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Newcastle Herald
Newcastle Herald
National
Helen Gregory

Hunter students celebrate dedicated dads ahead of Father's Day

BJ Kelly, with Reign, six, and Ruby, nine, said he had always pictured himself having his own family. "I'm enjoying every bit of it, just spending uninterrupted time together doing fun things and getting out and about... family comes first." Picture: Simone De Peak
Kevin Gordon with his grandson Rylan Enright, six. Picture: Simone De Peak
Mark O'Connor with his children Audrey, 9, and Henry, 8. Picture: Simone De Peak

FOR BJ Kelly, explaining what it's like to be Ruby and Reign's dad is an "easy one".

"As far as I'm concerned they're the best kids in the world," Mr Kelly said.

"We're always having fun, always laughing, always joking around and very happy, there's never a dull moment.

"We do lots of things, motor bike riding, go to different skate parks, mostly outdoor things.

"We do a thing called 'new experiences' whenever we can, where they choose something they'd like to do that they wouldn't normally do and we all go and do that as a family unit. We've been canoeing, rock climbing, camel riding, we went to a Kid Laroi concert, stayed at a cottage with farm animals.

"We do more experiences rather than material toys and stuff like that.

"With us it's all about giving them what we did not have growing up, we were less fortunate and we're in the position now where we can do this kind of stuff with our kids and we don't want them to feel the way we did growing up.

"It's more about them experiencing good fun things and having fun bonding time with the family."

Mr Kelly was one of the dads and dad-figures honoured on Friday at St Patrick's Primary School Cessnock's Father's Day breakfast and liturgy.

"I don't like to miss those moments with them," he said.

"They're only going to happen once so I try to make it to as much as possible. Work and money doesn't even come into the equation when it comes to that stuff."

Mark O'Connor was also determined to join his children Audrey and birthday boy Henry for breakfast and worked late on Thursday so he could attend. "I just wanted to show them that we love them and care for them and want to be there for them," he said.

Mr O'Connor said being a dad was the "best thing ever".

"It's great, I couldn't ask for anything better," he said. "I love getting to spend time with them and be a kid again yourself, just muck around with them and have a laugh. We go for walks, go to the park, play ball."

Mr O'Connor said he considered his most important role as trying to guide them in the right direction, "but at the end of the day they're kids and I just let them be kids".

"Have fun and enjoy all the little things while they can before it gets too serious and they get tied up with stuff," he said.

"[I tell them] be kind to everyone, I don't try and do too many orders - just be nice to everyone, don't take life too seriously. It's all about fun at that age."

He said he hadn't thought while growing up about fatherhood too much, "but now I couldn't think of anything else."

Mr Kelly said his kids had already given him a coffee cup and back scratcher ahead of their breakfast at Crowne Plaza Hunter Valley on Sunday.

"My little fella couldn't hold on to that, as soon as I got home 'Dad, we bought this for you'."

Mr O'Connor's family will have breakfast with his wife Alison's parents, lunch with his parents - he said he is mirroring some of his dad Douglas' parenting style - then head to the park.

"We've got a third one, [George, five] and he has almost let [what the gift is] slip a couple of times - the others have picked him up on it."

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