PUBLISHED ONFebruary 22, 2024 10:13 AMByYeo Shu HuiNext month, local actor Desmond Tan's life will be changed forever as he welcomes a new addition to his family — their daughter.
"I am different now as compared to when I am single or just married, there is an additional sense of responsibility and worry," the 37-year-old told Lianhe Zaobao in a report published today (Feb 22).
Desmond shared that during his wife's pregnancy, he saw the difficulties she faced, which made him appreciate the greatness of being a mother and reminded him of the difficulties that his own mother faced when she was pregnant with him.
He expressed: "I am psychologically more stable now and realised that life is no longer about me, but about us."
Desmond took a trip with his wife — a non-celebrity whose identity is not known — to Paris at the end of last year and he shared that he became more protective of them.
"My wife was wearing winter clothes and you couldn't tell that she was pregnant. There were a lot of people in the Louvre, and I was concerned that someone might bump into her, so I would naturally block other people from her," he said, adding that he was shocked by his own reflexes.
Desmond had also shared in a report published in January that he shopped for clothes for his daughter in Paris.
He added to Zaobao that he recently fully understood the common saying, "As long as the baby is healthy."
When asked if he would be accompanying his wife into the delivery room, he replied without hesitation: "I definitely will! I have been discussing my work in March with my manager and was supposed to start filming a new drama. The production team agreed that I can start filming in April instead. I am very happy that everyone is so accommodating".
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Desmond also shared that he hasn't started feeling the anxiety of becoming a parent.
"I have asked friends and colleagues around me for advice and read a lot of books [about baby care], but people have told me that I would never be ready," he explained.
"I think this is just like filming a drama, no matter how many times we rehearse, it would still be different during the actual filming, so I take it as an opportunity to learn. If I am too anxious, I would not be able to enjoy the process."
There is a common Chinese saying that a daughter is her father's lover from his past life. So when Desmond was asked if he would dote on his wife or their daughter more, he shared: "I think my partner will still come first. Children will grow up. When I am old, I still want to have my partner at my side."
However, he said his wife doesn't believe him.
"My friends and my wife said, 'Wait till your daughter is born!'" he laughed.