Category: parenting

Your kids are so well behaved :p

Is this a myth or fact? Are kids obedient by nature? Do parents really close one eye and let kids misbehave during their train rides? Has anyone witnessed the classic kids-banging-floor-or-rolling at shopping centers?

Daddy guess the answer depends on whether you are a Parent.

When we are teenagers or working adults, we always judge and ask :
– why that kid’s parents let him/her play SOC on the train swings!
– why the parents do not know how to teach their kids
– Why Why Why ?

Personally, we believe kids are active by nature. It is not natural for them to sit down, or stop talking. We can read them a storybook, pass them a smartphone or ask them to play scissor-paper-stone. But once they see another child playing pole-dancing, their instinct is to join the party πŸ™‚

Daddy and Mummy gets a lot of eyeballs staring (xiong3), when we take the MRT.
Daddy will smile back and secretly hopes the other party will suffer the same fate when they become parents themselves keke :p

We need to recognise that kids are active and jubilant by nature, they need to express themselves through words, songs or actions. If our kids sit quietly throughout his MRT ride, Daddy would be more worried. Is the child sick, is he ok?

However, if our kids get out of hand or become too rowdy, we will still need to warn them to behave or risk cancelling our outing. If necessary, we bring them out at the next station, so that they can calm down again.

There are always other scenarios on why kids misbehave :
– What about a child with autism? Can you imagine the stress and anxiety of his/her parents?
– Unfortunately, we also witness a lot of parents who depend on their maids to discipline the kids. We cannot outsource Parenting, period πŸ™

So to our fellow train commuters, spare the new parents your carebear-stares. Parents are resourceful and resilient, but the kids are always learning new tricks :p

As usual, we always urge new parents to be Thick Skin, ignore what others are thinking, do what is best for your child, yourself and your family.

We can only hope this phase will transit soon. Next stop “Seng Kang”.

If you are new to parenting, refer to our tips :
– why parents need to be thick skin?
– taking public transport builds confidence for that overseas trip

ps.. our tips and recommendations are more effective, if you leave your maid at home πŸ™‚

Racism is everywhere

In an ideal world, do we need to celebrate Racial Harmony day ?
We are fortunate in Singapore, we celebrate our multi-cultural traits and ethnicity, we love the food from different cultures. Our kids play with friends from all over the world πŸ™‚

However, we are not saints and we sometimes stereotype (skinny, fat, pretty, ugly, homos etc), we each have our own racist streak. Daddy is not saying it is healthy to have these negative traits, but to deny otherwise would sound like a Hypocrite.

Why tolerate each other, when we should embrace? Tolerate seems to imply there is a threshold, and what happens when we breach the OB marker?

Are we mature enough to handle racial slurs? Can we give and take? We can definitely be magnanimous enough to forgive, if someone is truly sorry.

Of course, if someone is harbouring ill intention, and sowing inter-racial discord, most Singaporeans will have no qualms sending him to Guantanamo Bay camp.

Unfortunately, Social Media cuts both way, good news spread fast, bad news become frontpage material ! Is it more practical to teach Social Media users to be careful? or to teach the next generation to recognise and embrace racial differences?

Daddy would gladly pick option 2 any day.
Why should one race be superior over another?

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DPM Teo mentioned 40% of marriages involve one spouse who is non-citizen (Further breakdowns indicate 70% Singaporean males have a foreign wife). It does mean our grandchildren could very well form a UN (United Nation) at Sengkang :p
(blonde hair, darker pigments, green eyes etc etc )
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Meanwhile, we can jolly well expect more “racial incidences” to surface, online or offline.
The youngsters today subscribe to a different philosophy, often more vocal and brash, sometimes lacking empathy.
If and when racial slurs happen again, Daddy believe we can settle most issues at the community level, without invoking draconian laws or the police.

Chill.

Food for thought ?