“The secret of your future is hidden in your daily routine.” – Mike Murdock
That’s really true – isn’t it? It’s now Week 5 of Term 2, and we are in the middle of all the chaos. Whether it is preparing for mid-year examinations, or having weighted assessments, the key to excelling in them is to ensure that there is consistency.
Yes, we all know that friends are a major part of everyone’s lives, our children included. They keep each other company, entertain and support one another. Since humans are social animals, we can’t avoid interactions with others and yes, good friendships do help us out a lot in life. But sometimes, friendship and issues caused by it can be distracting children from their studies.
Happiness – such a simple word, but let’s ask ourselves, how many of us are truly happy? Parents, I’m sure that you agree that w e want our children to be happy. As parents, that is everyone’s ultimate goal. We shower them with love and gifts, send them to good schools. We provide them with everything we think is gonna give them a happy life. But, are our children truly happy?
A few days ago, a disturbing video emerged from one of Singapore’s oldest and popular higher education institutions. The harrowing video of harassment that got circulated depicted a group of students from the institution urinating on the backs of two naked students. The video has been panned by all sections of Singaporean society and the concerned institution has announced stringent measures against the perpetrators of this act of bullying.
Often, when our kids do not perform properly at school, it is viewed as a result of laziness – that they simply didn’t put in the necessary effort. What is the most common response to such scenarios? We end up enrolling our kids for tuitions or ask them to rethink their study plans, mostly suggesting that they put in more hours for study. But what if the problem is not of one’s lack of effort?
Life as a Singaporean parent can be pretty challenging today. Yes, you hardly get any time to keep your mind off all those commitments, deadlines, and assignments at work. Working from home may have made it slightly easier to balance, but let’s face it. Juggling our work commitments with the equally important family time is often a Herculean task. But is that any excuse for losing out on family time?
Having kids at home during the holidays can put one’s parenting skills to the test. It really is a challenging task to keep kids engaged during these periods. What do we end up doing then? Often we end up resorting to the use of gadgets to keep our kids engaged.
Screen time is the obvious concern of the present-day Singaporean parent. How much is too much? During the past year, there has been a significant shift to online learning. Households had to ease the screen time restrictions placed on kids. An obsession with gadgets and the online domain is the biggest threat to effective time management. What needs to be done here?
Are we able to think with a clear head, chart out our own courses, and read between the lines where we have to cope in this world of complexities? Well, that is an arduous task indeed and things are only going to get more complex in the years to come. What does that mean?
Primary Six students entered a new phase of their lives, Secondary Four students have moved onto tertiary institutions. Regardless of their examination results, there will always be a place for students in Singapore to pursue further education.
