“There is nothing like looking at a newborn and realising you’ve much more responsibility, and more than that, he or she becomes your pride and joy. Your days are brighter with them. You yearn to hear them talk about their day, to take them to go play outside and to be free as children should be; and they are simply a joy to be around," shared the founder and CEO of Armani Media. 

"One cute thing my 5-year-old girl does before I get her to bed, is that she whispers to me to buy her the Kinder Joy chocolate with a free toy inside. And she always insists on getting the blue ones, despite it supposedly being for boys. She has a mind of her own and even now, she cries whenever we ask her to wear a dress.”

Puzzled by a call to school when his daughter Kim Raymond was around 8 to 9, Dato' Sri Jeffrey explained that "Kim kept running from where she is seated in class to the blackboard, then running back to copy her homework. The teacher said she does this all the time, and she must have some problem. Not knowing what it was, we consulted our doctor, who told us to take her to an optician, and the case was closed—Kim was short-sighted.”

See also: Love Letter Series - Dato' Sri Jeffrey Raymond to Datin Sri Joyce Raymond.

As a toast to fatherhood, Foo Ken Vin shared, “Being a father to 3 kids really is an exciting journey, blending into their network has become a key to us. Of late, the boys have been into gaming, so while hanging out together during our free time, we would play online games. The boys and I incorporate our surname within our game profile nicknames (i.e. PowerFoo and MagicFoo). However, with my daughter it’s all about dresses and dolls. We spend time together having ‘picnic’ sessions with her dolls as well as singing and dancing. Blending in with the kids while having strict discipline is what we practise, and we hope that they have a memorable childhood which we can all laugh about when we look back on it in the near future.”

Our Diamond of Excellance awardee behind brands like The Body Shop and Aquaria KLCC is not only a father of 2 sons but now a grandfather as well: "As a grandfather, you get to relive your life as a father all over again, do the things I wish I had done with Daryl and Dexter while they were growing up and to spend all my free time with them as I am doing with my grandson presently."

"My father had been strict with me, and I have given Daryl and Dexter much more choice and freedom for them to explore their life. As for my adorable grandson he can make me jump through hoops; at his tender age he already knows how to bully and get me to run errands for him!"

Remembering the early years of his sons, Dato' Simon shared, "There are many memorable moments but the one I enjoyed most was when Dexter at age 6 was at Sea World and drank a full tub of coke and right after, we went on the crackraken roller coaster, when we finished the ride he had a terrible stomach ache and had to leave the park. After that he would not go on another roller coaster for the rest of the holiday."

Brian from the Soul Society group shared an amusing moment after a family dinner, "Jady and I had a good laugh over a memory we had when our daughter Riley was approximately 20 months, just learning to put more words to form longer sentences. Jady and I were just having a catch up chat after a long day at work, while Riley was just going around doing her thing. After a short while, she tried to get our attention, in the middle of our chat but failed. After a brief moment of impatience, she managed to get our attention by declaring at the top of her voice: “MOMMA PRETTY, PAPA FAT!” with a big fat chuckle!"

He continued, "With the kind of industry our company is in (F&B), we are usually out and about till quite late at night, going around the outlets making sure everything is in order. However as much as I can, I plan my time so I can have dinner with Riley most nights and as much as I can on the weekends. I would like to be remembered as a father, who is always there for her, no matter what and someone she can turn to and speak to about anything and everything!"

Read also: How 3 Generations Live and Prosper Under One Roof In Damansara Heights.

The Tales of Fatherhood story first appeared in Malaysia Tatler's June Issue 2019. Grab a copy at newsstands, or subscribe to our digital issue here.