Ahead of Father's Day, these dads share how they put family first
Ahead of Father's Day, they describe juggling work and parenting
He was retrenched and worked as a Grab driver, he also welcomed a newborn and then landed a job as a business analyst - all this happened in around 12 months.
Speaking to The New Paper recently, Mr Steven Hoon, 44, who now works at start-up Workato, said: "I was retrenched in 2017, and when my daughter was born in early 2018, I realised I had to buckle down to support my family."
Formerly in a managerial role in the wholesale trade industry, juggling dad duties while transitioning to a new career was tough, he said, but the help he received from Workforce Singapore's Professional Conversion Programme (PCP) made it easier.
Mr Hoon, whose children are now aged three, seven and 12, said: "My company is based in America, so my meetings are usually held in the early mornings or late at night.
"Even though it means less sleep for me, at least I have the afternoon to spend precious time with my kids."
Entrepreneur Andrew Tan, 48, had always wanted to be a "hands-on daddy", but he found out quickly that it was not as easy as he thought it would be.
Since creating Pee-Ka-Poo, a local brand specialising in leak-proof diapers, in 2017, Mr Tan has had his hands full.
"Things get busy especially when we receive an influx of orders. But I have learnt to prioritise important things at work and outsource some tasks. This lets me have more time with my children," said the father of two, a seven-year-old girl and a nine-year-old boy.
"The help from my wife has been priceless. I cannot appreciate her enough for holding the fort and letting me fulfil my business dream."
Similarly, Mr Vish Phaneendra, 40, a senior technology director at an IT product company, quickly realised that juggling work and parental duties was a "balancing act" he had to master.
"It is inevitable for things to suddenly crop up at work. But what I realised worked for me is deliberately making time for my children. Whether it is teaching them or playing card games together, bonding with them is my priority," said the father of a four-year-old boy and a girl aged nine.
He schedules his week in advance to make time for his family and makes it a point to "put work aside" during mealtimes.
Mr Steve Tay, 40, a director at vacuum brand Dibea, works mostly from home and it has sometimes led to longer working hours.
He has three children aged six, eight and 10, and after linking his business to the Shopee platform in 2018, things have become easier.
"When we have mega campaigns, it is so easy for me to check if everything is going smoothly on my phone.
"Shopee handles returns and refunds too, so I need not allocate time and effort to these things," he said.
Over the years, Mr Tay has learnt to set realistic goals at work while putting aside time for his family.
"As fathers, we need to remember to enjoy the journey with our kids and treasure time with them as they grow up," he said.
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