Society honors mothers as the ones responsible for the nourishment of their kids. She carries the image of the one who cradles a child in her loving arms.
But many may be forgetting, if not ignoring, the fact that fathers play similar important roles as mothers by being the ones who guide their children as they grow by teaching them certain skills: riding a bike to fixing a light bulb to using a fishing rod to even driving a car. He also usually inspires the children to save money.
Fathers also partner with their spouses in making household decisions. He shows his ability to provide the means for continued nourishment and to protect his children.
Dads: The Unsung Heroes
Dads are often the unsung heroes in the family, lending a helping hand when needed and, although less apparent, also deal with the same parenting issues as moms. It is about time that we acknowledge the invaluable contribution of our dads by recalling how they helped us grow into the well-rounded individuals we are today. What is your best start with your dad?
My parents have experienced both the best times and the worst moments of their family lives. My father used to work as a manager in a government-run institution in the harbors of Manila while my mother was a plain housewife. We could buy the things we need but my father would always make sure that every small thing we purchased was based on our list of needs and wants. For him, learning through both informal and proper education is more important to achieve success in real life.
At least once a month, we would go to Luneta and Fort Santiago and enjoy simple meals such as hotdogs on sticks and fruit juices or some siopao and noodles in our favorite Chinese restaurant nearby.
But unexpected things happened and my dad lost his lucrative job. He tried to put up a small furniture trading business out of his last pay from the government so that our needs are sustained but it eventually closed down after being scammed by his not so known business partner.
My father also tried to run a small restaurant in his sleepy hometown in Batangas but my brother and I were always sick so they decided to close it down too.
We were left with nothing except our small house and a backyard to tend to. My father would plant vegetables and raise some poultry stocks so that we could have something to sell or for us to consume. He did this while he continued serving the church and our community in various ways. He struggled all the way until I finished high school.
But my father got sick on my way to college. I had to stop for a year just to help out for my Dad’s medication and dialysis. My father did not make it farther as he succumbed to kidney cancer after several months of fighting the disease.
He passed away as the family’s hero.
And now that I’m a father of a 3-year old pretty and smart girl, it’s my opportunity now to celebrate her best starts in life so she could be ready to face the realities of the world with honor and courage. Just like what my father did when we were kids.
It’s refreshing to know that a company, Mead Johnson Nutrition, makers of Enfakid A+ and Lactum 3+6+, recognizes not just mothers but fathers as well in giving the best starts for their kids. They have a campaign called Best Starts with Dad to honor those who bravely commit their lives for the best of their children.
This special online campaign can get you a chance to win a MacBook Air, iPhone 5, and Ipad Mini just by honoring the DADS in your families! All you have to do is share your father and child photo this May 14 – June 11 at www.facebook.com/bookofbeststarts.
You can even get a FREE photo shoot for your kids with their dad (follow www.facebook.com/bookofbeststarts for details) and use it as an entry. Visit the Shangri-La Plaza Atrium on May 18-19 and get that Best Start father and child moment captured on camera!
Below is a heartwarming video from Mead Johnson Nutrition that features real fathers (not actors). I hope you enjoy watching it as much as I did.
http://bit.ly/MJNBestStartswithDad
What is your Best Start with Dad?
Join the Rappler Conversation #BestStartswithDad on June 16, Father’s Day! www.rappler.com. Share your very own #BestStartswithDad!
Disclosure: This is a sponsored post
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