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?

To me the heart is for you picking them up. Heartfelt thanks.
I wouldn't think twice about it.

As long as the rest of his communication is straightforward and in no way dodgy it's fine.

If he's all flirty then it's an issue but the hearts themselves are not flirty on their own

You’re acting like he sent you an aubergine emoji! Chill out, men send emoji’s too!

Entirely this!

At least, I hope this is the correct/sensible/widely accepted use of the heart, otherwise a lot of random school parents/colleagues think I'm in love with them!

I know so many men who use hearts, including ones who I only know formally. Wouldn’t give it another thought,

Exactly, though now we're told that thumbs up is boomer rude and a smiley face is passive aggressive, and to think about what the colour of the heart might mean...probably quicker to use words.
Seriously, I wouldn't worry OP. If a mum used it, as you say, you wouldn't mind, or assume anything, and obviously it would be just as possible for a mum to be attracted to another parent as it would be for a dad to be. On some channels, hearts are the only option, so we are just probably more used to them. The American mum at nursery used to find it weird that we ended messages with x.

I dont know.

I think it would be boring to never to look beyond the surface of how people communicate.

It's called subtext.

Apparently quite a lot has been written about this, almost like its a known area of linguistic research.

Probably too exhausting for you though.

Definitely over thinking. The heart after the word amazing means he loves this and is showing gratitude and the smile at the end is just a smile to finish the message which is friendly. If the two emojis were reversed and he ended the convo with a heart then that would have been weird but in this context definitely normal 😊

Do you live on Albert Square?

My male friends do this? Never thought anything of it. The females do too

I have gotten so used to heating everything that I have to actively press thumbs up when responding to my boss. Equally, even though I'm aware of it, he has had more than his fair share of love hearts from me 🤣 luckily his wife is a very good friend of mine so knows how I text/communicate and wouldn't think anything of it.

Also, I love anyone who is offering to pick my kids up and save me a trip. I really wouldn't read any more into this.

Lol it's fine 💜 Unless there is some other behaviour of concern, I wouldn't give it a second thought

Overthinking- hearts are super normal.🤍

My male friends do this? Never thought anything of it. The females do too

This.

It’s very much a response to the thank you rather than just sending you a love heart.

You’re looking for problems that aren’t there.

I've always been puzzled why there is only an emoji for the heart, what about the other major organs? e.g. brain, lungs, liver, kidneys, stomach, and intestines?

I think I might get in touch with Meta and raise this. It is difficult enough for our medical students today, without this glaring omission.

This is correct. it is the aubergine you need to panic at. Or 😘👩‍❤️‍👨 etc. a heart is just him showing polite gratitude that he didn’t have to get in the car and drive.

🍆👄🤫

from the electrician a couple of years ago.

Now that was dodgy!

Not a love heart???

DH is a tradesman and communicates with pretty much all his clients on WhatsApp. Some use emojis, GIFS.. Some have even put a kiss at the end of a friendly message thanking him for the work he's done. It baffles DH as he's very old school 😆 but everyone has a different way of texting and I don't think people put that much thought into adding an emoji or a kiss to a message no matter who it is to!

Do you have form for minimising someone's very sensible right to be cautious?

I wonder what life might be like on Albert Square. I hope I'd survive a week at least and dodge explosions, stitch ups, affairs, a rancid pint. Is Kat Slater still in it? We'd definitely clash. Too feisty.

Were you both single and was he fanciable? At one point on my youth I would have been highly intrigued by that I'm embarrassed to say 🤗.

I mean - i dont know - i do it all the time and vice versa - i dont have anything to hide and neither do they - we're all pretty good friends etc - meet for dinners etc.

OMG, I heart messages from everyone. 😳. They must all think I'm a right player.