Many Confirm MJ Was A Loving & Attentive Father

4-7-2009) They are the children of one of the most famous men to have walked the planet. But unlike other children of mega-celebrities, whose faces are recognizable around the world, those of Michael's three kids are barely known. They have appeared only in rare paparazzi shots, their faces usually covered by scarves or brightly colored masks. According to Stacy Brown, Michael was truly afraid of kidnapping. But there was also a strategy: If the kids wore masks when they were with Michael, they could go safely unmasked when they weren't with him.

Those who've witnessed the family up close paint a bright picture: a trio of engaging, intelligent, well-adjusted youngsters who adored their father. A father who lived for his children and tried to make their lives as normal as — well, as normal as Michael Jackson could.

"To the extent that Michael Jackson's kids COULD have a normal life, he wanted them to have it," says Rabbi Shmuley Boteach. "When it came to being a father, there was much to admire."

When Boteach brought his children to play with Michael Jackson's kids at Neverland Valley Ranch some eight years ago, the rabbi's youngsters naturally made a beeline for the fabulous rides — the Ferris wheel, the roller coaster, the bumper cars. But when Michael's own kids asked to go on the rides, he gently reminded them of the family rules, according to Boteach: The rides were only for birthdays or special occasions.

"He was very concerned that the kids grow up with the right values."

Tohme Tohme, Michael's former manager, said he had "never seen a better father."

"He was the father and the mother. He washed them and dressed them. I'm a father but I'm not sure I could do what he was doing with his children. They loved him so much."

Photographer Ian Barkley said at the Neverland Valley Ranch Michael would not let the children roam far for fear of coyotes. When Barkley spoke to the kids himself, he was impressed.

"Paris and (the older) Prince really blew me away with how smart they were. They were really well-mannered and nice." And Jackson made sure they kept up with their studies. "Once I heard him ask the nanny if the kids had done their homework that day, and they hadn't yet and he was really not happy."

Stacy Brown recalls running into Michael and the kids in a town near Neverland years ago.

"They were the most well-behaved, well-mannered, immaculately groomed children. It was all 'please' and 'thank you,' and 'excuse me.' Little Blanket was wearing a kilt, and Prince a three-piece suit, and Paris a white dress with blue flowers. We chatted. I'm telling you, the guy was tremendous with those kids."

Uri Geller also confirms this:

"The times I've seen Michael with his kids, he was simply a great father. When I saw him alone in London, the first thing he said is how much he missed them. I know he loved them, and they loved him."

US Weekly editor Janice Min, whose magazine reported on the children this week, was surprised to discover how positive an outlook many Jackson associates had on the kids and their lives.

"I would have thought it was a very gloom-and-doom picture, but across the board, everyone talked about these nice and seemingly normal kids."

Boteach says, it was Michael's greatest wish that his children know how much he loved them.

"Michael often said he knew that when the kids grew up, they'd be asked by biographers what kind of father he was. He wanted the kids to know that he always put them first."

Source: MJFC / AP