Hayden Kho, fatherhood and the pandemic
LIVING in the time of pandemic and strict quarantines has been confusing for everyone but even more so for young kids. Like most parents, celebrity doctor and father Hayden Kho has to take on the task of explaining this unprecedented health crisis to his five- year- old daughter Scarlet Snow Belo and why they can no longer go out or travel like before.
On top of that, he also makes sure that even at home, Scarlet gets quality education to stay happy and healthy amid d the stunning g changes all around her.
At the Nestle Nankid id The Science of Nourishing Posctive Possibles interactive virtual event, t, Kho shared that time spent at home me these days are re filled with lots of learning. With wife dermatologist Vicki Belo, they persistently learn more and about the different concepts and methods of parenthood with the threat of Covid-19 compounded into raising a child.
But just like any curious little girl, Scarlet has asked a lot of questions about the virus and why people need to stay home and social distance.
“What I teach her [as a result of the situation] is how to avoid getting sick
— what to do and what not to do; wash your hands, don’t kiss people. I had to explain to her that this time, we can’t really touch people and shake their hands. She understands naman that there’s a bad virus going around and we have to protect ourselves. She’s not makulit [about it],” Kho shared during the program.
Similary, y the KhoBelo family has h also used the qua quarantines tines to stre strengthen their bond.
“We’ve h had more time to bond as a family. We have more time to a actually pray and reflect about t things. For the first time i in her five y years of life, m mommy and daddy are always hom home and Sca Scarlet lo loves it.”
‘ Teacher Daddy’
As he takes on the role of educator for his daughter, Kho discovered his natural ability in teaching particular academic subjects like science. This he does with Scarlet four times a week for one and a half hours a day, and which is called their “Teacher Daddy,” sessions.
Another day of the week, meanwhile, is “Teacher Mommy,” time where Belo teaches Scarlet arts and crafts, which is the top dermatologist proved she does like a pro. Meanwhile, Scarlet’s lessons in Chinese language continues via Zoom with a tutor.
The rest of the skills she works on with the help of dad and mom are writing and telling stories, dancing, and most recently, playing the piano.
Beyond her education, the Khos also prioritize their daughter’s overall well-being — her physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health. As such, time is also devoted to play and exercise while giving her the right nutrition.
“But what Scarlet has taught me lately, is that it is really hard — parenting is really hard,” the first-time father admitted.
What makes it even more difficult to raise a child for Kho in these uncertain times is building a regular routine for Scarlet given the unavoidable changes ges in work and respective ces household rules among family and d friends.
“Work follows me unlike before [when en I would] go to the office. When I leave ve the office, it’s all Scarlet time. Now, , work is with me all the time. After my prayer time, sometimes work is already there when I’m supposed to have breakfast with Scarlet and I’m supposed to have devotion time with her,” Kho shared.
To cope with the challenge, Kho said he asks for tips and advice from their pastor as well as close friends on how to continue to be a good parent where he benefited from helpful discussions on homeschooling.
Despite everything, Kho firmly declared he would not trade his fatherhood for anything.
“I just really love fatherhood. Sometimes, Vicki tells me ‘parang you’re acting like a dad and a mom at the same time.’ I don’t know, I just feel like sometimes I need to set a high standard for myself as a dad. When I look around at society, at the culture now, I see a lot of absentee fathers. And to me, the identity of a child really depends on the presence of the father,” he explained.
“How children experience love is by how much time the parents give the child. I really believe that Scarlet is experiencing a lot of love at this time. time.”