In the blink of an eye, my boys (and I) survived the first month of 2022. And what a month it's been! New books, uniforms, teachers and friends. Most of all, new routines and happenings. Looking back, this first month was pretty much all about these things, these adjustments. Some of them I saw coming. … Continue reading “Boys will be boys, don’t ask why.” Really?
Tag: Teens
Parenting Motivations #8 — New school, new beginnings
Hey Sons! Happy New Year! Hopefully 2022 is going to be the year we see Covid become an endemic disease everywhere. More like the common cold rather than the never-ending pandemic it is now. But more importantly, this will be one major milestone year for you both. Not only are you approaching "teen-dom" , you're … Continue reading Parenting Motivations #8 — New school, new beginnings
Parenting Motivations #6 — Choose LIFE, not PSLE!
Hey J Congrats on completing your Primary School Leaving Examinations (PSLE) this year! You're all set to start the new year of 2022 in the next phase of your educational journey in a secondary school of your choice. As your parents, we’re as over the moon as you are, but not for the usual reasons … Continue reading Parenting Motivations #6 — Choose LIFE, not PSLE!
Father-son bonding #2 — Rites of Passage
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
Parenting Motivations #5 — Our first family cell phone agreement
Son, congratulations on owning your first cell phone! You’ve proven yourself mature and responsible enough for us to entrust you with this modern-day device. Given that you have a new cell phone in your hands now, courtesy of your mom and me, we obviously trust you to make good decisions. So why are we making … Continue reading Parenting Motivations #5 — Our first family cell phone agreement
Father-son bonding #1 — “Now that exams are done, …”
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, …”
“Tomorrow I’ll miss you” — my son’s last Children’s Day
The shrill delight in my youngest son's loud declaration reverberated across our home yesterday morning. C was emphatically reminding us that it was Children's Day in my land. Yet for some nebulous cosmic reason, what actually came to my mind when I heard him was a voice from another land instead. Or should I say, … Continue reading “Tomorrow I’ll miss you” — my son’s last Children’s Day
Parenting Motivations #3 – Demolishing the “teen wall”!
This past week, I hit a wall. I'm calling it the "teen wall"! You see, I can no longer deny it. I do indeed have a teenager living under my roof now. And to top it all off, it's of the male persuasion too! A double whammy for me. I still remember a time when … Continue reading Parenting Motivations #3 – Demolishing the “teen wall”!
The teacher who showed me how failure felt
Nearly four decades now since that eventful week, but the feeling remains as palpable as ever. I was in my first year at an all-boys secondary school. Barely 13, and struggling with the usual teenage issues. Adjusting to a new school environment. Dealing with triple the number of academic subjects and extracurricular activities. Traveling daily … Continue reading The teacher who showed me how failure felt
Want inclusion for a more gracious society? Restore don’t punish
Last Saturday I wrote a post about my response (as a parent of an autistic son) to a recent bullying incident in my country that received a lot of media attention. The victim in that incident was an autistic teenager who had graduated from the same school my son's now in. An edited version of … Continue reading Want inclusion for a more gracious society? Restore don’t punish