Kuweight 64: PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA ON FATHERHOOD

Tuesday 21 June 2011

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA ON FATHERHOOD

U.S. President Barack Obama spoke on his Saturday radio and made an Internet address to fatherhood. He talked about growing up without a dad, his own failings as a father and the values he hopes to teach his daughters Malia, 12, and Sasha, 10. "In the end, that's what being a parent is all about - those precious moments with our children that fill us with pride and excitement for their future; the chances we have to set an example or offer a piece of advice; the opportunities to just be there and show them that we love them." said President Obama.

Obama's father left when he was very young and he was raised by his grandparents in Hawaii. "I felt his absence and I wonder what my life would have been like had he been a greater presence." the president said. "That's why I've tried so hard to be a good dad for my own children. Above all, children need our unconditional love, whether they succeed or make mistakes; when life is easy and when life is tough. What children need most is their parents' time and a structure that instills self-discipline and responsibility". President Barack Obama said through his Twitter account, that being a dad is sometimes his hardest job, but also the most rewarding. This year, President Obama's mentoring initiative is, Strong Fathers, Strong Families, which will highlight the important role fathers play in creating strong families.

Father's Day out : President Obama took his girls Malia and Sasha to Thomas Sweet in Georgetown, on Father's Day and enjoyed cookie dough and vanilla ice cream Thomas Sweet, prides as "the favored ice cream shop of prominent Washingtonians for generations, preferred by senators and Presidential families." The sweetery offers ice cream with "Blend-Ins," soft frozen yogurt, chocolate, and fresh fudge.