Explore every episode of the podcast Growing Pains

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	Title	Pub. Date	Duration
	Why Stay-At-Home Motherhood Can Destroy Your Identity	31 Aug 2026	00:51:35
Faz Gaffa says something most parenting platforms will not: it is okay to sit in a car park and scream before you walk back inside. She is the editor of Honey Kids Asia, a journalist known for opinions that make people uncomfortable, and a mother who has been rewriting what she owes everyone else since her father's cancer diagnosis gave her 89 days to say goodbye. In this conversation, Faz and Stephanie go somewhere most interviews will not: the phone call that changed everything, the diagnosis nobody prepares you for, and the year she does not talk about publicly. They get into why an entire generation looks fine and feels empty, the parenting rule Faz will not bend on no matter how much her son begs, and the question she asks herself every time someone praises her for handling it all. There is also a confession about anger neither of them expected to share on camera, and a line about discipline that will change how you think about the next time your child gets in trouble. This one gets raw and spicy. Click play. IN THIS EPISODE: 00:00 \| Cold Open: Real Conversations for Real Parents 00:38 \| Meet Faz Gaffa: Ditching Beige Parenting Advice 01:54 \| Beyond the Job Title: Redefining Personal Identity 04:24 \| Postpartum Grief: Navigating 89 Days of Heartbreak 09:34 \| Sandwich Generation: Surviving the Caregiver Guilt Trap 11:28 \| Millennial Identity Crisis: Unpacking the Single-Path Fallacy 16:55 \| High-Functioning Depression: Recognizing the Burnout Discipline 21:03 \| Spicy Take: Why Moms Should Always Work 26:27 \| Silent Struggle: Unpacking Postpartum Rage and Self-Erasure 29:56 \| Tech Boundaries: Unsupervised Screen Time Is Neglect 39:39 \| Future-Proofing Kids: Building Taste and Soft Skills 42:29 \| Rethinking Discipline: Why Humiliation and Pain Fail 49:24 \| Finding Hope: Breaking Cycles of Generational Trauma 50:44 \| Stephanie’s Top Three Episode Takeaways About Faz Gaffa Faz Gaffa is the editor of Honey Kids Asia, a journalist and brand strategist. She built her career on saying what feels real over what feels safe, and now works as a brand storyteller and community builder, with a focus on diversity, inclusion, and raising race-conscious children. Connect with Faz: Website: fazabdulgaffa.com Email: email.faz@gmail.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/fazgaffa Instagram: @fazgaffa Facebook: facebook.com/fazabdgaffa What You'll Take Away The rule Faz says she will never break, no matter how much her son pushes for more screen time What happened in the 89 days between her father's diagnosis and his death The Instagram message Faz keeps getting for talking too honestly about how she is doing Why she wrote that mothers should never leave the workforce, and the backlash that followed The postpartum condition neither Faz nor Stephanie had ever heard of before it happened to them What her son said to a boy holding a stick, and what happened next The one sentence her mother said about discipline that sent Faz into a rage Connect with Growing Pains Growing Pains is HoneyKids Asia's podcast for the conversations you want to have after the kids go to bed. YouTube: @growingpains.honeykids Instagram: @honeykidsasia Website: honeykidsasia.com Hit subscribe so you don't miss an episode. If this one resonated, share it with a parent who needs it. Growing Pains is produced in partnership with Poddster, Singapore's podcast studio.
	Fame, Motherhood, Body Image & The Impossible Standards Women Face	25 Aug 2026	00:43:02
She was topping charts across three countries before she could vote. Then the industry that made her famous told her to shrink, and she nearly disappeared trying to do it. Ming Bridges gained forty kilos, lost herself for five years, and reached a point where she didn't want to be here anymore. What turned it around took her by surprise, and it happened faster than she ever expected. Now she's a mother of two under two, running three businesses, and living with an ADHD diagnosis that came decades later than it should have. She talks about the moment a viral video turned her body into public property, the pregnancy sickness so bad it launched a business, and the parenting mantra she's trying to live by before her daughters are old enough to repeat her mistakes. This is a conversation about fame, food, motherhood, and what it actually takes to come back from rock bottom. Click play. IN THIS EPISODE: 00:00 \| The Impossible Standard: Why Are Women Never Enough? 00:35 \| Welcome to Growing Pains with Ming Bridges 01:52 \| "You Need to Lose Weight": The Dark Side of Teen Stardom 04:34 \| 40 Kilos Later: Getting Kicked Out of the Industry 06:58 \| 5 Years of Struggling vs. 2 Weeks of Healing 10:51 \| Generational Trauma & The Danger of "Good Intentions" 13:40 \| Why "You Look Pretty" is the Wrong Compliment for Our Daughters 17:03 \| Launching a Business Out of Pure Pregnancy Rage 24:31 \| "I Just Rotate What I'm Failing At": The Reality of Two Under Two 27:55 \| Missing Brain Tabs: Navigating Motherhood with Adult ADHD 31:10 \| The Viral Swimsuit Video & Dismantling the Toxic Male Gaze 37:29 \| Quick-Fire: The Single Mantra to Cure Mom Guilt 42:52 \| Episode Takeaways: Stop Glorifying the Rush About Ming Bridges Ming Bridges is a two-time TEDx speaker and body positivity advocate who first became known as a teenage pop star, topping charts in Singapore, Taiwan, and Malaysia and winning Teenage magazine's Teenage Icon at 13. The pressures of the entertainment industry led to a severe eating disorder, one she has spoken openly about rebuilding her life from. She is now the founder of three businesses: sustainable fashion rental platform Rentadella, footwear line Bridge and Bella, and clean hydration brand Formi Wellness, which she launched during her second pregnancy. Connect with Ming: Tedx talk: Fat, Hungry and Desperate TEDx Talk YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_Xjm3CW-axf4CBAqmJmYRQ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mingbridges/?hl=en Find out more about her businesses: Formi: https://itsformi.com/ Rentadella: https://www.instagram.com/rentadella/?hl=en Bridge and Bella: https://www.bridgeandbella.com/ What You'll Take Away How a modeling agency's four words at 18 sent her into a five year spiral The moment a viral video turned her body into a headline she never asked for Why she says her ADHD didn't fully show up until she became a mother What made her launch a supplement brand while too sick to leave her bed The question she asks first when her daughter says she hates how she looks Why recovery took her five years too long, and what changed in two weeks The mantra she repeats every day that reframes everything going wrong in her life Connect with Growing Pains Growing Pains is HoneyKids Asia's podcast for the conversations you want to have after the kids go to bed. YouTube: @growingpains.honeykids Instagram: @honeykidsasia Website: honeykidsasia.com Hit subscribe so you don't miss an episode. If this one resonated, share it with a parent who needs it. Growing Pains is produced in partnership with Poddster, Singapore's podcast studio.
	How to Become a Mother Without Losing Yourself	17 Aug 2026	00:47:13
She had four children, two marriages, and once lived in the same building as her ex-husband while married to her current one. Christine Amour-Levar built a life most people would call impossible: mother of four, social entrepreneur, climate investor, and leader of thirty all-female expeditions to some of the most extreme places on earth. But ask her which comes first, being a woman or being a mother, and her answer might surprise you. This week, Christine sits down with Steph to talk about the guilt she carried when she chose ambition over staying home, the sea turtle story she used to help her children understand divorce, and the annual ritual she has kept for twenty five years that keeps her whole life on track. She also opens up about a decision so unconventional that even her own mother struggled to understand it. What happens when you refuse to choose between the woman you are and the mother you became? And what does it actually cost to have it all? Hit play. IN THIS EPISODE: 00:00 \| Why Motherhood Shouldn’t Erase Who You Are 00:31 \| Meet Christine Amour-Levar: Mother, Investor and Explorer 02:44 \| From Nike Executive to a Life of Purpose and Impact 05:26 \| “I’m a Woman First”: Redefining Motherhood and Identity 08:33 \| The Mum Guilt Behind a Successful Career 15:20 \| How to Divorce Without Breaking the Family 22:44 \| Why Self-Love Is the Key to Letting Go of Guilt 27:17 \| You Can Have It All — Just Not All at Once 31:28 \| Inside Christine’s 180-Page Life-Planning System 36:58 \| How to Build a Career Around Everything You Love 41:45 \| What Extreme Expeditions Teach You About Leadership 44:10 \| Why Your Children Shouldn’t Always Come First 47:40 \| The Three Biggest Lessons on Motherhood and Identity About the Christine Amour-Levar Christine Amour-Levar is a French-Swiss-Filipina social entrepreneur, climate investor, and bestselling author who has led thirty all-female expeditions to places like Antarctica, the Arctic, and the Danakil Depression, raising over $3 million for women and climate causes. She co-founded Her Planet Earth and Investors for Climate, is Founder of Women Beyond Limits, and is a mother of four. Connect with Christine: https://www.christineamourlevar.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/christineamourlevar/ https://www.instagram.com/christineamourlevar/ What You'll Take Away Why Christine calls herself "a woman first, and a mother second" The sea turtle story she used to explain divorce to a four and six year old What happened when she and her ex-husband lived in the same building, married to other people The annual ritual she's kept for 25 years, and why it runs 180 pages Why she thinks "always put your child first" is bad parenting advice What went wrong during a 50 degree desert expedition The one thing she says is the true opposite of love (it isn't hate) Connect with Growing Pains Growing Pains is HoneyKids Asia's podcast for the conversations you want to have after the kids go to bed. YouTube: @growingpains.honeykids Instagram: @honeykidsasia Website: honeykidsasia.com Hit subscribe so you don't miss an episode. If this one resonated, share it with a parent who needs it. Growing Pains is produced in partnership with Poddster, Singapore's podcast studio. #GrowingPains #HoneyKidsAsia #ChristineAmourLevar #WorkingMothers #MumGuilt #WomenFirst #CoParenting #WomenInLeadership #PortfolioCareer #FemaleEntrepreneur #ConsciousParenting #WomenBeyondLimits #Podster
	Is Motherhood Quietly Erasing the Real You?	10 Aug 2026	00:53:13
She built one of Singapore's most awarded agencies. She dressed the biggest names in fashion. She raised two boys. And somewhere in the middle of all of it, she stopped recognising the person in the mirror. Tjin Lee, founder of Mercury and co-founder of Crib Society talks about what actually happens when motherhood and career quietly swallow your sense of self, and what it takes to hold on to it. This is not a story about burnout. It is about the slower, sneakier thing that happens when you spend two decades being everything to everyone else. There is a label she says every working mother should stop using on herself. There is a red dress that changed the way an entire industry saw her. There is a caterpillar story she tells her sons that has nothing to do with insects and everything to do with why she refuses to make their lives easier. If you have ever felt like you disappeared somewhere inside your own life, this conversation is for you. Hit play. IN THIS EPISODE: 00:00 \| Losing Yourself to Motherhood 00:38 \| Welcome to Growing Pains with Tjin Lee 01:56 \| The Unexpected Journey to Motherhood at 40 03:57 \| Facing the "Auntie" in the Mirror 06:37 \| Why 50 is the Adolescence of Old Age 12:19 \| Don't Let "Mom" Override Your Identity 15:23 \| Why "Mompreneur" is a Label That Keeps Women Small 23:42 \| Coloring Books to Minecraft: The Screen Time Dilemma 28:13 \| Shielding Sons From the Toxic Manosphere 30:12 \| The Red Dress Moment: Stepping Out of the Shadows 35:51 \| Earning Your Battle Armor & Dropping the People Pleaser 41:07 \| Stop Taking It Personally: Lessons for the Next Gen 43:00 \| The Heartbreak of "Soulmate Parenting" 46:35 \| Quick-Fire: Refusing the Tiger Mom Trap 52:24 \| Episode Takeaways About Tjin Lee Tjin Lee is the founder of Mercury, a Singapore marketing agency she built over 23 years and sold at 49, working with brands including Burberry, Gucci and Cartier along the way. She also launched the Audi Fashion Festival, chaired Singapore Fashion Week, and co-founded Crib Society to support women entrepreneurs. She has over 120,000 followers on Instagram, where she is known for being outspoken about motherhood, identity and midlife reinvention. Connect with Tjin Lee: Instagram: @Tjinlee Linkedin: Tjin Lee Find out more about Crib Society What You'll Take Away The moment she stopped recognising herself, and what she did about it Why she says the word "mompreneur" quietly shrinks the woman using it The caterpillar story she tells her sons, and why she won't rescue them from the struggle What it actually took to separate "who I am" from "who my kids need me to be" The red dress story behind why she stopped hiding backstage at her own events Why she thinks women are taught to be uncomfortable with being seen What she wishes she had understood about herself twenty years earlier Connect with Growing Pains Growing Pains is HoneyKids Asia's podcast for the conversations you want to have after the kids go to bed. YouTube: @growingpains.honeykids Instagram: @honeykidsasia Website: honeykidsasia.com Hit subscribe so you don't miss an episode. If this one resonated, share it with a parent who needs it. Growing Pains is produced in partnership with Poddster, Singapore's podcast studio. #TjinLee #GrowingPains #HoneyKidsAsia #MotherhoodJourney #WomenInBusiness #ImposterSyndrome #SingaporeEntrepreneurs #MomGuilt #SelfLoveJourney #ModernParenting #EmpoweredWomen #ThrivingInYour50s
	Can Women Really Have It All? We’re Asking the Wrong Question	03 Aug 2026	00:50:57
Sharon Wong walked away from a high-flying corporate career with zero retail experience and built one of Asia's leading mother and baby brands across four countries. Twenty-eight years, one pandemic after another, and an expansion into China that started with doors slamming in her face. She calls it insanity. She might be right. Now, at 60, she's not slowing down. She's scaling faster than ever, and she's rewriting what everyone assumes about age, ambition and rest. In this episode, Sharon talks with Stephanie about the real cost of chasing having it all, the mindset shift that let her treat every crisis as just another season, and the parenting philosophy that shaped three kids who still call her their best friend. There's a secret recipe behind her success, a rapid fire round that gets brutally honest about the worst parenting advice she's ever received, and one theory about luck that has nothing to do with money. Can women really have it all? Or are we asking the wrong question? Sharon has an answer. You might not expect it. Click play. What You'll Take Away Why the founder of one of Asia's biggest baby brands says she's never actually been stressed The real formula behind her success, and why one letter in it changed completely What it took to get a single Chinese mall to finally say yes after every other door slammed shut The parenting rule she and her husband set before they even had kids Why she thinks "having it all" is the wrong question entirely The rapid fire answer that flips conventional parenting advice on its head What her ten year old son did with his Christmas presents that turned into a decade-long family tradition IN THIS EPISODE: 00:00 \| Can Women Really Have It All? 01:05 \| Welcome to Growing Pains 01:22 \| Meet Sharon Wong: Building Motherswork From a Personal Mission 02:20 \| Why Every Entrepreneurial “Down” Is Really Change 06:55 \| Entering China With Courage, Naivety and No Funding 09:07 \| How to Keep Moving When Life Feels Overwhelming 15:08 \| Raising Children With Kindness, Courage and Clear Values 19:29 \| Sharon’s Formula for Success: Passion, Product, People and Luck 27:03 \| Stop Asking Whether Women Can Have It All 32:48 \| Why Sharon Believes in Seasons, Not Mum Guilt 36:23 \| Scaling at 60: Reinventing Yourself at Any Age 41:30 \| Writing Whoa, Mom and Choosing Vulnerability 44:00 \| The Giving Tree: Teaching Children to Lead With Kindness 48:00 \| Legacy, Motherhood and the Advice Sharon Lives By 50:00 \| Stephanie’s Top Three Episode Takeaways About the Guest Sharon Wong is the Founder and CEO of Motherswork, one of Asia's leading premium mother, baby and kids' retail brands, with stores across Singapore, China, Vietnam and Thailand. She left a career as a Regional Tax and Treasury Director to build the company from scratch with zero retail experience, and 28 years later her team calls her "the CEO who bakes." She's the author of Wo(Mum): Living My Life as a Warrior, Woman and Mum, Chairwoman of MITAS (Maternal and Infant Trade Association of Singapore), and a mother of three. Connect with Sharon and Motherswork: https://www.motherswork.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharon-wong-motherswork/ https://www.instagram.com/motherswork/ Connect with Growing Pains Growing Pains is HoneyKids Asia's podcast for the conversations you want to have after the kids go to bed. YouTube: @growingpains.honeykids Instagram: honeykidsasia Website: https://honeykidsasia.com/ Hit subscribe so you don't miss an episode. If this one hits home, send it to a parent who needs it. Growing Pains is produced in partnership with Poddster, Singapore's podcast studio. #GrowingPains #HoneyKidsAsia #SharonWong #Motherswork #WomenInBusiness #WorkingMothers #MumGuilt #FemaleEntrepreneur #MotherhoodAndCareer #ScalingAt60 #Parenting #Entrepreneurship #Podster
	How to Raise Indistractable Kids	27 Jul 2026	00:56:38
Your brain takes in 11 million bits of information every second. You consciously process about 50. The rest gets filled in by beliefs, and those same beliefs, the ones you don't even know you have, are quietly shaping your children right now. Nir Eyal is a former Stanford lecturer, New York Times bestselling author of Hooked and Indistractable, and the kind of person who will tell you that your to-do list is making you worse at life. His latest book, Beyond Belief, started with a simple question: why do people not do the things they know they should? The answer had nothing to do with willpower, screens, or discipline. It had to do with the invisible stories we carry about ourselves, and pass on. This one will make you think differently about your own brain. Press play. IN THIS EPISODE: 00:00 \| The Limiting Beliefs Quietly Running Our Lives 00:54 \| Why Our Beliefs Shape How We Parent 02:30 \| How Emotional Eating Shaped Nir’s Life 03:47 \| Why Distraction Starts Inside Your Head 09:44 \| The Hidden Problem With To-Do Lists 09:52 \| How Time Boxing Rebuilds Focus and Control 15:13 \| Turning Your Values Into Protected Time 18:40 \| Why Knowing Better Does Not Create Change 22:59 \| When Beliefs Start Feeling Like Facts 26:11 \| A Four-Step Method to Change Limiting Beliefs 33:30 \| Pain Is Inevitable, Suffering Is Added 37:10 \| How to Raise Self-Regulating, Resilient Kids 42:41 \| When Manifestation Helps — and When It Backfires 48:35 \| How Labels Quietly Become Personal Limitations 54:54 \| The Best and Worst Parenting Advice About Nir Nir Eyal is a globally recognised authority on behaviour change and human potential. A former lecturer at Stanford's Graduate School of Business, he's the New York Times bestselling author of three books that between them have sold over one million copies in more than 30 languages. Beyond Belief: geni.us/beyondbelief Indistractable: geni.us/Indistractable Hooked: geni.us/hooked Free belief change guide: nirandfar.com/beyond-belief-live 30-Day Belief Transformation Journal: nirandfar.com/beyond-belief Website: nirandfar.com Instagram: @nireyal LinkedIn: Nir Eyal What You'll Take Away Why your to-do list is secretly working against you Four questions that can dissolve a belief you've held for years (Nir uses his mum as the test case) Why "I am" are the most dangerous words in English The labels you put on your kids become the ceilings they live under What the science actually says about manifestation How to raise “indistractable” kids (it has nothing to do with screen time limits) Connect with Nir: https://www.nirandfar.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/nireyal/ https://www.instagram.com/nireyal Connect with Growing Pains Growing Pains is HoneyKids Asia's podcast for the conversations you want to have after the kids go to bed. YouTube: @growingpains.honeykids Instagram: @honeykidsasia Website: honeykidsasia.com Hit subscribe so you don't miss an episode. If this one hits home, send it to a parent who needs it. Growing Pains is produced in partnership with Poddster, Singapore's podcast studio. #GrowingPains #HoneyKidsAsia #MillennialParenting #SandwichGeneration #MaternalMentalHealth #DigitalParenting #IdentityCrisis #HighFunctioningDepression #Podster
	The Love Patterns Your Kids Are Copying From You (Whether You Know It or Not)	20 Jul 2026	00:53:32
Every self-help book tells you to love yourself first before you can be loved by anyone else. Yana Fry, founder of the Academy of Love, says that advice is a trap, and she has watched it keep high-achieving women stuck in the same loop for years. Her own work traces back to a single moment at age 8: her parents' divorce, a dog-eared relationship book, and a promise she made herself in a notebook. In this episode, she unpacks the archetype framework built from that promise, nine patterns that explain why some of us repeat the same relationship over and over, and why kids pick up on all of it long before they have the words for it. Yana gets unusually honest too: a panic attack in the middle of the Namibian desert that decided something for her before she'd consciously decided it herself, a confession about what her own date nights actually look like lately, and a story from her late 20s she doesn't tell often, the moment she says was quietly driving everything before she understood why. Your kids are watching how you love. This episode is about what they're actually learning. What You'll Take Away Why "love yourself first" might be the worst advice a high achiever can follow What decided itself in her body during a panic attack in the middle of the desert, before her mind caught up What her own date nights actually look like these days, and why she's not hiding it The moment in her late 20s she rarely talks about, and the wound it revealed The nine patterns that explain why you keep ending up in the same relationship, romantic or otherwise What her toddler is already absorbing about love, without a single word being said The one thing she hopes her daughter never has to unlearn About Yana Fry Yana Fry is an internationally recognized speaker, transformational coach, and founder of the Academy of Love. She built a nine-archetype framework for identifying love patterns after her own upheaval: a marriage at 22, a cancer diagnosis three months later, a divorce, and a full rebuild of her life from there. She now lives in Singapore, is 17 years into an intercultural marriage, and works primarily with high-achieving women untangling how they love, parent, and lead. *Find out which love pattern your kids are learning from you. Sign up for Yana's masterclass here.* Chapters 00:00 — Meet Yana Fry 01:15 — How her definition of love has shifted over the years 04:55 — Healing old patterns, choosing motherhood 12:40 — Parenting without projection 22:00 — Why self-love is hard for high-achieving women 24:35 — The nine love archetypes 27:20 — Building self-care and connection into real life 38:15 — Teaching the next generation what healthy love looks like 48:40 — Quick-fire advice 51:55 — Host takeaways Connect with Growing Pains Growing Pains is HoneyKids Asia's podcast for the conversations you want to have after the kids go to bed. YouTube: @growingpains.honeykids Instagram: @honeykidsasia Website: honeykidsasia.com Hit subscribe so you don't miss an episode. If this one resonated, share it with a parent who needs it. Growing Pains is produced in partnership with Poddster, Singapore's podcast studio. #YanaFry #GrowingPains #HoneyKidsAsia #ConsciousLove #SelfLove #LoveArchetypes #ParentingAndLove #HighAchievingWomen #RelationshipAdvice #FatherWound #AcademyOfLove #ConsciousParenting #SingaporeMoms #PersonalDevelopment #HealthyRelationships
	Why People-Pleasing is a Health Risk	13 Jul 2026	00:47:19
Krystal Clavier-Choo is an applied psychologist and two-time TEDx speaker who once built a tech company, then one day, things changed. A brain cyst erased her Type A identity overnight, on top of eight years of clinical depression that began in childhood. What she found on the other side became a framework she now uses with CEOs, mothers, and teenagers who look fine on the outside and are quietly falling apart. In this episode, Krystal tells us about a pattern that's been studied since 1992, one that quadruples a person's risk of dying young, and it isn't a habit most people would think to change. She walks us through the three domains that decide whether you burn out or hold steady, why "happy wife, happy life" is a trap, and the millimeter by millimeter method she uses to help people stop silencing themselves before it costs them their health. If you've never said no when you meant it, press play. About Krystal Clavier-Choo Krystal Clavier-Choo spent years building tech platforms before an unexplained illness stripped away her ability to work, walk steadily, or trust her own mind. She holds a Master of Science in Psychology and Neuroscience from King's College London and has since built the Dimensional System, a framework she uses to coach C-suite leaders and parents through burnout, identity collapse, and the mental load nobody names. Website: dimensionalsystem.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/krystalchoo Instagram: @metakrystal What You’ll Takeaway The medical risk tied to the good girl complex, and why it isn't just a mindset problem The three domains that quietly decide whether you burn out, and why most high achievers are missing two of them Why "happy wife, happy life" might be doing more damage to a marriage than either partner realizes A boundary-setting method that works one millimeter at a time The real opposite of play (it isn't work) Why building a joy shelf might be the fastest way back to yourself Why the way you praise your kids could be setting them up for the same patterns you're trying to break Chapters 00:00 \| Three Questions That Frame Everything 01:27 \| Brain Cyst, Identity Collapse, and Surviving on Cheese Fries 06:34 \| What Eight Years of Childhood Depression Taught Her 11:02 \| The Safety–Challenge–Play Domains 15:19 \| Why High Achievers Don't Know How to Play 21:23 \| High-Functioning Burnout and the Cost to Your Kids 24:25 \| Gender Patterns Are Cultural, Not Biological 26:55 \| Mental Illness and Mental Health Are Two Different Continuums 29:15 \| Reframing the Inner Critic and the Family Dynamic 32:21 \| "Happy Wife, Happy Life" Is a Trap for Everyone 36:12 \| The Good Girl Complex Is a Medical Problem 41:47 \| "You Are Already Good" — Raising Non-Compliant Daughters 44:47 \| Best Parenting Advice and Closing Thoughts #GrowingPains #KrystalClavierChoo #StephanieDickson #GoodGirlComplex #BurnoutRecovery #MentalHealth #HighAchievers #WomensWellness #PlayTherapy #DimensionalSystem #PodcastForMoms #ParentingAdvice #SelfSilencing #WomensHealth #PsychologyPodcast
	Why Telling Someone to Be Grateful Can Make Things Worse	06 Jul 2026	00:50:22
The Happiness Scientist Who Stopped Pretending to Be Happy Sha-En Yeo spent her teenage years being bullied in a girls' school, quietly asking herself "is this it?" A teacher left a note on her desk that changed something. Twenty years later, she's Singapore's first happiness scientist, trained under Martin Seligman at UPenn, and the author of an upcoming Penguin book called I Miss Feeling Like Me.But here's what she'll tell you that most happiness experts won't: no strategy creates joy. Gratitude journaling can actually make things worse. And the pressure on parents to stay positive is one of the most harmful things we do to each other.This conversation covers what toxic positivity actually does to the nervous system, why self-compassion has to come before any strategy will land, and the CALM framework she uses with her own kids when emotions run hot.It also goes somewhere more personal: her father's illness, the night she stood on a stage in a red dress at a Chinese New Year dinner on one of the hardest days of her life, and what she learned about authenticity when performing happiness was simply not an option.The conclusion Sha-En arrived at after 15 years in the field: joy is not something you chase. It lives in knowing who you actually are.Press play.About Sha-En Sha-En Yeo is Singapore's first happiness scientist, a two-time TEDx speaker, and author of the upcoming Penguin book I Miss Feeling Like Me. She holds a master's in positive psychology from the University of Pennsylvania, where she studied under Martin Seligman, Angela Duckworth, and Adam Grant, and has reached over 25,000 people across APAC. Social media: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shaenyeomapp/ https://www.instagram.com/shaenyeo/ Website: https://happinessscientists.com/ Book: I Miss Feeling Like Me (Penguin, forthcoming) What You'll Take Away Why "tomorrow will be a better day" is one of the worst things you can say to a struggling parent The difference between happiness and joy, and why only one of them actually lasts The CALM framework: a four-step tool for responding to a child's big emotions without toxic positivity Why gratitude journaling can backfire, and what has to come first before any strategy will work What standing on a stage in a red dress on one of the hardest days of her life taught her about authenticity Why self-compassion, not gratitude, is the bridge when you're too miserable for strategies to land The five-step path back to yourself when you've lost track of who that actually is Chapters 00:00 — Cold open 01:10 — Bullied, pessimistic, and asking "is this it?" 03:30 — The teacher who changed everything with a note 06:00 — Fear of becoming a parent, and why she almost didn't 09:00 — How she ended up at UPenn with a 10-month-old 12:00 — Happiness versus joy: why the distinction matters 14:00 — What toxic positivity actually does to people 16:30 — The CALM framework for parents who snap 20:00 — Emotions are data: how to regulate before you react 23:00 — Pain is inevitable. Suffering is what we add. 25:00 — Her father's illness and the labels we carry from childhood 29:00 — Self-compassion as the bridge 32:00 — The stage, the red dress, and the Chinese New Year dinner 36:00 — The five-step path back to yourself 40:00 — The hedonic treadmill and the $2,000 prom dress test 43:30 — When the system does not fit your child (PSLE, and being honest about it) 47:00 — Quick fire Connect with Growing Pains Growing Pains is HoneyKids Asia's podcast for the conversations you want to have after the kids go to bed. YouTube: @growingpains.honeykids Instagram: @honeykidsasia Website: honeykidsasia.com Hit subscribe so you don't miss an episode. If this one resonated, share it with a parent who needs to hear it. Growing Pains is produced in partnership with Poddster, Singapore's podcast studio. #ShaEnYeo #GrowingPains #HoneyKidsAsia #PositivePsychology #Joy #Happiness #Parenting #ToxicPositivity #SelfCompassion #CALM #ParentingAdvice #MentalHealth #Singapore #Wellbeing
	Why This Content Creator Won't Let Her Daughters Use Social Media	29 Jun 2026	00:41:16
Maggie Dumra films her family for content and after over 78,000 followers later, she still won't let her own daughters near social media. The contradiction sits at the centre of this episode. She spent twenty years in marketing, watched K-pop idols starve themselves to be on camera, and knows exactly what the algorithm does to a girl's body image before it happens to her own kids. Ange and Maggie go inside Sephora Kids trend, the one that put ten-year-olds on a retinol routine and racked up 331 million views on one hashtag. Maggie opens up about what happens at the dinner table when the comments turn nasty, shares the strange Sunday-night ritual that keeps her girls from ever needing a credit card, and the one brain-development analogy that finally got her tween to back off the begging. If you're raising a daughter anywhere near a smartphone, you need to hear what Maggie does differently. About the Guest Maggie Dumra is the founder of Jaedals, a Singapore footwear brand that works with underprivileged women to make comfort-driven sandals. Before that she spent twenty years in marketing and advertising, and now in between business and family, she creates family content online with over 78,000 followers. She is a mum of two daughters, 8 and 13, neither of whom has her own social media account. Keep up with Maggie and Jaedals on: TikTok: @mrsdumra Instagram: @shopjaedals What You'll Take Away Why Maggie's daughters aren't allowed on TikTok even though she’s a content creator with over 78,000 followers herself What actually happens when a someone recognises her daughter in public The Sephora Kids trend explained, and the uncomfortable question it raises about who's footing the bill The Sunday-night ritual that keeps her girls from ever touching a credit card The brain analogy Maggie uses to explain "you're not ready yet" without a single lecture How Maggie gets her point across without turning into a naggy mum, and why it works better than any rule she's set What her 13-year-old would say to parents who post their kids online IN THIS EPISODE 00:00 \| Your Child Watched How Many TikToks? 01:11 \| Why This Creator Bans Social Media 02:22 \| Raising Kids Inside The Algorithm 04:41 \| The Duality of Working Mom And Content Creator 05:17 \| The Surprising Rule In Her House 07:04 \| Before Posting Kids Online, Hear This 09:27 \| The Internet's Dark Side Up Close 12:16 \| What TikTok Is Doing To Girls 15:12 \| The Skill Every Child Needs Online 18:00 \| The Influence Parents Can't Control 20:20 \| When Every Other Kid Has TikTok 22:06 \| Is Your Child's Brain Ready Yet? 23:04 \| Why 13 Is Still Too Young 24:54 \| What Most Parents Don't Realize 25:57 \| The Truth About Sephora Kids 28:45 \| Why Her Kids Can't Buy Whatever They Want 29:57 \| The Unexpected Good Side Of Screens 32:46 \| The Real Problem Isn't TikTok Connect with Growing Pains Growing Pains is HoneyKids Asia's podcast for the conversations you want to have after the kids go to bed. YouTube: @growingpains.honeykids Instagram: @honeykidsasia Website: honeykidsasia.com Hit subscribe so you don't miss an episode. If this one hits a nerve, send it to a parent who needs to hear it. Growing Pains is produced in partnership with Poddster, Singapore's podcast studio. #Parenting #SocialMediaKids #ScreenTime #DigitalParenting #RaisingDaughters #TikTokKids #SephoraKids #ParentingTips #OnlineSafety #FamilyPodcast #Motherhood #ParentingAdvice #KidsAndTechnology #DigitalWellbeing #GrowingPainsPodcast
	The Kids Getting Top Grades Are Secretly Struggling	22 Jun 2026	00:37:28
Every parent in Singapore thinks about it. Not everyone says it out loud. The pressure our kids are under to perform, to get the grade, to stay ahead, starts earlier than most of us realise and shows up in ways we don't always recognise. A child reaching for the eraser to hide a mistake. A kid who looks fine on paper but is quietly falling apart inside. Greg Wilde is Head of Primary at Sir Manasseh Meyer International School in Singapore, and before that led schools across China, Vietnam, the Philippines, and the UK. He's spent his career watching how pressure builds in children, and what actually helps. In this conversation he gets specific: the language that quietly destroys confidence, why failure is a skill, and what you can change at home this week. This one is for the parent who wants their child to do well but isn't sure where encouragement ends and pressure begins. Practical, honest, and genuinely useful. Press play. About Greg Wilde Greg Wilde is Head of Primary at Sir Manasseh Meyer International School (SMMIS) in Singapore. He has led schools across the UK, China, Vietnam, and the Philippines and has spent his career building learning environments where mistakes are part of the process, not something to hide. Sir Manasseh Meyer International School: smmis.edu.sg What You'll Take Away Why the kids who look like they're coping are sometimes the ones who aren't The age pressure starts showing up in classrooms (it's younger than you think) Green for growth, pink for think: why Greg's school replaced red pen entirely The Power of Yet What to say when your child comes home with a bad grade (and what not to say) Why "you didn't try hard enough" quietly destroys confidence The one thing Greg would tell every Singapore parent to do this week Chapters 00:00 — Cold open 01:00 — Welcome to Growing Pains 02:00 — What fear of failure actually looks like in primary school 04:00 — The telltale signs parents should watch for at home 06:30 — Where the pressure is really coming from 09:00 — When pressure helps and when it starts doing damage 12:00 — The Power of Yet 14:30 — Green for growth, pink for think 17:30 — Participation awards: helpful or harmful? 20:00 — Is Singapore more high-pressure than other countries? 23:00 — How schools support anxious kids 26:00 — Social media and academic pressure 29:30 — AI in schools: where the line is 34:00 — The language that helps and the language that hurts 37:00 — Teaching failure as a skill 39:30 — Actionable things parents can do this week 42:00 — Quick fire 46:00 — Steph's three takeaways Connect with Growing Pains Growing Pains is HoneyKids Asia's podcast for the conversations you want to have after the kids go to bed. YouTube: @growingpains.honeykids Instagram: @honeykidsasia Website: honeykidsasia.com Hit subscribe so you don't miss an episode. If this one hit a nerve, send it to a parent who needs to hear it. Growing Pains is produced in partnership with Poddster, Singapore's podcast studio.
	Why Women Become Angry in Their 40s — And Why That's Not A Bad Thing	15 Jun 2026	00:34:38
Why Women Become Angry in Their 40s — And Why That's Not A Bad Thing 46% of women aged 40 to 54 face the highest burnout risk of any age group. More than half screen positive for depression and anxiety. Over 60% of later-life divorces are initiated by women. In this conversation, Ange sits down with Amanda Lim and Jasmin Dhillon, hosts of The Forties Formula, who’ve had the conversations about “midlife” that most people still aren't having. Amanda is a Harvard-certified health coach and mum of three who had her third child at 41. Jasmin, is an Integrated Health Strategist who hit perimenopause at 36 after giving birth to her twins. Together, they’ve spent years collecting stories and what they keep hearing, from hundreds of women, is the same thing: everyone thinks their experience is unique, everyone thinks something is wrong. The rage, the shame, the loneliness. Everyone thinks they're the only one. And the good news is, they're not. They get down to raw and real emotions, talking about the anger that arrives in your 40s and what it's actually telling you. The rage is real, and it's not the same as stress. And it's not a breakdown either. They share stories of identity crisis, the fear that no one talks about, and what doctors don’t tell you about the changes in the body. Is it just age and can we do anything about it? This is not the fabulous-at-forty version talk, but it might be the most useful conversation you’ll need in your 40s. Press play. IN THIS EPISODE: 00:00 \| Why Am I So Angry? 01:15 \| The Conversation Every Mum Needs 02:17 \| Meet the 40s Experts 03:24 \| Nobody Warned Us: It’s Not Age! 04:13 \| The Problem With "Midlife" 05:24 \| Perimenopause at 36?! 06:28 \| The Symptoms That Are Usually Missed 07:46 \| Is Your Rage Actually Hormonal? 10:08 \| The Identity Crisis No One Talks About 12:00 \| Identity Synthesis vs Identity Replacement vs Identity Dissonance 13:49 \| The Life-Changing Stove Analogy 14:40 \| Why Women Leave Relationships After 20 Years 16:08 \| Don't Wait Until It's Too Late 16:50 \| Geriatric Pregnancy: Myth vs Reality 18:13 \| The Fear Nobody Talks About 19:24 \| Stop Surviving. Start Thriving. 21:35 \| Your Kids Will Leave One Day 22:44 \| What Your Doctor Isn’t Telling You 24:59 \| The Impossible Standard for Women 27:02 \| How to Find Your People Again 29:52 \| The Truth Women Whisper In Safety 31:17 \| Hot Takes on Aging & Menopause 33:07 \| What Every Woman Should Remember About The Forties Formula The Forties Formula is an award-winning podcast named Best Health and Wellness Podcast in Asia 2025 and featured by CNA as one of Singapore's best podcasts for women. It's hosted by Amanda Lim and Jasmin Dhillon, two health coaches and mothers who bring both personal experience and science-led insight to the conversations most people still aren't having about midlife. Amanda is a Harvard-certified health coach and Director of Singapore's first metabolic health clinic, where she and her physician husband co-manage patients through fitness and nutrition. Jasmin is an Integrated Health Strategist specialising in gut health, hormone balance, and sustainable nutrition for women in their 40s. The Forties Formula: https://www.youtube.com/@thefortiesformula Jasmin Dhillon: Eat with Jasmin Amanda Lim: Lift Clinic What You'll Take Away Perimenopause can start at 36. Jasmin thought her symptoms (wrist pain, anxiety, heart palpitations, no sleep) were just because of her newborn twins. They weren't. The rage is hormonal, but not in the way you think. Dropping estrogen doesn't create new anger. It removes your ability to keep masking the feelings that were already there. Identity in your 40s doesn't have to mean replacement. Amanda's framework: synthesis, not dissonance. The burner analogy will stay with you. The mental load doesn't explode because women suddenly become unreasonable. It explodes because the hormones that helped us stay quiet stop doing that. Muscle will save you. Skeletal muscle and the functional strength to use it. Your GP probably hasn't said this clearly enough. Making friends in your 40s starts with knowing who you are first. Show up in places that reflect who you want to be, and stay long enough to become part of it. What you think is weird, shameful, or too lonely to say out loud, everyone else is feeling too. That's the whole point of this conversation. Connect with Growing Pains Growing Pains is HoneyKids Asia's podcast for the conversations you want to have after the kids go to bed. YouTube: @growingpains.honeykids Instagram: @honeykidsasia Website: honeykidsasia.com Hit subscribe so you don't miss an episode. If this one moved you, share it with a parent who needs to hear it. Growing Pains is produced in partnership with Poddster, Singapore's podcast studio.
	Why School Works for Some Kids and Fails Others	08 Jun 2026	00:39:26
Dr. Elaine Kim spent years in palliative care sitting with people in the last days of their lives. What her patients kept saying at the end changed everything about how she thinks about the beginning. By age seven, a child's trajectory is already largely set. 90% of brain development happens in the first five years. And 250 million children around the world never get access to quality early education during that window. Elaine left medicine to do something about it. She built Trehaus, a preschool redefining early education in Singapore and Jakarta, and Little Lab, an AI powered platform bringing that same education to communities that have never had access to it, including 10,000 children in rural Pakistan. She is also a mum of four. In this conversation we dive into the science of early brain development, what AI actually means for the skills our kids need, why empathy is not just a feeling but something that can be taught, and what it means to raise children for a world being reshaped by forces neither of us fully understand yet. This one will stay with you. Press play. About Elaine Dr. Elaine Kim is a medical doctor, former palliative care physician, co-founder of Trehaus (Singapore and Jakarta) and Little Lab, an AI powered early education platform. She is a mum of four and a former UN ambassador for initiatives against the oppression of women. Treehaus: https://trehaus.co/ Little Lab: littlelab.com What You'll Take Away Why a child's trajectory is largely predictable by age seven (and what that means for the years before school) The Nobel Prize winning economist's finding on early education RO What 250 million children not having access to a classroom actually costs the rest of the world Why empathy is a skill, not a sentiment, and how it can be deliberately taught The one question we should stop asking children (and what to ask instead) What dying patients kept wishing for at the end, and what Elaine decided to do with that Why female empowerment, to Elaine, now means something deeper than it used to Chapters 00:00 — Cold open 01:00 — Welcome to Growing Pains 02:40 — From palliative care to preschool: connecting the dots 04:50 — What the dying taught her about what matters 06:30 — Why a child's future is largely decided by age seven 09:10 — 250 million children, one window, and why it closes fast 11:00 — What Little Lab actually does (and why it is not replacing teachers) 16:50 — Raising kids for an AI world: what skills actually matter 23:10 — Why empathy is the most important thing above everything else 25:00 — The question we should stop asking children 27:55 — Climate, AI, and what they talk about at the dinner table 29:00 — How to hold the heaviness of the world for your kids without breaking 32:55 — What Elaine wants her daughter to know about being a woman 35:20 — Quick fire 37:28 — The reconciliation moment that got Steph in tears Connect with Growing Pains Growing Pains is HoneyKids Asia's podcast for the conversations you want to have after the kids go to bed. YouTube: @growingpains.honeykids Instagram: @honeykidsasia Website: honeykidsasia.com Hit subscribe so you don't miss an episode. If this one moved you, share it with a parent who needs to hear it. Growing Pains is produced in partnership with Poddster, Singapore's podcast studio. #EarlyChildhoodEducation #ParentingPodcast #BrainDevelopment #ChildDevelopment #EarlyLearning #AIinEducation #Empathy #ParentingTips #EducationInnovation #FutureOfEducation #RaisingKids #PreschoolEducation #DrElaineKim #Trehaus #LittleLab #GrowingPainsPodcast #HoneyKidsAsia #ParentingJourney #EducationForAll #Podcast
	When Your Child Says "I Don't Fit In" \| James Sweeney, One World International School	01 Jun 2026	00:24:55
Most parents wait for belonging to happen. James Sweeney says that's exactly the problem. James is the head of One World International School's Nanyang Campus, with students from over 70 nationalities. He's also spent his whole career watching children walk into rooms where they don't know anyone and figuring out how to make that okay. In this conversation, he unpacks what schools that get this right actually do differently, what parents say on the hard nights that help versus hurt, and how to tell the difference between a rough week and something that needs action. He also goes on record, carefully, about what school is actually for. And it is more than just grades. "I don't think I fit in." Few things hit a parent harder than those words. This episode is the conversation to have before, during, or after your child says them. James Sweeney has led schools across the UK, South Korea, China, and Singapore. He knows what belonging looks like when it's working, what it looks like when it isn't, and what the difference usually comes down to. Spoiler: it isn't luck, personality, or finding the right buddy on day one. Steph brings her own experience too, moving to Singapore at 13, crying every day for months, and the buddy assigned to her who she didn't connect with at all. About James James Sweeney is Head of One World International School, Nanyang Campus, Singapore, a school of over 70 nationalities built around a single core value: kindness. He began his career as an early years and primary school teacher in Birmingham and has since led schools in South Korea, China, and Singapore. One World International School: owis.org Chapters 00:00 — Cold open 02:30 — Belonging is by design, not luck 04:40 — How schools spot the child who is struggling 07:20 — What to say to your child that night 09:00 — Kindness across 70 nationalities: defining it when it means different things 12:00 — The quiet child who sang Japanese rock on stage 13:00 — When a best friend leaves: friendship grief is real 16:00 — The difference between a hard day and bullying 18:20 — What school is actually for (a Singapore school head goes on record) 22:00 — Rapid fire Connect with Growing Pains Growing Pains is HoneyKids Asia's podcast for the conversations you want to have after the kids go to bed. YouTube: @growingpains.honeykids Instagram: @honeykidsasia Website: honeykidsasia.com Hit subscribe so you don't miss an episode. If this one helped, send it to a parent in their first few weeks of new school fog. It might be exactly what they need. Growing Pains is produced in partnership with Poddster, Singapore's podcast studio. #GrowingPains #HoneyKidsAsia #JamesSweeney #OneWorldInternationalSchool #Parenting #ExpatParenting #SingaporeParenting #BelongingByDesign #SchoolTransition #ChildWellbeing #ParentingTips #KidsAndFriendships #SchoolLife #BackToSchool #RaisingKids
	Colic, COVID & Career Curveballs: One Mum's Story of Survival	25 May 2026	00:27:33
What do you do when everything falls apart at once and nobody's coming to save you? Shireen Jones has lived a version of that question most of us can't imagine. She was one of Singapore's first 200 COVID-19 cases. She lost a nine-year teaching career weeks after discharge, for a reason that has to be heard to be believed. Then came a pregnancy that broke her, a baby who wouldn't stop crying for three months, and a comeback story she didn't see coming. Chris sits down with the mum-of-one, content creator, and host of the Rawmama podcast for a conversation about survival, mom rage, broken systems, and the kind of advice every new parent actually needs but rarely gets. Some weeks, motherhood is hard. Some weeks, life piles on so much that you genuinely wonder if you'll come out the other side. Shireen Jones has had a lot of those weeks and this conversation is what happens when you talk to someone who's lived through several at once and is willing to share the raw truth outloud. She and Chris cover what it was actually like inside NCID as Singapore's COVID case #200, how systems and communities fail the people they're supposed to protect, the mental toll of a colicky newborn, and what helped her crawl back to herself. (In partnership with Poddster) About Shireen Shireen Jones is a Singapore-based content creator, mum of one, and host of the Rawmama podcast. A teacher of nine years before motherhood, she now uses her platform to talk about parenting without a filter, the rage, the recovery, the dark comedy of it all. Instagram: @shireenbruha What You'll Take Away What 26 days inside NCID was actually like as one of Singapore's earliest COVID cases The real story behind Shireen's termination, and the ten months of job-hunting that followed Why community failure (not just system failure) is happening What infant colic genuinely looks like from the inside, and why most "quick fixes" don't work Shireen's 50,000-view rule for protecting her mental health from comment sections The postpartum symptoms nobody warned her about, including 18 months of night sweats she mistook for early menopause Why "trauma bonding" with other new mums creates friendships that last decades Timestamps 00:00 \| When everything falls apart 02:39 \| 26 days trapped in a COVID hospital as Singapore's case #200 03:47 \| Fired after COVID 06:15 \| Broken systems 10:11 \| Bedridden for nine months 12:11 \| How a million-view Instagram started out of pure boredom 14:06 \| Three months of colic 16:14 \| When your husband goes back to work 17:05 \| Trauma-bonding over newborns 18:51 \| The postpartum symptom that nobody warns 20:18 \| Advice for parents in their own crazy storm 23:26 \| Any mom can be a content creator 25:06 \| The one thing to whisper to yourself 26:07 \| Three things to take away Connect with Growing Pains Growing Pains is HoneyKids Asia's podcast for the conversations you want to have after the kids go to bed. YouTube: @growingpains.honeykids Instagram: @growingpains.honeykids Website: https://honeykidsasia.com/podcast/ Subscribe and hit the notification bell so you don't miss an episode. If this one resonates, share it with a parent who needs to hear it. Growing Pains is produced in partnership with Poddster, Singapore's podcast studio. #ShireenRawMamaPodcast, #GrowingPainsPodcast, #HoneyKidsAsia, #SingaporeCOVIDStory, #InfantColic, #Postpartumdepression, #Traumabondingmotherhood, #NewMomMentalHealth, #ParentingPodcastSingapore, #MomBurnout, #MaternalRegret, #Momsbeinghonest
	Growing Pains by HoneyKids Asia	25 May 2026	00:01:05
Welcome to Growing Pains by Honey Kids Asia! I'm Steph Dickson, a mother of one with another on the way, and this is the podcast for the conversations parents actually want to have. We're diving into things like: Am I accidentally gaslighting myself with my own beliefs? Is telling my kids to "think positively" actually making things worse? Why does my partner suddenly forget how the washing machine works? And where exactly did I stop feeling like me? (And which kid is my favourite? Just kidding!) This season, we've lined up incredible guests: a New York Times bestselling author who teaches us how to be indestructible, a psychologist who calls "happy wife, happy life" an emotional cage, an entrepreneur who puts 'woman first, mother second,' and a happiness scientist who will be the first to tell you that she's not happy all the time. This podcast is no judgment, no fluff, just the real stuff. New episodes are coming weekly, so subscribe wherever you listen or watch, and we'll look forward to seeing you again soon. #GrowingPainsPodcast #HoneyKidsAsia #ParentingConversations #ModernParenting #MotherhoodUnfiltered #MentalHealthInParenting #RealParentingTalks #WorkLifeBalance #ParentingJourney
	Parenting Playbook Ep 9: Should my preschooler be using AI?	08 Dec 2025	00:37:02
From the workplace to our children’s schools, AI is gradually becoming the norm in our daily lives. But how young is too young for children to be using AI? Our latest episode of Parenting Playbook discusses the use of AI in preschool classrooms with Wu Jing, CEO and co-founder of House on the Hill. Jing will touch on the pros and cons of using AI in early childhood education, share best practices for doing so, and explore how AI can enhance rather than replace hands-on learning at this young age. She will provide insights from early childhood education and discuss how AI is connected to our daily lives, showing how we can better support children’s healthy growth and development. Featured voices Syazana Hishamuddin, Editor, HoneyKids Asia and mother of three. Wu Jing, CEO and co-founder of House on the Hill and mother of two. Visit the HoneyKids Asia website for more information on all things family fun, and join in on the conversation on Facebook or follow us on Instagram to keep up-to-date on our latest discussions.
	S7 Episode 8: Christmas gift guide for the whole family	24 Nov 2025	00:15:45
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas — and gift panic season is here! In this episode, Syaz and Andrina unwrap their favourite Christmas gift ideas for the whole family. From DIY craft kits and cuddly toys for the little ones, to gadgets and gift cards for teens, and spa-day treats and festive sleepwear for parents, they’ve got every name on your list covered (even dads!). Tune in to this fun chat with practical ideas, and a sprinkle of holiday humour with “Mini Mouth Moment”. Grab your hot chocolate and let the holiday shopping begin — merry, bright, and stress-free! Time Codes: 03:35 - Gift ideas for children 05:00 - Gift ideas for teens 07:20 - Gift ideas for Mum or any tired parent! 09:25 - Gift ideas for Dad 10:10 - Gift ideas for the entire family 10:51 - Mini Mouth Moments of the week Check out our full Christmas gift guide for the whole family and 40 of our favourite toy stores in Singapore! Featured voices Syazana Hishamuddin, Editor, HoneyKids Asia and mother of three. Andrina Loo, lifestyle writer at HoneyKids Asia and mother of one. Visit the HoneyKids Asia website for more information on all things family fun, and join in on the conversation on Facebook or follow us on Instagram to keep up-to-date on our latest discussions.
	S7 Episode 7: Kid-friendly restaurants and cafes in Singapore	17 Nov 2025	00:11:32
Eating out with kids CAN be enjoyable, we promise! Syaz and Andrina share kid-friendly restaurants and cafés in Singapore, all tried-and-tested (and loved) by the team at HoneyKids Asia. Tune in as they take you around Singapore, from lush enclaves to hilltop views, from beachside dining to brunch vibes — to places where parents can actually finish a meal! Bonus, some restaurants even have playgrounds or bouncy castles on site! Time Codes: 00:47 - Arbora @ Mount Faber Peak 01:39 - Small Batch at Botanic Gardens 02:24 - Tiong Bahru Bakery 03:04 - Open Farm Community 03:39 - Trapizza on Sentosa 04:22 - Coastes on Sentosa 05:00 - Wheeler’s Estate at Seletar Aerospace Park 05:56 - Fusion Spoon at Jurong Lake Gardens 06:50 - Café Melba 08:00 - Mini Mouth Moments of The Week Check out the full list of 60+ Kid-friendly restaurants and cafes in Singapore. And we’ve got a vegan version too! Featured voices Syazana Hishamuddin, Editor, HoneyKids Asia and mother of three. Andrina Loo, lifestyle writer at HoneyKids Asia and mother of one. Visit the HoneyKids Asia website for more information on all things family fun, and join in on the conversation on Facebook or follow us on Instagram to keep up-to-date on our latest discussions.
	S7 Episode 6: Best indoor playgrounds in Singapore	10 Nov 2025	00:12:28
Rain or shine, parents — we’ve got you covered! In this episode, Syaz and Andrina chat about one of the top parenting MVPs: indoor playgrounds. They cover everything from cool slopes and thrilling rides to science-filled fun and themed play areas, so every kid, big or small, gets their fun. Find out about some of their favourite spots for kids to climb, explore and burn energy, while parents sit back with a coffee ☕! Plus, they share handy tips on what to pack, when to go, and more. Tune in, stay dry, and make your next playday a fun day — no sunshine required! Time Codes: 02:00 - Snow City 03:13 - KidsSTOP (Science Centre Singapore) 03:53 - SuperPark (Suntec City), watch on Instagram 05:02 - Kiztopia, various locations around Singapore 05:40 - T-Play by HomeTeamNS at Bukit Batok and Khatib 06:29 - The Artground (Goodman Arts Centre) 07:45 - Practical tips to note 09:25 - Mini Mouth Moments of the week Check out the full list of 60+ best indoor playgrounds in Singapore: Playgrounds kids of all ages will love! Featured voices Syazana Hishamuddin, Editor, HoneyKids Asia and mother of three. Andrina Loo, lifestyle writer at HoneyKids Asia and mother of one. Visit the HoneyKids Asia website for more information on all things family fun, and join in on the conversation on Facebook or follow us on Instagram to keep up-to-date on our latest discussions.
	S7 Episode 5: How to order coffee and tea like a local in Singapore	03 Nov 2025	00:10:39
Before cafes, there were kopitiams – which come with a language of their own! If you’ve ever stood at a hawker stall wondering what on earth kopi C peng siew dai means, this one’s for you! In this episode, Syaz and Andrina spill the teh (tea) on how to order coffee and tea like a true local in Singapore. From kopi O kosong (think, rich Americano) and teh tarik (pulled milk tea) to special concoctions like yuan yang (tea and coffee) and everything in between, they break down the lingo and share tips for your next kopi session. In true ‘kopitiam talk’ spirit, they even share a few hilarious “Mini Mouth Moments” from their kids. Tune in and learn to caffeinate the local way. You might just find your next favourite drink that’s not a strawberry matcha! Time codes: 1: 06 - Kopi siew dai 1: 44 - Kopi C peng 2: 07 - Back to basics of kopi and teh 2: 15 - Kopi O 2: 20 - Kopi C 2: 25 - Kopi 2: 34 - Teh 2: 41 - Teh O 2: 47 - Teh C 3: 26 - Teh Tarik 3: 53 - What to expect at different drink stalls 4: 18 - Yuan Yang 4: 50 - Kopi C peng siew dai gao 5: 25 - Kopi ti lo 6: 11 - Kopitiam culture 7: 52 - Mini Mouth Moment of the Week Don’t forget to check our full guide to Ordering coffee and tea like a local in Singapore. Featured voices Syazana Hishamuddin, Editor, HoneyKids Asia and mother of three. Andrina Loo, lifestyle writer at HoneyKids Asia and mother of one. Visit the HoneyKids Asia website for more information on all things family fun, and join in on the conversation on Facebook or follow us on Instagram to keep up-to-date on our latest discussions.
	S7 Episode 4: Romantic date night ideas for couples in Singapore	27 Oct 2025	00:07:57
Parents, this one’s for you! As much as we love family time, every couple deserves a night out now and then. In this episode, Ange and Andrina share their favourite date night spots in Singapore. You can go glamorous with cocktails at Atlas or playful with arcade fun at Level Up. And if you’re looking to splurge for a celebration, there are Michelin-starred restaurants like Candlenut and Burnt Ends. Get the scoop on cosy hideouts like Gibsons and even insider picks from the Honeycombers team, which include spots like Tamba, Marcy’s, and Violet Oon. Whatever your mood, there’s something in here to keep date night alive. Or, head to our article for the full list of 57 date night ideas in Singapore, one for each week of the year and more! Time codes: 00:49 - Atlas Bar, check it out on our Instagram 01:37 - Big Wine Freaks 02:13 - Gibson 03:00 - Level Up 03:26 - Candlenut 03: 56 - Burnt Ends 04:27 - Lau Pa Sat 05:02 - Universal Studios 05:27 - Tangjong Beach Club 05:57 - Tamba 06:20 - Marcy’s 06:42 - Violet Oon at Dempsey Hill Featured voices Angela Neo, host of the HoneyKids Asia podcast and mother of two. Andrina Loo, lifestyle writer at HoneyKids Asia and mother of one. Visit the HoneyKids Asia website for more information on all things family fun, and join in on the conversation on Facebook or follow us on Instagram to keep up-to-date on our latest discussions.
	S7 Episode 3: Short weekend getaways from Singapore	13 Oct 2025	00:07:45
Sometimes you just need a break from the city — minus the long flights and jet lag. In this episode, Ange and Andrina share their top five quick getaways from Singapore that are perfect for families. Think Bali villas with private pools, fuss-free ferry trips to Bintan, road-trip fun at Desaru Coast, beach-and-culture adventures in Da Nang, and all the family resorts (plus quirky theme parks!) in Phuket. This is your sign to start planning for the long weekends. Read our list of 15 best places for a short weekend getaway plus, here’s the calendar of holidays you’ll need to plan! Time codes: 00:58 - Bali, Indonesia - Don’t forget to check out Honeycombers Bali! 02:08 - Bintan, Indonesia - Kid-friendly resort ideas for you! 03:07 - Desaru Coast, Malaysia - Guide to Desaru Coast 03:30 - Da Nang, Vietnam - Guide to Hoi An and Da Nang 05:27 - Phuket, Thailand - Guide to Phuket Featured voices Angela Neo, host of the HoneyKids Asia podcast and mother of two. Andrina Loo, lifestyle writer at HoneyKids Asia and mother of one. Visit the HoneyKids Asia website for more information on all things family fun, and join in on the conversation on Facebook or follow us on Instagram to keep up-to-date on our latest discussions.
	S7 Episode 2: Cool things to do with teens in Singapore	06 Oct 2025	00:11:06
Teens! Not the tiny tots you once knew but not quite the independent adult either! Straddling that in-between stage of childhood and adulthood, finding things they actually want to do, is a whole new adventure. Trust us, we know! In this episode, Ange and Andrina — both navigating their kids’ teenage years — dive into the coolest things to do in Singapore with teens. They talk about everything from graffiti walls at Haji Lane to skateboarding and VR games along Orchard Road. Plus outdoor adventures at Coney Island, Forest Adventure, and more. The best part is, these spots come tried, tested, and approved by teens themselves. Tune in for fresh ideas to keep up with your teens and read our full list of things to do with Teens in Singapore — we’re talking over 50 teen-approved ideas! Time codes: 01:13 - Haji Lane 01:50 - *SCAPE 02:30 - Orchard Road -TIMEZONE 02:40 - Orchard Road - X-Scap8 03:44 - What to eat at Orchard Road 04:38 - Forest Adventure 04: 49 - Coney Island 05:11 - MacRitchie Reservoir Treetop Walk 06:13 - KF1 Karting 06:30 - Skyline Luge 07:17 - Self-photo studios 08:00 - Xcape Singapore 08:54 - Fragment Room 09:27 - Sandbox VR 09:58 - The VR Club Featured voices Angela Neo, host of the HoneyKids Asia podcast and mother of two. Andrina Loo, lifestyle writer at HoneyKids Asia and mother of one. Visit the HoneyKids Asia website for more information on all things family fun, and join in on the conversation on Facebook or follow us on Instagram to keep up-to-date on our latest discussions.
	S7 Episode 1: Cafes in Singapore that open early	15 Sep 2025	00:08:50
Parents, we feel you! When you’ve been up since the crack of dawn with early risers, that first cup of coffee isn't a want, it’s a NEED! That’s why we’ve rounded up 30 Cafes that open as early as 6am in Singapore, perfect for the much-needed morning pick-me-up. In this episode, Ange and Andrina share their favourite spots for strong brew and hearty bites, alongside a little family-friendly reset to kickstart the day right. Time codes: 02:13 - State of Affairs 02:49 - Carrotsticks & Cravings 03:25 - Sarnies 03:52 - Bees Knees at the Garage at Botanic Gardens 04:30 - Wild Seed Cafe at The Alkaff Mansion 05:03 - Jimmy Monkey 05:29 - The Book Café 06:02 - Tiong Bahru Bakery 07:08 - Common Man Coffee Roasters Featured voices Angela Neo, host of the HoneyKids Asia podcast and mother of two. Andrina Loo, lifestyle writer at HoneyKids Asia and mother of one. Visit the HoneyKids Asia website for more information on all things family fun, and join in on the conversation on Facebook or follow us on Instagram to keep up-to-date on our latest discussions.
	Parenting Playbook Ep 8: Good Food, Bad Food? Raise Healthy Eaters Without Losing Your Mind at Mealtimes	26 Aug 2025	00:36:02
Is there such a thing as good food or bad food? What if your toddler wants sushi and your 5-year-old is asking for coffee? How can we skip the negotiations and rejections at mealtimes? In this episode of Parenting Playbook, Accredited Practising Dietitian Annabelle Johnson helps us rethink what balanced eating really looks like for kids. We talk about picky eaters, food myths, and how to raise confident eaters without pressure or guilt. From connection at mealtimes to why repeated exposure matters, this episode is packed with practical tips and calm reassurance for every parent navigating the ups and downs of family mealtimes.
	Parenting Playbook Ep 7: “I can't do it, Mom!” Rebuilding confidence, esteem, and identity with Mindset Transformation Coach, Sofie Hon	14 Jul 2025	00:42:45
“It’s so hard to see our children in pain, and not be able to fix it!” In this heartfelt episode of Parenting Playbook, Mindset Transformation Coach Sofie Hon talks about a life-changing accident that turned her daughter’s life upside down. With her personal experience and the help of neuroscience-backed tools, Sofie shares how parents can support and even rebuild children’s self-confidence, esteem, and emotional resilience, even after traumatic incidents. The greatest lesson is, sometimes, slowing down and showing up with calm, intention, and love.
	Parenting Playbook Ep 6: Help! My child was bullied... or is the bully! What can parents do?	10 Jun 2025	00:42:58
In today’s digital world, bullying doesn’t just happen behind closed doors, it can even play out online in viral videos and messages, deepening its impact and effects on everyone involved. In the 6th episode of Parenting Playbook, we speak with Dr. Kimberly Chew of AO Psychology (Singapore) to understand the psychological impact of bullying on children – the bullied and the bully. We delve into the nature of today’s bullying and its impact, how parents can recognize the early signs of bullying, and what to do when your child is the bully! We cover practical advice on how to support your child with compassion and guide them towards emotional resilience and safety. Recommended readings: What do I do if my child’s the bully? How do I teach my child to be more assertive? Featured voices: Angela Neo, host of The Honeykids Asia podcast, and a mother of two. Dr. Kimberly Chew, Founder of AO Psychology, Registered Psychologist, and a mother of three.
	Parenting Playbook Ep 5: Should we be worried about the emojis teens are using? Unpacking Adolescence & teen online culture with Shem Yao of TOUCH Cyber Wellness	07 May 2025	00:40:05
If the viral Netflix show Adolescence left you with more questions than answers, you’re not alone. From the rise of the Manosphere to the coded language teens use online, today’s digital world is complex—and constantly shifting. So fast that parents are not even aware. In this episode of Parenting Playbook, HoneyKids Asia Podcast host Angela Neo chats with Shem Yao from TOUCH Cyber Wellness to unpack today’s digital realities and online subcultures that are shaping our children’s beliefs and behaviours – for better or for worse. He shares how parents of teens can connect meaningfully with their children, spot red flags, guide them to online safety, and think critically in an ever-connected world. Recommended readings: Staying safe online: How to protect teens from grooming How to manage your kids’ screen time Featured voices: Angela Neo, host of HoneyKids Asia podcast, and a mother of two Shem Yao, Head of TOUCH Cyber Wellness
	Parenting Playbook Ep 4: How to stop yelling at your kids with Kelly Tay of Juicy Parenting	08 Apr 2025	00:49:44
Are you guilty of yelling at your kids? The first step could be understanding your own triggers before addressing your child’s behaviour. Learn practical, guilt-free strategies to stay calm, communicate effectively, and create a more peaceful home. Syazana Hishamuddin, Editor of HoneyKids Asia, chats with Kelly Tay on how to avoid using fear and force so children stay close with family because they want to, not because they feel obliged to. Kelly Tay is a certified parent educator, founder of Juicy Parenting and author of "The World May Say This, But I Believe That" – her distinctly Asian point-of-view makes her a unique voice in the space. Recommended Readings Is it okay to argue in front of your children? Should you stop saying 'no' to your kids? Counselling for children and families in Singapore Why is the “Carrot and Stick” method not working on my Gen Alpha kids? Featured voices Syazana Hishamuddin, Editor of HoneyKids Asia Kelly Tan, founder of Juicy Parenting Visit the HoneyKids Asia website for the full show notes on today’s episode, and join in on the conversation on Facebook or follow us on Instagram to keep up-to-date on our latest discussions.
	Parenting Playbook Ep 3: Balancing encouragement and tiger parenting with with Dr. Christina Wong	16 Jan 2025	00:39:13
We all want our kids to excel. But how do we do that without teetering on the side of tiger parenting? We chat with Dr. Christina Wong on how to be encouraging parents while being mindful not to impose high expectations on our kids. She is the founder of 10X Study Academy, a platform that has helped hundreds of students study better and smarter to become happier in school and have an improved overall well-being. Further resources Study coach shares 10 fun study techniques that really work Featured voices Syazana Hishamuddin, Editor of HoneyKids Asia and a mother of two. Dr. Christina Wong, Founder of 10X Study Academy. Visit the HoneyKids Asia website for the full show notes on today’s episode, and join in on the conversation on Facebook or follow us on Instagram to keep up-to-date on our latest discussions.
	Parenting Playbook Ep 2: “Is it ADHD or something else?” with Joline Lim and Dr. Kavitha Manokaran	12 Dec 2024	00:33:33
Have you ever wondered if your child’s constant fidgeting or daydreaming is ADHD — or just a quirky personality? In this episode, we dive into the big question: Is it ADHD or something else? We’re chatting with Joline Lim, Co-director of Chapter Zero Singapore, the mom of a recently diagnosed ADHD child, and Kavitha Manokaran, a senior clinical psychologist at International Medical Clinic (IMC). Together, we’ll bust myths, dish on real-life stories, and give you practical tips to understand your child’s unique brain better. Tune in and gain practical tips for understanding ADHD and empowering your parenting journey. Further resources IMC's Handy ADHD Guide Join the Respectful Parenting – Neurodivergent Families Singapore Facebook group Connect through the Respectful Parenting ND Families Singapore x DAS PSG WhatsApp group Unlocking ADHD Featured voices Syazana Hishamuddin, Editor of HoneyKids Asia Joline Lim, Co-director of Chapter Zero Singapore Kavitha Manokaran, senior clinical psychologist at the International Medical Clinic Visit the HoneyKids Asia website for the full show notes on today’s episode, and join in on the conversation on Facebook or follow us on Instagram to keep up-to-date on our latest discussions.
	Parenting Playbook Ep 1: “When should you give your kid a smartphone?” with Lauren Adlam	11 Nov 2024	00:29:08
We understand the FOMO that may arise from tweens and teens seeing their friends have their own smartphones. With advice varying from "Hold off on giving your kids a phone for as long as possible" to "Do you really want your kid to be the 'uncool' one in school?", how do we navigate this? HoneyKids Asia Podcast host Angela Neo chats with Lauren Adlam on navigating this new minefield! Recommended Readings How to manage your kids' screen time Staying safe online: How to protect teens from grooming Our favourite apps for preschoolers Please don’t judge my family’s screen usage and habits Featured voices – Angela Neo, host of The HoneyKids Asia podcast, and a mother of two. – Lauren Adlam, a mum of four and founder of ZOWN, a kids-only app that’s all about positivity and is created to nurture Gen Alpha (between eight and 14 years old) to thrive. Visit the HoneyKids Asia website for more information on all things family fun, and join in on the conversation on Facebook or follow us on Instagram to stay up-to-date on our latest discussions. We’re also on Telegram!
	What to know before planning your kids' first birthday party	08 Jan 2024	00:15:31
Welcome to the HoneyKids Asia Podcast (formerly Growing Pains), your go-to source for all the exciting, family-friendly happenings and more in Singapore! In this episode, Angela and Syaz share top tips for making kiddos’ birthday bash memorable! They dish on the best party venues, from fun arcades to educational centres and more! Plus, they also share their tried-and-tested tricks for hosting the ultimate budget-friendly parties. Fancy some watermelon cake? Tune in for pro tips, party hacks and behind-the-scenes from their party-planning experience. Time codes: 00:39 - Our favourite kids' birthday party venues in Singapore for every budget 03:25 - Best birthday cake shops in Singapore 06:40 - Best kids party entertainers and party planners in Singapore: Where to find magicians, clowns, face painters, and more! 10:44 - Eco-friendly birthday parties Featured voices Angela Neo, host of the Growing Pains podcast and mother of two. Syazana ‘Syaz’ Hishamuddin, editor at HoneyKids Asia and mother of two. Visit the HoneyKids Asia website for more information on all things family fun, and join in on the conversation on Facebook or follow us on Instagram to keep up-to-date on our latest discussions. We’re also on Telegram!
	Budget-friendly tips for the family	18 Dec 2023	00:14:31
Singapore has snagged the title of the priciest city this year! No need to stress because in this episode of The HoneyKids Asia Podcast, Ange and Syaz dish out practical family cost-saving tips from the awesome restaurants where kids dine free to budget-savvy tricks while having family fun at the coolest attractions. Discover some insider secrets to wallet-friendly sustainable living, like snagging secondhand treasures for the kiddos, mastering meal planning, and more. Time codes: 01:23 - Kids eat free: our pick of the best family-friendly restaurant meal deals in Singapore 03:20 - Weird and wonderful wildlife in Singapore: where to see dugongs, otters, crocodiles and more! 05:23 - Love for preloved: Best circular fashion brands for kids in Singapore 2023 07:45 - How to save money in Singapore: 50 budget hacks Featured voices Angela ‘Ange’ Neo, host of the Growing Pains podcast and mother of two. Syazana ‘Syaz’ Hishamuddin, editor at HoneyKids Asia and mother of two. Visit the HoneyKids Asia website for more information on all things family fun, and join in on the conversation on Facebook or follow us on Instagram to keep up-to-date on our latest discussions. We’re also on Telegram!
	Jingle Bell Jamboree: What our families are doing this Christmas season	11 Dec 2023	00:11:09
In this heartwarming holiday episode of The HoneyKids Asia Podcast, Angela and Syaz dive into the festive spirit, sharing intimate insights into what Christmas means for their families. From cherished traditions to the culinary delights that define the season, the dynamic duo explores the role of food in their celebrations and dishes out tips on making the festivities extra special for their little ones. Tune in as they reflect on the joy of unwinding during this magical time, emphasising the importance of reconnecting with old friends amidst the hustle and bustle. Join them for a festive frolic through the enchanting world of Christmas on this special edition of show! Time codes: 00:29 - Christmas: The most treasured holiday for Ange and her family 03:27 - For Syaz, it's a celebration of family, friends, and food 05:11 - The after-Christmas period 07:42 - Where Syaz's family goes to escape the holiday crowds Featured voices Angela Neo, host of the Growing Pains podcast and mother of two. Syazana ‘Syaz’ Hishamuddin, editor at HoneyKids Asia and mother of two. Visit the HoneyKids Asia website for more information on all things family fun, and join in on the conversation on Facebook or follow us on Instagram to keep up-to-date on our latest discussions. We’re also on Telegram!
	The latest openings and new things to do with the kids in Singapore!	04 Dec 2023	00:07:23
Welcome to the HoneyKids Asia Podcast (formerly Growing Pains), your go-to source for all the exciting, family-friendly happenings and more in Singapore! In this episode, join Angela and HoneyKids Asia editor Syaz as they explore the latest kid-friendly events and activities that have just popped up in the city, from the amazing immersive Disney animation experience at Marina Bay Sands and the enchanting Christmas lights around Singapore from Orchard Road to the magical Christmas Wonderland at Gardens by the Bay and more exciting events to come! Time codes: 00:02 - The Ultimate Guide to the Zoo: KidzWorld opens! 01:39 - Immersive Disney Animation in Singapore 03:30 - Where to see Christmas lights in Singapore 05:09 - Harry Potter: A Forbidden Forest Experience is coming Featured voices Angela Neo, host of the Growing Pains podcast and mother of two. Syazana ‘Syaz’ Hishamuddin, editor at HoneyKids Asia and mother of two. Visit the HoneyKids Asia website for more information on all things family fun, and join in on the conversation on Facebook or follow us on Instagram to keep up-to-date on our latest discussions. We’re also on Telegram!
	Tried-and-tested fun things to do during the school holidays	27 Nov 2023	00:10:19
(Psst - we've rebranded to The HoneyKids Asia Podcast! Keep following us for the lowdown on all the best things to do in Singapore with your family!) Wracking your brain for fun things to do with the kids during school holidays? There's no shortage of fun activities in the Little Red Dot, and we chat all about it in this episode! From holiday camps to wildlife sightings, the best staycation hotels and chalets, and even island hopping from Singapore (without passports!) these ideas will get you pumped for the long school break. Time codes: 00:02 - The best 2023 year-end holiday camps for kids 01:39 - Where to see dugongs, otters, crocodiles and more wonderful wildlife 03:30 - Family-friendly hotels and resorts in Singapore for a staycation with kids 05:09 - Island hopping at Lazarus, Pulau Ubin, Sentosa, Coney Island and more Featured voices Angela Neo, host of the Growing Pains podcast and mother of two. Syazana ‘Syaz’ Hishamuddin, editor at HoneyKids Asia and mother of two. Visit the HoneyKids Asia website for more information on all things family fun, and join in on the conversation on Facebook or follow us on Instagram to keep up-to-date on our latest discussions. We’re also on Telegram!
	Splash time: Waterplay adventures in Singapore	20 Nov 2023	00:06:03
Don't we know it, Singapore is H-O-T! So what better way to cool down than with a splash? Did you know water play areas in Singapore are abundant for kiddos (and adults)? From thrilling water parks like Adventure Cove in Sentosa and Wild Wild Wet to hidden gems within shopping malls, discover the perfect places to beat the heat. Join hosts Amanda and Angela as they dish on the best water play areas in Singapore, sharing their tips, plus recommendations and options that won’t cost a thing! Time codes: 00:56 - The best water parks in and around Singapore for kids of all ages 02:38 - Best public swimming pools in Singapore 03:28 - Free water play in Singapore: Fountains, splash pads and wading pools for kids 04:37 - Dino-themed water playground Featured voices Angela Neo, host of the Growing Pains podcast and mother of two. Amanda Broad, senior lifestyle writer at HoneyKids Asia and mother of three. Visit the HoneyKids Asia website for more information on all things family fun, and join in on the conversation on Facebook or follow us on Instagram to keep up-to-date on our latest discussions.
	Best family-friendly tours in Singapore	13 Nov 2023	00:07:09
Sometimes, there's just no time for overseas jaunts. But if you're entertaining family visiting from overseas, you can then lap up the sightseeing opportunities on this island! Join hosts Amanda and Angela as they focus on family-friendly tours. From iconic Big Bus Company adventures to Duck Tours and scenic River Cruises, they've got something for every explorer. Uncover Singapore's heritage, culture and culinary delights with the many heritage and food tours available. Time codes: 00:57 - Sightseeing tours in Singapore 04:33 - Guide to Chinatown Featured voices Angela Neo, host of the Growing Pains podcast and mother of two. Amanda Broad, senior lifestyle writer at HoneyKids Asia and mother of three. Visit the HoneyKids Asia website for more information on all things family fun, and join in on the conversation on Facebook or follow us on Instagram to keep up-to-date on our latest discussions.
	Indoor activities for kids in Singapore	06 Nov 2023	00:09:40
Are you searching for exciting ways to entertain your kids in Singapore's scorching weather? In this episode, Amanda and Angela share the coolest indoor activities guaranteed to beat the heat and keep the little ones engaged. Together, they share a range of indoor playgrounds for kids of all ages, from Kidztropic to Timezone arcade and more cool activities for the whole family! Tune in as they uncover the best activities and places to ensure your kids have a fantastic time, even on the hottest days! Time codes: 00:02 - Indoor activities for kids during hot weather 00:56 - Indoor play centres for kids 04:51 - Kid-friendly museums and exhibitions in Singapore 06:35 - Best art jamming studios for families 08:08 - Best indoor sports activities Featured voices Angela Neo, host of the Growing Pains podcast and mother of two. Amanda Broad, senior lifestyle writer at HoneyKids Asia and mother of three. Visit the HoneyKids Asia website for more information on all things family fun, and join in on the conversation on Facebook or follow us on Instagram to keep up-to-date on our latest discussions.
	Best fam-friendly attractions in Singapore	30 Oct 2023	00:09:15
Singapore is packed with diverse attractions, especially fun for the whole family! Tune in to this episode for more on all the fun attractions families shouldn't miss, from Universal Studios to the quirky Haw Par Villa and more. Plus, hosts Angela and Amanda also share some dollar-saving tips when having all this fun! A must-listen for families seeking brand new hot spots and inspiration for weekend adventures. Time codes: 00:02 - Popular attractions in Singapore 01:38 - Guide to USS 03:32 - Things to do in Sentosa Featured voices Angela Neo, host of the Growing Pains podcast and mother of two. Amanda Broad, senior lifestyle writer at HoneyKids Asia and mother of three. Visit the HoneyKids Asia website for more information on all things family fun, and join in on the conversation on Facebook or follow us on Instagram to keep up-to-date on our latest discussions.
	Fun & free: The best free things to do for families in Singapore	23 Oct 2023	00:07:29
Singapore might be a really expensive city, but did you know that having fun with the family doesn't have to cost a thing? We’re talking about all things free and fun in Singapore – think parks with playgrounds, cycling, indoor play areas and more. Find out more in this mini-episode of Growing Pains, where hosts Angela and Amanda dish on various free or cost-effective activities for families with children in Singapore, known for its high cost of living. Time codes: 00:02 - Free activities for families in Singapore 00:52 - Free parks with playgrounds 01:15 - Bike rentals in Singapore with family-friendly options 03:09 - Free activities (water play) 04:50 - Indoor playgrounds in shopping malls 05:31 - Free cultural activities Featured voices Angela Neo, host of the Growing Pains podcast and mother of two. Amanda Broad, senior lifestyle writer at HoneyKids Asia and mother of three. Visit the HoneyKids Asia website for more information on all things family fun, and join in on the conversation on Facebook or follow us on Instagram to keep up-to-date on our latest discussions.
	Strengths of a single mum feat. Kanak Muchhal (Daughters of Tomorrow)	21 Sep 2023	00:35:04
Life as a single mother in Singapore has unique challenges – challenges often hidden from plain sight. From the unrelenting caregiving responsibilities to the weight of financial burdens and the pangs of social isolation, single mothers quietly persevere, often seeking a helping hand that's tough to find. In the final episode of Growing Pains, we chat with Kanak Muchhal, senior manager of Programmes at Daughters of Tomorrow, a non-profit organisation in Singapore dedicated to lifting the prospects of underprivileged women in Singapore. These resilient women face daunting hurdles, from limited access to education to the relentless grind of high living costs. Discover the strength of single mothers and the challenges they face in Singapore. Learn about the importance of uplifting single mothers in Singapore, especially those in low-income families and underprivileged situations. Further reading How to be a Befriender with Daughters of Tomorrow Featured voices Angela Neo, host of the Growing Pains podcast and mother of two. Sufyan Saad is a lifestyle writer at The Honeycombers. He was previously at HoneyKids Asia. Kanak Muchhal is the senior manager of Programmes at Daughters of Tomorrow, a non-profit organisation in Singapore which runs programmes and initiatives to facilitate livelihood opportunities for underprivileged women and support them in achieving financial independence and enable social mobility for their families. Visit the HoneyKids Asia website for the full show notes on today’s episode, and join in on the conversation on Facebook or follow us on Instagram to keep up-to-date on our latest discussions.
	The importance of setting boundaries feat. Priyanka Tiku-Gupta (PTG Wellness)	14 Sep 2023	00:39:50
As parents, we all want our kids to grow up confident, secure, and in control of their well-being. But how do we empower them to set boundaries that protect their physical and emotional health? In this episode of Growing Pains, we dive deep into the art of teaching children to set and maintain healthy boundaries with corporate transformational coach Priyanka Tiku-Gupta. She shares her insights and offers practical tips to help you raise resilient, boundary-savvy children. Find out how to foster healthy relationships with your children and raise them to be confident, well-adjusted kids. Further reading Teaching kids about self-love Featured voices Angela Neo, host of the Growing Pains podcast and mother of two. Sufyan Saad is a lifestyle writer at The Honeycombers. He was previously at HoneyKids Asia. Priyanka Tiku-Gupta is a corporate transformational coach, empowering ambitious corporate women to navigate feeling stuck, undervalued, and vulnerable to feeling confident, calm, and clear. Find out more about her work via her website and follow her on Instagram. Visit the HoneyKids Asia website for the full show notes on today’s episode, and join in on the conversation on Facebook or follow us on Instagram to keep up-to-date on our latest discussions.
	Why children need to experience failure feat. Oi-Yee Choo (ADDX)	07 Sep 2023	00:32:25
Even if the world continues to celebrate success and stigmatise failure, we can’t deny the profound importance of embracing setbacks as a crucial stepping stone to personal growth and resilience. How, then, do we encourage our kids to embrace failure? In the fifth episode of Growing Pains, we have a thought-provoking conversation with Oi Yee Choo about how she instils critical skills such as resilience, risk-taking, and more in her Gen-Z daughters. Find out how to let children experience failure, allow them to take risks, and equipping them with financial literacy. Further reading Teaching kids about money Featured voices Angela Neo, host of the Growing Pains podcast and mother of two. Sufyan Saad, is a lifestyle writer at The Honeycombers. He was previously at HoneyKids Asia. Oi-Yee Choo is a former investment banker and currently CEO of ADDX, a global private market exchange headquartered in Singapore. Visit the HoneyKids Asia website for the full show notes on today’s episode, and join in on the conversation on Facebook or follow us on Instagram to keep up-to-date on our latest discussions.
	Living well in the Lion City feat. Coach Amanda Lim & Dr. Tyler Lim (LIFT Clinic)	31 Aug 2023	00:33:43
It’s a delicate balance between indulgence and exercise, especially with the kids in tow. Processed food abounds! Amid the hectic schedules, life can get sedentary. Can we really have it all in terms of keeping healthy as a family while still loving the process? In the fourth episode of the latest season of Growing Pains, Coach Amanda Lim and Dr Tyler Lim, who jointly run LIFT Clinic, discuss ways to balance healthy eating and exercise as a family and useful tips to make a healthy lifestyle a family affair. Discover ways to nurture prenatal fitness, insights into kids’ diets, the ideal diet for sustainable weight management, as well as the underrated role sleep plays in overall health and more. Featured voices Angela Neo, host of the Growing Pains podcast and mother of two. Sufyan Saad, is a lifestyle writer at The Honeycombers. He was previously at HoneyKids Asia. Coach Amanda Lim is a certified fitness and nutrition coach, perinatal specialist, and self-proclaimed "chill mom" of two. Follow her on Instagram. Dr Tyler Lim is a physician with a keen interest in metabolic health and weight management, as well as a proud papa to one daddy's girl and one mini-me son. They jointly run the LIFT Clinic, a comprehensive metabolic health facility in Pasir Panjang offering medical weight management, aesthetics, exercise testing, hormone replacement, nutrition therapy, professional coaching, and other optimal wellness services - a "one-stop shop" for total well-being. Visit the HoneyKids Asia website for the full show notes on today’s episode, and join in on the conversation on Facebook or follow us on Instagram to keep up-to-date on our latest discussions.
	Empower your clothes, empower yourself feat. Biek Speijk (Beikaleidescope)	24 Aug 2023	00:31:31
Pregnancy can be life-changing for most women, especially impacting how women look and feel about themselves! Nothing stays the same, whether it’s the body or lifestyle; how can we consciously navigate these changes while remaining true to our sense of style? In the third episode of the latest season of Growing Pains, we chat to Biek Speijk, a wardrobe whisperer with over 20 years of experience in the fashion industry. She shares ways to make conscious fashion choices and elevate how you feel in your clothing post-pregnancy and beyond. Discover some meaningful insights on finding out your own style, forging a better relationship with clothes and more. Featured voices Angela Neo, host of Growing Pains and mother of two. Sufyan Saad is a senior lifestyle writer at The Honeycombers. He was previously at HoneyKids Asia. Biek Speijk is a designer, wardrobe curator & artist. She empowers conscious living through the lens of fashion one wardrobe at a time. She endeavours to help women be the best version of themselves through the art of fashion. She runs Biekaleidescope and Biekindle. Follow her on Instagram. Visit the HoneyKids Asia website for the full show notes on today’s episode, and join in on the conversation on Facebook or follow us on Instagram to keep up-to-date on our latest discussions.
	Navigating mental health with teens feat. Dr. Neil Forrest (Osler Health International)	17 Aug 2023	00:38:16
We think teens are scary, but adolescence is a bit of a roller coaster ride, especially in this digital age. Today we face other kinds of issues, especially as we navigate the aftermath of the pandemic and the rise of social media. There are new challenges when parenting teens; at the forefront is how these challenges impact their mental health. In the second episode of the latest season of Growing Pains, Dr Neil Forrest of Osler Health International shares how parents can help teens struggling with their mental health. Discover some meaningful insights on how to spot and deal with mental health issues in teenagers, some important facts about the teenage brain and some useful advice on how we can work with teens during this period of their lives. Further reading Signs of depression in teens - when to seek help Teens - their physical, sexual and mental health Featured voices Angela Neo, host of the Growing Pains podcast and mother of two. Sufyan Saad, is a lifestyle writer at The Honeycombers. He was previously at HoneyKids Asia. Dr Neil Forrest is the go-to for adolescent health-related concerns. Known for his calm, non-judgemental approach, he is the ‘safe space’ for teens (and their worried parents)! Osler Health believes mental health is as important as physical health and is known for its ethical approach to healthcare (even providing helpers with free cervical cancer tests). The organisation always keeps emergency appointments free each day, so if you need to speak to a doctor urgently, just contact them. Follow Osler Health on Facebook and Instagram. Visit the HoneyKids Asia website for the full show notes on today’s episode, and join in on the conversation on Facebook or follow us on Instagram to keep up-to-date on our latest discussions.
	Raising kids in the digital age feat. Shem Yao (TOUCH Wellness Group)	10 Aug 2023	00:37:40
In a world where screens have become companions, and digital devices shape the way we learn and connect, parenting in the digital age presents a unique set of challenges. In the first episode of the latest season of Growing Pains, Shem Yao, manager for the Digital Wellness department at TOUCH Wellness Group, joins host Angela Neo to discuss the art of raising children in the digital age. Discover the secrets to setting healthy boundaries for your kids' tech use while safeguarding their well-being as we discuss how parents can navigate the world of screen time and digital balance. But it doesn't end there - we also delve into parents' own relationship with social media, sharing tips for a harmonious coexistence between the virtual and real worlds. Featured voices Angela Neo, host of the Growing Pains podcast and mother of two. Sufyan Saad, is a lifestyle writer at The Honeycombers. He was previously at HoneyKids Asia. Shem Yao is the manager for the Digital Wellness department at TOUCH Wellness Group, and works on matters pertaining to digital and media literacy education, parenting, and understanding what children, youths, families, and seniors are doing in the digital arena. Follow TOUCH Community Services on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn to learn more. Visit the HoneyKids Asia website for the full show notes on today’s episode, and join in on the conversation on Facebook or follow us on Instagram to keep up-to-date on our latest discussions.

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