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Should children go to bed no later than 9pm? How can we ensure that they get good sleep or develop good sleep habits?

The issue is not whether children should be in bed by 9pm but whether the current school and parents' work schedules allow that to happen.

Children need as many as nine to 10 hours of sleep, which means, even if they go to bed by 9pm, they should wake up only at around 7am to have sufficient sleep.

Olina Joy

We should cultivate a good sleeping habit in them at a young age... It is better than not doing anything and letting them decide what time they want to go to bed, with computer games and phones being a part of their lives today. Instilling discipline and responsibility at home is still the best.

Peter Tan


Does it then mean that none of you have a proper sit-down dinner with your children to talk about things?

Between 6pm and 9pm, there is hardly enough time to cook, eat, bathe, talk, do homework, read a story or watch TV.

Wai Kit Kan

Children can sleep early, based on the assumption that the school ends early and they are able to finish their homework early. Plus no night revision/tuition. As far as I know some schools end quite late, such as 5.30pm.

Cindy Low


Is an extra four weeks of unpaid infant-care leave a bane or boon for parents? Would you apply for it?

Having the option to take leave is always welcome. Unpaid or not, I feel a bit better knowing that I have that option. I will feel bad for my colleagues, but I have to place the health of my young ones first.

Jubilee Tang

As a parent, I would say that emergencies happen so many times that no matter how many allowable days of leave you have, you'll exhaust them.

Work culture needs to be more open minded. I'm talking about flexi-work hours or work from home options, if possible. This way, the impact on colleagues to cover your role is less.

Rene Ser

If I apply for it, my colleagues suffer because they need to cover my work. What's more, companies are now downsizing and employees are multitasking. Your colleagues already have enough on their plates. We need to be considerate. Does the extra leave increase productivity?

You can take leave, and your boss won't stop you, but don't expect a good performance appraisal and wage increase when you return to work.

Sangha Vandana

The scheme is a bane for the couple and for the organisation. Four weeks of unpaid leave means four weeks less income to bring home.

Staffing costs also go up whenever temporary staff are hired to cover the workload.

James Wang

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on March 07, 2017, with the headline On Facebook. Subscribe