Investing Time in our Children might be what Investing in Happiness Means

Ron Pagcaliwagan

Every time spent, every joke shared, every toy built or fixed, whether you know it or not, it made an impact to shape your kids. It’s these moments that reveal the wonders of being a dad! As we continue to celebrate our amazing fathers, we would like to introduce Ron Pagcaliwagan, our Media Specialist in Greatway, as he shares his experience of becoming a father to his two wonderful sons.

What is fatherhood to me?... It’s the other half of motherhood - But on a more serious note, fatherhood to me is a gift, a responsibility and a blessing all in one package. I get to experience what it is like to be involved in moulding and shaping a new life, but at the same time having our lives shaped as well by our kids. It's also the most fun, challenging and exhausting thing I’ve ever done.

I have to say that my favourite part about being a dad is being able to buy things I want and telling my wife, I’m buying it for the boys. One of things I also enjoy is I can act silly without any sort of judgement! Silly voices, silly dances and role-playing as superheroes is probably not normal in most adult situations. Another thing is that our eldest is very independent. Well, he thinks he’s independent. For me, it’s those moments where he still needs me. Either he needs me to fix his toys, go to the bathroom with him or he just wants a hug or to carry him. Those moments still get me. Lastly, I love it when I see our kids do something good. Whether it’s from seeing them share toys or even food with each other, to asking if someone is okay and trying to make them feel better, it makes me feel like we’re doing a good job as parents.

Let’s say for example you buy a basketball hoop. It might be exciting for them, but it’s not just the hoop they’re excited about. They look forward to being able to play basketball with us too.

We must prioritize the time we have available to be with our kids. I mean, really BE with our kids. I know we can be really busy at times and when you come home, we’re exhausted and maybe we feel like it’s enough to just sit with our kids, while we’re scrolling through our phones, watching TV, or whatever we might be preoccupied with. There’s minimal engagement there. We have to give our kids our full attention. They will really appreciate our presence. It can be tiring, but we all know that time flies. The next thing we know, they’ll be wanting to hang out with their friends instead. So, I believe it’s good to build a solid relationship from the beginning. Lastly, let’s not forget to give time to our partners as well. We’re on this journey of parenthood together, so we have to make sure our spouse and ourselves feel that both supported.

It’s not really a challenge but sometimes when we enjoy what you do, there becomes a very fine line for boundaries. We take work home or sometimes we’re working on whatever we’re passionate about on the side and it might take away time from our kids. I remember when I came home after work, and I still had to edit some videos for a client. I recall one time Eli, my eldest, asking me “You came from the office, why are you still not done working? Can you play with me now?” That makes me feel bad. We’re doing our best to dedicate and prioritize time, to give them full attention. Even if it’s just a full 30 minutes without any other distractions. It means a lot to them. Afterwards, they’re usually okay with entertaining themselves and we can carry on with what we need to do!

Greatway Financial’s tagline is investing in happiness. We should apply that to our everyday life. From my experience, it’s not just the new toys or the new games that make them happy. Even though those things are monetary investments in itself, it’s really the time we invest with them. Let’s say for example you buy a basketball hoop. It might be exciting for them, but it’s not just the hoop they’re excited about. They look forward to being able to play basketball with us too. It’s the experience that we share with them, the memories we can create with them that they want and need.

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