Doting dad Akshay Kumar recently celebrated his 50th birthday in the picturesque locales of Switzerland; and he was joined by his wife and kids- Aarav, 14, and Nitara, 5, on his special day.
But unlike a usual birthday this year's celebrations were quite different.
Instead of receiving gifts from his family, Kumar chose to give them special surprises, and especially made his son's dream come true. But he also had the intention to teach him a special lesson.
"I’m only doing this for my boy"
Revealing more about his 50th birthday celebrations, the Toilet actor shared, "This year might be my [life’s] half century, but I’m actually celebrating by giving my son his dream snowboarding holiday, as much as I know I’ll love it... I’m only doing this for my boy because I know what this kind of adventure with his family will mean to him."
He added that he usually prefers to share his time with his family on his special day, as opposed to receive materialistic gifts.
"Actually, I even remember my 40th in Florida; my wife and I took Aarav to a theme park all day, and when we came home, we were all so knackered that we all fell asleep by 5.30pm on my birthday — no party, no celebration, just unconditional family time. I always want my birthday to be about making my children happy and that’s all I would ever wish for, for they are all I want and need," shared Khiladi Kumar.
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"No gift will ever replace the time we spend together"
The actor also shared that he loves to spend time with his family and considers that his greatest gift, but it doesn't mean that he has never received anything materialistic.
"I will never forget the Harley Davidson my wife gifted me, but actually it’s always the family holidays that I cherish the most. You can’t take money or possessions to the grave — only memories and a lifetime of love and happiness. No gift will ever replace the time we spend together, my wife could buy me an island, but I’ll still just want to walk on Juhu Beach (in Mumbai) holding her hand — something we do for free whenever we want, but to me that’s what I call magic," shares the romantic hubby.
Whatever they get, they have to earn it!
The Kumars have time and again proved that they do not believe in material possessions and therefore, want to teach their kids to learn the same as well.
"Whatever they get, they have to earn it. I want them to be responsible human beings who are also full of gratitude for what they have. Kuch khairat mei nahi milta, whatever they get is achieved by them... they need to understand that luxuries are a result of achievements and hard work,” Kumar said just last year.
Kumar's two golden mantras of parenting!
But this is not the only thing he is teaching his kids. Kumar's two golden mantras of parenting are greats lesson for parents everywhere.
- Gratitude: Having seen many hardships in life, Akshay is careful not to let his kids take things for granted. "One needs to give kids the space to grow, and I do that. But instilling right values is important... They value what they have, everyone should be thankful for the many blessings they have," he said in an interview.
- Humility: Having worked as a cook in Bangkok before he hit the jackpot in the Indian film industry, Akshay is aware that humility goes a long way. He teaches his kids these lessons through small things that he believes will one day make a big difference. Talking about having his son travel economy, Akshay said, "He has travelled economy on many occasions without cribbing because he understands that he needs to earn it, nothing is handed to him on a platter.”
Also read: Doting parents Twinkle and Akshay Kumar have been teaching Aarav THIS life skill
(All images courtesy: Instagram)
