Parenting on Purpose

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...

"Singapore is not perfect; no society is perfect." This recent statement, by a senior government leader, reveals that not all is well in the land that has been my home since birth. Mr Tan Chuan Jin, the Acting Manpower Minister, was making these remarks in response to two letters from Singaporeans giving reasons why they no longer want to call Singapore their home. While one writer lamented that Singapore had lost its soul and has developed an "obsession with GDP growth" over social and cultural concerns, the other author expressed frustration at the government's lack of acceptance and tolerance. I can understand why both these writers have such deep-seated grouses; the cost of living is at an all-time high (Singapore has remained on the Top-10 list of most expensive cities for the past three years), and the government-citizen relationship has been at its most strained in years (the last General Elections saw the ruling party returned to power with it...

We had a lovely weekend. Saturday was spent going for Z's swim class in the morning, followed by his usual nap before we headed off to spend the afternoon with one of Mark's very good friends, Edwin, and his wife Christine. They have three girls. It was a time of rest and catching up. The fellowship was comfortable, our shared commonalities made for insightful conversation, the children played well together, and most of all, we once again felt refreshed in the presence of good friends.  I have come to not take these moments for granted. Ten years ago, in my yet unmarried state, no housework or babies to tend to, these moments were far easier to obtain and I believe I must have taken them for granted. In my university days, or just starting work, there seemed to be so many more evenings which could be spent just hanging out with friends for dinner, or catching a show. There have also been friends who have come and gone through the years, and I have learnt to take friendshi...

I have been feeling rather disturbed by a recent trend I've noticed among the children I work with. It started with a few of my tuition students demanding food and drink from me during our lesson - "I want a glass of water!" and "I'm hungry. Do you have anything to eat?" with no "please" to preface their demands, or even a  "thank you" after I had to rummage through my kitchen to find something to fill their stomachs with. Never mind the fact that I am their tuition teacher, and not running a restaurant out of my home. Then it carried on with one of my counselling clients in school telling me that his parents did not love him, though they had rewarded him for doing well by letting him choose two gifts of his choice - because they had not bought him a Sony PlayStation 2.  The final straw was at the students' graduation ceremony this week, when a boy who had won the best award tore open his gift envelope while still on stage, and...