Mothers will go to great lengths to see their children smile.
And that’s exactly what single mother-of-four Shan Collins did when she dressed as a man for a Father’s Day event at her children’s school.
The 28-year-old, from Queensland, certainly pulled off the ‘dad look’ by hiding her brunette locks beneath a baseball cap and drawing on a beard.
The school was hosting a Father’s Day morning tea and concert when the doting mother showed up in an oversized Brisbane Broncos shirt and a pair of sunglasses.
Single mother-of-four Shan Collins (pictured left in her dress-up and right with her four children) dressed as a man for a Father’s Day event at her children’s school
‘I was feeling terrible for them because I didn’t want them to feel left out,’ Ms Collins told Daily Mail Australia.
‘They thought it was absolutely hilarious. When I rocked up, they were in shock at first but they clung onto me. It was very emotional. I was trying to hold it together.
‘I could see the sparks in their eyes – they were just so happy to see me. They were not embarrassed and they were not ashamed of being around me without their male role model or father there.
‘Some [teachers] didn’t recognise me. Some of the other dads had a laugh. They knocked over a few dad jokes with me. I didn’t get any negative vibes from anyone.’
The young mother said she couldn’t bear the thought of her children – aged between eight and one years old – missing out on the celebration
The young mother said she couldn’t bear the thought of her children – aged between eight and one years old – missing out on the celebration.
‘They’re always asking me “when are we getting a new dad”. I’ve been single for 18 months and we’ve been going through a lot of emotional challenges,’ She said.
‘We started off homeless and we’re just rebuilding our lives now. I’ve been going through the day-to-day challenges like any single mother would.
‘I’ve been supporting my family without their father. It’s been a rough journey.’
And so she decided to get dressed up to surprise her children at school last week.
‘I just wanted to make a joke out of it for them… I wasn’t expecting to get this much attention,’ she said.
Despite her heartwarming gesture, the mother laughed as she said she won’t be dressing up as a man again
‘I know I can’t replace their dad, I wasn’t trying to do that. But if I can make my kids happy in any way, I will do whatever it takes.’
Despite her heartwarming gesture, the mother laughed as she said she won’t be dressing up as a man again.
‘It was just a one off,’ she said.
‘The children are still giggling about it today. It’s definitely a memory that will stick with them forever. All I wanted was to take on a positive spin for Father’s Day.
‘The results speak for themselves. I strongly encourage other single mothers to come on board, it was so much fun.’