http://dadsforlife.sg/dads-stories/point-click-connect-contest-winners
Encouraged by their teachers to join 'Point, Click, Connect! Dads and Kids!' contest, held from 20 February to 19 March 2012, two students from Gan Eng Seng School, each won a $250 voucher in the 'Dad Suit Up' category. The prize, sponsored byTANGS Wardrobe Men, came with the service of a Personal Shopper to help the two dads put together new outfits.
Boasting a strong Fathers@Schools programme and the presence of such active supporters, it was not surprising that Gan Eng Seng School also bagged the school prize of a special edition IRTLab Future Learning Classroom.
Receiving a leaflet from her teacher at Gan Eng Seng School about the contest's Game and Draw, was what prompted 17-year-old, Seow Lay Kun to participate.
"I was surprised to win," said Lay Kun as she and brother, Seow Hong Koon, 16, and Mum, Mdm Chen Yilan accompanied Dad, Mr Seow Choo Gek, 52, to pick out some shirts and trousers with the $250 prize in the Dad Suit Up category, on a Monday evening in April this year.
TANGS Personal Shopper, Joanne Beh, was on hand to help Mr Seow identify new pieces to add to his wardrobe. Conversant in English and Mandarin, the friendly Joanne put the entire family, especially Mdm Chen, a homemaker, at ease with her humour and chit chat.
In no time, they launched into conversation about clothes, children, and culinary endeavours. And, they managed to do so, all the while passing Mr Seow new shirts and pants to try, and providing feedback on how the clothes looked on him. Joanne helped with advice on shirt sizing and appropriate trouser-length.
With their shopping done, the family headed off for dinner, spending the rest of the Monday night together. Mondays are significant for the Seow household as their dad, who works seven days a week as a Foot Reflexologist, gets off work early just for family time.
On another evening, Mr Lim Eng Sing, 48, and his son Lim Ler, 14 (the other winner), discussed suitable designs and sizes, as the attentive TANGS Personal Shopper, Apolinar Loreto, showed them several shirts from the international range carried by TANGS, Wardrobe Men. Together, father and son decided on three shirts that they both liked.
Though Lim Ler had won the $250 shopping voucher prize for his dad, he was in for a treat as well because they regularly swap clothes with one another.
“I share clothes with my son, while my wife shares clothes with my daughter,” said Mr Lim. They have been able to do so since the children entered their teens.
An immediate benefit, Mr Lim shared, has been that he now wears “more trendy clothes as I try to ‘match’ with my son.” He explained, “I tried out the ‘straight-cut look’ that Lim Ler likes and found that it looks quite nice on me. Now, my clothes are, less baggy…less Ah Pek*.”
When asked whether there has ever been an occasion in which both wanted to wear the same shirt, Lim Ler responded, “I let him (Dad) use it as I have more clothes.”
Besides sharing clothes, Mr Lim and his son have a common interest in sports games found on their X Box Kinect. “Dad was an athlete, so he often beats me in the track and field events,” said Lim Ler. To which Dad commented with a smile, “Now that he’s growing up, he’s getting better (at the games). So, it’s getting harder for me to win.” And, more often than not, when it comes to playing virtual beach volleyball, Lim Ler is the victor.
Mr Lim, a businessman, believes that it is important for parents and children to bond from a young age. Therefore, he has set aside Saturdays for family outings from the time his kids were little. They usually have lunch, do something together and visit his mother-in-law.
Gan Eng Seng School has much to celebrate. Besides Seow Lay Kun and Lim Ler’s wins in the Dad Suit Up category, the school emerged the Fathers@Schools Group category Winner, thanks to the efforts of Emerson Foo and his daughter, Nadine Foo.
They won for the school an IRTLab which enables multiple modes of instruction and collaboration, such as switching between lecture, group facilitation, cooperative learning and assessment, or individual and group learning from three to 12 members, with versatile technology sharing options.
The Dads for Life Fathers@Schools Programme has proven very rewarding for those who make it a point to connect with their families and build relationships through activities online and off.
*Ah Pek is loosely translated into “Uncle” or “Old Man” in Hokkien, a Chinese dialect.
About the Author: The Dads for Life Resource Team comprises local content writers and experts, including psychologists, counsellors, educators and social service professionals, dedicated to developing useful resources for dads.