SPENDING time with children every day is part and parcel of the job for Associate Professor Daniel Goh, head of paediatrics at the University Children’s Medical Institute, National University Hospital.
At home, the 45-year-old is father of three boys aged 13, 12 and eight. Despite his busy work schedule, Assoc Prof Goh takes an active interest in the lives of his sons.
“My wife and I are keenly involved in their work, friends and activities. We make it a point to be present at their sports activities to support them, at parties to know more about their friends and the company they keep, and to supervise their school work progress,” he says.
Of equal importance to Assoc Prof Goh and his wife, who is a family physician, is to ensure that the children have a balanced and healthy lifestyle. The couple make sure they get adequate sleep, play and exercise and a well-rounded diet.
“Nutrition is the fundamental building block which enables the child to grow and develop. A good balance of all major classes of macro and micronutrients and a good dose of love and stimulation are the most important factors for bringing up a healthy, happy and intelligent child,” he says.
Although Assoc Prof Goh thinks good nutrition is important, he does not confine his children to only healthy food. He allows them fast food and snacks, but in moderation.
He has his parenting principle. “I grew up in a family where there was never pressure for us to excel, but there was consistent encouragement to do our best and to enjoy doing what we did. The same applies to my children today.”
Assoc Prof Goh believes that nature and nurture play important roles in a child’s development. He adds that it is also important to optimise what nature had endowed the child with by nurturing him. This is the same principle he consistently applies as a parent and as a doctor, he says.
“In the area of health and nutrition, parents must certainly set the example by eating right, exercising and leading a healthy lifestyle,” he adds.
This article was first published in The Sunday Times.
