SINGAPORE: Filial Piety Is Probably Overrated

Have you ever thought about why you’re having kids?

Some have kids because they think it’s part of the “marriage progression”, they want to carry on their bloodline or because everyone around them are having children.

Others feel that they want to leave a legacy through their offspring. Then there are those who do it simply because they have a strong desire to have children.

In Asia, it’s not uncommon for people to want to have children to ensure that there’s someone to look after them when they turn old. In fact, there’s even a Chinese idiom 养儿防老 – which translates to mean “raise children to safeguard your old age”.

Indeed, in Asian societies that have been strongly influenced by Confucius teachings, such as China, Japan, Korea and Singapore, the practice of filial piety is still seen as an important social value and esteemed as virtue to be inculcated in one’s children from a very young age.

Children are not only expected to respect and obey their parents, it’s also deemed their duty to look after their parents in old age. (more…)

Ruth

Ruth lives in Singapore, a tiny island 137 kilometres north of the equator. After graduating from university, she worked as a medical social worker for a few years before making a switch to HR and worked in various industries such as retail, banking and manufacturing. In spite of the invaluable skills and experiences she had gained during those years, she never felt truly happy or satisfied. It was only when she embarked on a journey to rediscover her strengths and passion that this part of her life was transformed. Today, Ruth is living her dreams as a writer. Ironically, she loves what she does so much that at one point, she even thought that becoming a mom would hinder her career. Thanks to her husband’s gentle persuasions, she now realises what joy she would have missed out had she not changed her mind. She is now a happy WAHM. Ruth launched MomME Circle, a resource site to support and inspire moms to create a life and business they love. She has a personal blog Mommy Café where she writes about her son's growing up and shares her interests such as food and photography.

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SINGAPORE: Being a Role Model by Pursuing My Dreams

I stared at the email I received a week ago. Today’s the last day to make my decision but I might have missed the deadline. I wasn’t too sure – should the cut off time be based on US time while I’m here on the other side of the world? I could have checked, but…

Anyway, that didn’t matter. The fact was, at that very last-minute, I was still feeling unsure about my decision.

So, as I often do in such situations, I said a silent prayer.

Then I clicked on the link and waited… A new window opened.

I looked at the screen;  peace descended upon me. The screen is still there. I knew right then what I needed to do.

*******

Three days ago, I renewed my membership with the Association of Image Consultants International (AICI).

You see, I’m trained as an image consultant but it’s something that I never really told many people about. When I first decided to get trained, I thought I would set up an image business. Then I got pregnant and decided to shelf the plan until after I gave birth. Never did I anticipate how busy being a mom would be, especially a first-time mom, and juggling my (more…)

Ruth

Ruth lives in Singapore, a tiny island 137 kilometres north of the equator. After graduating from university, she worked as a medical social worker for a few years before making a switch to HR and worked in various industries such as retail, banking and manufacturing. In spite of the invaluable skills and experiences she had gained during those years, she never felt truly happy or satisfied. It was only when she embarked on a journey to rediscover her strengths and passion that this part of her life was transformed. Today, Ruth is living her dreams as a writer. Ironically, she loves what she does so much that at one point, she even thought that becoming a mom would hinder her career. Thanks to her husband’s gentle persuasions, she now realises what joy she would have missed out had she not changed her mind. She is now a happy WAHM. Ruth launched MomME Circle, a resource site to support and inspire moms to create a life and business they love. She has a personal blog Mommy Café where she writes about her son's growing up and shares her interests such as food and photography.

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Saturday Sidebar: What has been the best part of parenting so far?

My Walking Heart

This week’s Saturday Question comes from World Moms Blog writer Maggie Ellison.  She asked our writers,

What has been the best part of parenting so far?”

Check out what some of our World Moms had to say…

Dr. Lanham of Arizona, USA writes:
“The best part of parenting for me has been to hear my boys tell me they appreciate HOW I’ve raised them. Let’s me know they were listening! 🙂 ”

Maggie Ellison of South Carolina, USA writes: (more…)

World Moms Blog

World Moms Blog is an award winning website which writes from over 30 countries on the topics of motherhood, culture, human rights and social good. Over 70 international contributors share their stories from around the globe, bonded by the common thread of motherhood and wanting a better world for their children. World Moms Blog was listed by Forbes Woman as one of the "Best 100 Websites for Women 2012 & 2013" and also called a "must read" by the NY Times Motherlode in 2013. Our Senior Editor in India, Purnima Ramakrishnan, was awarded the BlogHer International Activist Award in 2013.

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SINGAPORE: Interview with Ruth Wong/Mommy Cafe

SINGAPORE: Interview with Ruth Wong/Mommy Cafe

Where in the world do you live? And, are you from there?

I was born and raised in Singapore, a tiny island 137 kilometres north of the equator. I’ve lived here all my life. The only time I’ve stayed abroad for an extended period was when I worked in China.

What language(s) do you speak?

I speak English, Mandarin and Cantonese.

When did you first become a mother?

I became a mom in January 2010 and I’m so blessed that my son and I share the same birthday!

Are you a stay-at-home mom or do you work?

I’m a work-at-home mom (WAHM). I was previously a human resource professional. Even before I got pregnant, I already knew I wanted to be a WAHM. I also wanted to pursue something that I love doing. So I quit my job and started freelance writing and translation. I became a mom about two years later. In Singapore, most women continue working full-time after having a child, part of the reason is the high cost of living. So I feel very blessed to have a (more…)

Ruth

Ruth lives in Singapore, a tiny island 137 kilometres north of the equator. After graduating from university, she worked as a medical social worker for a few years before making a switch to HR and worked in various industries such as retail, banking and manufacturing. In spite of the invaluable skills and experiences she had gained during those years, she never felt truly happy or satisfied. It was only when she embarked on a journey to rediscover her strengths and passion that this part of her life was transformed. Today, Ruth is living her dreams as a writer. Ironically, she loves what she does so much that at one point, she even thought that becoming a mom would hinder her career. Thanks to her husband’s gentle persuasions, she now realises what joy she would have missed out had she not changed her mind. She is now a happy WAHM. Ruth launched MomME Circle, a resource site to support and inspire moms to create a life and business they love. She has a personal blog Mommy Café where she writes about her son's growing up and shares her interests such as food and photography.

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Travel Itinerary for the Week of November 7th!

Did you enjoy reading about different cultures of parenting in our Link-up last week? Thanks to everyone who participated! Now, let’s get ready for another exciting week!

On Monday, we will be in Arkansas, welcoming back Margie Bryant, who had to take a break for a while. Margie tells us about her mother, who has overcome many hardships in her life and sounds like a pretty amazing person!

On Tuesday we head out to California to hear from Angela Y. In a post that reminds us why moms really are super-heroes, she gives an account of a day in the life of a mom – all before 9:00 a.m.!

On Wednesday, we will be in Washington talking about religion! Tara B. talks about the role religion plays in her life, and what influence she sees it having on her children as they grow up.

On Thursday, grab your passport, because we’re off to Australia! Fiona at Inspiration To Dream ponders the question of whether we sometimes over-parent our kids? Are we equipping them to fight their battles and deal with some of life’s less pleasant aspects? Or are we wrapping them in cotton wool to their detriment?

And on Friday, we will be traveling to Canada to hear from Kirsten Doyle, who writes a special post for Remembrance Day (Veterans Day in the United States). Kirsten takes the role of veterans in our society very seriously, and talks about the importance of preserving history for our children.

We have lots of extras this week! On Monday, World Moms Blog founder Jennifer Burden will post a link to a post on By Word Of Mouth Musings, and on Wednesday evening she will share with us a social good post for the Million Moms Challenge.

In writer interviews this week, we will hear from Kristen Kolb of Switzerland on Tuesday, and Ruth Wong from Singapore on Thursday.

This week, we will have a special edition of the Saturday Sidebar dedicated to World Pneumonia Day.

In other news this week, scheduling editor Kirsten Doyle’s blog has been nominated as one of the Top 25 Canadian Mom Blogs! To help her win a place in the top 25, you can vote for her once every 24 hours until November 17th.

— World Moms Blog

Our World Moms Blog logo was designed by the creative Erica Joyner Designs in Virginia, USA.

World Moms Blog

World Moms Blog is an award winning website which writes from over 30 countries on the topics of motherhood, culture, human rights and social good. Over 70 international contributors share their stories from around the globe, bonded by the common thread of motherhood and wanting a better world for their children. World Moms Blog was listed by Forbes Woman as one of the "Best 100 Websites for Women 2012 & 2013" and also called a "must read" by the NY Times Motherlode in 2013. Our Senior Editor in India, Purnima Ramakrishnan, was awarded the BlogHer International Activist Award in 2013.

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