Latest news with #MothersDay
The Star
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Star
HK superstar Aaron Kwok, 59, expecting 3rd child with wife Moka Fang
Hong Kong singer-actor Aaron Kwok with his wife Moka Fang and their two daughters. Photo: Moka Fang/Instagram Hong Kong superstar Aaron Kwok confirmed on Fathers Day that he will soon be a father of three. The 59-year-old was asked by the Hong Kong media on June 15 if his wife Moka Fang, 37, was pregnant again. 'I'm going to be a daddy again and I'm very happy,' he told the media at a movie event. 'I like a bustling home and I'm very willing to have another child.' Kwok and Fang tied the knot in 2017. They have two daughters aged seven and six, who are aware that a younger sibling is on the way. The singer-actor declined to disclose the gender of his third child. Fang first sparked rumours of her pregnancy on Mothers Day in May, when she posted on social media a photo of herself with a rounder face and a slight tummy. Kwok added to the speculation when he told the Hong Kong media that children are gifts from heaven, and he would leave it to nature whether his two daughters will have a younger brother or sister. The speculation grew later in June after Fang was seen wearing a loose-fitting dress while attending a racecourse event with her husband. Kwok is not the only Hong Kong artiste to disclose impending fatherhood on Fathers Day. Actor and former swimmer Alex Fong Lik Sun, 45, had announced on Valentine's Day in February that he tied the knot with his non-celebrity girlfriend Maple Yip, 30. He displayed a picture of two stick men on social media. On June 15, he showed the same picture of the two figures, but with a small stick man between them. 'I am going to be a father soon,' he wrote in Chinese, using the hashtag #itsawonderfonglife. 'My father is 80 years old this year and I wish him good health and a strong spirit.' Meanwhile, Taiwanese actress Ariel Lin confirmed on social media on June 16 that she has welcomed her second child, a boy. The 42-year-old has a three-year-old daughter with her husband, businessman Charles Lin. 'I recently came across a poem written by Kim McMillen, and I have to share it with you,' the actress wrote in Chinese, including the poem in her post. 'I would also like to share with you the joy of welcoming a new life, and the blessings and hopes for our children.' She also posted a photo of a small hand holding a finger. News of the birth was first reported by Mirror Media earlier on June 16. The Taiwanese magazine also broke the news of her pregnancy in March, and was the first media outlet to disclose her first pregnancy in 2021. – The Straits Times/Asia News Network
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Americans spend $10 billion more on Mother's Day than Father's Day. What's going on?
When it comes to honoring our parents on their special days, dads appear to be the big loser. That's according to data from the National Retail Federation — specifically, its tracking of spending on Father's Day, which is this upcoming Sunday, and Mother's Day. This year, Americans are expected to shell out $24 billion on dad's holiday, whereas they spent $34.1 billion on mom's day last month, the NRF says. Israel-Iran clash delivers a fresh shock to investors. History suggests this is the move to make. I'm in my 80s and have 2 kids. How do I choose between them to be my executor? 'He failed in his fiduciary duty': My brother liquidated our mother's 401(k) for her nursing home. He claimed the rest. 'I'm 68 and my 401(k) has dwindled to $82,000': My husband committed financial infidelity and has $50,000 in credit-card debt. What now? These defense stocks offer the best growth prospects, as the Israel-Iran conflict fuels new interest in the sector That's a gap of $10.1 billion. And the gap has only grown over the years, at least as measured in dollars. Consider: In 2016, Americans spent $7.4 billion more on mom versus dad, according to the NRF. There may be no definitive reason as to why fathers lose out to mothers on their respective signature occasions — but that doesn't stop marketing, parenting and other experts from offering plenty of possible explanations. Begin with the fact that moms are generally more revered for their familial contributions from a societal standpoint, observers say. Much of that has to do with the intrinsic nature of motherhood, as in the fact that moms who go through childbirth have to endure the physical challenges of such. But even in an era when we keep hearing that parental roles are becoming more equal, studies still show that mothers bear the greater burden when it comes to housework and child-raising. 'Moms carry the emotional, mental and physical weight of parenting in most households. They're the primary parents; they're the daily grinders, the all-night pullers, the domestic glue,' said Nathaniel A. Turner, co-founder of the League of Extraordinary Parents, a support organization. All of this translates into a desire to spend more on Mother's Day. 'Moms get planned-out splurges,' said Stephanie Carls, a retail-insights expert with the RetailMeNot online platform. She noted that can include everything from jewelry to a meal or flowers — or in some cases, all of the above. By contrast, dad gifts are often an opportunistic, budget-minded buy, Carls said: think a small tool or grill accessory purchased at a home-improvement store, for example. Turner echoed that point: Father's Day, he said, is 'still stuck in the shallow end of grills, golf balls and gimmicks because it does not move consumers enough to move the economic needle.' He added that can be even more the case when consumers are feeling the financial pinch. And given inflation and other financial pressures in recent years, that may explain the growing spending gap between Father's Day and Mother's Day. RetailMeNot's spending data, based on consumer surveys, also shows this sizable gap. This year, we're shelling out $232 on dad per shopper, but we allocated $360 for mom — a gap of $128, according to the platform. In 2024, the gap was considerably smaller, with $257 spent on dad versus $316 on mom — a $59 difference. Restaurant owners are especially among those who are quick to pick up on the spending patterns. They say that Mother's Day is typically one of their busiest occasions of the year, next to Valentine's Day and New Year's Eve. By contrast, Father's Day is often not much busier than an average Sunday. Babak Bina, founding partner of Boston-based BCB3 Hospitality, a company that operates several restaurants, said that doesn't mean that dads are getting slighted, however. As a father himself, he thinks that dads just don't consider Father's Day all that important. 'We're okay with doing a barbecue and calling it a day,' Bina said. That's a view echoed by others. Brand strategist Reilly Newman said that men aren't necessarily into big social celebrations — they're as happy to celebrate Father's Day playing a round of golf on their own. 'Men are the lone wolves,' Newman said. Finally, experts say you can't ignore the role that the calendar plays. Mother's Day falls during a time of year when we're still in a get-things-accomplished mode — schools haven't let out for the summer and we're not quite hitting the beach just yet. But Father's Day falls after Memorial Day when we're much more in a vacation mindset, which can make the holiday almost seem like a distraction. Plus, we've already just spent all that money on Mother's Day, so we may feel a bit tapped out, experts noted. That leads some to wonder how things might work if Father's Day was moved to a different time of year. At least that's what Melissa Murphy, a marketing professor at Carnegie Mellon University's Tepper School of Business, has to say. 'If the holidays were further apart, it would be more equal maybe,' Murphy observed. 'It might be another Apple or Microsoft': My wife invested $100K in one stock and it exploded 1,500%. Do we sell? 'I'm not wildly wealthy, but I've done well': I'm 79 and have $3 million in assets. Should I set up 529 plans for my grandkids? My husband is in hospice care. Friends say his children are lining up for his money. What can I do? My mother-in-law thought the world's richest man needed Apple gift cards. How on Earth could she fall for this scam? Why bonds aren't acting like a safe haven for investors amid the Israel-Iran conflict
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
16 Too-Real Tweets About Mother's Day vs. Father's Day
Mother's Day and Father's Day are great occasions to honor the parental figures in your life. But it seems many moms and dads like to vent about their special days on Twitter ― and many like to highlight the differences between the two holidays. We've rounded up 16 funny tweets that compare Mother's Day and Father's Day. Enjoy! Dads on father's day: let's go do something as a family!Moms on mother's day: Can everyone just not talk to me today or touch me. — Meredith (@PerfectPending) May 9, 2016 At my daughter's preschool, they made Father's Day cards shaped like tool boxes. But if someone gave me like, a dishwasher-shaped card on Mother's Day, I'd be pissed. — SpacedMom (@copymama) June 17, 2018 Husband, 'What's our Father's Day plans?'Me, 'Cookout? Watch golf?'H, 'So the usual?'Me, 'Well it's not like it's Mother's Day.'H...M..H..M..'Episiotomy.'H, 'You right.' — Lady Lawya (@Parkerlawyer) June 15, 2018 Me on Mother's Day:All I want is time away from our on Father's Day:You can have anything you want, except time away from our family. — Scary Mommy (@ScaryMommy) June 16, 2018 Mothers: 'This whole weekend is considered Mother's Day so pamper me!'Also Mothers: 'You can celebrate Father's Day from 2:30 to 2:35pm' — The Walking Dad (@RealDMK) May 13, 2018 Moms don't cook on mother's day but dads grill on father's day? Moms for the win with that psychology. — EnvyDaTropic™ (@envydatropic) June 17, 2018 My wife said that for Father's Day I should plan an outing for just me & the kids. is exactly what we did for Mother's Day too. — Brian Hope (@Brianhopecomedy) June 6, 2013 It's weird the way Father's Day is twice as long as Mother's Day. — Kelcey Kintner (@mamabirddiaries) June 18, 2017 mother's day cards: you raised me ♥️ you cooked for me 😋 you loved me 🥰father's day cards: happy birthday or whatever, fart idiot — soul nate (@MNateShyamalan) June 12, 2024 Why is it we pamper Moms on Mother's Day but on Father's Day we get Dad a mower and put his ass to work in the yard? — Darin Loves Bacon (@darinlovesbacon) May 10, 2015 Mother's Day v. Father's Day 😂 — Mekka Don (@MekkaDonMusic) June 14, 2018 I love that Mother's Day is before Father's Day. This way, my husband sets the bar for how we'll celebrate him next alert: He's getting a card, the kids will make him burnt toast and I'll be taking a nap. — Scary Mommy (@ScaryMommy) May 18, 2020 Daycare Mother's Day vs Father's Day celebration songs:Mom - gave them all their wonderful - he gets the family lost in the car for hours because he won't ask for directions. — Rob Fonseca (@rmf0938) June 8, 2018 Mothers Day:Here are flowers and breakfast in bed, don't lift a finger, it's your day!Father's Day:We thought it would be fun if you grilled everyone dinner, also here is a Home Depot gift card so you can finally hang those shelves. — Simon Holland (@simoncholland) June 16, 2024 One difference between Mother's Day and Father's Day is you won't see a bunch of women buying cards at the grocery store on Father's Day because they waited until the last minute. — B. Miller (@BlaiseInKC) June 16, 2024 mother's day is great but i also try to make father's day all about me as well. — kim monte (@KimmyMonte) May 9, 2018 10 Too-Real Comics About Mother's Day 43 Raw Photos Of Moms Helping Their Daughters Give Birth 19 Songs That Beautifully Capture Motherhood
Hindustan Times
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Mere paas paa hai
They don't make fathers like that any more. So every generation would like to believe. Season 2025 brings yet another marketeer-mounted consumerist narrative, parading as Fathers Day. All these special days seem like another super-hyped season of a drama-dripping OTT series. Bigger. Bolder. Better or Battier. Narratives of Father's Day have changed. Sentimental subtexts may still be the same. Our generation didn't wait to celebrate a calendar date as Fathers Day or Mothers Day. Madaaris to marketeers It was Fathers Day whenever dads used to spruce up vintage Vespas or loud orange Lambrettas, boasting even louder carburettors, to trundle kids to the Gemini circus come to town. Now, the only circus that Pops and progeny get to watch is a Kapil chat show or 'chaat' show, an Arnab lion roar of a circus, or a Trump-Elon Musk verbal gymnastics trending on Twitterverse. It was Fathers Day whenever dads used to bundle off kids to sweat it out in nearby playgrounds over a Sunday kabbadi, kho-kho or cricket session. Now, new-age Sundays see a cushioned childhood, OTP-dishing dads and OTP-demanding kiddos lounging in the air-conditioned allure of multiplexes or malls, loading calories over cokes, kebabs and 'Krrish'. It was Fathers Day whenever dads whisked away offspring on weekends, to the lake for a date with the ducks or down a neighbourhood nukkad to witness a 'madaari's' monkey show. Now, what fathers and sons of a Digital India partake of is the entertainment dished out by new-age 'madaaris' -- many a gaming app, web series, social media influencers' Reels and such crap. Commercials get candid Nothing mirrors the paradigm shift in narratives better than some father-centric commercials. Who can forget that cult commercial of a cooking oil we grew up on, with a punchline that resonated our own heartbeats, 'My Daddy Strongest!' This Fathers Day, some commercials, in paying an ode to dads, voice a vocabulary belonging to the new digital age while being rooted in emotions that are age-old. There is visa processing platform Atlys's ad that salutes the clockwork punctuality of Papas. There is a Myntra ad shaping fatherhood into a fashion influencer, with a cheeky take on the term 'FD'. Dettol's #DadsCanToo ad is an ode to changing roles and shared parenting. Swiggy too swings into ready-to-jingle mode with its parody on a breaking news-addicted dad who is dished out a 'primetime menu'. One ad that evocatively mirrors the contrast as well as confluence of newer and ancient narratives is this season's Zomato ad. It paints a portrait of Papa as the original service provider. It projects Pop as the omnipresent, multi-tasking presence in our lives who delivers 24x7, without even a call or push of a phone button. Be it late night meals, ferrying for school or sports, fetching favourite fruits or goodies and all that. The ad's storytelling climaxes with a catchphrase that truly resonates with old-school parenthood -- 'For Appa, Who Works Harder Than a Hundred Apps.' Newer lenses, newer narratives. Fathers Day now comes all dressed up in Sunday best. The curious case of 'Honey, I Splurged The Kids.' chetnakeer@
The Star
7 days ago
- The Star
‘I hope all my children will be obedient and become useful individuals,' says Melaka mother in FB post before fatal stabbings
MELAKA: "I hope all my children will be obedient, grow up healthy and happy, and become useful individuals! Love to all.' These were the heartfelt words posted on Facebook by the woman who was fatally stabbed alongside her eldest son at their home in Bukit Rambai here on June 12, reported Sinar Harian. The police confirmed that the prime suspect in the double murder was the woman's second son, aged 17. In the recent post that was shared on Mothers Day on May 11, the 51-year-old single mother who was a teacher at a vernacular school, also expressed gratitude to her eldest child for creating a short video as a Mother's Day gift this year. "Even though I cannot celebrate it this year, I am very happy because this is the first time receiving a short video made for me. I hope all my children will be obedient, grow up healthy and happy, and become useful individuals! Love to all," she wrote. ALSO READ: Teen held over double murder of mother, brother The victim also uploaded a one-minute and 15-second video made by her eldest son, a 21-year-old college student. The video featured 25 photographs of their family over the past 16 years, including memories with her husband, who passed away earlier in January. Additionally, the mother shared images of awards she received, such as the Excellent Service Award from the Education Ministry on April 25, 2019, and the Excellent Service Award from the Seremban District Education Office on June 22, 2009. She also shared memorable photos from her workplace and with other family members. The 5am incident also left the youngest sibling, aged 13, seriously injured after being stabbed while trying to save both victims. Melaka police chief Deputy Comm Datuk Dzulkhairi Mukhtar said the suspect is believed to have stabbed his mother several times in the neck, waist and back using a folding knife. Initial investigations suggest that the motive for the incident may be emotional distress and resentment experienced by the suspect, allegedly due to being frequently pressured to excel academically.
