Parenting on Purpose

The dazzling beauty of autumn gives way to the harsh white of winter. As leaves fall and the foxes and wolves hide among the trees, a magical tale is told about  family, love and the power of dreams. Author Eowyn Ivey based her story around a series of Russian folk tales, and her story revolves around a lonely couple yearning for a child to call their own. The wintry Christmas season is one of children laughing, people passing, meeting smile after smile. But for the couple life is not so.  They build a small figure from the ice and snow, and wish very, very hard… until a little child emerges from the snow, right before their eyes! But she’s a girl like no other. As she dances in the wild landscape and talks with the animals, she brings joy, fun and laughter to the whole village. But it’s not easy, bringing up a wild daughter of the blizzards and the wind. As the seasons turn, and winter gives way to spring, will the Snow Child and her parents find their “happily...

What if..... unicorns really existed? What if.... you actually got the chance to save a unicorn! Michael Morpurgo’s powerful story I Believe in Unicorns  comes alive this February in an exciting tale of imagination and adventure! An enchanting and interactive production, the show won an Argus Angel Award for Artistic Excellence at the Brighton Festival in the UK. And the show is coming to Singapore as part of KidsFest 2016, the international world-class theatre festival for kids and families. This intimate show is set in a library full of books that hold more than stories within their pages. It is a tale of the power of books, and the bravery of a young boy called Tomas. Tomas hates reading and school, but his world is turned upside down the day he meets the Unicorn Lady in his local library... Parenting on Purpose is pleased to partner with KidsFest to giveaway a set of 4 tickets for I Believe in Unicorns. Tickets will be for the 5pm show on Thursday ...

Tie a yellow ribbon 'round the ole oak tree It's been three long years Do ya still want me If I don't see a ribbon 'round the ole oak tree I'll stay on the bus Forget about us Put the blame on me If I don't see a yellow ribbon 'round the ole oak tree The old folk song Tie A Yellow Ribbon is based on a delightful American story that tells of an ex-convict who returns home to his loved one after serving time in prison. Prior to his release, he had requested for her to tie a yellow ribbon around a tree outside of the town where she lived. And if there was no ribbon there, he would simply go on his way, understanding that she might never forgive him. However, when he passed by the tree, there were 100 yellow ribbons, symbolising that his sweetheart had forgiven him, and that he would be welcomed home. Learning to love and accept one another. The popular Yellow Ribbon Project is based on this premise. Founded in 2004 by Senior Prisons Of...

This is a peculiar list. The idea for the list was generated during an extended time in the Men's Room. And it wasn't even that I needed to be there; it was that I was summoned  to stay there... Always Daddy's boy! Daddies do all kinds of things with their kids; from spending fun times with their children to encouraging them when things get tough. #5 - They never told you that you would have to stay in the Men's Room for more than half an hour at a time... in the middle of your lunch! You would be enjoying a nice leisurely lunch; either tucking into the succulent main course or sipping the fragrant coffee that accompanied the dessert. Just as you begin to allow the pressures of the day to slip away, you hear a determined little voice, "Daddy, I need to go to the toilet." And so off you go, abandoning your meal and dragging along a little hand as you race to the nearest restroom. Then you would wait patiently as the little one finds a comfortable...

A story my boys have been asking me to tell them over and over again is the one in which my Chinese teacher threw my Spelling book out of the window and I had to sorrowfully go out to retrieve it at recess time. The story well encapsulates my subsequent experiences with the Chinese language. Let it be said that it was a hate-hate affair. I went on to fail my "AO" Levels twice before passing finally, I'm sure, due to my desperate prayers out of fear of having to attend Chinese Camp before my entrance to Uni. Fast-forward 30 years, and I find myself at home with two young boys who are looking to me to teach them the same language I struggled with for so many years. It soon became clear that I needed some help, especially when my older boy recently went into a phase of constantly asking, "What is ______ in Chinese?" and I was forced to Google translate most of the answers. I have been trying various approaches to our Chinese lessons. I use a lot of kinaest...

This blog post originated from a eulogy delivered at the wake of the late Madam Diana Wee Soo Guat (10 November 1920-30 November 2015). My Amah and Me - Celebrating 95 Years of God's Faithfulness. It is now early in the morning; the day when I will say my final goodbye to my grandmother, who passed away earlier this week, at the grand old age of 95. I recall the events of the past week, and I am thankful that the tears of yesterday have given way to the smiles of today. My grandmother, Wee Soo Guat, has lived a full life, and I am happy that she has now gone to a better place; one without suffering; one without pain. I choose to remember Amah through the food that she cooked; something that all our family members have talked about and something that all of us will remember as long as we remember our Amah. Indeed each of the food items she cooked represents one aspect of the Tan Family matriarch. My Amah and Ah Kong loved each other dearly; and she was the wife ...

One of my main quests on my journey of motherhood is figuring out a way to reach the hearts of my boys. Mark and I believe that winning their hearts is the only way to ensure that we will be their first line of defence as they get older and face a world which is confusing yet alluring; we pray that we will always be one of the first voices they seek in the midst of relativism and blurred points of view. As Christians, we believe that knowing their hearts will pave the way for them to know the most important heart of all, their heavenly Father's heart. I have been pondering a great deal about the centrality of relationships in parenting, largely due to our very feisty 3-year-old who has been a completely different kettle of fish to parent as compared with his big Kor Kor. Our spirited one who does everything with thrice the amount of energy and enthusiasm as the rest of us; whose emotions are as fickle as the weather in England; whose main struggle at the moment is...