Last Updated on 24 January 2024

Name of respondent: Kyle Lasalita
Bio: As Billy Graham said, a good father is one of the most unsung, unpraised, unnoticed and yet one of the most valuable assets in our society. Kyle is a father to his rowdy son. He enjoys being a Dad more than anything in the world.

What influences your parenting style?
I have a very relaxed parenting style. I let my son do what he wants and I avoid pressuring him with things or activities which I know are too early for him to enjoy.

My parenting style is also heavily influenced by me trying to do things differently. I grew up in a broken family and I didn't really have the support I wanted growing up. So I decided that I have to be there for my son all the time and to make sure that I listen to him all the time. I always want my son to do and choose things he's interested in rather than me telling him what to do in life.

How do you develop close relationships with your children?
My girlfriend and I are very conscious of how we raise our son and how much time we spend with him because we both work full-time. As much as we can, we try to include a family activity every night. It could be as simple as watching a movie together or going out for a dinner. We also make sure to play with him, especially during the weekends, because it's the only time he has our undivided attention. More importantly, we savour each moment we spend with him because we understand that kids grow up fast and we don't want to miss out anything.

What is the best piece of parenting advice or guidance you have ever received?
I was raised by my grandmother and she has instilled in me the value of positivity, especially during tough times. I want my son to be resilient when he grows up and to have the confidence to know that hard times are only temporary.

What are some of the biggest challenges you face in parenting? How do you deal with them?
It's keeping my temper in check when my son has his tantrums or starts whining about the smallest thing. Whenever I feel like losing my temper, I go out for a while and remind myself that he's just a kid and he's unaware of his behaviour.

As a parent, what is the one thing that you want to do better or be better at?
I want to be better at taking care of my health so I can be with my son as much long as I can. With a lot of things happening every day I often forget self-care.

What advice do you have for parents who have kids of the same age?
Don't rush things and avoid getting pressured by your child's development. My son learned to walk much later than kids of the same age and it bothered me for a long time. It only frustrated me and it didn't do well with my parenting.

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Elizabeth Ann

Community Ambassador; as someone who was raised in a rather privileged family, I hope to address the inequity in educational outcomes based on the circumstance of birth. Bounced around between Australia and Singapore a fair bit.