Forget rewinding VHS tapes. Today’s dad has to figure out if Roblox counts as “educational,” whether TikTok dances are harmless fun or a black hole, and how to teach his 7-year-old why “liking” doesn’t equal real friendship. Welcome to parenting in the digital jungle — equal parts brilliant and bonkers.

Remember when our parents told us, “Because I said so” — and that was the end of the conversation? Well, welcome to 2025. Our kids have Google, TikTok, and a built-in radar for hypocrisy. In the digital age, parenting isn’t about orders — it’s about modelling.

Technology has opened doors no chalkboard ever could. Educational apps boost literacy, math games make problem-solving fun, and AI tutors personalise lessons in ways a crowded classroom can’t. Studies show that interactive digital learning can improve early literacy scores by up to 20% compared to traditional worksheets alone.

We joke about being “addicted” to our phones — but let’s be real. If you’ve ever felt phantom vibrations in your pocket or scrolled Instagram when you meant to just check the time, you know it’s not just a joke. Now imagine what that does to a developing child’s brain.

Every guideline says the same thing: no screen time under age 2. The World Health Organization recommends it. The Ministry of Health echoes it. Parenting books chant it like gospel. And yet, most parents break that rule. Surveys in Malaysia show that over 60% of toddlers under 2 are already exposed to daily screens, often for 1–2 hours. Globally, by 18 months, 90% of kids have already used a device — usually a smartphone.

In Malaysia, over 1 in 5 kids aged 13–17 say they’ve been bullied online (UNICEF, 2022). That’s not “a few mean comments.” That’s a fifth of our teens navigating cruelty with no pause button.

We can debate screen time till the cows come home (and probably livestream it), but here’s reality: digital is here to stay. Phones, tablets, AI tutors, Roblox, YouTube Kids — this is your child’s playground, classroom, and sometimes babysitter. Pretending tech is the enemy is like banning forks because someone ate too much cake.

Remember growing up in Sabah (or anywhere pre-WiFi)? Back then, boredom was free. You lay on the floor watching ceiling fan shadows, sat in the car staring at clouds, or spent two hours arranging batu seremban pebbles in weird patterns. No one swooped in with an iPad. Out of those blank spaces, imagination quietly bloomed.

Parents used to reach for rattles, peekaboo, or an off-key lullaby. Today? The go-to soothing tool is a glowing screen. YouTube lullabies, TikTok dances, CocoMelon marathons — instant calm, instant quiet. But young brains weren’t built for this kind of fireworks show.

Pregnancy used to mean listening to your doctor, your mother, and maybe a makcik or two with strong opinions about pineapple. Now? Every symptom, craving, and cramp goes straight into the search bar at 2 a.m. “Is it normal if…” has probably crashed Google more times than we know.

Every year, Malaysians celebrate Merdeka with parades, flags, fireworks, and patriotic playlists. But if you look closely, Merdeka isn’t just about the country — it’s about parenting too. Mums, dads, and everyone in between, we’re all running our own independence campaigns at home.

Malaysia’s struggle with serious bullying isn’t new. The UPNM/Zulfarhan case—first handed death sentences by the Court of Appeal in July 2024 and then revised by the Federal Court in February 2025 to 18-year prison terms—remains a national scar and a reminder that “ragging” is violence, not culture.

Here’s the truth nobody says out loud: If feeding kids is a drama, feeding kids with special needs is a K-drama with three plot twists before breakfast. Autism, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, sensory disorders, allergies, medical issues—you name it, there’s a feeding challenge that goes with it. And no, Google and your mother-in-law don’t have all the answers.

Malaysian kids are world-class food critics. Not the kind that gets a Michelin star, but the kind who’d make Gordon Ramsay walk out mid-service. I’m talking about the kind who can detect one invisible speck of “something green,” then spend the next hour giving you the side-eye and a TED Talk on Why This Meal Is an Insult to Humanity.

Feeding burnout is that moment you stare at the fridge and consider serving air for dinner, just to avoid the whining. It’s the deep sigh when another lovingly-prepped meal gets the “I don’t like it” death sentence. It’s eating crackers over the sink at 10pm because you spent all evening negotiating over broccoli.

f you’ve recently moved to Malaysia and think your biggest driving challenge will be switching to the other side of the road — oh sweet summer expat, you're in for a ride. Here in Malaysia, driving isn't just a means of transport. It’s a sport. A negotiation. Sometimes a spiritual journey. And always, always a gamble.

There’s nothing like an international move to slap the clutter out of you. When we left Australia for Malaysia, I was determined to keep my “essentials.” My fancy citrus zester. My emergency drawer of hotel soaps. My slow cooker. Because obviously I’d be whipping up casseroles in the tropics.

No one really talks about the brain fog that comes with moving abroad. Sure, people ask, “How’s Malaysia? You must love it!”And yes, I do love the food, the jungle, the people, and the fact that I can get a solid iced latte for RM8. But what I don’t always say is: I’m tired. Not from parenting. Not from work. But from thinking all the damn time.

Let’s be honest: making friends in your 30s is hard enough. Add in a foreign country, a timezone mismatch with your old mates, and a child hanging off your leg like a koala on Red Bull — and suddenly, “making friends” feels about as realistic as finishing your coffee while it’s hot.

Here’s the thing nobody warns you about: your child’s emotional growth doesn’t wait for them to “be ready.” It’s already happening — in the way they cry when their toy breaks, hide behind you at a party, lash out at their sibling, or whisper “I’m scared” before bed.