Be Aware 
“Feed the Brain”
“You feed them,” says the father of four boys and a girl. He explains that you are effectually, “feeding the brain” when you give children healthful food.
Cognitive-Behaviour Therapist Philip Ang adds, “Have a chat to help them to feel relaxed.” He reminds us that such breaks are merely for light discussion, “Avoid interrogating your child about his studies. This might cause more stress, and your efforts to connect with him or her in this way might backfire.”
Here are some suggestions for combining conversation and cooking to give your child a break, and at the same time provide healthful snacks.
Go Bananas:
• Create a Banana Octopus for a fruity brain snack.
• “Make a Banana Smoothie together and have a yummy drink,” says Geoffrey Chew, 47, dad to Isabel, 14, and Isaac, 12. Need a smoothie recipe? Check out Smoothie Web.
• Make a Smiley Face Sandwich, using bananas slices for eyes. Other great sandwiches include the Oink Oink or the Butterfly.
"Move the Muscles"
“Dads can also slot in exercises such as skipping, brisk walking or jogging around the neighborhood,” says Kaishuang, a mother of 3-year-old triplets.
Get Moving:
• Try out Wall Tennis. Use a racket or just your hand to bounce a tennis ball against a wall. It can be played almost anywhere by two or more people.
• Have a Hassle-free Happy Hop. Step out onto your corridor to play hopscotch or go downstairs with a piece of chalk and have tons of fun. Take it up a notch with Do-the-Math Hopscotch, which is found on Disney’s Family Fun List of Chalk and Pavement Games.
• Make Life More than a Paper Chase. Take time to play these Tag and Chase Games. In Singapore, we call these types of games “Catching”, and the person who has to do the chasing is the one who is “Pasang” –the Malay word that locals use to indicate, “You’re ‘It’!” Dads who grew up in the 1970s and 1980s will be familiar with the rules and variants.
Studying vs “Screen Time”
Dad in a dilemma –that is when you get asked about whether to allow “screen time” during the examinations. Do you allow your children to watch television, play computer games or catch an online video?
Philip Ang takes a pragmatic approach. “Dads need to be the timekeeper. Begin and end the activity together once time is up so that he can get back to revision. Your child will develop a habit of keeping to a schedule. At the same time, you serve as a good role model in time management.”
“Watching and laughing over a comedy or funny clips on YouTube together releases endorphins -the body's natural ‘feel good’ hormones- and creates a sense of joy and pleasure,” says School Counsellor Rona Tan.
To fully harness the benefits of screen time, Rona calls for dads to ”use technology to connect with their teenagers. Send them a light hearted and caring SMS, MMS, e-mail, e-card or Facebook message.”
Get an “Online Study Break”
• Play Familiar Games. Now is not the time to try something new. But if you need direction, consider The Canadian Fatherhood Initiative Website’s Super Dads Super Kids Game .
• Get cool printouts. Disney Family Fun Website’s Printables page is a treasure trove.
• Send Themed Messages. Think of a theme such as “Pirates” send each other a string of SMSes and MMSes based on that at each study break. That way you remain connected with them, even when you are at the office, for instance.
Other Cool Ideas from “Exam” Dads
• Use humour. Read the daily comics together. Tell jokes. Tell silly stories of what you did during your exams.
• Doodle and Jam. Artistic teenagers enjoy drawing while musical teenagers love making music. Paint or sing some tunes with them.
• Play with Pets. Encourage to kids to play with their cat, dog, hamster or guinea pig. It can be very relaxing as animals naturally provide unconditional love.
• Deal Some Cards. To help your kid cope with exam stress, deal out some UNO cards. There are also old school card games like Snap and Happy Family that can be completed in half an hour. Grab hold of the Knowing Me, Knowing You cardpack now!
*Studying intensively
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.
