun things. It could be something as simple as cooking or eating pancakes, scooting around our neighbourhood, shopping for their favourite superhero toy or teaching them about football and Formula One!

What have you learnt or discovered about yourself since your bundles of joy came into the world?

That you don’t know how selfless you are until you become a parent. Your family always comes first.

What has been the greatest challenge on your fatherhood journey so far?

Sleep deprivation! Also, staying patient and calm even when utter chaos ensues or they suddenly lose their ability to listen. Mostly though, it’s seeing your children unwell and dealing with illness and/or physical pain. It’s heartbreaking!

What has been your greatest lesson?

Children have such a deep appreciation for the simple things in life. They truly live in the present, and their sole mission is to have fun and make friends. They forgive and forget quickly and make you see the world through their eyes, with innocence and purity – lessons we can all learn! They have also taught me the importance of packing snacks and taking naps!

What is your greatest wish for your kids?

To always be happy and healthy! To grow up knowing the importance of kindness and compassion, hard work and integrity, and they’re capable of anything. I also hope they become mega-wealthy so we can live our retired years out on their yacht in the Mediterranean!

My Father’s Day gift basket has a bit of a summer theme as it helps to have useful items for upcoming travels, including:

A cool beach towel is always a must-have in Sunny Dubai. This is an excellent item as it includes a waterproof hidden pocket and four pins to fix the towel into the sand.

As a collector of cool swim shorts, these are especially awesome as they’re made from recycled plastic collected from Mediterranean seas and beaches.

Good for your skin and the environment, the Sunkiss range is reef-safe and coral friendly. Smells good too!

You can never have too many crisp cotton white shirts. Useful all year round for multiple occasions.

A good white pair of sneakers is another must-have for everyday use during travel and leisure. I like that this brand plants two trees to compensate for the emission of this product.

A good fragrance is always a great gift to add to a Dad’s collection!

A jogger and hoodie set is always massively useful for comfort during travel and loungewear at home/holiday. A great staple in the wardrobe and always a good gift.