Dad calls out parents who place too much pressure on kids
A frustrated father called out Singaporean parents for putting pressure on their kids.
He expressed his worries on Reddit on Tuesday (Aug 22) about the academic stress children here often face.
It is up to a parent to decide what kind of environment their kids grow up in, he continued.
The original poster has three sons aged 14, 12 and eight.
He said he feels for Singaporean children, not because of the education system, but because of their parents’ attitudes and beliefs.
“After a long day of school, imagine (if) you still have to attend a two-hour tuition (class),” he said.
It is a different matter if the child is weak in a subject or wants to take extra lessons themselves.
In fact, his children also go for tuition in their weakest subject, Chinese, once a week.
But he did not like that some children go for tuition and enrichment classes multiple times on a weekly basis.
“Their children are living under stress and sad conditions,” he said.
This will lead them to “grow up to be resentful youths/young adults”.
He believes parents can make a difference, no matter the educational system.
“You are the ones who can decide what kind of an environment your child grows up in,” he said.
He urged parents to ease the burden of studies on their children and prioritise making “happy memories” during their childhood instead.
Many who read his post agreed with him.
“Kids wake up at 6am and go to school from 7-1.30pm. After school also tired already. But many of the kids don’t go home, they go to student care and are picked up at 5pm, then go for tuition from 6-7pm, then play for a while, then sleep, rinse and repeat Monday to Friday,” said a user.
Said another, “The rat race here is ridiculous. The sight of ‘mega’ tuition centres in shopping malls these days with their ‘success rates’ is just downright unfortunate, because it's suggesting we should glamourise taking up tuition for kids.”
Those who grew up in a different era had it easier it seems.
“It's really on the parents for this lol. When I was a kid, my parents let me go play with the neighbourhood kids (until I reached secondary school).
“I didn't get tuition until I was in P6, and even then just for one subject that I was struggling a bit with. I did fine throughout, got into a uni and everything,” said a user.
Ease up on your kids, parents. Just a little?
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