This letter was sent to The Straits Times Forum on 21 June but was not published
Every child is a masterpiece of their parents (“Liondads: Chinese father raising mixed-race adopted son, diaspora dad and stepdaddywith teen sons; 20 June).
Dads can be restored to their roles as family heroes:
authoritative yet supportive, protective yet loving, always leading the family
with humility.
It starts with every dad believing that his worth does
not commensurate with the prestige of his job or the salary he commands.
There is an anonymous saying, “A truly rich man is one
whose children run into his arms when his hands are empty.”
All the riches of this world cannot buy family love.
If family is a life priority, how can we strike a
balance between family and career aspirations?
Ultimately a career aspiration has to take a second
place. No one would remember a worker. But every child would remember a dad who
plays with him, a mum who nurtures him.
Strong families form the backbone of a nation.
We have long neglected the vital role of fathers in
our society.
We encourage fathers to be hands-on when children are
born but we do not involve fathers when a child is deemed “unwanted” in the
womb.
When a mother goes for an abortion, we do not promote
the value of the family (“Made For Families brand mark aims to assure familiesof government and community support”; 20 June).
A child automatically carries the brand mark: Made For
Families.
Let us make Singapore safe for every child.
