Father of 8 from Standerton tells of his role

This Father’s Day, the Standerton Advertiser celebrated all the wonderful dads out there by talking to a local father.

Chris van der Schyff (47) has been a Standerton resident since 2017. When Chris and his wife, Angeliqe, moved to Standerton from Pretoria, they were a family of eight. Since 2017 they have welcomed two more boys into the world.

“I always wanted a big family with many children,” said Chris.

The cast of the Van der Schyff family consists of Anthony (25), Gavin (23), Wesley (22), Divan (17), Zandré (6), Robin (5) and the two girls, Veronica (21) and Leticha (16).

Between their eldest, Anthony and their youngest, Robin there is a 20 year age gap. According to Chris, he manages to raise eight children on good discipline, a lot of love and earplugs. Currently seven out of the eight children are still at his home.

“My boys help out around the house a lot, the girls enjoy helping with their little brothers. All around our house functions because everyone does their part,” explained Chris.

He recalls teaching his boys basic knowledge like fixing items around the house, working with cars and much more.

His favorite memories with his children include vacations to game farms, where Wesley spotted animals from far away despite being very little, going to the beach with six small children and hiking with them when they were a little older.

“I love all my children fondly and hold every memory with them close to my heart,” said Chris.

He has experienced the full spectrum of childhood and firmly believes it is harder to raise girls than boys. Chris can testify that girls are indeed more expensive. As a father to two girls, Chris is constantly worried when they leave the house.

“It is sad to say, but girls are not safe on their own, I worry about my daughters when they are not home or with their brothers,” said Chris.

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He believes that the most important lesson you can teach your daughters is to make good choices.

“Girls look up to their fathers, you set the example of what a man should be in her life,” said Chris.

The most valuable lesson he taught his sons is to respect women.

At the age of 47, Chris is still a child at heart and enjoys playing with the younger kids, pushing them on swings, sliding with them and making them laugh. Angeliqe firmly believes that her husband is the best father.

“After 26 years and eight children, he still stands by me and supports me,” explained Angeliqe.

Being a father is no small feat, after exhausting days at work they come home to noisy houses and a million questions, however, they keep on persevering. To every father, whether it is to one child or eight, happy Father’s Day.