For software engineer and father of two Dotan Tamir, Father’s Day is all about pancakes in bed, and of course, celebrating being a dad...
“I always wanted to be a father. I come from a big family, and I always felt comfortable with little kids,” he says. He’s holding his family even closer right now, having not been able to return to France to see his own for three years. “Being far away in lockdown and not able to travel and visit family is hard; it makes me very grateful to have my own little family here,” he says. Tamir’s two children – Mayaan and Lani – speak both French and English and the post-pandemic plan is to live in France so the children can discover more about their heritage.
Ahead of Father’s Day, we spoke to Dotan about being a Dad. And also got dressed up in Seed’s ‘Match With Dad’ collection (possibly the cutest collection we’ve ever seen). So whether you’re celebrating in lockdown or able to get out and about, the Dad (and minis) in your life will see the day through in style and comfort.
Dotan wears Seed Heritage Mens Cotton Sweater, $69.95, and Mens Beach Shorts, $69.95. Mayaan wears Seed Heritage Child Cotton Sweater, $39.95, and Child Beach Shorts, $39.95
Your own parents live overseas, which must be so difficult at the moment. How long since you have seen them, and does this make you more aware of the value of family?
The last time I saw my parents was more than three years ago, and yes being far away in lockdown and not able to travel and visit family is hard; it makes me very grateful to have my own little family here and to fully appreciate it. In general, I think COVID has thought us how important is family and how many great things we can do as a family.
Have you always known you wanted to be a father?
I always wanted to be a father, I come from a big family and I always felt comfortable with little kids. I love the most about fatherhood is seeing my kids developing and growing to be the amazing person that they are.
What sort of childhood do you hope to give your children, and what values do you want to teach them?
A childhood that is full of love and affection, I want our children to feel loved, belong and important. I want them when they grow up to look back at their childhood and have a great smile on their face knowing they had the time of their life learning about our world, animals, gardening, languages etc. We trying to teach our kids to be respectful to one another, to help anyone in need, and be aware of their surroundings and environment.
What was your own childhood like, and how does this shape the way you parent?
My extended family is very close, so we used to spend lots of time together. So, in short, a very family-oriented childhood. And it made me want my family to be very close as well.
Dotan wears Seed Heritage Mens Cotton Sweater, $69.95, and Mens Linen Shorts, $79.95. Lani wears Seed Heritage Child Linen Dress, $69.95. Mayaan wears Seed Heritage Child Linen Shirt, $44.95, and Child Linen Shorts, $44.95
Being based in Melbourne, how have the last 18 months impacted your family?
The last 18 months has made us closer to each other, more than we already were. We’ve done so many things together, from cooking to playing to gardening. The kids actually love having both of us at home everyday. Maayan is missing many kinder days and both can’t attend their sport which is the hardest part for them, because they are little social butterflies! Thankfully we both can still work, and we are all healthy and happy. We’re just waiting for the time when we can hop on a plane again.
What is your lockdown routine?
I’m lucky to have a very flexible job, which is fully remote so I can move things around to fit my personal needs. I wake up as early as I can, do as much work as possible until everyone wakes up. We then have breakfast together and I then go back to do some work meetings here and there. Around lunchtime, I break from work and we have lunch together and afterwards, we usually go for a walk, kick a ball or ride a bike or scooter. We then do something with the kids (Lego, reading, writing, baking, gardening), usually, after dinner we play a family game (Monopoly, Uno) and then I go back to work for few hours at night when the kids are asleep.
How do you and your wife Stephanie share the load? Do you have separate responsibilities or do you just pitch in together?
We don’t have set responsibilities, we work together as a tag team. For just about everything from cleaning to attending to the kids to washing. I cook because apparently, I am good at it and do love cooking and baking for all of us. My daughter Lani loves to help me too, it’s our special time.
Living in a multicultural household, do your kids speak other languages, and is teaching them about their heritage important to you both?
Yes, our kids speak two languages (French and English) and understand a little from the third one (Hebrew). Our heritage and our cultural background are important to us, and we try to teach both backgrounds as much as we can. We hope to go back to live in France after Covid for a couple of years for the kids to know more about their heritage and to fully learn the language.
How will you celebrate Father’s Day this year?
In lockdown, probably having my nails done by the kids while getting nice pancakes served with coffee. This will probably end with a dance party at home!
Shop the Father’s Day ‘Match With Dad’ collection at seedheritage.com