Whenever my father has the time, he will sit down with me and discuss how to improve my way of life. He would teach me how to tackle disagreements, sort out problems I encounter and pass on skills that I will need when I enter the working society in future. Among these discussions, the best examples given by my father to prove his points were from the fundamental part of his life: childhood. I enjoy listening to his stories and usually end up smiling away or nodding my head in agreement.
My father was born in China and came to Singapore when he was ten years old. He was a very independent boy. Unlike me, he did not need reminders from my grandparents about doing homework and helping out with housework, like washing and gardening. He would even spend time to tuition others although his earnings were meagre, as he felt that having to ask parents for money time and again was not appropriate. He made himself a cupboard, a basketball pole, a table-tennis table and even a double-decker bed for him and his brother. As for me, I am provided with all my needs since young and so have not found it necessary to construct anything for myself. Therefore, I seemed to have missed out on the joy of learning about the basic skills of carpentry and other do-it-yourself pursuits. Most, if not all, modern teenagers do not have this kind of attitude and some even spend their parents" hard-earned money on items such as fanciful toys and expensive handphones, unhealthy junk food and unnecessary accessories. Ever since the government strongly discouraged citizens from having many children, parents have been placing all their attention and spending more money on only one or two children, unlike during my father's childhood era when parents have to take care of up to ten children at once. This change has caused many parents to spoil their children.
Technology in the modern world has also affected the way children grow and develop.
