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Dad’s what I did for love: He started a fathers’ support group in his wayward son’s school 

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Pictured here from left: Mr Alex Tham, 49, Founder and Director of Trust Cleanz Initiative and his son , Joshua Tham, 20,  waiting to enlist in NS



Sunlife Father's Day cover, theme is A Father's Sacrifice on dads who have given up something meaningful for their kids. 

Back when Joshua was 11 years old at the brink of being a teenager, he was very naughty. Till the point of the school calling his father Alex almost every day. Joshua was addicted to gaming as well and wouldn't come home directly after school, preferring to hang out with the older boys at the void deck and getting into juvenile mischief. 

Alex had just left a steady career as a lecturer and started a commercial and residential cleaning company. His son's misbehaviour could potentially take a turn for the worse, so he decided to sacrifice his time and efforts from his business to caring and nurturing his son instead. 

Alex was one of the early members of Dad For Life, and he started a Fathers' Group in Joshua's school to get all fathers involved in their kids' lives. They would hold overnight camping experiences on school grounds for fathers to bond with their child, and other activities that would keep young teenagers occupied and instill good morals and values. He enrolled Joshua in a bootcamp to kick his gaming addiction and went with him together as well.

When his son Joshua misbehaved in school and at home, Mr Alex Tham got involved in his school's parent support group to better support him.

ST PHOTO: DESMOND WEE

Follow topic:

SINGAPORE – Mr Alex Tham, 49, would sometimes cry in his car when his son Joshua was in Primary 6.

“The teacher called me every day, saying: ‘Mr Tham, Joshua did this, Joshua did that,’” he says of the time when his son regularly misbehaved in school, pulling pranks and skipping school instead of preparing for the PSLE.

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