Different Experiences

Shannon and Amber race down the slides

We often look back at our own childhoods and think "Wow, I had such great experiences. I want the same for my children". So we try to do the same with our kids, bringing them to similar places, arranging activities that we used to enjoy and so on.

Some of the fun things I remember doing when I was young were:

• Playing in the drain outside our house
• Throwing stones at the chickens in the nearby kampong
• Keeping vigil overnight at the street outside watching for thieves
• Spending several months in the U.S., skipping school and traveling around with my parents

However, sometimes, we just can't make the same things happen. Things have changed so drastically over the past several decades and the children of today have a whole new world to play with. We really shouldn't try to limit their experiences to what we thought was great during our time. Instead, we should create new memories with them based on what is currently available.

Most importantly, spend time, interact and get to know them for who they are. Even if you're sitting across the table at the coffee-shop and talking about school and their friends - that is a moment to savor, a memory in the making. It doesn't really have to happen in a faraway land, or in a muddy longkang somewhere.