Daddy and Me Playtime

Children need your presence more than they need your presents.

You’ve probably heard this phrase. Your presence is the key to building a connection and a trusting relationship with your child. When you build a circle of love and security for your child, he feels loved, appreciated and safe. We conducted a street interview with parents (mostly daddies) recently on how they spend time with their children and here are the best responses we received.

“I am a father to 3 girls. They love to play with Barbie dolls. One day, my daughters were complaining that the dolls’ hair were not as silky smooth as before and it was hard for her to brush them. As an engineer by profession, this is a problem I must solve. I took my wife’s hair shampoo and conditioner and gave the dolls a ‘hair spa’. It worked! My daughters are happy and so am I.”

• Hafidz S.

“I create movie night with my children every Friday and Saturday night. That’s when we would have McDonald’s nuggets and fries, some snacks and maybe popcorns too. I would lay down bed comforters in the living room, dim the lights and we would all watch Netflix together, as if we were in the cinema.”

• Yeoh W.L.

“On weekends, I would make use of my 2 boys to help me wash my car. Sometimes, they would help to scrub the porch and water the plants too. To them, it’s fun playing with water and soap, but to me, it’s a special bonding time, not to mention, saves me money from going to the car wash every now and then.”

• Reyansh A.

“I build Lego sets with my kids. The Technic sets, the landmark sets, even Lego Duplo Tree House. While assembling the pieces together, I explain to them how the mechanical principles work, the stories behind each monument etc. Does that count as bonding time?”

• Joseph Chan

“My children spend too much time on the tablets and that’s when I say enough is enough. I bring them out for a morning and evening jog around the neighbourhood. We would join the other kids playing futsal while my daughter plays at the playground beside it. Kids get very excited when it’s time for outdoor activities. More often than not, kids are only hooked to gadgets because they have no one to entertain them, that is why I always make it a point to spend as much time as I can with them doing the things that we love.”

• Khairi A.

“I say this on behalf of my husband. He is a very hands-on father. He changed their diapers, put them to sleep, bathed them since they were newborns especially during my confinement. He is also the one who likes to play rough with them – throw them in the air, hold them upside them, tickle them and many more. He also has the patience to include them when doing DIY stuffs around the house, including when he is cooking. Occasionally our kids fight over who gets to hold his hand when going out or who gets to sit next to him when dining out.”

• Yee Ying T.

“I work as a Chef at a restaurant in Damansara. My teenage children and I share a love for food. During my off days, we would travel around the Klang Valley, sometimes as far as Sekinchan or Tanjung Malim trying out new food. We call ourselves “The Food Nerd Herd”. When we try the food, sometimes we switch plates so that we can taste many varieties of food. We particularly love roadside stalls, hawker stalls or family-owned cafes and restaurants.”

• Ronald R.

To all the amazing fathers out there, we know there are many sacrifices you do which go unnoticed. We know you have missed many wonderful moments with your child while you are busy making that presentation to a client to land a job deal. You are doing a great job daddy! We at Chicco Malaysia wishing you – the unsung hero...

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