Gentle is good
John Prats shares why this parenting technique works for him
No one is perfect and parenting is excellent at magnifying that fact. J.S.B. Morse, Paleo Family: Raising Natural Kids in an Unnatural World
One has to strike a good balance between being a good parent and disciplining children. Most parents will agree that there’s no right formula, but for actor, director, and father of two John Prats firmly believes in gentle parenting.
At the recent Johnson’s and Mercury Drug Foundation’s event where the two companies donated maternity kits to Dr. Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital, the Johnson’s ambassador revealed that between him and his wife Isabel Oli, he’s the good cop.
According to John, he spends most of his time working, away from his family. So whenever he’s home, he wants to make sure that his children will see him as a kind and loving father. “Due to the nature of my work, I don’t have the luxury to spend much time in our house with my family. When my wife asks me to discipline our first born—Feather, I do it in a gentle way.” John’s youngest child is a cute 11month-old baby boy named Freedom.
His gentle ways means communicating to his daughter instead of scolding her. “I think it’s human nature that when you tell them ‘no,’ they will still do it,” he says.
“When Feather then turns naughty, I talk to her. I explain to her the reasons why she shouldn’t do it and what are the repercussions if she does. And it works. She listens to me.”
When asked where he learned this type of parenting technique, the actor points to his parents. “Growing up, my mom was the disciplinarian while my dad was the gentle one,” the actor tells Manila Bulletin Lifestyle. “My mom is like every typical mother when she is mad. But when my dad talks to me in a gentle, serious tone, then I know I’m in trouble.”
“Through this, it was easier for me to understand my faults and my shortcomings. And that’s why I do the same thing with my daughter Feather,” he says. “And it works for us, especially now that she’s in the stage that she’s curious and she explores a lot. Also, I believe that when you’re gentle with your children, they will also do the same when they already have their own families.”
John also proudly admits that fatherhood
‘I believe that when you’re gentle with your children, they will also do the same when they have their own families.’
his perspective in life. “Being a dad totally changed my life,” he says. “After marriage, it felt like nothing’s changed with our relationship aside from, we now have God’s blessing and we feel more secure. But when Feather was born, that changed my life, even my life’s purpose.”
“Literal bumabangon ka para sa kanila (I literally wake up for them),” he continues. “You work hard for them, it’s not for myself anymore, I work for their future. Before, I want to build a house simply because I want a home. Now, I want to build a house, because I want to create this home where my kids, my wife will be comfortable. I always think of them first.”
The actor also said that when he became a father and witnessed the struggles his wife had to endure to give birth to their children, his love for her grew even more. That’s why he is grateful that he’s given the opportunity to endorse a brand that also helps mothers and babies. “What made me say yes to endorse them, aside from the fact that I believe in their products, is that they told me that I will be part of their social responsibility programs where I will be given a chance to help others.”