ParentWise.sg

OUR TOP CONTRIBUTOR STORIES OF 2021: "Thoughts on fatherhood: Am I doing this right?" by Elvin Foong, father of two

Daddy-insecurity plagues many men today because of the stereotype of mums being the multitasking superwomen who hold the family and household together, while dads are often portrayed as the ones who struggle with parenthood.

But parenting was always meant to be a shared responsibility and joy, and the more we learn to embrace that, the more we learn to find that balance between the two realms of "Dad" and "Mum" – what works best for us.

Perhaps the most liberating thought that dads could think is this: I’m not Mum. We fulfil a completely different role and responsibility than our spouse when it comes to parenthood. I just need to be Dad.

Read his full story on ParentWise.sg

Thoughts on fatherhood: Am I doing this right? Having watched the trailer for Fatherhood, Netflix's Father's Day offering that casts funny man Kevin Hart in a role quite...

OUR TOP CONTRIBUTOR STORIES OF 2021: "Three kids, no helper, and only one of us works full-time – how do we cope?" by Sophia Huang, mother of three

Whenever people say I’m a “super mum”, I joke that I’m actually a “super tired mum”.

Downgrading my career was one of the best decisions of my life, although on difficult days, I find myself threatening to “throw in the towel” and go back to full-time work.

I’ve sacrificed my career, the bulk of my paycheck, status, getting to dress up, proper adult conversation... But in return, I’ve caught every one of my children’s milestones.

Kids don’t need more things or entertainment. What they need is our time and love.

Read her full story on ParentWise.sg

Three kids, no helper, and only one of us works full-time – how do we cope? Once I had my third child, other parents began asking me “how do you do it?” as a regular occurrence....

OUR TOP CONTRIBUTOR STORIES OF 2021: "How parenthood changed our marriage" by Robyn Wong-Niamkongkit, mother of three

Our first baby created a lot of tension between us. I took the lead because I was the one who formed our new routines and did most things, as my husband felt much less confident than me with the baby. This was exhausting for me.

Parenthood has required and continues to require a lot of sacrifice and selflessness. But our end goal as a couple is to stay in love despite all the pressure and intensity that parenting in the early years brings.

Read her full story on ParentWise.sg

How parenthood changed our marriage The first year of parenthood was a big shock to the system for my husband and I. Firstly, we definitely...

OUR TOP CONTRIBUTOR STORIES OF 2021: "Parenting school: Of report cards and supermarket trolleys" by Emily Lim-Leh, mother of one

I recall a mum whom I met as I was waiting to pick Caleb from a class. “It must be a lot of work for you,” I said when I learnt that she had four young kids.

“At this age, they only eat and sleep,” she said breezily. “It’s so easy.” And there I was, exhausted from parenting one toddler. I felt like a kid with red marks all over my report card.

It took me some time to stop giving myself poor grades as a parent. After all, parenting is a life-long learning journey, not a fixed syllabus one can ace.

Read her full story on ParentWise.sg

Parenting school: Of report cards and supermarket trolleys Caleb was not an easy toddler to handle. He slept very little and hardly ate. He also had a steely...

OUR TOP CONTRIBUTOR STORIES OF 2021: "Things I wish I knew when I became a parent" by Rebecca Seow, mother of two

It’s safe to say no one wants to make mistakes, but in the course of parenting my two boys, I’ve definitely had to make U-turns, recalculations, and reroutes along the way.

Like any parent, I wish I could have avoided these pitfalls altogether, but parenting your unique children in your own unique circumstances comes with no manual or self-help book.

Read the full story on her 3 tips on ParentWise.sg

Things I wish I knew when I became a parent Parenting constantly challenges me out of my comfort zone and pushes me to think out-of-the-box to resolve issues. It’s safe...

Since they were young, I've always employed this three-step strategy, shares Elisa Ng, mother of three: Distract, debrief, develop.

1. Distract to diffuse, because nothing good can come out of a heated moment.
2. Debrief to damage-control, so each child can feel heard and understood.
3. Develop the relationship to mend the divide, with apologies and hugs.

Read her full story on ParentWise.sg

Managing conflict between children The photo that sits on my work desk is one of the boys when they were under seven, heads together...

Self-regulation is a skill that allows children to manage their emotions and behaviour when they’re faced with challenging situations. It is not just about holding it in but calming down.

Learning to self-regulate is a key milestone in a child’s development. Children's capacity to regulate emotions affect their family and peer relationships, academic performance, long-term mental health and ability to thrive in a complex world.

Their higher distress tolerance and greater resilience allows them to manage difficult and stressful events, one of the keys to success as they grow into adolescence, and later, adulthood.

Read the full story on ParentWise.sg

Children who can self-regulate become more successful adults The marshmallow test is one of the most famous social-science experiments: A young child is shown a marshmallow and told...

How can you successfully engage your child in play-based learning? Know your child, says Jacinth Liew, mother of two and founder of Ourlittleplaynest.

1. Satisfy their basic needs and fill up their emotional tank.
2. Curate activities based on their interests.
3. Curate activities based on their learning styles.
4. Know your child's temperament.
5. Adjust the level of difficulty

Remember that every child is unique – what works for one kid may not work for another!

Read her full story on ParentWise.sg

5 tips to successfully engage your child in play-based learning We all know the importance of playing and learning in early childhood education.

Studies have also shown that children who were read to as newborns have a larger vocabulary, as well as more advanced mathematical skills compared to other children their age.

A study discovered that young children whose parents read them five books a day enter kindergarten having heard about 1.4 million more words than kids who were never read to.

By the time your child turns one, they would have learned all the sounds needed to speak their native language. The more stories you have read to them, the more words your baby will hear, which results in them being able to speak better.

Read the full story on ParentWise.sg

What’s the use of reading books if my child doesn’t understand? We all know that reading to young children from birth helps them acquire literacy, communication and social skills. How does...

When your child misbehaves or gets upset, it's admittedly way easier to yell and demand that they behave themselves.

But getting in touch with your feelings and managing your reactions when your "buttons" are pushed can positively impact your children’s emotional state and grow their trust in you.

If you are a calm parent, your children will trust that you can make the best decisions without losing control, and that you will love them unconditionally regardless of their mistakes.

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Dear parent, how are you feeling, really? Bringing up children is one of the toughest jobs in the world. Parenting can be as joyful as it is...

At first, I was worried that becoming a second-time mum would be a struggle, shares Ashlyn Thia, mummy blogger and mother of two. But thankfully, it was easier to go from one child to two than from none to one.

There are good days, where both children's needs are satisfied, as well as bad days, where both are crying and fighting for attention.

But while it's more tiring than before, the amount of joy and fun is doubled! And after four years of parenthood, instead of rushing my youngest to hit milestones, we are enjoying her as she is, at the present moment.

Read her full story on ParentWise.sg

7 things about becoming a second-time mother I recently started my journey as a 2nd time mother. Things are very different from the first time I became...

How many times do you criticise your child in a day? And how many times do you affirm them?

The kids of today face performance-related pressures more than ever before. What is the result of a high-stress, fast-paced, and overly critical environment? Highly stressed out and anxious children.

They may frustrate you. They may defy you or turn a deaf ear to your instructions. Their untidiness may drive you up the wall. But do we express so much disdain that they may feel like they're not good enough?

Educational therapist, writer, and mother of three, June Yong, shares 8 ways to actively make our joy in our children known to them.

Read her full story on ParentWise.sg

Do you notice and affirm your child for doing good? Do you hold certain stereotypes of your child? I do.