Hearts on WhatsApp

[Nayoryay33]

A dad of ds friends. Put a heart on our whatsapp convo.
The kids have known each other for a few years but became close this year. My ds went over for a sleepover at theirs a month ago. His wife is a nurse and works nights. He was at home with the boys. Very good communication, reassured me and ds all is well. Update at 11pm when ds fell asleep.

Now today, the boys went to an activity. Got dropped off by friends grandparent. I texted the dad saying i can pick them up. He replied "Oh that's amazing ❤️ Let me know if you need any help with that 😊"
Coming from the mum i would think its normal. From the dad?! Do dads communicate with hearts on WhatsApp normally? Am i being unreasonable in thinking he's being too familiar?

Surely the heart is just another way to say 'thank you, that's nice of you'

I wouldn't think anything of it.

You are not unreasonable to be cautious. You aren't claiming he's planning to leave his wife.

You are absolutely rightly cautious. It could be a mistake, it could be an accidental emoji. Whatever it is - keep your bloody distance in comms OP. Trust yourself. Something is saying be cautious, so listen.

MN posts could convince you of anything. We have a problem with posters continually invalidating a posters feelings. We had a thread about how rife this invalidation on here is only recently.

We are right to feel cautious and uncomfortable about men's intent unfortunately.

Virtually everyone i know puts the ❤️ emoji on WhatsApp’s to me. It means absolutely nothing, it’s like a like to what you’re saying, an endearment or a recognission. I am 100% positive that the men who do so have absolutely no intentions towards me. One of them is happily married, is quite open about the fact and is a very good friend. And the other one is gay. And I similarly put the emojis on WhatsApp.

MN will convince you that every man has intentions, that an emoji always means he wants to shag you, but it really doesn’t.

Most people use emojis in the absence of actual words.

Every now and then I forget myself and put a kiss after messaging my (male) line manager on teams.

I think a thumbs up is seen as quite businesslike, matter of fact, or even cold or dismissive now. Heart is seen as more sincere.

So if you want to acknowledge something it's a thumbs up, but expressing gratitude or happiness in any way requires a heart.

Our work WhatsApp and teams chats use hearts sometimes - it’s like a genuine thank you. Never think anything of it really

Someone who I know doesn't like me uses it all the time to indicate thanks to my Whatsapps. I'd say you're safe.

I have a friend who I put kisses to all the time and vice versa. He also calls me darling.

He is 21 years younger than me, very much gay, and an incredible friend.

Don't see the issue tbh

It’s because Gen z are insisting the thumbs up is passive aggressive/sarcastic 👍 so everyone’s moved to the heart ❤️ - just means I agree. Aubergine 🍆 I’d watch out for.

Is it possible it was the wife replying using her dh phone? Maybe he was driving or something?

I also personally wouldn't put hearts etc but I agree it's more common among younger men in their 20s or so and on teams and Outlook it's more acceptable now as well which is part of it. I would probably have noticed it but then not thought twice about it.

I'm also single but a heart emoji isn't the way to mine so it wouldn't matter anyway lol.

My male colleagues use hearts with me on teams and they def don't mean it in the romantic sense 😅 It's just nicer than a thumbs up I guess?!

I get heart emojis from men in their 40s on Teams in my very corporate job to mundane messages about having slide packs ready and such

So don't send any. Problem averted. Keep it at a communication level you are comfortable with.

Please tell me this is sarcasm.

I could not live my life over interpreting every emoji as some sort of test rather than simply a different texting style.

I read the heart to be about the kids arrangements not you…

Are people quite mad? It’s a message about childcare logistics FFS, he’s not making a pass at you.

It must be absolutely exhausting to over interpret like this.

In the context of the message I would have read it to mean he loves the fact you will pick them up. I think the “let me know if you need help with that” was poorly chosen words, but I would read it as “if anything changes that plan let me know”. I always add a smiley face at the end of texts to seem friendly/happy with what had been discussed.

Thumbs up is passive aggressive?! I use it all the time. Guess I need to get a bit more liberal with my use of hearts…

I hate receiving the thumbs up, always hated it and never use it. When I see it it feels like the person is saying “ok then. Fuck off”. I don’t know why it gives me that vibe!

I was going to say this too. Happens at work on Teams all the time.

You're way overthinking this OP

Are you a man?

You are telling me I am over interpreting by advising an OP to listen to herself when she feels some caution regards how a complete male stranger is communicating?

Do you usually employ this type of language with people in your life? Does it tend to work well for you?

Sorry that’s weird. I communicate with my sons best mates dad and it’s usually one line , no punctuation and certainly no hearts 😂