Views of four fathers on their dads

Celebrity Lawrence Cheng Tan-shui's daughters, Zaneta, eight, and Amanda, six, are the apples of his eyes. Being a father is a great mission in life. 'You won't know how to be a dad until you've been one,' Cheng said. He said every day was unforgettable because it was a learning experience.

'I changed the way I look at the world after becoming a father. I learned how to forgive others.' When asked about his father, Mr Cheng said: 'Decades ago, you know, there were many children in a family, and parents worked very hard. My dad didn't spend much time with us, but I knew he loved us.' Mr Cheng wanted to be a model for his daughters, and he thought 'action is the best way to teach'. 'You are learning when you are teaching your children,' he said.

As a father of two boys, Hok Yau Club chairman Ng Tak-kay said providing clear guidelines to his children was important. 'When they've done something wrong, you should let them know you are angry, and if they have done something commendable, you should praise them.' He said he had always wanted to spend more time with sons Cheuk-kei and Cheuk-kin, but his workload did not allow that. 'I didn't have a close relationship with my father. He was a sailor and had some bad habits, so I told myself to be a better dad.' Harry Wong Cher-hong, deputy channel director at Metro Broadcast, said his father was an open-minded and happy person. 'My father is a modern dad even though he's already 74. He is always a lovely old man in my eyes. I learned a lot from him. He taught me how to be a good father.' Wong has two daughters, Adrian, 10 and Joelle, seven. 'Communication is important. If you're unhappy, you should let them know that rather than being angry. My children always ask why and I explain to them. We should listen to children . . . Don't be a dictator!' Commercial Radio commentator Peter Lam Yuk-wah has been living away from his two children, Sherman, 17 and Sharon, nine for over two years, as they are studying in Canada. 'I treat Father's Day as a normal day,' he said. Celebrating is not as important as the studies of his children. Every summer, Sherman and Sharon will return, but he had not spent much time with them because his hours were irregular. When Mr Lam has time, he phones his father. 'He is a traditional parent, makes no demand on us.' He said being a father was 'a process of happiness and worry'.

Zero and Mandy are interns from Hong Kong Shue Yan College