There are truly few greater callings in life than that of being a parent, and so of course the role of a father should be celebrated with the greatest pride.
When it comes to parenthood, the tide is ever-changing, but there’s key elements that Donovan Cabebe sticks to, to make sure that his kids are prepared for the world.
“We let life come to them as it comes. We’re not looking to shelter or protect them from the world,” Cabebe says.
He explains how important it is to raise his children so that they have the tools they need to succeed and to become contributing members of society. “We have standards and expectations. We have them understand their boundaries, to be good people.”
Cabebe is a proud father of three, and thinks of Father’s Day as a time to reflect on this very important role he plays in his children’s lives. Cabebe seems to admit humbly that there is always more work to be done, there’s always something to improve on as a parent.
“Since I’ve become a dad, it’s been a time of year where I can take stock and evaluate on my performance as a father,” he said.
There’s a lot of things that concern Cabebe about the world, and he sums it up by saying, “The word on the street is different than it used to be.”
Basically, when considering the world that today’s kids are living in, well, it’s just more complicated than it once was. He tries to be as thoughtful as he can when it comes to, say, how much technology and media his kids are exposed to.
“We monitor their media consumption,” he said. “We have a computer, but we make sure to keep certain things out of the house.”
There is no TV in Cabebe’s home.
Now the kids get to use an iPhone at home, but only after they graduated from the iPod. All right, iPads are OK at home, too. After all, Cabebe’s daughter La‘emana, who is 8, has one, but the point is, introducing technology at a slower pace works best for his family.
Cultural knowledge combined with quality education is important in the Cabebe family, too. All three kids, including sons Liko, 6, and and Kekoa, 11, attend Kawaikini Public Charter School in Puhi. Attending the school is a great way for the family to embrace their Hawaiian heritage. The children also learn the traditional Hawaiian language, Ka Olelo Hawaii, which they practice at home.
Liko, La‘emana and Kekoa have a way of keeping dad on his toes, especially considering their vast range of skills and interests. While dad describes Liko as “brave and rambunctious,” La‘emana is artistic and likes to create crafts. The “scholar” of the family, Cabebe says, is Kekoa, who loves to read books and comics, and also enjoys math and playing soccer.
It should come as no surprise that their father has a unique set of skills and interests, too.
Cabebe is many things, including an entrepreneur, advocate, wedding officiant and entertainer, or DJ. He volunteers at Kauai Community Radio, based out of Princeville. At KKCR, he is a radio programmer and also is one of the hosts of the show “Out of the Box,” which airs Thursday evenings. “Out of the Box” is a talk show which focuses on discussing social issues on Kauai.
Advocating for causes is Cabebe’s life work and passion, he says. The list of what he advocates and lobbies for seems boundless, but he says that the focus of his work falls under Hawaiian rights and human rights, environmental and social justice.
Specific issues highlighted by Cabebe as being priorities include protecting pollinators, access to land, protecting the environment and supporting teachers.
At the end of the day, when it comes to raising his children, quality time and simply letting his kids be kids is a priority.
“The cost of living is much higher here in Hawaii,” he said. “I try to keep them away from adult worries and spend as much time with them as possible.”
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Monique Rowan is a Wainiha resident who writes occasionally for The Garden Island.
