The charmer knows the ‘Unseen Mover’

MANILA, Philippines — As a three-year-old wonder, Scarlet Snow Belo has 2.4 million followers on Instagram. At her early age, she has the charm and influence to make many Filipinos happy because they derive their daily dose of “pampa-good vibes” from her IG posts. Her parents, Dr. Vicki Belo and Dr. Hayden Kho Jr., have always made sure that Scarlet learns about life and God.

Here are the thoughts of Scarlet’s father…

What’s the best part of being the father of Scarlet?

I’m so lucky to have such an adorable daughter. The best part is I have a beautiful wife that I can love and I have a wonderful daughter I can adore. You learn so many things not just about this new life but also about being a father and also about yourself.

Best lesson Scarlet has taught you.

I think it’s really to look at everything with innocent eyes. I wouldn’t say it’s the most important. Because of Scarlet, I’ve become more curious. She’s also teaching me about myself. Sometimes when she’s very demanding and she’s being unreasonable, then I look at myself and I realize even as an adult, I’m sometimes unreasonable and bratty.

What activities does Scarlet do now?

We travel a lot so she’s learning a lot from travels but in terms of day-to-day activities, she has Mandarin classes, swimming lessons and gymnastics. She has Teacher Daddy session, which is about the Bible, about values. That’s with me. She has a reading-writing tutor, three times a week, too. She goes to school. She’ll be in Nursery II starting next week. She skipped Nursery I. She’s three years old.

Your daughter has 2.4 million followers on Instagram. How does Scarlet influence the Filipinos in general?

Scarlet with her parents, Doctors Vicki Belo and Hayden Kho Jr.

We’ve decided for Scarlet’s Instagram account, it’s all about faith, family, positivity, good values. Nothing about luxury, not too much emphasis on material things. If you notice in the posts of Scarlet, most of the time she’s just wearing normal clothes. Her posts either make people smile or teach something or to share some values we think are important, like the foundation of a family.

Do Vicki and you play good-cop-bad-cop to Scarlet?

I think I’m more of the disciplinarian compared to Vicki. I think my role is to develop Scarlet’s identity and teach her morals and values. And Vicki is there to teach her how to care, how to nurture, to teach her intimacy. But Vicki and I switch our roles from time to time.

How do you ensure that Scarlet will be a very good Filipino citizen?

She’s a Filipino citizen and we want her to learn Tagalog. All her yayas speak to her exclusively in Tagalog. She understands Tagalog. We expose her to Filipino things like halo-halo and she knows the National Anthem.

Why is it so important to you to develop Scarlet’s identity?

It’s very important that Scarlet at a very young age understands her identity, that her identity rests not on what she has or what she will acquire but more on who she is, in whose family she belongs. I’m not just saying earthly family but also God’s. She is God’s.

How well does Scarlet know God?

I think for a three-year-old, she knows God well. She knows how to pray. She can recite the Ten Commandments. She knows and understands that God is the Unseen Mover. Even the Trinity, I’m trying to explain it to her. She understands that God loves us. She understands that God provides for our needs. She understands that we need God. She understands that God is unseen but He is also a person who cares about us.

You told me in my previous interview with you that you were not bothered that Scarlet would one day know about your past.

Scarlet knows. I told her before that once upon a time her daddy was a bad person. But because of Jesus, Daddy now has you and Daddy is now blessed and Daddy has changed. Every night before we sleep  we have devotions. We pray. I read her Bible stories. She asked me once why do we need to talk about God and that’s when I told her.

Why did you and Vicki name her Scarlet Snow?

Her name was taken from Isaiah 1:18: “…Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow…” It is a reminder to myself that if we sincerely put our sins at the foot of the cross, no matter how shameful, God will make us brand-new again.

What are your dreams for Scarlet?

I just want her to be a God-fearing, nation-loving, people-caring person. I just want her to achieve her heart’s desires. I have my ideas of what I want her to be but at the end of the day I just want her to be happy and fulfilled in her life.

What does she do that melts your heart?

I think the sweetest for any father is when you are working bigla na lang she’ll run to you and hug you and kiss you. She doesn’t have to say anything, she just does that and then she leaves. That’s very sweet. I also find it sweet when she says, “Daddy, we’re not complete and we won’t be happy if we are not complete” if either Vicki or I am not yet home.