Hairul Azreen may be many things to many people – Movie star, stunt man, martial artist, athlete or brand ambassador.
But after 5 years of marriage and just one year on since the birth of his daughter, Hairul is relishing his time in the most important role of his life – being a father.
As fathers work hard to provide the best for their families, Hairul Azreen shares his two cents about being a father of two children during this current climate, and how he keeps his family safe and healthy.
Whether it is balancing his schedule with his wife to spend enough time with the children or simply ensuring they are healthy, active, educated and loved, here Hairul shares the joys, the struggles and challenges of parenting to inspire and motive other Malaysians Daddies.
What was it like the very first day you became a father?
- It was an absolute dream come true! The feeling I had seeing my son for the first time can barely be put into words, but I do know one thing, it was the most amazing experience I have ever been a part of.
- Watching the nurse carry our baby over and for the very first time getting to hold him in my arms, I was amazed at the life smiling up at me. I will forever remember that as a source of pride and joy.
- Looking at his tiny fingers and toes, I couldn’t believe that my wife and I had come to have such a beautiful little baby – a mini me! Not only was I incredibly excited, I was also very thankful to God and equally grateful to my wife for all her sacrifices in bringing our first-born into this world, giving me my cherished title of a ‘father’. He was the best gift I could ever wish for!
What does a typical day in your life look like? (routine, moments etc)
- I am an early riser! My days get pretty hectic, so if I don’t wake up early I’d never get everything done. But more than that, years of waking up early for work and shoots have conditioned me to bounce right out of bed at around 5.30am on a daily basis.
- As I’ve always been a firm believer in living everyday to the fullest and emphasising fitness to stay healthy, my day is pretty active as I look to complete some of my work, fit in a work out session, and spend time with my family.
- Ever since I’ve become the ambassador of Sun Life Malaysia, I’ve started to better understand the concept of living a more balanced and healthier life. Their purpose of living healthier lives certainly resonates with me and my time with them has thought me that it is important to be healthy holistically – mentally, physically, spiritually and even financially.
- So while my previous routine used to involve a lot more time at work and in the gym, my new learnings from Sun Life Malaysia have motivated me to rethink my schedule and routine. Through the exciting wellness-focused events organised by Sun Life Malaysia, I’ve learned first hand that almost every aspect of our lives can be tweaked to be healthier.
- This recent COVID-19 outbreak and subsequent Movement Control Order (MCO) have also changed my usual routine. Previously, my workouts have, for the most part, been confined to the gym or at parks and out in the open.
- But the time spent locked at home, showed me that not only can I workout with my family around, but it can actually be even more beneficial. Being forced to workout at home, inevitably my kids and even my wife got in on the act. We would workout as a family and sure, the workouts weren’t as intense but I would not have traded that special family time for anything else.
- Following the recent Recovery Movement Control Order (RMCO), I have adjusted my schedule to be more balanced between my family and myself. After a quick shower and my morning prayers, I slip into my workout clothes and get in some light exercise. Once this is done, I would be just in time to sit down with the family for a delicious homemade healthy breakfast made by my lovely wife.
- We spend our time talking to the kids about what is coming up for the rest of the day to get them excited and raring to go. Then, I will help out around the house with the chores – even more so during the RMCO period.
- After lunch, its playtime with the kids – whether it is at the chalkboard or simple board or card games. Something to get the kids mentally and physically stimulated to keep them healthy holistically.
- Towards the evening, we will usually have an early dinner before putting the kids to bed around 8pm. We have been pretty disciplined about getting the kids in bed early as it is healthy for them and also allows us to have some time for ourselves as husband and wife.
- Once the kids are asleep, I will first hit the gym again for a quick one. This is especially important for me as I find that the exercise routine provides me with increased energy that drives greater productivity. Regular exercises also give me more energy and help to combat other health issues and illnesses that could impact my work as an actor.
- To wind down the night, my wife and I would normally watch a movie and talk more about plans for the children and our lives.
From the outside, your followers/fans see the perfect father to the perfect family, but what has been the most challenging fatherhood moment that you’ve went through so far?
- While it may all seem good from the outside, I can safely tell you that nobody is perfect. The same applies for me as well. I do make mistakes; sometimes more often than I like, but I can hold my head up high knowing that I always try my very best for my family.
- My biggest challenge as a father has really been about making sure my family is protected. Living in today’s world is incredibly tough. Threats come from all angles whether it is the risk of diseases like COVID-19, the risk of injury for them or myself that could impact my ability to earn money for the family or even in the worse case scenario if something more severe happens to me.
- Now that I have a growing family to take care of, this is something that always plays in my mind. What if I am no longer around? Who will take care of my family? How will they fend for themselves? This is why I’m thankful to have Sun Life Malaysia.
- Being their ambassador has opened my eyes to the importance of keeping my family protected through insurance or takaful coverage. While I always understood the risks as an actor, I never had a chance to truly understand how insurance/takaful could significantly help secure my family’s future.
- Since my appointment in June 2019, I have gained a better perspective on the need for insurance/takaful through the various engagement events and taken the liberty to increase my knowledge on financial security. I am now a firm believer in the importance of ensuring insurance and takaful protection.
- With the right protection coverage provided by my Sun Life Malaysia plan, I now sleep soundly with more peace of mind knowing that whatever comes my way at the end of the day, my family will be well taken care of. This helps me to concentrate on the finer details of life, spending more meaningful time with my children and being unafraid to take risks (calculated ones, of course!) and enjoy life to its fullest.
- Following my experience, I would strongly encourage Malaysians out there to take better control of their financial situation and safeguard their loved ones in order to be better protected for the future.
Most of your life moments can be found on social media, even your kids have their own social media account, have you ever been bombarded with critics on the way you parent your kids? And how did you handle it?
- Yes, we do live a very public life to a certain extent. While this has many upsides, there have been several occasions where I have faced backlash over certain decisions or actions. From the years of my martial arts training, I have learned a lot about patience and mental strength that have served me well in handling the criticisms constructively and taking it in a positive light. The fact is you simply cannot let it affect you completely but you also cannot tune the world out completely.
- There can be merit in what people say on occasions. So, it really comes down to how you process what is being said and finding something to learn from it. I’m the kind of person who likes to look at the glass as half full rather than half empty so I will try to find the silver lining in every situation.
- When you live such public lives, you need to have thick skin and above all, a mind that is strong and resilient. Besides that, you also need to be at peace with your life and all that surrounds it to be able to accept these adversities as they come. I still struggle with this at times but I think I’ve been making good progress as I look at improving myself further.
- One such example is the COVID-19 situation that impacted not just me but all Malaysians. With so many things unknown surrounding it, I was pondering how I would continue to provide for my family with current job opportunities on hold and no clear view on new ones. Thankfully, I had my family around to keep me going. Spending quality time with them throughout the period brought a relief to me mentally.
- One thing that has helped me relax even more is the knowledge that my family and I are protected with a solid Takaful plan by Sun Life Malaysia that will keep us financially secured should the worst should happen.
- My advice to the readers in dealing with adversities is to ensure you build up your mental health through proper means of exercising regularly, eating well, getting sufficient sleep and learning to better manage stress. At the same time, I encourage you to seriously consider an insurance/takaful plan that will give you some relief knowing that no matter what happens, there is a back up plan to keep your loved ones safe
- Last but not least, I would also take a complete break from social media every so often as I’ve put more effort into creating a more peaceful life. All these steps have played a role in bringing me a greater sense of calm and happiness. I urge everyone to try these out for themselves, it may take some time but I’m confident that the results will be truly gratifying.
What are some of the most important responsibilities that you think a father figure should take on for their children?
- For me, a father represents security, knowledge and courage. It’s a role that cannot be filled by others as it has a huge impact on their children and help shape them into the person they become.
- I remembered my father’s strong commitment in providing the very best for our family. This has inspired and motivated me to work tirelessly for my family as I want to set an example of being the pillar of strength to my children. I hope this will help them in their development while instilling an overall sense of well-being and self-confidence.
- In terms of knowledge, I also turned to my father when I wanted to learn something new growing up, whether it was something simple like tying a shoelace to major life decisions like what I should pursue as a career.
- Speaking of which, my father always instilled in me a sense of courage. He always pushed me to be brave ever since I was little. It was his conditioning that gave me the strength to push forward with my career as a stuntman originally. It was a very risky move but thanks to his words of wisdom and encouragement, I took the plunge and I never looked back.
- These are the roles that I hope to fulfil for my children too. I want to be the one pushing them forward and cheering them on. I want them to be bold and courageous, just like my father thought me to be.
- I also want to be the person they turn to for guidance. That’s why I’ve been using a lot of my spare time brushing up on information I feel is vital and something they may not be able to get from other sources. Though it’s a long way away still, I want to be able to advice them on all of life’s biggest decisions from careers to families to finances and insurance knowledge that I have recently managed to acquire Sun Life Malaysia.
- For example, one of the most important lesson I’ve learned from them is nothing in life is 100% set or secure. The outbreak was a clear wake-up call that life is truly a rollercoaster. There’s no way to know what the next turn may have in store for us. This is why insurance/takaful is so important as it allows us to be prepared and provide safety net for our loved ones.
- In my case, I was lucky enough to have plan ahead with my takaful plan thanks to Sun Life Malaysia and also set aside some funds as back-up so I can rest easier and enjoy the precious moments with my loved ones.
- That’s why I want to slowly teach my children the importance of protecting the family’s financial future when they grow up. Since they are so young now, this will slowly be instilled in them over time as I plan to have some activities such as playing simple games with them and imparting my knowledge and experience to share more about it.
Do you think that dads should be more involved in the household and in raising children?
- Absolutely, dads need to be more involved. Things have changed a lot since I was a child and I think in today’s world, both parents need to shoulder the responsibilities together.
- I admit I do find it difficult to match all the household chores like my wife and she’s got more methods in handling the children than I do. But I look at it as a challenge and a learning opportunity. She is the Jedi master and I am the Padawan for now but one day I’m sure I will be able to match her with my determination!
- For now, I see my biggest strength in living healthily as something I can teach my children from young. Through my actions, I can slowly guide them through making the right choices about their health, including what to eat and how to stay active. By teaching them healthy habits from an early age, I know it will help them avoid major health problems and feel better about themselves in the future.
- As they continue to grow, I can take the time to share about why I do certain things, such as exercising, buying fresh food at the supermarket and choosing a healthy snack over junk food. Children learn from seeing and hearing us so it’s important for us to inform the reasoning behind those actions to help them better understand healthy choices.
What are your hopes and dream for your kids?
- My hopes for them are simple. I just want them to live happy lives – genuinely happy lives. I want them to pursue their dreams whether that be travel, study and/or career related and to feel proud of their efforts and achievements. I also want them to feel loved, supported and encouraged to pursue their interests and talents as the sky is the limit for them.
- I know this is a lot easier said than done and they will have to face plenty of uphill battles and unexpected twists and turns along the way too.
- This is why I am spending time thinking of ways to teach them how to prepare for all the unexpected things that life could throw their way. Whether it is having a close group of friends, staying connected to our family, putting aside money on savings or even understanding the concepts of insurance through simple learning methods.
- For now, it all may seem a bit too much for them but as they grow up, that will be something I focus on to ensure they never stop learning. Life is always twisting and turning with a new angle to look at. I hope they have joy in the journey as they discover what is around each corner.
- Honestly, I feel it is never too early to get real with your children. Open their eyes to the world and it will remain open always, close them off while they are young and they will be lost always. The best way of teaching them is to play with them and to show them that fun is part of a healthy balanced life.
Your message to Daddies reading this article (Last words)
Like everything in life, nobody said being a dad was easy. I think it is important for Dads out there to know just how big a role they play in the lives of their children. There is so much for them to contribute and they need to rise up to this challenge of being a role model.
First of all, I would ask all dads to be present during all stages of your children’s lives. Due to the demands of the modern world, I know there are times when they simply have work to attend to. Let me remind that how you spend your time will reflect to your children what is important to you. Kids grow up real quick and you wouldn’t want to miss out on the time to bond.
Dads are incredible powerful and important people and it’s time all of us embrace this role a little more – for a brighter future for all our children. We need to be there to help our children by building their confidence and self-esteem, and in turn, they learn how to be an engaged, supportive, and loving father to their children.
Lastly, I encourage you to start early to earn the right to be heard by teaching your children about the rights and wrongs. From my experience with my dad, the best time to have conversations about important topics is when children are young so that difficult subjects will be easier to handle as they get older. That way ensures your children learn the basic lessons of life from the onset.
