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I recently discovered there is such a thing as being too on-the-ball. When Vera was P3/4, I was often stressed out by her stressing out over math. So I did what I thought was right by swooping in like an eagle – to rescue her out of her math misery. In my enthusiasm, I unfortunately over-did it. I was so good at rescuing her that I didn’t notice the little monster I was cultivating in the shadows – the monster called Reliance. Each time I managed to solve a problem that she was struggling with, I had won…but only for the short-term. In the long run, I was fighting a losing battle. Instead of b ..read more

Vera had lots of fun creating resin Christmas ornaments with her god-sister at a recent Resin Play workshop! With different colours and sparkles to play with, the two girls were in art and craft heaven! First, they had to decide how to design their inner pieces. Using Jesmonite mixed with the desired colours, Vera chose to design her inner snowflake and unicorn using two colours: purple and white, creating a marbling effect by pouring one colour after another. Her god-sister also chose similar colours, except using the butterfly and snowflake moulds. While waiting for&nb ..read more

We have been married for 12 years. Family life feels familiar, safe, like a well-loved blanket. Hubs and I may be lovers but we also feel like besties. I feel I can talk to him about anything. One day, I told him about a conversation I had with an acquaintance about one of our kids. This kiddo is high in his need for control, and one of the ways that we’ve managed this very real need is to give him control over when to do his work, how to plan his schedule, and what skills he wishes to learn. Hubs laughed and said, “That’s me too. I’m like that.” “I know!” I replied. Intimacy is the sense of ..read more

Over the past two months, we’ve gotten used to new norms – one marked by mask wearing, social distancing, online food and grocery ordering, home-based learning and working, and sending (and receiving) yummy gifts to each other. It has been different, uncomfortable at times, but definitely different. We live in unprecedented times. But the times has also revealed many things to us – the cracks within our society and system, the inequalities that exist, the deep biases and prejudices we still hold about others. In some cases, it has brought our families closer, as we made conscious decisions to ..read more

Next week, my eldest will be heading back to school. She’s confident that she can wear the mask for the entire day, but I bought a face shield for her just in case. I will also pack 2 disposable masks in case her cloth one gets dirty or damp with sweat. School bags packed – almost School shoes – check Snack box – check Stationery – check Sanitiser – check Homework – check empty Ziploc bag (Labelled, for storing mask during PE) – check 2 Ziploc bags with extra disposable mask in each, in case a change is needed – check *Ziplocs should ideally be wide enough to slip in a mask easily without fo ..read more

We recently received a copy of The Secret of the Chatter Blocks by Don Bosco and were quickly ushered into New Toy-ko City, the capital of the world’s toy industry. We became part of a team whose mission is to find out who stole the Chatter Blocks. The Chatter Blocks are an ancient toy; when you roll them like dice, these Blocks actually talk! You have to help Kei and Will catch the thief and recover the blocks. And watch out for the Perplexity gang while you’re at it! My kids found the book really fun and exciting, as this was one of their first choose-your-own-adventure (CYOA) books! M ..read more

This week, some of us will be homeschooling kids while working from home. It could be a disaster of a different scale. My planner instincts have kicked in so here’s a peak into how my Wednesday is going to look like. (Kids comp schedule based on their schools’ allotted time-slots for SLS (Student Learning Space.) *Some exercise videos here and here. **Free time options included at the end of the post. ***The blue slots are my own work time. I’m assuming the kids will need tech support and learning support during their work times – at around 9am, 11am, and 1pm – so I’ll try to be available for ..read more

Our devotion was about how God can use our mistakes and fold them into His greater purpose for our lives. When it came to reflection time, we all took turns to share about the mistakes we have made and learnt from recently. The hub and I started first. We talked about how we lost our tempers recently and how we are learning to control and manage our triggers better. Then one kid came clean. “I played a game with my friends on the phone even though I was not supposed to.” (Context: My daughter had just learned to take public transport on her own so we’ve given her an old phone to hold on to and ..read more

I’ve been working from home as a freelance content creator, writer and editor for the past 6 years. With three kids in primary school and an elderly at home, working from home is like wearing many hats — at the same time. There are days where I’m frazzled and grouchy, and less than efficient. Then there are days where things run smoothly and kids are cooperative — this up and down pattern is to be expected. Here are some things I’ve learnt along the way. I hope you find them handy if you’re also working remotely during this period: 1) Give yourself time to adjust and find your bearings When y ..read more