Short and Sweet: A Father’s Guide to Raising Successful Kids

A proud Cook Islands father believes the greatest gift a parent can give their children is the ability to thrive as adults and stresses the importance of family values ​​and community service.

Mark Short is the father of seven wonderful, talented children, Natalia, 30, Eri Te Ana, Estelle, sons Siana, Maihanarei, Akirata and the youngest, Kaena, 11. He is also a grandfather to two soon to be three grandchildren.

Short is a lawyer at a law firm in Rarotonga, the new head of the Cook Islands Sports and National Olympic Committee (CISNOC), a former chairman of the Commerce, Trade and Investment Committee and a former attorney general.

He also led the Cook Islands National Arts Theatre (CINAT) team at the Pacific Arts Festival in Hawaii in June this year and runs the cultural dance group Manavanui.

Beyond that, Short was a devoted father who loved his children, family, culture, traditions, sports and community.

“My hope for my children is that they become ambassadors for us and live by our values, like honesty, integrity, honor, helping others,” he shared.

“I hope they take the values ​​they learn and pass them on to their families and the communities they live in, and then I’ll be happy.

“So the values ​​you teach them at home will continue in their new family.”

Mark Short is the proud father of seven children: Natalia, Eli Te Anna, Estelle, Sianna (boy), Mahanare, Akirata and the youngest, Kaena (boy), who is 11 years old. Supplied/24083008

In this ever-evolving world, Short firmly believes that the greatest gift a parent can give their children is the ability to thrive as adults.

He understood that childhood is not only a time of play and innocence, but also a critical period for developing the skills and resilience needed for adulthood.

He is committed to fostering a sense of responsibility and self-confidence in his children, ensuring that his children are not only prepared to meet future challenges, but also have the ability and strength to seize the opportunities that come their way.

“Well, it all starts with the family,” Short said. “The best gift a parent can give their child is to prepare them for life as an adult.”

“If you put in the time, if you really commit to not only nurturing your child, but giving them confidence and encouraging them, then I think that’s the greatest gift a parent can give.”

In his legal practice, renowned defence lawyer Short has seen many children and young people on the Island get into trouble both in and out of court and has witnessed the pain and heartache they go through.

“I can understand what happens when kids aren’t loved,” he explained.

“I want to make sure I can devote as much time as possible to my kids.”

His children performed very well and achieved high achievements in academics, culture and sports.

Natalia, 30, is the oldest daughter of two. She is the winner of Apii Te Uki Ou, Miss Cook Islands 2015, an international tennis representative and has degrees in business management and accounting. She currently manages the family business, Moana Sands Group.

Eri-Te-Ana is also an international netball representative, Apii Te Uki Ou dux, and is currently a lawyer employed by Bell Gully Law Firm in Auckland, New Zealand.

His eldest son Siana is also a top student at Apii Te Uki Ou. He is currently studying for an engineering degree in Auckland and will pursue other meaningful opportunities.

Estelle has represented New Zealand in international athletics events including the 100m, 200m and long jump. She is a former Te Mire Ura dance champion and has one year left to complete her Early Childhood Education program in New Zealand.

His daughters Maihanarei and Akirata, who attend Tereora College, are both good drummers and dancers and recently won the sprint event at the college sports day.

The youngest son, Kaena, is 11 years old, a champion dancer, an excellent drummer, and just an amazing child.

Short said he tried to instill good family principles and practices in his children.

Every Sunday afternoon, they have a family gathering and the children keep track of the gathering time.

“It’s really just about planning what we’re going to do during the week,” Short explained. “If you plan it, it makes it easier.”

He said there was always something to talk about, including cultural practices, costumes and performances, homework and schoolwork, and chores like laundry, cleaning the house and lawn.

Before becoming a father, Short researched how to raise children and read every book he could find on positive parenting strategies.

“What I learned in college in a nutshell is that when the baby is in the womb, you should stimulate it, sing to the mother, talk to the womb… When they are born, sing to them again, give them colorful books, and when they are born, you have five years to help stimulate their brain.

“I’ve done that with all my kids, and I’ve seen the results.”

When his oldest daughter, Natalia, now 30, was a baby, Short laid out a set of principles that his children learned from and are still learning from.

These principles include:

• Believe in God and follow his guidance and direction,
• Family is very, very important.
• Respect and honor your traditions and culture,
• Stay positive, confident and strong, nothing is impossible.
• Being prepared can prevent poor performance.
• Do it well, or you will fail.
• Healthy body = healthy mind,
• Respect others as you would like others to respect you.
• Be yourself, accept yourself, respect yourself – don’t try to be someone or something you are not.
• If there is a problem, don’t despair, create options and fix it, and
• Honor your parents and siblings because they are your foundation and strength.

One of his favorite quotes is, “People always blame circumstances for where they are. I don’t believe in excuses. People who are successful in life look for the circumstances they want, and if they can’t find them, they create them.”

Short said his children may not have understood the principles when they first learned them, but now they do.

“Sometimes in life you have challenges, but you can always come back to these principles,” he said.

Short made sure his children took care of their home by doing their share of chores and mowing the lawn.

Although they have workers who can mow the lawn, Short insists his children do their part.

“My kids all mow lawns. Why? Because that’s how I was brought up, and they have to learn that, too.

“Otherwise you have spoiled kids who live in an isolated place and think their world is like this, you don’t have to mow the lawn, we just pay someone to do it.

“If the family business goes bankrupt and you have no money, who’s going to take care of the lawn now? At least they have the skill set.”

Maihanarei, Akirata and Kaena Short are outstanding cultural drummers from the Cook Islands and members of CINAT. Provided/24083005

His children were also known for their cultural talents, especially in drumming and dancing.

Short said he usually gives his children drums to play when they are around 4 or 5 years old.

“We started a cultural group in 2007 where the children would listen so that they were also surrounded by the culture and then they started to create their own culture and practice their own rhythms.

“Kaena would prepare her own fritters and mango fritters and then start experimenting…

“It took me five or six years to teach my kids the basics of drumming — 25 years of drumming compressed into five years — and that was just too hard.”

He also has ukulele lessons at home. They have a sheet with all the songs on it, and they play and sing and immerse themselves in their culture.

Short also wants his children to recognize the value of serving the community. Their cultural group performs at White Ribbon, Christmas in the Park and community events.

“My daughter once asked me ‘Dad, do we always volunteer?’ I said, my philosophy is: ‘If you live in a community where you have a lot, then you know that a lot is expected of you. So, you have to learn to give. Otherwise, who are we going to be’.”

Short believes that given the obvious problems and strife in society, and the difficulty young people face in taking on parental responsibilities, more can be done.

His suggestion is that young parents need to attend parenting classes or seminars to raise their children with good values ​​so that they can become leaders in their communities or succeed in what they want to do.

When it comes to your children and their partners, Short says, “At the end of the day, you can’t interfere with the relationship.”

Tomorrow is Father’s Day, and Short has noticed that many people are taking the celebration very seriously.

“I’ve never been one for celebrations,” he said. “I celebrate Father’s Day every time my kids do well.”