Daddy, You Really Don't Understand Anything... Do You?!

DADDY

You Really Don't Understand Anything About Anything... Do You?

(Discover What You Can Learn From Your Children)

by Tim van der Vliet

To my teachers Yuan, Rio, Lila and Liam

All rights reserved Š 2012 Tim van der Vliet www.TimvanderVliet.com Design and illustration

by Designtree / Dorien Franken www.designtree.nl Drawings by Vanessa Oostijen www.studiokoosje.com No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author. An exception is made for reviewers, who may quote short excerpts.

First printing 2015

DADDY

You Really Don't Understand Anything About Anything... Do You?

(Discover What You Can Learn From Your Children) "If a friend forwarded you this file, you can leave your email at timvandervliet.com to stay up to date.

I will give away 5 free copies of my book when it is published"

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8 . CHILDREN, LIFE TEACHERS

About Me I ... ... h ave never read any parenting magazine, ever. ... keep learning by making mistakes. ... l ove my kids, but also a lot of other people in this world. ... s till go out with my friends, and not only for coffee ;). ... a m stumbling through life too, my children think, but they help me sometimes. ... k now (absolutely) nothing about parenting, nor (I realize while I write this) about life itself, other than my own experience. ... h ave raised our children having the following two ideas: 1) “Walk your own path” and 2) “You can talk to me about anything” ... think children need love and food, and that's about it...

CHILDREN, LIFE TEACHERS . 9

I ntroduction It was a warm day in July 2010 when I was walking in the streets of Amsterdam Old West with my daughter Rio, then aged 9. She gave me her jacket and ordered me: “Hold This!”. Still flabbergasted with her tone I mumbled: “Why would I hold this?”. She immediately put me into place by looking me straight in the eye while she spoke: “Daddy! You really don't understand anything about anything...

Do you?!”

I laughed out loud, partly because I felt she was a bit harsh. But then I thought: “That is soooo Socrates! I only know I know nothing.”

Then and there I understood that my children, our children can teach us so many things.

At this time in life I am an officially published author with, hold your chair, one book published. My work is to write blogs, speak publicly, coach and write new books (you are now reading the free sample of it!). About a year ago my wife decided to go back to work, for 6 days a week! So I was left, having to take care of our four children, now aged 16, 14, 12 and 3.

You could say I am busy, bloody busy.

But there is, even for stay at home dads (and moms) like me, light at the end of the tunnel: You can learn a lot from your children!

And if you are open for the lessons your children can teach you, you' ll start to trust your children. Children's minds are beautiful, simple, pure and highly intuitive. By listening and learning from your children you train your intuition. Your child on the other hand, or maybe as a positive side effect, will feel more confident because by being trusted and listened to they know that they can trust their parents too.

The words you are about to read are from 2010 up to this moment.

Here, especially for you, a free sample of my new book

DADDY

You Really Don't Understand Anything About Anything... Do You?

(Discover What You Can Learn From Your Children)

From a loving, open, sometimes struggling father's heart I wish you to Enjoy parenthood, and this free sample!

(Feel free to share this link with your friends, family and other people you feel might like this. Thanks in advance!)

Tim

Table of contents

16 32 46 82

Unconditional love The mirror Lose the ego Peace of mind CHILDREN, LIFE TEACHERS . 13

a

a

person is a person, no matter how small - Dr. Seuss -

UnconditionalloveUncond UnconditionalloveUncond UnconditionalloveUncond UnconditionalloveUncond UnconditionalloveUncond UnconditionalloveUncond UnconditionalloveUncond UnconditionalloveUncond UnconditionalloveUncond UnconditionalloveUncond Step 1

ditionalloveUnconditiona ditionalloveUnconditiona ditionalloveUnconditiona ditionalloveUnconditiona ditionalloveUnconditiona ditionalloveUnconditiona ditionalloveUnconditiona ditionalloveUnconditiona ditionalloveUnconditiona ditionalloveUnconditiona

At first I didn't know you...

18 . UNCONDITIONAL LOVE

UNCONDITIONAL LOVE . 19

Now...

20 . UNCONDITIONAL LOVE

I don't know what I would do without you

UNCONDITIONAL LOVE . 21

About kids and karma What goes around comes around they say But with these children to raise I really start to understand this phrase If I am moody, short-tempered and not focused on them my little friends get rowdy When I on the other hand show compassion and love when I'm being a friend these children become true masters of 'Zen' In other words, what goes in must come out.

The karmic message here in fact is that what you put in.

22 . THE MIRROR

you get

7 times :) back.

7 times :) back.

7 times :) back.

7 times :) back.

7 times :) back.

7 times :) back.

7 times :) back.

THE MIRROR . 23

$#!% 24 . THE MIRROR

Did she just say $#!%?

THE MIRROR . 25

My children tell me "Hey big guy!

Did you know that after the age of 25

YOU 26 . LOSE THE EGO

S H RI

NK

??!"

But instead of shrinking I grow 'cause I see their smiles and the twinkle in their eyes...

LOSE THE EGO . 27

a moment of insight

28 . LOSE THE EGO

(straight to the face)

Daddy, You really don't understand anything about anything, do you...?

Daddy looks at her with big eyes and thinks: "She might be right" LOSE THE EGO . 29

Sometimes in my family I try to be nice but what I get is a sneer to the face I know we are all just growing up but today I've had it completely Maybe I am not so in tune after all Call this a call: today is about and for me I deserve to be treated with respect If you cannot do that then all I can do is neglect to play this game with you

30 . LOSE THE EGO

Bye

bye

have a nice time Today this guy is not giving ANYTHING back.

(I guess my ego is having an attack...)

LOSE THE EGO . 31

I ask my daughter:

“Honey, what is the time?”

32 . LOSE THE EGO

Huh?!

“It's time to change Daddy ...time to change” LOSE THE EGO . 33

34 . CHILDREN, LIFE TEACHERS

about the author

Tim van der Vliet lives in Amsterdam, the Netherlands with his wife and 4 children. Many of the insights are based on Tim’s own experiences as a father and husband while others come from his observations and reflections. Tim spends as much time as possible sitting in front of his house doing nothing, so as to create space and time to be creative.

After a 13 year career in trading the financial markets het resigns and starts to write about life. He finds that a lot of inspiration for a good life is taught by his children. To name a few, children teach you to: love unconditionally, give up discrimination, day dream, relax a bit - because what you put in you get back, live intuitively, take authority in one's own hands, be patient, love the people that are born in stead of sorrow for the people that went, love from a distance, let go of responsibilities that don't help you grow, co-create, have faith in fate, live with open eyes, feel alive, play and have fun in all the small steps to be made.

Tim is also the author of Spiritual Awakening (the easy way), published by Hay House UK in September 2013.

CHILDREN, LIFE TEACHERS . 35

Follow Tim van der Vliet Tim van der Vliet Tim2Day tim_vandervliet

36 . CHILDREN, LIFE TEACHERS

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Thank you!!! Tim

CHILDREN, LIFE TEACHERS . 37

DADDY

You Really Don't Understand Anything About Anything... Do You?

(Discover What You Can Learn From Your Children)

is a collection of stories and insights about how to learn to trust your children and perhaps more importantly, train your own intuition through the lessons children teach us.

Tim's words have the ability to inspire you and to make you laugh at the same time. You can read them over and over again and find new perspectives because of their transformative nature, or maybe because the words have changed you.

The message is portrayed in four parts: Unconditional Love, The Mirror, Lose the Ego and Peace of Mind. This book will be of great value to fathers, parents and parents to be. If you’re a child (and having problems with your parents) you may be pleasantly surprised too. Together, let's learn how to be a little more tolerant towards each other!

verkoopprijs 8,95 eur

Sometimes the things that bring peace of mind are in the places we cannot see or didn't expect them to be. Please open up and start turning pages‌