Dr Ng’s tips for parents

¦ CHILDREN must do housework everyday. Housework can be boring ... and some school lessons can be boring too. Housework drills discipline and perseverance, which are important traits when doing seemingly repetitive and boring tasks.

Folding the laundry teaches symmetry and sorting skills. Sweeping teaches observation skills. Make it a daily game: drop eight red beans all over the living room floor, then after getting your young child to sweep the room, count the beans in the dust pan with him. If short, send him back to find and sweep up the rest. Then move on to green beans; finally use rice grains.