Parenting on Purpose

Singapore has been in a state of celebration. And there is reason for it: the little red dot of an island-state has just turned 50 years after a moment of anguish in 1965. Historically, it is a milestone, and any social scientist will tell you that the first 50 years of a country's existence is the most important - it could lead to the development of an economically-viable entity, or one that others deem as a "failed state". I am thankful that Singapore has managed to tread the former path, and this has mostly certainly been the result of good governance as embodied by the leadership of our founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew and the team that he had put in place .  Mr Lee passed away earlier this year, and while the death was largely symbolic in relation to the governing direction of Singapore (the leadership seat has already changed hands twice), it was also a tangible indication that the first 50 years of Singapore's political life had come and gone, and that...

Recently, I have been thinking a lot about the hearts of our children.  Our children are growing up faster than we realise! It started when our then 2-and-a-half year old had trouble sleeping at night. This was sometime after Easter, and also after we had attended the funeral procession of Singapore's First Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew the week before. The boys had been exposed to the concept of death, and had had some ideas about the finality it involved, although I am sure their understanding was still at an early stage. One night after a long week of bedtime struggles, I went into his room for what was probably the fourth time to pray for him. We asked God to send His angels to fill the room and to "tell any bad men to go away". In the darkness, I heard his little voice say, "Mummy, I am scared that the bad soldiers will come and put a crown of thorns on my head." I assured him that it would not be the case, that Jesus died once for us and we d...

I had two hours between appointments last Wednesday, so I decided to pop back home for a quick lunch and a short rest. Just as I had entered the room and was preparing to lie on the bed for a brief respite, I heard a little voice with a huge request. “Daddy, I want to cook with you now.” “Hi E. How was your day? You want to cook with me now?” “Yes.” “E, Daddy’s tired. I just got back from work and I have to attend class soon. Can I cook with you tonight?” “No. Now.” “But E, Aunty M’s cooking lunch for us. She should be ready soon.” “Only Daddy….. Please?” And with that request, I yanked myself out of bed and into the kitchen, even though our domestic helper was in the midst of preparing her lunch of spaghetti bolognese. Our little 3-year-old had already taken his stool and was standing over the stove, peering into the contents of the frying pan. “Here E. Take this ladle. I want you to watch what Daddy is doing and follow after me. OK?” The young...

Over the course of the SG50 long weekend, our family found a new pastime. We have been spending our evenings before bedtime playing games - and no, not the iPad or Nintendo PS2 variety.  It's been kind of a dream come true for their Daddy, who is a true blue board game geek, but who has recently had to sacrifice his great need for engaging in strategic battles with enemies from far-flung lands (his favourites being games like Axis and Allies ). These days, a very tired wife and two young children will not likely be able to sit still for the duration of any game, much less a game of chess. (He was after all a competitive chess player during his school days!) Daddy Mark is hopeful - the beginnings of teaching the kids how to play chess? Our online store Sensational Play has recently brought in a whole range of Blue Orange Games . Founded in San Francisco, the Blue Orange range consists of award-winning products of exceptionally high quality and play value.  ...

Our two boys turned 5 and 3 last week; and they had a whale of a time! It all began two weeks ago when we had a simple birthday party with the boys' good friends. It was a lovely evening which started with a time in the pool, a dinner, a cake-cutting ceremony, and then a night playing with punch balls under the stars. The boys were in good spirits the whole evening, and talked about the event for days after it ended. Our two happy children beaming in bliss during the cake-cutting ceremony. Then there were the presents. Sue and I have been rationing them and getting the boys to open them one or two at a time each day. We have been blessed by the thoughtfulness of the givers, with interesting items such as Mr Potato Head figures, toy soldiers, Chinese books, finger paints, a Lego space shuttle and mechanised puppies - all the boys' current favourites! This is also the first time that the boys are old enough to decide what they want to do for their birthdays. Our secon...

STEM activities are all the rage now. Stemming (excuse the pun) from an interagency meeting at the National Science Foundation, the term has implications for how the subjects which the acronym stands for (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) are taught in school and what this means for technological advancement and the jobs of the future. We've been dabbling in some Science activities on the homeschool front. First of all, because it adds a good mix to the daily Literacy and Numeracy activities that we do. Secondly, because I have two Science-loving boys who love to see the cause and effect that happens in a Science experiment - they are always asking "why" and seeking to understand the reasons for how things work. And lastly, because we all think that they're super fun! Our jellyfish in an ocean! Oh, yes, how we love Science experiments! Today, we tried out some exploding fireworks in a jar . Singapore's 50th Jubilee celebr...