6 NewZealandWoman’sWeekly
WISE
GUYS
Eight Kiwi
on the role
a life
TO CELEBRATE FATHER’S
DAY,WECHECK INWITH
SOME FAMOUS DADSSimonBridges
A
s theLeaderoftheOpposition,
Simonjugglesfatherhoodwith
hisbusyjob– he’sbeenatthe
helmoftheNationalPartysinceFebruary
lastyearandTaurangaMPsince2008.
Simon(42)andhiswifeNatalie,the
directorofa publicrelationsand
marketingfirm,havethreechildren,
Emlyn(7),Harry(5),andJemima(1).
What’sthebestpieceofadvice
yourfathergaveyou?
Dadhasalwaysbeenveryambitiousfor
hissixkidsandalwaysencouragedusto
workhardandtryourbest.Asa Baptist
minister,healsoleda lifeofservicein our
community.Hisactionsmorethanhis
wordshavebeenthebestexampleforme.
What’syourbestFather’sDaymemory?
I’mtheyoungestofsix,andoneyearwhen
I wasveryyoungwegaveDada Father’s
Daycardsignedbyallofus.Mysignature
wasmassiveandallovertheplace.Forthe
next 15 yearsorso,wegaveDadthesame
cardandhewasalwaysappreciativeand
neverseemedtonotice.Mysiblingsand
I thoughtit wasa greatlaugheveryyear.
HowdidyouspendFather’sDayasa
child?Whatdoyoudonowadays?
Growingup,I rememberSundaylunches
witha roastdinnerfollowedbya sponge
cake.ThenDadwouldsettlein andwatch
sportsonTV.Todaystillrevolvesaround
food.We’llgooutforbrunchandthen
maybea walkorwe’llkicka ballaround.
What’ssurprisedyouthemost
aboutfatherhood?
Therearenoholidays!Butseriously,
probablythetendermoments.
Whatdoyouwishsomeonehad
warnedyouaboutbecominga dad?
Someoneneededtowarnmeabout
Harry,ourmiddlechild.Asa five-year-old,
hischeekinessmakesmelaugheveryday
butknowsnobounds.Whenwearein
mallsandotherpublicplacesandhe
wantstowindmeup,he’llyell“Jacinda”
or“WinstonPeters”atthetopofhisvoice.
What’syourbestdadjoke?
Whatdoyoucallsomeonewith
andnonose?Nobodyknows.
What’sthenumberonemust
forKiwidads?
Time.Theotherstuffis niceto
buttimewithyourkidsis essent
WhatdoyouwantforFather
A smallspeedboatforsummer.
thathappeningthisyear,butI’d
withjusta cardfromthekids–
not the same one they gave meCOVER STORY
a life time!