We yearn for the day when our children display self-motivation skills, when that primary school-going child does his homework without needing to be nagged, when the preschooler puts away her toys without needing to be reminded. When the children do these without your prodding, you praise them to the skies, hoping to encourage them to […]
Singaporean Climate-Friendly Fashion for Kids & Babies!
As a parent, you would have often found yourself gushing over adorable and highly fashionable miniature sized outfits for children in prominent clothing stores. However, before making a rash decision and heading towards the payment counter, you might have questioned yourself, “Is this outfit really ideal for our climate?” That stylish leather jacket on which […]
If, like me, you are a middle-aged parent, you are of the generation that has truly enjoyed the fruit of Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s (LKY) success. The first Prime Minister of Singapore was a man who evoked extreme emotions. Love him or loathe him, fear him or revere him, his accomplishments are undeniable. He was […]
Few, if any, could have been left untouched by how devoted and dedicated Mr Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore’s first prime minister, was to his wife of 63 years. Madam Kwa Geok Choo was the love of Mr Lee’s life. Despite his hectic schedule and her career commitments, they remained close, best friends and soul mates […]
Your child has just been given a diagnosis of autism. You are shell-shocked. What should you do now and how will you and your family go through this? Dr Lim Hong Huay, Consultant at the Department of Child Development at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, guides us on the next step. When a child is […]
In late February this year, the World Health Organization (WHO) in Europe called for measles vaccination campaigns to be stepped up across the region after recording 22,000 cases of the extremely contagious disease since the beginning of 2014. Measles is a viral disease that can sometimes be fatal. Unvaccinated children are most vulnerable. Although there […]
Earlier on the 26th of March, CRIB held the launch of its “CRIB Women for Women Initiative” at the Glass Hall of the Singapore Arts Museum in an effort to celebrate the achievements of local female entrepreneurs. What is CRIB? A simple and effortlessly memorable acronym which stands for “Creating Responsible & Innovative Businesses”. It […]
The mention of fitness might trigger mental images of sweaty men and women gruelling themselves at the gym, all in the pursuit of a svelte figure and good health. But, are fitness and nutrition facets of health which only adults should concentrate on? What about our little ones? Some of you might be holding on […]
She Spins, she Twirls, she Writes. But Jasmine Han is Not Perfect, she’s A Mum
Frankly, it’s shocking. “My husband has never seen me perform,” says Jasmine Han, 36, owner of Slap Dance Studio , where women of all ages (as long as they’re over 21 years of age), shapes, and sizes learn to slink, strip and saunter, and to twirl themselves around shiny metal poles. “He’s very conservative!” the […]
Seeing your child stressed is one of the most difficult things for a parent to go through. And because children may not always know how to express themselves, their stress is manifested through different behaviours. You may think that your child is acting out for no reason, and being stubborn. But it could be that […]
Swimming is a recreational activity that dates back to pre-historic times. It emerged as a competitive sport only in the 1830s in England, where the very first indoor swimming pool was made accessible to the masses. Today, whether competitive or purely recreational, swimming is an activity that is enjoyed by individuals of all ages worldwide. […]
Homegrown clothing label Donya Vogue held its maiden media launch at the Grand Hyatt on 8 April 2015. Donya Vogue is a relatively fresh brand which found its roots only in October last year. Spearheaded by self-taught designers and husband-and-wife duo, Ali and Janice Senejani (featured above), the brand has currently evolved into a completely […]
It’s been said that “a mother is she who can take the place of all others but whose place no one else can take”. With Mother’s Day round the corner, why not make one of the following crafts with your child to help him express his love for mummy or grandma? 1. Heart-shaped Basket This […]
5 Lessons About Nature That You Can Impart to Your Child
Earth Day is an annual worldwide event celebrated on April 22nd to demonstrate support for environmental protection. This year, on the 45th year that Earth Day is being celebrated, the focus is centred on the individual, with the theme being “It’s Our Turn To Lead”. As parents, it is our main responsibility to teach our […]
UNESCO recognises the 23rd of April 2015 as World Book & Copyright Day. It is an opportunity to recognise the power of books to transform our lives for the better, and to support books and those who produce them. UNESCO is leading the battle against illiteracy. Literacy serves as the door to knowledge, and is […]
Miam Miam: Where Mums Can Gather Over High Tea & Desserts
We are all by now aware that the word “stressed” spelt backwards gives us the delightful word “desserts”. An uncanny coincidence? I think not. Needless to say, working mothers experience more than their fair share of stress while juggling the demands of the workplace and the home. There is no surefire way to eliminate stress […]
It’s that time of the year again – with less than two weeks to go to Mother’s Day, most of you would be scrambling to make some special arrangements for the most important woman in your lives. What better way could there be to bond with your mother than over a sumptuous spread of food? […]
Dreams & Confetti is a one-stop shop for party aficionados located at Great World City. This adorable treasure trove offers a curated range of stylish tableware, premium partyware, classy decorations and delightful baking essentials all under one roof! This pioneer boutique was conceived by a pair of entrepreneur mums, Audrey Lee and Grace Goh, who […]
She’s the superwoman whose wings you take shelter under, the one whose arms are always open for you. As author Mitch Albom describes in his novel For One More Day, “when you look at your mother, you are looking at the purest love you will ever know.” This Mother’s Day, treat this special woman to […]
Our favourite day of the year (Mother’s Day, of course!) is just a mere five days away! We hope you have picked out those gifts for Mum, or better still, finished crafting them with your very own hands. In accordance with keeping up the spirit of Mother’s Day and staying updated on child and family […]
Mother’s Day is just a mere three days away! If you still haven’t gotten the most important woman in your life anything yet, have you considered presenting her with the gift of fiction? As we always have our noses buried in one book or another, we couldn’t help but wonder which genre of fiction would […]
Crafting with kids can be messy, but it’s loads of fun. It’s also a great way for your toddlers and preschoolers to hone their motor skills, coordination, and artistic flair. But what if you’re all thumbs and better at wielding a ladle than a paintbrush? No need to worry. Last October, the Lien Foundation in […]
In tech speak, coding, formally known as computer programming, is a process which leads from an original formulation of a computing problem to executable computer programs. Was that all Greek to you? In more beginner-friendly terms, coding is the process which enables us to create computer software, mobile applications and even websites. Your browser, your […]
How to Build a Strong Mathematical Foundation for your Child
It is a surprise when Ms Peggy Zee, an Early Education Mathematics Specialist with 32 years of experience, reveals that she had failed Maths “practically all my life”. The educator later concluded that she had simply not been taught in a way that helped her to comprehend the subject. Thankfully, those early years of mathematical […]
Singapore’s education system has been consistently evaluated by its Western counterparts. From articles such as Lessons from Singapore, Lessons On Education from Singapore, and Lessons Learned from Singapore’s Proactive Education System, the essential tone remains the same, and many foreign education administrators are looking up to the Singaporean model of education. Currently, Singapore’s education system […]
The afternoon of 8 May 2015 saw local enterprise, Sweetest Moments, unveiling its revamped branding direction and future plans to its long-time friends as well as the members of the media. The cosy rebranding party was indeed the unparalleled way for Sweetest Moments to show its heartfelt gratitude to its partners and loyal supporters alike. […]
They say “You will never be like the ‘Little Engine That Could’ if you sit around on your caboose.” This holiday, get the kids off their cute cabooses to master a new skill, explore a new interest, or learn a new hobby. Who knows, your shy and soft-spoken child could end up commanding the stage, […]
Coping as a Lower-Income (& soon-to-be) Single Mother in Singapore
“Before I got this job, we depended on my children’s bursaries. With these we managed to survive for one month while my husband was not working.” Madam Ainiah wants change, and she’s making plans for it. Having gone through divorce, abuse, self-hurt and mutilation, this mother of five is ready for a better life. She […]
We were invited to the second gala night of Singapura The Musical last Saturday. The musical boasts double firsts: it is the first of three musicals (the other two being The LKY Musical and the Nanyang — The Musical) about Singapore to be staged this year; it is also the first performance at the newly […]
Food, Games & Stories: 3 Fun Ways to Help your Kids Learn about Singapore
It’s been SG50 season for a while, something that mothers in Singapore can’t ignore. By now you’d have encountered everything from SG50 buffet lunch promotions to SG50 bottled water, SG50 bank packages, and SG50 family concerts. Well, for this long June break, how about organising your own SG50 holiday activities? One nice way to spend […]
Pregnancy marks the start of an incredible journey for every woman. It also signals the impending arrival of an amazing metamorphosis of the female body. Some facets of this transformation might include nausea gravidarum (better known as morning sickness), weight gain and discomfort and aches in various parts of the body. A woman’s joints, especially, […]
Science Centre Singapore (SCS) opened the doors of its latest exhibition, Interplay, to the public last Saturday, the 30th of May 2015. I was part of a media entourage that was given a tour of the new immersive exhibition that combines art, science and technology, just a day before its grand opening. Interplay is the […]
Someone asked me: “Is motherhood easier the second time around?” You would think so. But for me, it was definitely harder. Baby C has proven to me that “every baby is uniquely different”. I successfully breast-fed my firstborn, E, for 15 months. Considering that I was aiming for six months, this was a superb bonus. […]
Does the term “financial literacy” sound very much like a grown-up concept to you? Well, it most definitely isn’t anymore! You can expose your children to financial literacy early in their lives so as to build them a brighter future. How can you get started on that? You could head down to the Financial Literacy […]
Light has been shed (literally!) on organisms residing 4,000 metres below sea level in The Deep, a first-of-its-kind exhibition in Southeast Asia which brings to you more than forty rarely spotted and sometimes eerie-looking deep-sea animals. Members of the media, myself included, experienced what it is like to observe these creatures in their “natural habitat” […]
Childhood obesity is currently a worrying trend in many developed nations of our increasingly fast-paced world. The vast majority amongst us would probably host notions that childhood obesity is the result of a sedentary childhood spent mostly indoors and an unhealthy proportion of junk food. Contrary to popular belief, research has actually pointed to childhood […]
One of the issues some growing children face relates to their mouths. No, it is not about what big chatterboxes they become, but concerns their teeth and whether or not they require braces. While it is not until a little later that they actually have to wear them, if at all, it is always good […]
We’re down to the last two full weeks of June. There’s so much happening in Singapore this month (especially when it comes to activities for the kids!), it’s easy to get paralysed by choice or lost in the wonder of options. Here we sieve out some of the best buys on our little red dot […]
Striking the right balance between studies and play-time can be immensely stressful for parents. That’s why we’ve come up with these study-smart tips to help parents as we navigate the ocean of formal schooling in Singapore. The worries are endless – will my child lag behind the other children in his class? Am I stressing […]
Does your child play with apps? An app, short for the word “application”, refers to a special type of software programme that is used on a smartphone or a mobile device. I recently had the chance to discuss the use of mobile applications (apps) for children with Dr. Adrian Lau, Senior Psychologist at Mount Elizabeth […]
Right-Brain Education in Singapore: Why it’s Important for your Child
As a parent, you probably want your child to be well-rounded, to excel in all areas, and to do so in a happy, self-assured, and confident manner. While there are varying schools of thought about how this can be achieved, one has prevailed since 1975, when brain specialists discovered the workings of our cerebral cortex. […]
Children are a precious gift, nobody will deny that. And as a parent, it’s natural to want to boast about your creation and what he or she has been up to. With the popularity of social media like Facebook, this has gone to an unprecedented level of showing off – oh sorry, ‘sharing’. In April […]
The Importance of Grandparents in a Child’s Growth & Development
People the world over are living longer, with many countries experiencing increasingly ageing populations. This means that more children are growing up knowing their grandparents, and in some cases their great-grandparents. In Singapore, one in three people over the age of 55 look after grandchildren on a regular basis, with one in four households with […]
I vividly recall a day when a tropical thunderstorm was in full force. I was in the school’s General Office when I saw a frazzled lady, with hair plastered to her face and soaked to her skin, standing at the reception counter. Mrs Tan, the mother of Sean, had braved the raging winds and rain […]
When I was young, I took up a different CCA every year. These extra after-school classes gave me with opportunities to learn things I would not have been exposed to otherwise, such as book-binding and playing an instrument in a marching band. There was no stress. According to the Ministry of Education, Co-Curricular Activities (CCAs) […]
Beesket is a trendy and nutritious Korean born juice bar that opened its doors here in Singapore in early April. Its first outlet saw its launch at Changi City Point on the 9th of April, and its second opened at 321 Clementi recently. So what makes Beesket stand out from the crowd of beverage fads? […]
The inside cover of Antonella Gambotto-Burke’s new book Mama: Love, Motherhood and Revolution (which will be released worldwide next Tuesday 7 July) describes it as a “brilliant, passionate and moving exploration of what it is to be a mother and wife in the twenty-first century.” In it, the Australian author and mother explores (among others) […]
Local actress Carole Lin is having her first baby this August. She is 42 years old. The mum-to-be is in good company. She joins fellow Singaporean thespian Fann Wong (who gave birth to her first child at the age of 43 last year) and Hollywood celebs Kim Basinger, Celine Dion, and Mariah Carey in the […]
You would have known by now that there is a relatively long weekend coming up next month. Now, before you even think of packing your bags and escaping for a short getaway, think again. It’s our nation’s fiftieth birthday! You really should be staying put on our lovely island and soaking in the patriotic atmosphere! […]
Most athletes make the headlines for setting new games records, beating their personal bests, or bagging an astounding medal haul. One man stood out from the crowd and was thrust into the limelight at the recent SEA Games hosted by Singapore for a completely different reason – selflessly sacrificing his lead during a marathon. 28-year-old […]