S'pore actor Qi Yuwu says he hasn't spent a lot of time with his kids & thought he'd end up alone

Singapore-based actor Qi Yuwu recently appeared on Allan Wu's podcast series "Call Us Daddy".

The 49-year-old actor is married to fellow actress Joanne Peh, and together they have two children aged 10 and eight.

In the episode, Qi shared his views as a father and even admitted that he never thought he'd ever have kids.

In response to Wu sharing a statistic alluding to how time spent with children is precious, Qi said: "Actually, I haven't spent a lot of time with my children. Even at home... Sometimes, I don't spend a lot of time either."

"Children can be annoying"

He opined that parents don't have to spend all day with their children and everyone in the family has different things they'd want to do anyway.

"I think parents don’t have to stay with their children all day. I would feel annoyed. Children can be annoying. And they have their own things they want to play, things they want to do.

Just let them play by themselves. But I think we need to give them space.

I feel like I'm also a person who needs space. I can't be with them all the time, doing everything together. I can't stand it. And I am not very good at playing or getting along with children."

He also revealed that he thought he would have ended up alone, and never thought he would get married.

"Actually, I'm going to be honest. I never thought I would have kids. [...] I'm not a person who particularly likes children. Some people just like children, but I'm not that kind of person," he said.

Doesn't hit children

When asked to describe his parenting style, he said that there has to be a serious and not-completely-serious side.

Attributing himself as someone who's "more traditional", he said he believes that there should be rules at home and that his children have to be polite.

"[For example,] when you go outside and see someone, greet them. But for other aspects, I'll give them plenty of space and let them explore on their own."

Wu also asked about Qi's disciplining styles and whether he or his wife have ever hit their children, to which he said no.

He elaborated: "I hope to not hit them but I've told Joanne that there are three situations where I will beat them. The first is lying, the second is stealing and the third — because sometimes children have not grasped this concept yet — is when they touch someone else's private parts."

Maintaining children's privacy

Qi and Peh are known to be fiercely protective of their children's privacy, often not showing their faces in their social media posts.

He explained that because he is an actor, he has to be exposed to the public, but that doesn't mean his children have to be seen by the public, too.

"Just because they're my children, they have to face the public too? I don't think it makes sense.

When they grow up, they might say: 'Why did you expose my face? This is not my choice. Why did you make the choice for me?'"

He also added that he's also concerned that their values may be affected if their identity as a celebrity's offspring were to be revealed.

Qi said: "To be honest, being a celebrity comes with some conveniences like fame among other things. But if children are exposed to this and take it the wrong way, I think it will affect their values. They might think that things come too easily. When in fact, it's not that easy. We spent a lot of time and effort to create this 'fame'."

Qi also revealed that he has no qualms should his children wish to join the entertainment industry, despite the preconceived notions that it's a tough industry.

He said: "Just do it. It's a legitimate job. [...] I think in life, not everything has to have a result. Sometimes you go crazy and live in an unrealistic manner, it is still a good experience. Not everything you do in life must be rational and help you progress in life."

You can watch the full episode here.

Top image from Call Us Daddy's podcast and @joannepeh on Instagram.