Learning to embrace change positively

On the last evening of our recent family holiday, my three children were having a boisterous conversation in the bedroom of the apartment we were staying in.

- Jane Ng

Amid their shouts and laughter, I felt a sense of wistfulness when it struck me that such relaxed and fun moments may not happen so often in the months ahead.

The year 2025 will look quite different, with my soon-to-be 19-year-old son going to the army and my 16-year-old daughter busy with preparations for her O-level examinations.

Familiar routines we have been used to will take a different shape. For instance, dinners with all five of us will take place only when the boy is out of camp and the home will be a tad quieter.

With the older girl busy with her revision, she may not be able to spend as much time with her nine-year-old sister.

As it is, with a 10-year age gap between the oldest and youngest, they don't always get to do activities together.

They have their own circle of friends and hobbies that don't always include their siblings.

Hence, overseas family holidays when we get to explore a new place together have been greatly cherished.

Changes in life and routines are not always welcome. They can be uncomfortable, unsettling and unnerving.

My youngest child may feel the changes the most. She is happiest when her siblings are around, chattering, bickering with her, or even when they try to annoy her.

While there is a part of me that already misses the way things have always been, I know that 2025 will be both challenging and exciting for my children, and they will learn and grow from the experience.