As Baby Arie cries and everyone in the house tries to soothe him, I get a little worried whether we are being too indulgent to his every whim.

Just last week, a colleague was urgently calling the home of a few students every few minutes checking whether they were home yet. My curiosity was aroused what caused a usually cool senior teacher to be so agitated.

Apparently she had given a group of students such a sound scolding for bullying that they were reduced to tears. When they did not turn up for supplementary class later in the afternoon, she became concerned that she left too deep an impression on them that they would be up to something silly.

Here was someone who had oodles of experience, having ventured into teaching only when I was venturing into primary school. someone who's seen it all over the years. Who's now worried that her scolding was too effective??

What in the world is happening nowadays?

It used to be that you'd be embarassed to be seen being fetched to or from school. Now, I have big-boned P6 students being sent to school by his much more petite maid, who even carries his bag & file for him!

And kids who can't "rough" it out in MOE specially built campsite coz he has a special diet - of high-class croissants, and not the low-class gardenia for breakfast!

Of course we sometimes recall in horror some of the punishments that has been inflicted upon us as children, and would not wish it upon our own children.

But where's the line between mellowed-out parenting and being so over-indulgent that we get such cushioned kids who don't even know how to use a broom? Who presumes that all toilets have an automatic flushing system? Who easily picks up the phone to bellow for someone to bring a forgotten article to school?

So the academic standards of kids nowadays are higher than at our time. So they do so many hours of community service (as prescribed by Dr MOE). How much of a better person are they really?

Maybe MOE should form yet another committee. Write more white papers. Administer more surveys. And years down the road, finally introduce a programme to make our young Singaporeans a more well-rounded individual.

Maybe the kids will be assessed with exams testing them on their housekeeping skills (just like maids nowadays). Notforgetting, lessons on simple common sense.

I think when Baby Arie next cries, I shall give him some lag time to exercise his lungs before I shall come to him.