In 2024, I barely managed to type out two blog posts all year.
This year? Not even one—until now. I was starting to worry I’d forgotten how to log into my WordPress account (spoiler: I totally had). I’m not much of a social media person, and the chaos in the upper echelons of Twitter and Meta hasn’t exactly inspired me to write either. Most days, I’m just focused on living and loving in the real world.
Still, a lot has happened—like, a lot.
One child finished primary school. Another started it. We lived through National School Games, graduation ceremonies, and the PSLE whirlwind. One of my kids wrote a book (yes, very proud mama!). I started a new job. And somewhere between all of that, I forgot the password to a blog that used to be my weekly ritual.
But despite the digital silence, your voices have found me.
It’s the emails from readers asking if I’m okay. The contact forms from parents at their wits’ end, desperately trying to help their children thrive in learning Chinese. The amazing bilingual entrepreneurs who’ve shared their time, tools, and products with our family over the last five years, wondering if we’re still using them. The homeschoolers setting up new blogs, asking if I’ll link to theirs.
Yes, I hear you. I see you. And I want us all to keep thriving.
While some things in our lives have changed, many have stayed the same. Most of the resources, books, apps, and shows we’ve leaned on? Still in use. It’s very much a lather, rinse, repeat approach—but it works. Not by magic, but by deliberate, geeky, passionate effort—both ours and that of the many parents and educators before us.
What’s worked for us was never a shortcut. It was about identifying the right tools—resources developed with care, tested with love, and shared generously across communities. My three daughters are just one small thread in a much larger tapestry of families journeying through bilingual education with hope, heart, and spreadsheets.
Now, do I define that as ‘success’? That’s a tricky word.
Language learning—like life—is a journey, not a destination. I don’t need my kids to hit a certain grade or chase a particular score. I want them to become the best version of the women they were meant to be. That’s where some Singaporeans who don’t know me—or this blog—start to look puzzled, unsure where to place me or how to interpret my recommendations.
But for the data-driven among us: yes, my daughter’s PSLE Chinese score was her personal best amongst all the subjects. Yes, each child has been more fluent in Chinese than the one before at the same age. And yes—most importantly—our home overflows with a love for learning Chinese, rather than complaints about HCL.
We’ve been blessed with health, joy, and plenty of resources. We’ve been lucky to stand on the shoulders of many brilliant folks who came before us. But the journey’s far from over. If anything, it’s getting more complex. The older my kids get, the more diverse their interests—and their language needs—become.
So, long story short: the blog is (hopefully) back.
What can you expect? In the coming posts, I’ll be sharing:
- The tried-and-true tools that have worked across all three of my daughters
- A few things we’ve changed up recently
- New services and products that have caught my eye
- Some OG resources that are still unbeatable
- And later this year, a deep dive into our upcoming language immersion tour to China we’re going on!
Oh—and there’s this lovely Zoom-based book circle club I’ve just started exploring. If it continues going well, you’ll be hearing more about that too.
Thankfully, I’ve remembered the password—and more importantly, remembered why I love writing here in the first place.
Thanks for being patient. I’m excited to journey forward with you this year.