Father's Day: These Singapore dads are killing it in real life and on Instagram
PHOTO: Instagram/kwakseonghoon, amirkhanmma
PUBLISHED ONJune 17, 2021 10:46 AMByNicholas Yong
Dads are a daughter's first love and a son's first hero. Besides the never-ending dad jokes, dads are an inspiration - don't forget to tell your dad you love him this Father's Day (June 20)!
Your dad may be the best, but so too are these amazing #sgdads celebrating the time they spend with their kids on Instagram.
1. Amir Khan
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Who's this cool dad? Amir Khan is a local mixed martial artist and ONE Championship fighter. The man with the most KOs in ONE history used martial arts to overcome Tourette's Syndrome.
You might be inspired by his creative CB workout routine - instead of working out with dumbbells, he took to strength training with (and using) his son!
#dadgoals quote from his IG:
"Trying to lead by example. I've noticed so far as my experience being a dad and just observing around that kids tend to replicate what the parents do. So if you want your kids to develop good habits, you first as a parent work on yours! Just sharing my two cents. P.S and yes @leonellionkhan reason for loving cake is my fault" - on Jan 23, 2021
2. Shabir
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Who's this cool dad? Shabir is a top Singaporean singer, actor, and Kollywood producer. He told us that being a young dad is challenging but also a blessing. Shabir and his team recently held a fundraising campaign called WeEat that supports our hawkers and migrant worker friends at the same time.
#dadgoals quote from his IG:
"Father's Day means a few things to me. Firstly I never grew up in the presence of my father as my parents separated when I was as young as four. So my eldest brother @elias.mikhail who is 14 years older than me, stepped in to do his best to co-parent. My mother had to double up as dad. And during my mid twenties, thanks to the habit of reading which I cultivated, I managed to parent myself through books and the spiritual companionships with the authors of those books."
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"Today I have these wonderful gems as children. They are growing up to be thoughtful, loving and compassionate human beings and that is so joyful to watch. The Universe has been kind and I am truly blessed. I'm so happy to be a father and I wish every single father, mother, uncle, teacher, mentor, elder brother and anyone who guided someone with care and selflessness, "Happy Father's Day." - on June 21, 2020
3. Steven Teo
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Who's this cool dad? Steven Teo is the self-proclaimed "non award-winning SG Daddy blogger" with five (yes, five!) kids - three girls and two boys.
#dadgoals quote from his IG:
"How I juggle between work and the family is a commonly asked question when people find out I have five kiddos, because obviously they can be quite a handful (and legful) as you can see. Well we are thankful for our supportive employers whom encourages parenthood with much work flexibility, on top of the already generous leave schemes such as paid childcare, paternity and even family care leave. There were times I needed to take urgent leave for family matters, and my bosses had always been accommodating. Pre Covid, my wife @laifong13 could even bring the kiddos to work on weekends when there was a need to!"
"Parenthood is still ultimately a personal choice, and should never be motivated by any "baby bonuses", for the desire should come from within. But then again I dare say that many of our current government policies had indeed helped shape the size of my family, starting with the purchase of our first matrimonial flat where we enjoyed the extra proximity housing grant for being close to my in-laws. My mother-in-law ended up helping us out with our babies before they got old enough to get into the childcare centre just across the street, where we enjoyed substantial childcare subsidies as well."
"I think we are all realists by nature, often cautious and even sceptical at times. However if there is one advice from me on having children, it would be to have them as early as possible. Our biological clock doesn't stop ticking and we have had a tough time trying to conceive. But now that our family has grown, we even moved into a bigger place (without having to move) thanks to the HDB conversion scheme that allowed us to purchase our neighbour's adjoining unit to combine with our old three-room flat!"
"Parenthood is life-changing. It can get a little tough as well, but the rewards can be immense. Just don't ever think of them of an investment for retirement hor! I am thankful for the great partnership with my wife, our family support and our employers for making this possible. Sometimes we tend to overthink, but if you are on the fence on whether to have the first (or more), just do it!" - on Aug 3, 2020
4. Christopher Thong
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Who's this cool dad? Christopher Thong is a fighter pilot with the Republic of Singapore Air Force, and a dad to three children - two daughters and a son.
He posts photos of his family's exploits on Instagram/@momminganddadding and lets his kids enjoy the joys and wonders of centrifugal forces (there's a dizzyingly fun video of him spinning one of his kids round and round) - talk about bringing work home!
#dadgoals quote from his IG:
"Loving you to the moon and back" - on June 6, 2021
"Don't grow up too quickly, I enjoy reading to you too!" - on July 2, 2020
5. Ryan Kwak
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Who's this cool dad? Korean-born Singaporean Ryan Kwak is the founder and principle of Sejong Korean Language School.
True story: This real-life oppa hero dad helped to deliver his youngest baby girl on a Pasir Ris pavement in the wee hours of a rainy June morning in 2018, when his wife Valerie Cher couldn't hold it in any longer as they made their way to their car.
#dadgoals quote from his IG:
"A resounding thank you to my family, friends and everyone else for giving me words of support and encouragement. This incident has taught me in a whole new light that life really is so precious and has given me even more motivation to do my best as a husband, a daddy and the pillar of my family. Thank you @valeriecher for the undying courage and strength that day and for birthing a healthy, beautiful, miracle princess, Avery Rose Kwak Tae Ri." - on Jan 23, 2021
ALSO READ: Thoughts of a father: The surprising truth about being a parent
This article was first published in Wonderwall.sg.