“I always felt it was so important to wake up in your own bed as a child and to just have that family unit together all day, in your pajamas, eating crap you shouldn’t eat,” he said.
Hollywood fame may seem like a tonne of fun, but Dallas actor Patrick Duffy can think of one thing he likes a tiny bit more than acting on television. The devoted grandfather is still enthusiastic about Santa at the age of 73. He explained that the family has always celebrated the Holidays and that when his sons got married, they made the decision to do it in their own houses. The adored star chatted with Closer Weekly in 2019 where his excitement for Santa Claus' annual visit was explained. “We’ve always had the tradition that as soon as my [two sons Padraic, 47, and Conor, 41] got married and had children, we no longer go to their house for Christmas, or they don’t come to our house for Christmas,” the actor shared.
The proud grandfather talked about his adorable grandkids, saying, “My greatest pleasures now are grandchildren because I have four,” the then-70-year-old adorably shared that he feels “the same joy” the actor and his late wife Carlyn Rosser “felt with our children” when they first had kids. “So you get to relive memories.”
No matter where you are, If your kids wanna do a science experiment-- let'em. @daddydrinksbook pic.twitter.com/CvxY66IpwV
— Padraic Duffy (@duffy_padraic) September 5, 2017
The Step by Step star loves the holidays with his family because he enjoys spending time with his adorable grandchildren. Patrick talked about how he wants to teach his grandchildren "innocence and appreciation" when it comes to the genuine essence of the holidays, which is family for the proud grandfather, as he reflected on his previous Christmas celebrations with his parents. “I realize that there’s probably only two holidays of the year that can instill that. One is Christmas, of course,” he said. “And the other is Thanksgiving because that’s the time when you do gather as a family, and you’re not isolated as units, but everybody gets together at the same time. And without that, you’re just wandering around, wondering when you’re going to get invited to dinner.”
I promise I'll stay clean. #Summer @daddydrinksbook pic.twitter.com/HcdFprCtxE
— Padraic Duffy (@duffy_padraic) June 20, 2017
The soap opera star shared why he thought it was important for the family to spend the holidays together. “I always felt it was so important to wake up in your own bed as a child and to just have that family unit together all day, in your pajamas, eating crap you shouldn’t eat,” he continued. “And then the parents trying to clean up all the mess. But that’s what it’s about. So a few days after, a few days before, that’s when grandparents show up.”
Patrick did add that it was crucial to "not try to recreate the memories" to the grandchildren. “They got to establish their own, and then you kind of fit into it,” he explained. “But it’s really rewarding to see that that innocence prevails, and then try and find it as an adult.”
References:
https://www.closerweekly.com/posts/patrick-duffy-calls-his-grandchildren-his-greatest-pleasures/
Cover Image Source: Getty Images | David Livingston