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.

Dad’s corner!!

Being a great dad comes with its own bells and whistles. The best dads are those that are able to feel the pulse of their families and are determined to carve out a better future for their families despite the odd circumstances that they face. They overcome many challenges and circumstances in order to provide for their families and ensuring that their family members get the right attention overlooking their own interests which might be professional and personal and take decisions that are beneficial to the overall family.  These dads ensure that the family’s interest is put ahead of their own personal interest in order to achieve outcomes that are beneficial to everyone in the family.

These great dads have been able to accumulate sufficient financial wealth in order for their families to be nurtured appropriately in this competitive atmosphere where financial stability is directly related to the stability and fine health of the family.  They work hard to raise there family and ensure that despite their financial hardships which they might face they are always able to meet the basic necessities and lay the strong foundation for the upbringing of their families.  They set the right set of expectations and ensure that the goal is reached and tirelessly work towards their objective no matter what.

The sign of a great dad is that he is able to treat his kids like grown ups or just as friends after a certain point in life.  Not merely being a boss to the kid and telling him or her what to do in life but try and understand their passion, their outlook and interests and making sure that you are not ramming your points down his throat.  These dads are cognizant about the children’s motivations, desires and do not come across as being bossy and always telling people what to do.  He treats their children as equals and not merely as kids but tries and makes an honest effort to get to the root of their problems and concerns and gives them an opportunity to debate and express their emotions.  These dads are by no means careless in dealing with children and shower all the love and affection when they are kids and when it is time for them to hold their children accountable for their actions, they also use the stick to the point where the stick works and make the children understand in the language that they understand.

These dads create a cordial atmosphere within the family so that there are no communication barriers or issues that can disrupt the working relationship of members within that family. Their wives are made to understand the important rules of engagement within the family so that petty quarrels and infighting do not hamper the atmosphere in which the kids are exposed towards and they play an instrumental role in continuation of the family traditions that are healthy and forge that special bond that nurtures and establishes the family roots for generations to come.

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