Playgrounds today are sterile in comparison with what they were like a century ago. When play became safer, people grew softer. Today, have we succeeded in producing the “Strawberry Generation”? In 2018, the American Academy of Pediatrics published a report urging paediatricians to prescribe play during visits. The authors described how increasing emphasis on academic
“Be careful!” Kids hear that from their parents a lot. How useful is it? Not very, actually. First of all, it does not teach the child to be careful. Rather, it only teaches them to be afraid. It gives them the sense that the world is full of danger and that bad things happen when
In 2013, Dutch children were named the happiest kids in the world by UNICEF. A few years before that, the Netherlands was named a prime example of childhood prosperity. In contrast, the U.K. and the U.S. ranked in the two lowest positions. When I read this, I wondered what the secret was. Stay tuned, and
Let’s talk about play and here are five crucial ways playing outside can help your child: Do what our parents did – send your children outside. Even better, go with them. Play with your child instead of just watching them play. By Parcsen Loke, Family Life Coach, Centre for Fathering. Ask Your Child: What is
Would you let your five-year old run an errand like going to the grocery store alone? Or do you think children at this age are not ready to be this independent. A few years ago, Mediacorp ran a Singaporean version of the Japanese hit series Old Enough! The series featured 20 preschoolers, aged two to
Teenagers are known to be very opinionated and argumentative. They seem to believe that they know everything and that their parents are unintelligent. That was how 14-year-old Mark Twain felt about his father. Seven short years later, he was impressed at how much his father had learned. In reality, it wasn’t the father who had
During adolescence, children begin thinking about what they want to do when they go out on their own. They compare themselves to ideals, and they explore different careers. They also begin to make different life choices than they see their parents making. At this time, it’s healthy for them to set important goals for the
How often do you have arguments with your teen? Do they usually become intense and end abruptly in anger? Do you wish that your conversations could be calmer and more civil? If you do, here’s what you must do. It is reasonable to expect that every person will have their own perspective on something, and
I’m sure you’ve heard of the rebellious adolescent. You either have one at home now or will soon. Do you know what causes adolescent rebellion? Raging hormones are not to blame. The teenage years can be strange and difficult for your child. He has been wanting independence since he was two. And now that he’s
Recently, the CEO of DBS, Mr Piyush Gupta, revealed that he believes that work-life balance is “baloney”. His rationale is that “work is a part of life,” and, in that sense, there is no way to balance work and life. The comment he made prompted me to answer many fathers’ questions about work-life balance. Work-life
