Primary school students in Singapore carry a heavy load at a very young age. Between attending school every weekday, completing homework, managing enrichment classes, and participating in school Co-Curricular Activities (CCAs), there is precious little time left over.
Weekends are often the only opportunity for children to relax and enjoy their childhood. But do they actually get enough time to unwind? Do they have time to read storybooks, play Roblox, scroll through Instagram, or record TikTok dances?
We often teach our children to always try their best. However, unlike school—where a student can achieve full marks on a spelling test if they study hard—competitive sailing works differently. In every race, regardless of effort, someone will finish first and someone will cross the line last.
There is a real cost to this constant pressure: the mental health of our young sailors. From an “economics” perspective, managing investment versus return, we need to help our children handle the heavy expectations placed on them.
Every year at regattas, I see “tiger parents” sternly scolding their children after a poor race. This completely strips the joy out of sailing.
As parents, we invest significant time and financial resources into coaching, boat equipment, and academic tuition. But to make true economic sense of this investment, we must give our children room to grow as individuals. We should offer enrichment lessons because they genuinely benefit from them—not solely because we want them to score top grades.
We must allow our children the time and space to simply enjoy being kids. Doesn’t that make sound “Economics 101” sense?
I cannot claim to be a saint in this regard; balancing expectations is a continuous learning process for me as well. But I try my best to enrich my children’s lives so they can learn from these experiences and build success on their own terms—not measured by our yardsticks.
Signing off,
Raymond Seah
