At some point in their lives, most children idolize their fathers. Whether it’s because he’s a favourite play pal, hilarious purveyor of dad jokes, or cherished role model and provider, there’s no doubt that fathers shape and guide their children just as much as mothers do. This Father’s Day, we wanted to celebrate the importance of the paternal bond by speaking to dads who are raising children in the UAE, asking them about the best advice their own fathers gave them, and the advice and life lessons that they want to pass down to their own kids…
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STAY HUMBLE: The co-founder of Dubai’s popular experimental play museum, Oli Oli, in Al Quoz, says that his father taught him how to remain grounded, however successful he got. 'We learned more from watching my dad in how he lived than simply from his words. Live life to its fullest, stay humble and respect yourself. I hope I'm able to pass these learnings to my kids.' - Suraj Mulani, Co-founder, OliOli UAE.
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TALK ABOUT YOUR PROBLEMS: Salman Qureshi, Pakistani comedian based in Dubai, has a two-year-old son. He says: “One of my favourite pieces of advice was 'whatever it is, let's talk about it'. It didn’t matter how bad the problem was, or how badly I messed up, my dad's advice to just talk about it made it easy to deal with the hardest of things. And I'd advise my son to do the same. Let's talk about it and together we'll make everything ok.” Salman is pictured here (in dark blue) along with his dad (in first row) and the rest of their family.
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BE KIND TO EVERYONE: Nazar Musa, CEO of PRO Partner Group, says that his dad passed down two important pieces of wisdom that he is hoping to transfer to his own children. "My father instilled in me the absolute need for politeness and compassion in everything we do. Nothing beats being nice to people, it gets you a long way personally and professionally and it’s a behaviour that I instill in my kids. My father was a Doctor and he also taught me how surgeons double tie their stiches at the end of an operation – this brilliantly also helps shoe laces from coming apart. Seems small, but all my kids will know how to do it and it ties me to his memory further." Nazar is pictured here with his four kids: Yasmin (24) and Ziad (20), Harris (6) and Allia (5).
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THE REAL MEANING OF LOVE: Louis Moghabghab, Lebanese expat in the UAE, recalls the exact moment his dad taught him a life lesson: “It was 3 o'clock in the morning my father woke me up and my sisters, humming our names with his husky voice. It was dark outside and cold. ‘We need to run away from our village it is not safe anymore,’ he said. There was a conflict in my country Lebanon and it was very tough in my village. We couldn’t take the main road, so we had to go through the forest. During the four hours walking and climbing rocks and sliding on slopes and facing all types of wild animals and reptiles, my father was there brave, solving obstacles at every step till we reached the safe zone. Maybe I have a different scenario than my father, God bless his soul, but the lesson I learned is to have unconditional love towards my kids and bravery confronting all problems together, protecting them with the help of God and leading them to a safe zone in life.”
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GIVE YOUR EVERYTHING: Indian expat Navin Narendran, who has three children, says his dad taught him to always put in a 100 per cent. “All you can give is your best and nothing short of your best will do... if you're sure you've given it all, smile and enjoy the show whatever be the result,” he says. He adds: “It’s just easier to say what you really feel than to remember all the lies you would have said to cover things up.”
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THE IMPORTANCE OF PUNCTUALITY: Harry Tregoning, managing partner of Tregoning Property and founder of Tregoning Maintenance, says that the seemingly simple principle of punctuality inculcated in him by his father is actually about respecting others and valuing their time. "One of the main lessons my father taught me was to always be on time. As a young boy I didn’t always get it but I certainly do now and it is a behaviour I view as important. I am already passing onto my sons."
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TREAT EVERYONE AS AN EQUAL: Hozefa Arsiwala, a resident of Sharjah, says: 'My father has inspired me in more ways than one. However, his gentle attitude towards all living beings, irrespective of their belonging or strata, has made an impact on me forever. I am hoping as a parent I can inculcate the same value in my daughter.'
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SELF REFLECTION: Mustafa Koita, founder and CEO of Koita Foods, which distributes organic milk globally, says that his dad taught him some important lessons about physical and emotional wellbeing: “Stay healthy, journal, meditate and keep it real.”
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