Some parents in Singapore are just way too protective over their children. I was in a toilet in Raffles City on Saturday night (was attending yet another boring Chinese wedding dinner - *yawn*) and there was this girl of about 3 or 4 years old, crying away near the area where the sinks were.
She was wailing away and kept telling her mum that she wanted to go to the toilet on her own. If my child wanted to exert her independence at such a young age, I'd be more than happy to let her go on her own. 'Cos I believe teaching a child to be independent is one of the best things you can do for your child and it has to start with little things like that.
Of course, opinions always differ. This particular mother obviously thought different from me because she was scolding her daughter for wanting to go on her own and insisting that she was too young to do so and that she would be in danger of locking herself in the toilet.
And I'm thinking, c'mon, it's not like the door is sssooooo difficult to unlock. It's just a matter of sliding the ledge in and out. And even if she did lock (I would definitely give the little girl more credit) herself in, tiny her could have easily crawled out through the space under the door.
I don't know how this little dispute resolved itself in the end 'cos by the time I left the toilet, the girl was still crying and insisting on going on her own and saying that she wouldn't end up locking herself in.
I guess her mother was also afraid of her dirtying herself. But hey, that's how kids learn. Parents here should just learn to let go a little!
Posted by DSD at October 12, 2006 9:42 AMOMG, it's not just Singaporean parents who are like that, I think ALL Asian parents are over-protective. Imagine trying to grow up in Australia, where parents are normally sooooooo laid-back, with uptight Asian parents. No wonder I'm such a nutcase!
Posted by: Knuffy's Owner at October 12, 2006 10:12 PMCould be the mom's afraid that the daughter might step into the bowl while squatting. ;)
Posted by: ivan at October 13, 2006 12:59 PMThing is, it wasn't one of those squatting toilets.
Posted by: dimsumdolly at October 13, 2006 1:21 PMSounds familiar... the de-facto parents-in-law are staying and I'm gettting quite an education. It's a long time since I've been told when it's safe to cross the road.
Posted by: joe at October 13, 2006 10:28 PMSounds familiar... the de-facto parents-in-law are staying and I'm gettting quite an education. It's a long time since I've been told when it's safe to cross the road.
Posted by: joe at October 13, 2006 10:29 PMThat's right. The height could be a problem, hence the fear. ;P
Posted by: Ivan at October 14, 2006 8:49 PM