Chong Ee Jay 庄贻杰

04/08/2026

Recently my son came home and shared a sound effect he heard from his school mates that apparently has gone pretty viral. It’s pronounced as per the image accompanying this post.

I must admit. When he first pronounced it, I thought he was saying vulgarity and I gave him my killer stare 👀. Afterwards he clarified on the correct pronunciation and gave me a 5 minutes jiggling lecture on what the sound effect was, how his school mates used it and the accompanying words to be used with the sound effect.

I laughed furiously after hearing his explanation and I’m just so amused. Just when the 6-7 trend is slowly fading off, we now have this Faaaaaahhhh sound effects coming along. 😂

Maybe this is why parents and educators are increasingly concerned by Gen Alpha’s digital diet of brain rot content which may literally cause the brain to “rot”? 🫠

03/08/2026

With Weighted Assessment (WA) around the corner, more time on the daily basis is being carved out for academic revision. But down time for fun, exercise and relaxation is still important so that the child’s brain and being is not constantly in a tense or stressed state.

Here’s a photo of me and my son having dinner and some random and silly conversation. And this was after we run-cycle for 10km - I run and my son cycled. I’m still amused how he still had so much energy to talk non-stop after cycling 10km! 😂

So parents, remember to have some down time with your kids amidst the exam preparations. A little investment of fun and laughter will go a great distance for our kids’ wellbeing!

31/07/2026

A heartwarming article reminding me that the daily consistent things I choose to do for my family and loved ones, even the seemingly small or mundane actions, matters for my child.

Even though our children may not have the maturity to make sense of the meaning of some of the things we do, but they remember what we did. And in their adulting years, with maturity and in a different life stage, they recall and hopefully it all make sense. 🙂

So don’t lose heart parents. Children see and children follow - if not now, it will make sense later. 😀

From opening doors to apologising first after an argument, Mr Andrew Lim's father showed him that being a gentleman isn't about grand gestures, but choosing love over pride, day after day.

30/07/2026

I’ve got these three blind box figurines at my work station and I feel they appropriately summarises the roles I perform both at work and at home. 😂

29/07/2026

As parents, it’s natural to want to correct our teenagers when we see them making poor decisions or holding views we disagree with.

But sometimes, in our determination to win the argument, we unintentionally lose something far more valuable - their willingness to keep talking to us.

Our teenagers hope for parents who are willing to listen long enough to understand what lies beneath their words.

When teenagers feel heard, they don’t automatically change their minds. But they do become more willing to trust ours.

The teenage years are not about having fewer boundaries. They’re about building stronger bridges.

Because one day, when life becomes overwhelming, confusing or painful, our greatest hope is that our teenager’s first instinct isn’t to withdraw but to come to us.

Influence doesn’t grow from winning every debate. It grows from becoming the safest place our children can turn to, even when they know we may not agree.

So let’s protect that relationship. Let’s preserve those conversations.

28/07/2026

Wonderful video done up by Lianhe Zaobao 联合早报 giving a summary of the recent weekend’s Mandarin Education Conversation public engagement session.

I was privileged to be on the panel alongside then MOS Jasmin Lau (now Acting Minister of Manpower) and Deputy Director-General of Education (Curriculum) Mr Sng Chern Wei as we discussed about the education arms race, stress that students face, developing resilience in our children as well as the impact of AI on education and relationships.

Snippets of our panel sharing are also nicely included in the video, so have a good watch!

现在的学生真的像玻璃那样脆弱，经不起失败吗？在时任教育部兼数码发展及新闻部政务部长刘洁敏看来，现在的年轻人更像是不易碎的“玻璃弹珠...

27/07/2026

Over the weekend, I had the privilege to be involved as a panelist for the Mandarin Education Conversation public engagement session organised by Lianhe Zaobao 联合早报 and supported by Ministry of Education, Singapore.

Before the panel session, I sat in a group comprising of concerned parents and educators listening to their thoughts and feedbacks on how education can be sharpened to better support the needs of the young today so that they can be “future ready”.

I’m heartened by what I heard where the emphasis wasn’t just about examinations and grades but there were a lot of discussions about building character, values, competencies and capacities; opportunities for the young generation. I’m glad too that the conversation didn’t just revolve around schools but also what steps parents need to take too. Indeed, it take a village to raise a child, so it’s definitely an all hands on deck approach!

During the panel session, I shared that our children are living in a time of greater expectations - to learn more, handle more and at a much faster pace than ever, and yet have a well balanced life! And maybe the solution is not about having more things added on the plate, but to reconsider how we can slow down and space things out so that our children can have the social, emotional and mental space to learn, process and consolidate.

So thankful for a fruitful time at this session sharing, hearing and learning from the participants I’ve interacted with. It’s glad to know that while our ideas may differ, our goals for the betterment of education for the good of our children remains the same!

24/07/2026

On one of the days earlier this week, my son was very short fuse practicing his Chinese spelling and dictation. I was growing impatient with him because of his complaining and snappy response but held back.

As it was pretty unusual behaviour from him, I decided to be patient and hear out his lamentations. As he ranted, I figured that he was actually frustrated about an earlier incident in school where he felt wrongly accused by his classmate.

What’s amazing was that with ventilation came better regulation where my son could cool down. Sensing that better emotional space he was in, I told him that he did what was needed and the right thing to do. Whatever his classmate had accused, just defend himself once. But if the classmate doesn't bother to listen, so be it. No point talking back and forth with that classmate.

I held my son’s face and told him not to let others rob him of his joy and happiness. And whatever happens, Mummy and Daddy are around to support him.

He said “OK” and we moved on to having our dinner. After that he came back more spirited and was back much more positively working on his Chinese practices!

Indeed, when children feel better, they think better and will behave better. Well done son! Proud of you!

23/07/2026

Prepared this Feelings Thermometer 🌡️ for use in next week’s session with some students to check in with them how they are feeling and segue to discuss about emotional intensity and regulation.

The more I prepare for the session, the more I feel that the Feelings Thermometer is also useful for us adults - providing a timely check in and disciplining ourselves to take a pause or catch a breather when we need to cool down.

This is definitely useful for me especially when my son’s examinations are coming! 😂

22/07/2026

Sometimes, our struggle in parenting is finding a balance between being firm and being close to our children.

Yet the reality is that healthy parenting requires both.

Children need boundaries that provide direction, and they need relationships that provide security. Correction teaches them what is right and wrong. Connection gives children the confidence to receive correction.

When our children know they are deeply loved, correction is less likely to feel like rejection and more likely to be received as guidance.

I’ve often observed that parents who invest consistently in their relationship with their children don’t necessarily need to raise their voices more because they often don’t need to. Their influence comes from the trust they’ve built over time.

As parents, let’s not sacrifice connection in the pursuit of correction.

Because while correction may change behaviour for a moment, it is connection that gives correction the opportunity to shape a child’s heart.