Parenting on Purpose

Quote of the Day: Just the other day I happened to meet a friend from days gone by. We were talking about the time that I used to spend working with young people in church. To my surprise, I realised that  it has been 17 years! Looking back, I am indeed thankful for the opportunity to impact the hundreds of lives I have come into close proximity with - some for just a season, while others for more than 10 years. I think with fondness of the young people who thrive almost instantly in my classes - for instance the students who participate wholeheartedly in the debates and mock parliamentary and campaign sessions. It always brings me much delight every time a student enjoys my lessons and strives to do his or her best in class.  Then there are the youths who don't seem to perform in their studies no matter how much you try. But you just persist in what you do, and continue to build into their lives day after day. Then an opportunity arises, and you sit down with t...

Arrival It was a peaceful flight to Osaka (things are always peaceful if one or both of the kids sleep). Thankfully for us, our younger son E took well to the plane ride - he was then slightly less than one year, and and our older son Z was just shy of his third birthday. Fortunately, we also had the company of Sue's sister Andrea, and she helped to provide some of the "entertainment" for the boys.  Letting sleeping babies lie. From Osaka Airport, it was another one hour by train to Kyoto, our destination city for the next few days. We decided to let the boys have an afternoon nap as they were exhausted by the time we arrived. Our hotel, the lovely Citadines Kyoto Karusuma-Gojo, was as serene as the photos depicted. The water features at the entrance alone made us feel at home almost all at once. The boys love the hotel bed or "bouncy bed" as they have nicknamed it. Fushimi Inari After a restful sleep, we began an evening visit to one of the ...

Arrival: Kyoto The ancient capital of the Land of the Rising Sun, Kyoto was the Lim Family's entry point into the historically rich land of Japan. It was the beginning of yet another adventure of a lifetime. But for the Lim Family, adventures are a staple. Our travel philosophy is to go where people seldom travel, and to immerse ourselves completely in the cultures we end up exploring. Chapter 1: Arrival & the famous red torii gates of Fushimi Inari. Chapter 2: The luscious gardens of Ginkakuji and Sunset by the Kamagawa River . Chapter 3: An exciting expedition to Arashiyama & reflections among the bamboo. Chapter 4: Where tradition & modernity meet...  A relaxing day at Maruyama Park.

My wife Sue recently tagged me in one of the latest challenges that have been going around social media. It's called the "5 Days of Blessings" challenge, and the idea is to share 3 things that you are thankful for during the course of 5 days, and to tag 3 people to join you in the process. I'm on Day 2 of the challenge and this was my Facebook update: Today I give thanks for the simple pleasures of life: 1) For the privilege of driving my wife  Sue  to her counselling sessions each week; enjoying the long drive in the car while listening to our newest favourite radio station Lite 94.6FM and partaking in some of the most meaningful conversations about life, love, marriage and parenting :) 2) For the simple joy of sitting at a coffee shop and tucking into my morning nourishment of a good book, enjoyed with a coney dog, hash brown and a glass of Kopi O Bing. 3) For the privilege of reflecting on life, on parenting; and being blessed with the gift of wri...

Quote of the Day: Rachel Carson, the legendary environmentalist, was a naturalist long before she shocked the industrial scene with her expose on the ill effects of pesticides. Carson's book The Sense of Wonder  presented an intimate account of the long walks with her nephew along the coasts of Maine, through dense forests and across open fields. She believed that every child was born with a deep sense of wonder; and for the child to keep this alive, he needed the companionship of at least one adult who could share it, and rediscover the "joy, excitement and mystery" of the world around him. Since they were young, our two children have both developed a deep love of nature and the world around them. Some of their favourite moments have been spent taking a simple walk along the canal near our residence. We have recently started them going on a nature journal, for them to record their observations on any plants and animals that cross their paths. It was tr...

We have been a little concerned about our second son's tendency to ask for electronic devices. Mark and I discussed this and realised he asks to watch TV because he is bored, and because he picks things up so quickly, we need to have a whole range of activities to keep him meaningfully engaged throughout the day. This afternoon, his brother was out and I had him all to myself, so it was the perfect time to stretch his attention span and build his fine motor skills. We took out his favourite pom poms and I decided to add some tongs and a muffin pan to the picture. Here's what we did. Materials needed: - Pom poms - Tongs (I used the kind we had from our sterilising bottle days) - Tray/ shallow container - Muffin pan - Water bottle with drinking spout - Whatever else that would catch your toddler's imagination! Steps:  Show your toddler how to use the tongs to pick the pom poms from the tray and release them into the compartments of the muffin p...

Parenting on Purpose recently had the opportunity to check out the Alive Museum, which opened in Singapore on the 21st of June this year. Located at SUNTEC, the trick art museum spans an area of more than 10,000 square feet, boasting more than 80 artworks. The concept is not a new one, originating in Jeju, Korea, when the then Trick Art Museum changed its name to Alive Museum in 2012. Since then, 15 branches have sprung up globally, Singapore being the latest.  An evening of fun for the family. As a family with young children, we were rather unsure of what to expect. We had already chanced upon the Alive Museum last year while on vacation to Jeju, but had not considered a visit as we had presumed that our children were too young to know how to pose for the photos - Jeju had so many other family-friendly attractions to offer, like Psyche World , an amazing insect kingdom, and even the Teddy Bear Museum , which proved a hit with our boys. And so it ...