Okay. I am not a perfect parent and I need a daddy to remind me and complement what I could offer for our boys in their lives.

As I was looking through our photo collections, I noticed the “active role” of Papa Ed by the side of our boys in many of the outdoor activities.

Not only is he there, engaged in the activities together with our boys, he has been playing his quiet role as a COACH and GUARDIAN of our boys.

This makes me appreciate the role of a father and in ways that a mother cannot fulfill. Yeah, even if people brand us supermom.

I used to convince myself that I was managing well in giving our boys a balanced development while parenting them alone for a few years when Papa Ed was working overseas.

Even though I wanted to give myself a pat for contributing that 200% of efforts, admittedly, I can never play the role of a “daddy” adequately.

“Any man can be a Father but it takes someone special to be a DAD.”

 -Anne Geddes -

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 As a dad, Papa Ed hopes that our boys can be tough and not to give up in the face of difficulties.

Encouraging our boys to be adventurous while giving them the motivational push

He teaches our boys that it is inevitable to suffer falls in life but most important is the ability to pick themselves up.

He coaches our boys in the right techniques of doing things including sports and games and ensures that our boys pick up self-discipline and develop independance in leading their daily lives.

He allows our boys to venture into new grounds but is there to give them a lift whenever they need it.

He silently guards our boys from behind and encourages our boys to conquer obstacles.

Although he might seem demanding to our boys, he never loses sight of them while putting our boys on a challenging task.

 Behind our boys to give the support and as a silent guardian

As a mom, I confess I tend to be more protective over our boys, always careful over their safety and wants our boys to have fun and enjoy their earlier part of life.

It is harder for me to let go and I am so used to making decisions for our boys when it concerns safety even before they attempt it.

As our elder boy becomes a pre-teen, I am not in a better position than Papa Ed to share the physical developments with him.

From their dad, our boys hear the exciting stories of army life and how those difficulties could be overcome with training and determination.

Even if a mom does shed tears sometimes, their dad teaches them to be strong and not to cry easily.

Actively engaged with our boys

With his presence,

He teaches our boys what I fail to and teaches me that our boys could learn better from falls and mistakes.

He shows me that to be a better parent, we could guard our boys from afar and give them the opportunities to explore and face challenges on their own.

It is true. I, too, learn from mistakes in my parenting journey.

My parenting approach is not always right.  I am glad that there is someone there to prove to me and remind me even though I might not always agree at first *haha*.

Not all parents would see eye-to-eye on each other’s parenting approach. But I appreciate that each has an important role to play in our kid’s life.

And that is what makes balanced parenting.

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I hope that our growing boys can appreciate that even if their dad might seem stern and demanding to them at times and even if they could not understand the good intention now, it is ultimately to build a stronger and responsible personality in them.