Bill Belew has raised 2 bi-cultural kids, now 34 and 30. And he and his wife are now parenting a 3rd, Mia, who is 8.

Doesn’t the thought of parting with your beloved, shake you the most?? Indeed!! The person who held your hand when you came into existence…taught you how to walk…showed you the right path. He was the one behind all the values and virtues you built. He instilled so many good things in you that you cannot thank him enough for.

All of us have some great memories of our childhood. Wasn’t it indeed special to have someone support you in all walks of life. Someone who would stand by you when the world was against you. Whether it was about choosing subjects in school, deciding which extra curricular activities to opt for, which dance classes to go for, which college to go with you or whom to marry. He has proved to give you unconditional love at all times.

Father love is known in countless studies to help children grow happy and strong. It is the key to boys feeling motivated and believing in themselves, that being a good man is something to strive for. It gives daughters self-esteem and a sense of their intelligence and a value beyond mere sexual attraction.

In families where mothers would otherwise do all the emotional heavy lifting, an involved dad provides the missing key to everyone’s mental health. Dads are an important element of a child’s life – particularly when they are engaged in activities that require them to interact either actively running and playing, or more “passively”, reading or enjoying quiet times.

Patterns emerging indicate that children who grow up with a father who is actively engaged in activities with them, are likely to benefit positively regarding social behaviours and academic development.

Generally, dads seem to allow children a little more physical space and to encourage them to explore more, to develop confidence in new situations. Dads promote persistence and encourage problem solving and tend to remind children of social rather than emotional implications of behaviours and actions.

Some researchers believe that active father involvement has a positive effect on cognitive development overall.

Men tend to do more practical, educational activities with their children rather than talking about what they are doing with their children. Fathers like to expand their child’s horizons by playing with toys in non-traditional ways. A father might take a cup and place it on his head or throw a block rather than stack it.

Dads should be encouraged to be actively involved in all facets of a child’s life, particularly in those precious early years when the brain is developing and the child is beginning to develop an understanding of learning and social behaviours.

Talk to Bill and others about their experiences raising bi-cultural Japanese-American kids.