This Father’s Day we give you a peek into a father’s heart. We honour this dad because he is special. In a time when most people are choosing not to have children or stop at one child, this dad had 5! We’ve watched him bring up his kiddies – the eldest nine and the youngest seven months and can honestly say he's a great dad. Here’s what Joshua Talreja, has to say about being a dad:

How did you feel when you first heard
you were becoming a father? Were you prepared for it?

Well it was definitely a new feeling, one I had n
ever had before. There is nothing in the world that can prepare you for fatherhood - no books and no previous experience with kids. Isabelle was our first and I was doubly excited that we had a girl. She was absolutely adorable.

What were/are your daily daddy duties?
There is nothing set in stone as far as we are concerned. Five kids later we basically pick up what needs to be done

Describe a day in the life of the Talreja's - a school and non-school one.

The kids study in schools that are 12 kilometers away. So typically, a school day starts early and they are in bed early. Most m
ornings are hurried and the travel to school is trying
to negotiate the traffic the best possible way. They are back by 4:30 and then it's homework, dinner and bed. Of course dinner is when we get to know how their day was. The weekends are a little more relaxed, they watch movies, play in the park, or go swimming.

What are your happiest  and your saddest memories of being a dad?

My happiest memory is each     one’s birth and now watching them grow.  There have been so many memories which are difficult to pen down.
The saddest memory is the day our second daughter and fourth child, our beloved Eva passed from this life.

Your advice to new fathers and to the ones who don't want to be fathers.

As I mentioned earlier, there is nothing that will really ever prepare you for fatherhood. It is something that you have to experience and enjoy on your own. Having said that, life without kids is just half a life and nothing you have accomplished will teach you as much as you learn from kids.

I am not an ideal father and I have to admit that I have learnt a lot from them. They will always look at me like a hero no matter what. There is a sense of innocence and a point of view on life that is so straightforward. We all have to learn to be like little children.

Any parting words for parents and future parents?

I would like to conclude by sharing how important our Christian faith has been to us. I feel the biggest responsibility for us as parents is to teach our children to have faith in God in all situations. This is what will equip them for life. Not money, toys or gadgets, which may be good but are not the most important. Their faith in God helps them to grow and deal with situations where only God can give peace and the answer.

Kids learn whatever they are taught. They learn to share, have compassion and interact with other siblings especially in a large family as opposed to a small one where everything is given and there is no chance to share, mingle and look out for each other. This is what helps children grow and be more responsible citizens and not the theories they are taught.

Many parents are afraid of having children because there is no room for God in their lives. The thought of kids take away their time, energy, peace and only adds more bills and interferes with career and social life.

No matter how much you earn, you will always feel that the money is just not enough. The world is moving away from family and has started to distort it with the wrong sense of freedom. That fact is, if we find fulfillment in God then we are able to have children because God is life and the author of all things. He is the one who will provide what is needed with regard to the finances, the energy and the grace to raise children.