Being a parent is hard.
You have this little living thing that is completely dependent on you and whose mind is moulded by every little thing you do and say.
So, if you simply tell them to be a good person but then bring home pigeons to torture every night, then they’re probably not going to be the most upstanding citizen when they grow up.
So, what should you do then? Well, you could be like me and choose not to have kids so the chance of having a serial killer baby is roughly 0%.
But if you still want to have one, the best thing you can do is to set a good example for them, according to one local actor.
Rayson Tan Says Simply Being A ‘Good Example’ Is The Secret To His Parenting Success
For those who don’t know, Rayson Tan is a Singaporean actor under Mediacorp.
He is married to Chen Liping, a fellow actor who’s well known for her role as The Little Nyonya, which you can now watch on Netflix as –
Reader Bao: No, that one is Jeanette Aw! Chen Liping acted as Aiyoyo in Good Morning, Sir! in 1989!
1989? Heck, I wasn’t even born yet. No wonder I got the info wrong.
But anyways, here’s the corrected version:
He is married to Chen Liping, a fellow actor who’s well known for her role as Aiyoyo in Good Morning Sir! in 1989.
In an interview with 8 Days, Rayson outlined his beliefs about parenting and how his son deals with having two celebrities as parents.
A Private Boy
Rayson’s son, Zavier, is 18 years old and is currently a year two IB programme student at St Joseph’s Institution.
No one knows much about Zavier and Rayson wants to keep it that way, telling 8 Days that he’ll “say what [he] can” when asked about his son.
Zavier seems to have been influenced by his parents, who prefer to keep their personal life private.
In fact, Zavier doesn’t even like to tell others about his celebrity parents because of “the inconvenience it may cause”, Rayson said.
He’s so private that he barely posts on Instagram.
An 18-year-old who doesn’t use Instagram obsessively? Is that even possible?
Parenting Techniques
The local celebrity also opened up about his parenting techniques, saying he isn’t too strict with his son.
“I’m chill, yet firm on certain things, such as his studies. I would remind him to manage his school work, so that he doesn’t cram everything in at the last minute because that will affect his health. And he would also not do well. As for everything else, I just let him be.”
No one likes an overbearing parent, anyway.
And unlike what that Asian Dad meme might say, Rayson is not too hard on his son when it comes to his studies.
When Zavier talks to him about feeling stressed in school, Rayson says he reminds Zavier that “his well-being is more important than academic success.”
But the secret to being a good parent? Setting a good example.
“I do believe that I need to set a good example for my kid in order for him to grow up to become a decent person”, Rayson said.
You know how annoying it is when your parents are wrong but won’t admit it? Well, Rayson believes that setting a good example includes being humble and apologising sometimes.
“…if I do something wrong, like if I accidentally blamed him for something he didn’t do, I would apologise, ask for his forgiveness and change. So it would be a lesson for the both of us. That we have to put down our ego and admit it when we’re in the wrong. Really! I’m not a traditional father who thinks I’m always right.”
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He also leads by example in other ways: “I don’t smoke, I don’t drink and I don’t use vulgarities”.
And his son seems to be following in his footsteps.
According to Rayson, Zavier doesn’t club and drink. “He is also disciplined enough to come home before midnight”, he added.
And he doesn’t use vulgarities either.
How the f*** does an 18-year-old not curse?
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For now, at least, Rayson is proud of how his son turned out. The two qualities he believes in the most – integrity and honesty – are qualities his son embodies.
So, if you’re expecting a child and are freaking out about how they’ll turn out, don’t. You just have to be a good person and exhibit the qualities you want them to uphold as an adult.
