The Phone Face: The Drawing That Made Dad Put the Phone Down

Here's a question worth sitting with for a second: when did your child last draw you, and what did you look like?

The first drawing

In our short film, seven-year-old Sam draws his dad. Everything is there: the body, the arms, the shoes. Except where the face should be, there's a phone.

Sam wasn't making a point. He was just drawing what he saw most often.

His dad saw it.

The second drawing

That Saturday, they went out and flew a kite. Nothing fancy. Just the two of them, a windy afternoon and a string.

The next drawing Sam made had a face. Two faces, actually. And a smile. And in the corner, a little phone, crossed out.

Our kids are drawing us every day

This story spreads so widely because nearly every parent has felt that small sting of recognition. We're all on our phones more than we'd like: work emails, group chats, the news. Children don't judge it. They just record it.

The good news is in the second half of the story. It doesn't take a grand gesture to change the picture. One afternoon of full attention was enough for Sam to draw his dad differently.

A gift that doubles as a reminder

In the video, Sam's dad has the kite drawing embroidered onto a hoodie. Now, as the narrator puts it, "every time he reaches for his phone, he sees it."

That's what makes this kind of gift more than sentimental. It's a gentle nudge he chose for himself, worn right on his chest.

Perfect for

• Father's Day, from a child who's noticed more phone time than they'd like (or a dad who's working on it)
• Christmas, as a gift that says "more Saturdays like this one"
• A new year's resolution to be more present, with a reminder he'll actually see
• Moms too. The phone face isn't just a dad thing.

Why embroidery works for a drawing like this

Kids' drawings use bold lines, simple shapes and bright colors, which happen to suit embroidery very well. We stitch the drawing just as it was made: kite, string, crooked smiles and all. It's durable, so the reminder lasts.

An easy experiment

Ask your child to draw you this week. Don't explain why. Then look at what they drew. If you like what you see, keep it. If you don't, plan a kite afternoon, and ask again next week.

Either way, when you get a drawing you want to keep, send us a photo at anorashop.com and we'll embroider it on a hoodie or a t-shirt. Everyone gets 15% off during our grand opening with code BESTGIFT.

Tag a dad who needs this on his chest.