Category: In the Press

The Straits Times
Republished with Permission
16 January 2026

“Family time is a priority. If I need to resume work, I do it after the kids sleep,” said influencer Andrea Chong, who is expecting her third child in January.

For many dual-income households, this is not an exception but a regular rhythm of daily life. Parents carve out late afternoons to pick up children, settle dinner and bedtime routines then log back on after dark to finish what could not be done earlier. Alongside formal job demands runs an invisible second shift of caregiving and mental load.

Across Singapore and the rest of South-east Asia, this strain is widely felt. A 2024 Milieu Insight study of 3,000 working mothers across six countries found that six in 10 struggle to find time for both work and family, with 68 per cent believing that flexible work arrangements would improve work-life balance and career prospects.

Without safeguards, flexibility risks becoming a pathway to chronic overwork, sleep deprivation and burnout. How, then, can flexible work support family life without turning midnight into a default second shift and fuelling burnout?

For the original article, please visit Resuming work when the kids sleep is a norm after starting a family.

The Straits Times
Republished with Permission
10 January 2026

Even if a child has prepared well for his exam, his performance can be affected if he is unable to manage stress well.

High levels of stress can overload children’s brains, reducing their ability to focus and make it harder to recall information during the exam.

Sometimes it results in physiological symptoms, such as headaches and stomach aches or difficulty sleeping, which can affect a child’s ability to show up in the classroom, said Family Life Specialist and counselling associate June Yong from Focus on the Family Singapore.

Ms Yong is a mother of three children, the youngest of whom just sat the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) in 2025.

“For children, overly high levels of stress can impact their emotional well-being and ability to learn effectively,” she said.

Conversely, when stress levels are kept in check and caregivers play a supportive role in managing stress and academic workload, children are better able to focus, retain information, enjoy learning and approach their studies with confidence, she added.

For the original article, please visit Pick up strategies to manage PSLE stress.

The Straits Times
Republished with Permission
30 November 2025

Mr Aaron Ng, chief of growth at the charity Focus on the Family Singapore, and his pre-school educator wife, 44, have a three-year-old son, Caleb.

Mr Ng says: “The only television that Caleb has ever watched was the Red Lions parachuting segment in the National Day Parade 2025. Before he was born, we decided that we would parent our child with as little screen time as possible.

“Instead, we engage with him as much as possible in conversation, and ask him to greet people we meet. We play games like ‘I Spy’ on bus journeys, for example. Such observation games probably sharpen his awareness of the world around him. We once spotted a pair of sandals under a seat in a hawker centre.

“My wife and I have been geocaching as a couple since 2011. We thought, why don’t we introduce this to our son?”

Geocaching is a global treasure-hunting activity where participants use Global Positioning System (GPS) devices and navigation skills to find hidden containers, known as geocaches, which typically contain small items like a trinket or toy.

He adds: “Since November 2024, we’ve found at least 18 geocaches as a family. Similar to how screen time gives kids and adults a satisfying dopamine hit, geocaching is a means to get dopamine in a healthy way.

“When we find the geocache, we do a high-five and take photos to celebrate. It gives him a natural happy pill. There are times when we are unable to find a geocache, which gives me a chance to help him build resilience.”

For the original article, please visit 10 hacks for common parenting struggles.

The Straits Times
Republished with Permission
22 November 2025

Holidays can stir up big feelings – excitement, fatigue, even frustration. Instead of focusing only on creating the “perfect” experience, invite your child to share how they feel and validate those emotions. A simple “I can see you’re tired and upset” goes a long way in helping them feel understood.

Over time (and with more practice travelling), they will learn to regulate their feelings better.

For the original article, please visit How to bring the kids on vacation without losing your mind.

a+
Republished with Permission
14 November 2025

Strong family ties are a cause Ng holds dear to her heart because she is no stranger to the pains of growing up in a broken home. Her father left the family when she was just a few months old and her older brothers moved out soon afterwards. It was thanks to the tireless efforts of her aunt, godparents, pastors, and teachers, she says, that she was set on the right path.

For the original article, please visit Delia Ng Champions Healthy, Whole Families To Strengthen Our Nation’s Social Fabric.

联合早报 Lianhe Zaobao
Republished with Permission
1 November 2025

非营利组织爱家机构（Focus on the Family）社会创新总监巫淑惠说，电子设备日益普及、平台内容和界面引人入胜，现代孩童学习、娱乐和社交都在网络上，盯着屏幕已成习惯，家长其实难以限制孩子使用设备的时长。

她说，引导比控制好，家长以身作则之余，也可安排家庭户外活动等，减少孩子对电子设备的依赖。家长也应培养孩子的辨识力，在网络空间同样得保持同理心和尊重。

Translation:

Alicia Boo, Chief of Impact at the nonprofit organisation Focus on the Family, said that with the increasing prevalence of electronic devices and the captivating content and interfaces of platforms, modern children learn, entertain, and socialise online, and staring at screens has become a habit. Parents actually find it difficult to limit the amount of time their children spend using these devices.

She said that guidance is better than control. Parents should set a good example and arrange family outdoor activities to reduce children’s dependence on electronic devices. Parents should also cultivate their children’s discernment, ensuring they maintain empathy and respect in cyberspace as well.

For the original article, please visit 资媒局提四建议 助家长培养孩子健康数码习惯

The Straits Times
Republished with Permission
28 October 2025

And it’s not just what they choose to listen to. Our young are exposed to music everywhere – from friends’ playlists, TikTok dance trends, even songs playing on the radio during car rides.

As parents, we hear these lyrics – or our children may ask us innocently what they mean. It can be discomfiting.

This stems from a deeper concern that our children might internalise the values behind the music – and that it could eventually shape their behaviour.

This often leads to knee-jerk reactions, like banning certain artistes or switching radio stations the moment we catch wind of suggestive lyrics. I’ve done it myself – but found it doesn’t get me very far.

For the original article, please visit Taylor Swift’s getting explicit. Parents, don’t tune out.

The Straits Times
Republished with Permission
6 September 2025

Bullying is too complex to be solved with punishment or labels. A child may be victim, perpetrator and bystander all at once.

What makes the difference is not stricter rules alone but the adults they learn from daily. Parents who combine warmth with accountability, and autonomy with guidance, create conditions for empathy and respect to take root. When families model care and compassion, they give children the tools to stand against bullying – and to grow into kinder adults.

For the original article, please visit Bullying in schools: Where are the adult role models?.

The Smart Local
Republished with Permission
5 September 2025

“As remote and hybrid setups become part of our organisation’s work-life efforts, we have also adapted the way we collaborate with one another. Trust and accountability have become the backbone of our work culture.

Needless to say, my burnout has been kept at bay. I’ve benefited from the extended rest on Mondays and also learnt to be more organised and intentional with my planning and time management to make this FWA effective for me and my organisation.”

For the original article, please visit Is This The Era Of Flexible Work Arrangements? We Ask 3 Singaporeans Who’ve Been There, Done That.

Salt & Light
Republished with Permission
3 September 2025

“The digital age has revolutionised infidelity, making betrayal more accessible than ever,” said Joshua.

“The convenience of digital communication has allowed people to establish emotional connections outside their marriages with unprecedented ease, creating emotional infidelity, which is often considered more devastating than physical cheating because it involves sharing of thoughts and feelings meant to be exclusive to marriage.”

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We need to first revisit what healthy sexuality means, said Joshua.

At the foundation, it begins with being secure in our own identity and recognising the inherent value of others, then progressing upwards into friendship and connection, relational intimacy then finally, healthy sexuality.

At the top, healthy sexuality is defined by vulnerability, maturity and true intimacy, “a deep, meaningful connection between individuals that extends beyond physical closeness and encompasses emotional, mental and spiritual ties,” he described.

“(This) also protects us from counterfeits like pornography, AI companions, premarital sex, adultery and any sexual activity outside marriage that de-personalises people and strips away their dignity.”

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For the original article, please visit Sex, intimacy and marriage: How can parents model healthy sexuality?.