In a society considered relatively pampered, the majority of us have grown up in surroundings protected by our parents and a life of considerable comfort, compared to some of our counterparts; sometimes even perhaps to the point of being overly protected. However, what’s lurking around besides the seemingly pristine picture of happy families, cheery smiles and material luxuries?

There’s always a hybrid mix of stark contrasts in every society that we see. There are the minorities and family tragedies that we tend to overlook. Sometimes, it’s hard not to feel jaded by all these news that we hear of all the time. However, once in a while, we do need to be jolted awake to remind ourselves of how very lucky we are to have everything that we most probably take for granted at times. These are not cases that we hear about in other countries, it’s about Singaporean children and it’s only right that we take a more personal interest in them.

The Ang Mo Kio family tragedy took the headlines by storm, making one wonder did debt indeed drive the father in the case to send himself and his own children to eternity? What could have been done to prevent this from happening?

Overspending is a problem that a number of Singaporeans seem to have. We are used to spending on credit as it allows us “financial freedom” for the moment, but we might, on the spur of the moment, forget about the liabilities thereafter. It’s not a matter of how much we earn, it’s about the proportion of income we spend. In simple terms, we should know our limits and spend not more than what we can afford. Envy and materialism can lead us to overspending, as well as to “not to lose out” to our peers. However, is keeping up appearances more important or living frugally well within your means?

Parenthood comes with a responsibility tag, whether we like it or not. At the end of the day, it’s the children who are the innocent victims as a result of adults’ mistakes. Escaping is never the solution. It traumatizes the ones who are left behind, a scar that can never be forgotten.

Similar pressures from work, upkeeping the pace of your lifestyle may also lead to parents abusing their very own children, which is a very sad truth indeed. Physical maltreatment is the major form of physical abuse, which leads to emotional scars as well.

Examine this case of a dad abusing his own daughters and even causing the death of his toddler (www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_447130.html) and you cannot imagine yourself doing the same to your own child. Worse is that you hear about fathers imprisoning and sexually abusing their own daughters, sometimes, even with the help of the child’s mother. What good reasons did they have to treat their own biological flesh and blood that way?

As a result, people tend to have a common perception that the majority of the perpetrators are the fathers or stepfathers. Sometimes, it’s an issue that we have to delve into sometimes from a rational point of view. Can we say that fathers tend to be more heartless? This article www.divaasia.com/article/6131 will put you well into perspective. Indeed, it’s not only the dads that turn bad.

In order to tackle child abuse issues better, the Singapore government has recently revised the manual on Management of Child Abuse in Singapore. MFS also aims to provide help to and protect affected children. Singapore Children Society has also conducted research on topics that range from physical child abuse and neglect to parenting.

Please report of any case you might know of to the police and relevant authorities. A life might be at stake. For more information on family violence, visit msf.gov.sg.

Such harsh realities make us think back on how often we might have bickered with our parents and how non-appreciative we are of the nagging they give us, despite them having the best intentions. It’s only when we become parents ourselves, then we can better understand them. It’s best to appreciate parents who are great indeed. After all, not everyone has good parents that they deserve.

Have any thought-provoking comments to share after reading this article? Do feel free to write in to us!

Also read about Protecting Our Child From Child Abuse

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