Mentally preparing for a toddler on a plane

I am a capable human being, I tell myself. I have dealt with complex billion-dollar project financing, driven organisational transformation and even navigated sensitive Asean dynamics in the last two decades.?

But my biggest challenge lies ahead, as I attempt a family trip with a toddler in tow sometime this financial quarter. This is something Diane Leow understands keenly. In her manuscript outlining the anatomy of a family trip to Seoul, she answers the age-old question facing every Singaporean family that has gotten used to globe-trotting: Is it a mistake to take a young one on an overseas holiday?

From the postpartum recovery to choosing a preschool, there is nothing like having a child to remind Type A personalities of our natural limitations and the importance of picking battles. It’s a litmus test of one’s executive skills. It’s an everyday challenge in emotion regulation.

Here, it is important to keep in mind that parenthood is not a competitive sport. No one is winning or doing better than anyone else. It’s not a sacrifice but a series of choices and a continuous journey of self-reflection. Everyone runs a marathon differently.?

But thinking ahead, the people on the plane might be tempted to give me a score on the basis of how much my child fusses and whether they can detect her presence audibly. So I will be taking a page?from Amelia Teng ’s playbook: To prepare as best as possible including learning how to roll with the punches. Thank you to all my fellow travellers in advance for your forbearance.

A final random thought: It’s Mother’s Day in two weeks and it feels strange celebrating it from the other side. I’ve never appreciated my mum more. So I’ll leave you with a thoughtful Forum letter from our vault, which called for the occasion to be celebrated everyday, instead of merely annually.

Meanwhile, enjoy our round-up of our picks of the week.

— Lin Suling, Opinion editor

Singaporeans should learn more languages, not settle for just being bilingual?

By Chin Soo Fang

Learning to speak other languages can oil the wheels of business and life, says the writer.

Fiscal dominance: The force that is undercutting the Fed’s inflation fight

By Vikram Khanna

Deficit and debt blowout are creating a stimulus that overwhelms the effects of monetary tightening to hold down inflation.?

Not everyone thrives in a managerial role?

By Cornelius Chang, Emily Field and Bryan Hancock

Once just a step in climbing the career ladder, the role of middle managers needs rethinking.?

A new confrontation looms between Israel and Iran?

By Jonathan Eyal

Although a full-blown war was averted, the outcome of the latest hostilities will unleash a new arms race.

How to fix S’pore’s healthcare insurance and preserve care continuity for patients

By Jeremy Lim and Jake Goh Jit Khong

It’s a complex issue, with patients, doctors and insurance companies having different motivations, but the current arrangements are untenable.?

What else I’m reading

• She completed law degree while working as a domestic helper in Singapore
• A performing arts degree is more useful than you think
• Dating apps may have reached their peak with Gen Z
• Cardboard coffins gaining ground among the eco-conscious
• Psst, have you heard...? What the thrill of gossip teaches us