3 May 2013
3rd May 2013, Saturday morning’s informal “We Share” Session was relaxed and yet lively. It is heartening to see 18 parents attending this event; some being new faces. Mr Segar, ex-PSG Chairman never fail to charm us with his wit and humor as he recounted the mistakes he had made and how he had become a better parent. He started the ball rolling by advising all parents to understand the methodologies in raising our children. The various areas to take precaution are as follows:
3rd May 2013, Saturday morning’s informal “We Share” Session was relaxed and yet lively. It is heartening to see 18 parents attending this event; some being new faces. Mr Segar, ex-PSG Chairman never fail to charm us with his wit and humor as he recounted the mistakes he had made and how he had become a better parent. He started the ball rolling by advising all parents to understand the methodologies in raising our children. The various areas to take precaution are as follows:
1) Exposure – Influence of ever-changing technologies and peers.
2) Comparison – The hurt our children endured when we compare them with siblings, cousins, neighbors etc.
3) Cyber Wellness - Focus on the pros of cyber space to communicate with our children.
4) Engagement – Engage them & pull them back on morally right track.
Parents were encouraged to share their woes and successful moments when communicating with their teens. Almost all parents agreed that their children were more connected with their hand-phones then with us, mostly giving one or two-worded answers. Mr Segar gave an example of parents spending quality family time by setting and adhering to rules of putting mobile phones away during meal times. In the areas of excessive gaming, parents can consider engaging them in games of their children’s interest regardless of sports, electronics or in cyber space.
It is inevitable that all of us constantly asked if we were ever good parents. Mr Segar advised parents not to be discouraged when things don’t work out as we wanted it to be because it will take some time to gather momentum and synergy with our children. Parents need to change by listening more to our children and networking with their friends by encouraging our children to bring their friends home and be there for their emotional support. Mrs Lalitha Kok, School Counsellor echoed that she would allow her children to bring friends home to do their school projects in a safer environment.
Principal, Tan Chee Siong encouraged parents to maintain faith and work together as we guide our children during their teenage years. He raised the crucial issue of mutual respect. Children of the 21st Century preferred to be talked to, instead of talked down. Even school lessons have been revised to listening more to their proposed ideas. Our children generally would appreciate that we accord respect to them, being given a chance to figure out issues on their own and hope we be there as consultants when called upon. However, we would still need to craft out and made known to them the boundaries, eg the main stream acceptable behaviors and to instill sense of responsibilities while engaging with challenges in this millennium. Mr Tan suggested that parents bring back some food for thoughts; namely why our children will not approach us when they do not do well in exams, when they got into fights and boy-girl relationships.
Mrs Anne Ambrose, School Family Education (SFE) co-ordinator concluded the fruitful session by updating parents the on-coming PSG events:-
1) Cyber Wellness on Social Media Parenting Talk on 18 May 2013
2) 2nd We Share Session on 1 July 2013
3) Drama Mamas workshop on 27 July 2013 – maximum 15 pairs of mother-daughter pair for Sec 1 and 2 students only.
Contributed by PSG member Mrs Cynthia Lee
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