Fondly considered by many as the “Beckham kids of Singapore,” Wendy Jacob and Fandi Ahmad’s kids – Irfan, 20, Ikshan, 18, Ima, 14, Ilhan, 14, and Iryan, 11 – have been in the limelight for most of their lives.
Now the eldest three are following in their famous parents’ footsteps.
Fandi Ahmad’s kids are making waves in the worlds of sports and modelling!
Wendy Jacob and Fandi Ahmad’s kids Irfan, Ikshan, and Iman’s careers are slowly on the rise in the worlds of sports and fashion.
Irfan, the eldest of five kids, is a promising young athlete, who has been named one of the “top 40 young talents in the world of football” by The Guardian.
TheAsianParent sat down with football legend Fandi Ahmad back in 2015. In the exclusive interview, the proud dad shared how he truly believes Irfan has what it takes to be like him or even exceed his accomplishments.
“Maybe one day he’ll be like me or even better. Actually, I hope he’ll be better than me,” said the proud dad.
Image source: Iman Fandi Ahmad Instagram page
Ikshan is also a skilled footballer on the Singapore National Team alongside his brother. Aside from his dad, he draws inspiration from the accomplished professional footballers around his age around the world.
Though 17-year-old Iman was also enrolled in Singapore Sports School, she was inclined to follow in her mum’s footsteps. She has made her first foray into modelling, after entering a competition back in 2014.
“I love it,” she gushes to Harper’s Bazaar Singapore. “This industry is competitive; it’s tough. But I’ve learnt the importance of being yourself. When I’m in front of the camera, it’s always, ‘Okay, let’s do this.’ I feel it’s nothing I have to force.”
Though they are from a celebrity family, Fandi Ahmad’s kids learned the values of humility and hard work
When his two eldest boys decided to become footballers, he made sure to stress the importance of balancing their studies with pursuing their true ambitions.
“I told them that once you start you cannot stop; you must try to go on until you achieve your dreams,” he recalls telling them.
Though the dad of five worries that his eldest kids are at an age where they might “go astray,” he gives them independence and freedom as long as they obey the rules, fully trusting that they are independent and capable. But he also acknowledges that there is a certain burden that comes with having well-known parents.
“So far, they’ve been well-behaved and know their boundaries. They understand expectations,” he explains. “I just tell them to be humble and act normal.”
Image source: Irfan Fandi Ahmad Instagram page
They might be celebrity kids with promising futures, but they never forget to look back on the lessons their parents taught them.
“My dad often tells me that no matter how big or famous you become, don’t forget the people who helped you,” Ikhsan tells Harpers Bazaar.
Two years on, Fandi echoes the same sentiments about humility.
“I tell my children that they must always be humble, respectful to people, work hard and remain grateful for the opportunities they have in life,” he tells Harper’s Bazaar.
“Always give your best and never give up,” he wants his kids to always remember. “And if you fail, just pick yourself up and try again. Failure is what motivates you to achieve that goal even more.”
How to raise kids who remain humble and grounded
It’s truly inspiring to see celebrity kids who are well adjusted and humble while staying confident to pursue their dreams.
Here are a few tips!
1. Model humility
Parents should strive to be good role models, when it comes to instilling humility. Be mindful of how you relate to others or even how you respond behind people’s backs. Keep your own ego and entitlement in check and it’ll be much easier to raise kids who are truly grounded.
2. Practice compassion
By helping out their community, they are expanding their worldview. Many good values spring from empathy, including humility, says Dr. Michele Borba in a recent talk in Singapore.
Show them you struggle with it, too
Psychology Today says that parents should strive to relate with their kids by coming clean about their own struggles to stay humble. By showing them that humility doesn’t come naturally, that it’s something to work at, they realise that they don’t have to be too hard on themselves. This makes them more open to learning.
Get creative!
For younger kids who might not be able to grasp deep concepts like humility, you might want to try fun ways to teach them about it. One way is by performing a puppet show with dialogue revolving around simple situations that can become an opportunity to be humble.
How do you raise humble but confident kids, mums and dads? Let us know in the comments below.
Sources: Harper’s Bazaar Singapore, Straits Times, Asia One, Livestrong.com, Psychology Today
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