SINGAPORE - To prepare his 12-year-old daughter for her first public bus ride to school, engineer Bramsha Osman conducted three dry runs to familiarise her with the route.

When school begins on Tuesday (Jan 4), Aeesha Loesha will be taking a 45-minute commute from Sengkang to a madrasah in Geylang, where she will be starting Secondary 1.

Said her father: "Previously, she took the school bus. I accompanied her for the first two 'practices' before she commuted to school alone during the last dry run."

Getting ready for the new year never fails to be a mammoth exercise for Mr Bramsha, who has five children aged four to 14.

Apart from bulk buying of school supplies, the 41-year-old makes an effort to cut the hair of his three daughters and two sons. 

"These are opportunities for me to bond and be with my children, something I hope that they can remember for years.

"My wife and I try to be there for them for their emotional ups and downs."

With a laugh, Mr Bramsha added that he cuts the hair of his wife, parents and parents-in-law as well.

"I started cutting hair in secondary school," he said, adding that his schoolmates were his "guinea pigs".

As a treat to start the new year on a good note, he took the family to Universal Studios Singapore, which they have not visited for two years.

Mr Bramsha said: "We used to go every year during my company's family day, but this stopped because of Covid-19. In fact, it will be a treat for my eldest daughter who did well in the PSLE."