Below's a love letter from a devoted father to his son. It is the second guest post on my blog (do click here for the first). This is a deeply personal piece from someone I got to know while touring Israel at the end of 2018. I feel deeply humbled and honored he's allowed me … Continue reading A letter to Seamus — “Son, daddy will be ok.”
Hey J my precious son, Since my first post about it, I'm getting both excited and nervous as I start planning our December staycay. Truth is, I've never in a million years thought I would be undertaking such an ambitious project -- to take us away for a father-son bonding retreat. Just us two. To … Continue reading Father-son bonding #2 — Rites of Passage
On World Children's Day, let me share about a recent poolside encounter. A couple of weeks ago, I overheard an interesting conversation between a male who looked to be in his late 50's and a young boy about my son's age of 12. The exchange took place at a neighbourhood pool where I go for … Continue reading On World Children’s Day – How a poolside encounter reminded me what truly counts
What a difference a year makes to International Men's Day (IMD)! For those not in the know (and I'm guessing that's most of us!), there really is such a thing as an annual IMD, and it's happening in two days' time on Nov 19. A year ago, I wrote about IMD. At that time, I … Continue reading IMD 2021 — Towards better gender relationships
Dear J my precious boy First off, I'm sorry. I had no idea you felt so much vitriol now for the violin. Recently, when we broached the topic of you returning to violin lessons after a long break (to prepare for your PSLE), your almost knee-jerk reaction and rejection of the idea threw your mom … Continue reading My Violin Virtuoso — From Verve to Vitriol
Hey J my precious son, First and foremost, CONGRATULATIONS! After six long years of primary school education, you're finally done with that Holy Grail of a gruelling national examination (the PSLE or Primary School Leaving Examinations). That which forever decides which secondary school you'll go to next year. Of course it's only the first of … Continue reading Father-son bonding #1 — “Now that exams are done, …”
Former US President Theodore Roosevelt said the best foreign policy was "speak softly and carry a big stick." Talk about a succinct way to define realpolitik and gunboat diplomacy! I often find that to be true too when it comes to home based learning (HBL) with my son C; at least when it comes to … Continue reading How home-based learning is like “realpolitik”!
On Father’s Day 2021, my musings on the losses and gains of being a stay home dad {A version of this post first appeared here in a local news publication Todayonline. Also, check out a reader's beautifully written and resonating response to my piece here.}When it comes to parenting, one truth remains today: Fathers are, … Continue reading ‘Worth in the Hearth’ — A New Masculine Identity?
Hey boys This is it! We made it. The last email, in this long-running series that began more than six months ago, is finally here. So on the count of three, let's heave a collective sigh of relief shall we? One... Two... Three!!! Sighhhhhh.... Alright, now that we got that outta the way, let's recap … Continue reading Email circa 2031: My dear sons, beware “The Toxic 12” – #12 The PR Snobs
I know I’m supposed to offer grace, but I can’t. Not now, not yet. Not when I’m still living through my Waterloo; my daily dose of stay home parenting blues.What am I talking about you ask? I’m talking about “model breadwinning fathers" Photo by Clark Young on Unsplash There are many such "model breadwinning fathers", … Continue reading “Model breadwinning fathers” make stay home dads look like losers
