Growing up with an absent father, ‘James’ was jailed twice as a young man. But when he became a parent, he told himself he would never leave his two sons without a father. He ended up doing exactly that when he was sentenced to nearly four years in prison. 

In this special episode of Imperfect by CNA Insider, we go behind the walls of Changi Prison to find out what it’s like to live with perhaps the worst mistake you’ve ever made as a parent. Can ‘James’ still be a good father to his teenage sons? And why is he so sure this stint in prison will be his last?

This is the final episode in this season. If you’ve got a view on the topic or an idea for future episodes, write to us at cnainsider@mediacorp.com.sg.  

Credits: 

Host: Lianne Chia 

Sound Design: Jonathan Yeo 

Supervising Editors: Yvonne Lim and Crispina Robert

Support the show: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/listen

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Danial Shahrin, 29, and his wife had set out not wanting to give their 2-year-old any screen time. Then life got in the way, and TV became a convenient tool. But when Danial realised his son's speech was lagging behind his peers', he wondered if they’d done wrong by him. Is there really a link between screen time and speech delay? 

And how can screen time be used beneficially? Some expert-recommended shows for toddlers and young children include: Ms Rachel - Toddler Learning Videos, Paisley’s Corner with Silly Miss Lily, Dora the Explorer and Sesame Street.

If you’ve got a view on the topic or a story idea for future episodes, reach out at cnainsider@mediacorp.com.sg.

Credits: 
Host: Lianne Chia 
Sound Design: Jonathan Yeo 
Supervising Editors: Yvonne Lim and Crispina Robert

Support the show: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/listen

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tam Wai Jia, 35, had always known that humanitarian work would be her life. She had even spent a year serving in Uganda with her husband. But when the doctor was given a chance to go to Africa on a medical mission for seven weeks, her first instinct was to say no - because it took her away from her daughters aged two and four at the time. She talks about making that decision and the lessons she learnt.

If you’ve got a view on the topic or a story idea for future episodes, reach out at cnainsider@mediacorp.com.sg.

Credits:

Host: Lianne Chia
Sound Design: Jonathan Yeo
Supervising Editors: Yvonne Lim and Crispina Robert

Support the show: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/listen

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

‘Ivy’, 58, wanted to depart from her traditional, strict upbringing and give her two children more freedom of choice. She talks about how all that had to change when her teenage daughter developed an eating disorder - and how she painstakingly rebuilt her relationship with her daughter.

If you’ve got a view on the topic or a story idea for future episodes, reach out at cnainsider@mediacorp.com.sg.

Caregivers Alliance Limited (CAL) is a non-profit organisation in Singapore providing support for caregivers of those with mental health issues. Click here for more information on their caregiver training programmes. 

Credits:

Host: Lianne Chia
Sound Design: Jonathan Yeo
Assistance: Ko’e Tan
Supervising Editors: Yvonne Lim and Crispina Robert

Support the show: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/listen

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kris Tan, 41, is a stay-home dad who “worked from home before it was cool”. With his wife working long hours, he takes care of his two young daughters. With unflinching honesty and self-deprecating humour, he talks about his battle with depression, and how the experience influenced his parenting journey. 

If you’ve got a view on the topic or a story idea for future episodes, reach out at cnainsider@mediacorp.com.sg.

This episode deals with discussions of depression and self-harm. If you or a loved one need help, here are some helplines you can call: 

Samaritans of Singapore: 1767, Institute of Mental Health: 6389 2222, and the Singapore Association for Mental Health: 1800 283 7019

You can also find a list of international helplines here. 

Credits:
Host: Lianne Chia
Sound Design: Jonathan Yeo
Assistance: Ko’e Tan, Daniel Lee
Supervising Editors: Yvonne Lim and Crispina Robert

Support the show: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/listen

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Teo Pau Lin, 52, saw herself as “too cool” for tuition. She wanted her two girls to spend time on their hobbies and with their family, and was perfectly fine with them getting Bs in school. But when her older daughter did badly for her PSLE, it made her question everything. Hear her profound realisation about life in a neighbourhood school.

If you’ve got a view on the topic or a story idea for future episodes, reach out at cnainsider@mediacorp.com.sg.

Credits:
Host: Lianne Chia
Sound Design: Jonathan Yeo
Assistance: Ko’e Tan
Supervising Editors: Yvonne Lim and Crispina Robert

Support the show: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/listen

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

April Leong, 40, was climbing the career ladder in the tech industry - but she was struggling with leaving her two young children in the care of her helper. She opens up about how she made a drastic decision to walk away from it all - only to be swamped with a different kind of guilt. 

If you’ve got a view on the topic or a story idea for future episodes, reach out at cnainsider@mediacorp.com.sg.

Credits:
Host: Lianne Chia
Sound Design: Jonathan Yeo
Assistance: Ko’e Tan
Supervising Editors: Yvonne Lim and Crispina Robert

Support the show: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/listen

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hear from parents who find themselves in impossible situations…and end up asking themselves: Am I a bad parent? 

Support the show: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/listen

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.