Doting dads

Who says bringing up a child is only a mother’s responsibility? Several superstar dads, who are often spotted hanging out with their kids, are giving us new parenting goals.

Soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, father of four kids, shared an adorable picture of him with his three babies, with a caption in Portuguese that translates to “I’m stuck on these cute babies...”

M.S. Dhoni with daughter Ziva, Shah Rukh Khan with his children and many of the young superstar generation who are very busy in their respective careers, are the “doting dads” who put everything on hold when it comes to being with their kids.  SRK, who leads a jet-setting life amidst his heavy shooting schedules, always makes it a point to attend Aryan, Suhana and now AbRam’s school/college functions. At the Dhirubhai Ambani International School’s Annual Day function, where AbRam studies, Shah Rukh couldn’t stop cheering loudly as the former performed on songs like Mary Had A Little Lamb and Yeh Tara Wo Tara. Also in attendance at the same event was celebrity couple, Aishwarya and Abhishek Bachchan, cheering for their daughter Aaradhya.

MS Dhoni with daughter

Padmavati actor Shahid Kapoor, currently on a family vacation, says, “Life is all about Misha now. I never want to leave home once I return to my wife and baby. I wake up every three hours. I change diapers and most of my T-shirts have Misha’s vomit and milk stains on them.”

Another actor who spends quality time with his kids is Tollywood star Pawan Kalyan. Even though the actor’s children, Akira and Aadhya live in Pune, he makes sure he attends every school event, even if it means cancelling or postponing his film schedules.

Shahid Kapoor with Misha.

Dr Diana Monteiro, counselling psychologist and a mother of two young kids says, “Spending time with kids is important for the children and also for the parents. One should make sure that these activities are regular and not just occasional.  Instead of expensive gifts or elaborate meals, one of the best ways of showing your love to your child is to spend exclusive one-to-one time with them. It’s a tangible expression of how much you love them.”

Parenthood changes your life in ways you can’t even imagine. Riteish Deshmukh, who has a friendly relationship with his sons, Rahyl and Riaan, feels family time is very important.

Riteish Deshmukh with son

“One needs to take time out for family. Sundays are mostly for them, but there are days when I need to report to work. But if I don’t take out time, I’ll lose out. You learn so much about life and parenting when you are with your children.”

Child psychologist Baijesh Ramesh opines that regular quality time that parents spend with the child can make the child feel more loved, secure, confident and cooperative. “Children possess an innate and healthy need for attention and thus crave for quality time with their parents. When parents make sure to carve some time out for their kids, it can contribute to the child’s socio-emotional well-being and make them less prone towards behavioural problems. Quality family time is considered to be effective when both the parents and children enjoy spending time together, doing something that they find delightful,” says Baijesh.

— With inputs from Sanskriti Media