Take Your Family to the Best Public Pools in Singapore

In Singapore, it is summer all year round! There is always a reason to visit a swimming pool for to stay cool. Public pools are available to almost every neighbourhood. Apart from its family-friendly facilities, most of these pools boast its affordable entry rates that cost less than a hawker meal.

Who says you can only stay at a five-star hotel to splash your way to a better day? Cool off in style with these public pools!

#1: JURONG EAST SWIMMING COMPLEX

The Jurong East Swimming Complex* is the largest in the country. With three towering and intertwining spiral water slides, it does not disappoint. Its huge wave pool even has sprays of water coming out of its rock caverns. It also comes with a bubble jet station and a lazy river**. Individual rates range from $0.50- $2.60. A friendly reminder: bring your sunscreen as there is not much shade there.

Location: 21 Jurong East Street 31, Singapore 609517

#2: SWIMMING POOL AT SAFRA YISHUN

Surrounded by lush greenery and furnished with umbrellas and chairs, the Swimming Pool at SAFRA Yishun exudes an enticing vacation. Have a great time at the massive rock structure by the rock-climbing wall, which features built-in slides and a waterfall in the middle. Your beloved ones can make a splash at the pirate-themed area with a treasure chest and a ship!

Image Credits: pixabay.com

SAFRA Members can access these amenities and more. The venue is currently operating at a limited capacity with safety measures. Please check if non-members are permitted to enter.

Location: SAFRA Yishun, 60 Yishun Avenue 4, Singapore 769027

#3: SENGKANG SWIMMING COMPLEX

Take your active littles ones to a memorable sliding experience at Sengkang Swimming Complex*. The most attracting feature in this complex is the eight vibrant, big slides. These slides are both open-top and tube slides, which sends you straight into the pool. There is also a relaxing jacuzzi and a kid-friendly pool. For older kids, you can check out their group swimming lessons.

Location: Sengkang Swimming Complex, 57 Anchorvale Road, Singapore 544964

#4: SPLASH @ KIDZ AMAZE

In 2016, Singapore’s first indoor water playground opened its doors at SAFRA Punggol. Splash @ Kidz Amaze is at the pricier end of the public pools market and rates vary depending if you are a member or not. Because it is indoor, you can play for hours despite the weather outside!

Image Credits: pixabay.com

Water enthusiasts will enjoy their time here with its themed splash pad, multiple play decks, and five water slides. Children’s parties are welcome to be hosted here too. This place is currently operating at a limited capacity with safety measures. Booking is required via phone. Call 6585 8710. Prices start at $8.

Location: Splash @ Kidz Amaze, SAFRA Punggol, 9 Sentul Crescent Level 3, Singapore 828654

Sources: 1 & 2

Notes: *These venues are currently operating at a limited capacity with safety measures. Booking is required via myactivesg.com or the ActiveSG app.
**The lazy river, water slides, and wave pool are currently closed until further notice.

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Why does time fly when you’re having fun?

a masked lady with a luggage

Why does time seem to fly while you’re having fun yet drag on for eons when you’re bored?

Well, the brain’s perception of time is influenced by its preconceptions. As a result, when you take a look back, the perceived timeframe of an occurrence is influenced by how the brain encoded the experience.

Everything seems new while you’re a kid, therefore your brain creates complex networks to retain those happenings. Yet, as a grownup, you’ve seen a lot more, so these occurrences don’t elicit similar recollections. As a consequence, time seems to fly by as you become older.

Tricky, huh? That’s just the tip of the iceberg. Let’s delve further into why time seems to fly when you’re having fun.

Memory retrieval

When it comes to recollection, we have a different perception of time than when it comes to actual occurrences. When you recall similar events from memory some months later, your impressions of them are frequently flipped.

For instance, while you’re on holiday and having a good time, the days seem to fly past. Conversely, if you’re at work, the hours may seem to pass by sluggishly. But as you look back on those tedious days that appeared to drag on as you lived them, they appear to have passed quickly. Your trip, on the other extreme, will appear to have lasted far longer than it did thanks to how the brain retrieves memories.

Brain anticipation
a guy packing for his trip

Image Credits: vox.com

According to research, our brains interpret time passing more quickly during some activities, particularly joyful occurrences. Pleasant situations, such as a planned vacation, are perceived to be further away than they are.

Someone’s getaway to Bali, for example, may be only a weekend away, but it feels like a full week. Furthermore, people believe that pleasing activities, such as vacations, persist for a shorter period than unfavorable activities. People often feel that their trip abroad is over as immediately as it starts, due to the lengthy wait for it to begin and the anticipation that it will fly past before they realize it.

Approach motivation

As per prior studies, many individuals believe that time passes faster when they are undergoing happy emotions or situations than when they are completely dejected. Nonetheless, not all positive moods are created equal.

Although satisfaction and peacefulness are pleasant emotions, they do not rank particularly high in what specialists refer to as approach motivation. Passion and enthusiasm, on the contrary, are considered strong in approach motivation since they motivate people to act on something. Simply said, when people are in high-approach motivation stages, they sense as if time is flying by.

In essence, whenever you’re bored or doing something you don’t want to be doing, your mind is free to roam. When your mind wanders, it frequently turns to the clock, as you consider how much more the seconds must pass before you can escape your predicament. But when you’re pleasantly immersed in something you like, your attention tends to be completely concentrated on the delight you’re experiencing. You aren’t as concerned about the progression of time because you are savoring the present moment. Intriguing, isn’t it?

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Here are the advantages of working in the office

colleagues in a meeting

We are all aware that web advancements have enabled company employees to be geographically separated but always in touch.

This actuality, however, poses a significant problem for both workers and corporate leaders. We’re all being pressed more than before to decide whether it’s healthier to work remotely or in an office.

Either way, it is a decision that has far-reaching implications for an organization’s culture and productivity, and it’s one that even more individuals and businesses are having to make. That’s probably why even high-profile figures like Elon Musk have urged employees to return to work or quit. And, to be honest, it might turn out to be a wise move.

Here are the advantages of working in the office.

Better focus

According to research, recognizable environmental signals can cause your brain to avoid distractions and stay focused. This may explain why it’s so simple to work and disregard used cups in the pantry sink, but before you can even get work done immediately at home, your kitchen must be spotless. In an office setting, employees are automatically wired to know when it is time to work.

Healthy interaction
colleagues in masks conversing

Image Credits: blog.redcrossfirstaidtraining.co.uk

Working in an office makes it fuss-free to meet all of your bosses and coworkers. You can swiftly contact them whenever the need emerges and speak with them. Your superiors will have a clear understanding of what you’re up to as a result. Not only that, but you won’t have to email or phone them to get chunks of important information across. Thus, the office setting will benefit you if you like to communicate fast in person rather than through cold emails and emotionless text messages.

Improved work-life balance

Even if you enjoy your job, feeling like you have to labor every waking minute is unhealthy. Everyone approaches work-life balance differently, but researchers have previously suggested that there are two distinct groups: those who keep work and personal time separate and those who combine the two when they are working from home.

When work gets busy or difficult, the former can pause and devote enough energy to personal pursuits after office hours. They are also adept at switching mentally, which significantly lessens stress. However, for the latter, it could turn out to be a huge challenge. But since the office provides a specific “site”, anyone can readily know when to physically pause and draw a line when 6 o’clock strikes.

Working remotely has convincing arguments and can be extremely beneficial to working parents. When employees are dispersed too widely, though, organizational culture may suffer. With a clear line between work and play, returning to the office may not be that horrible after all. What are your thoughts on the issue?

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How Gratitude Can Improve Your Financial Life

Showing appreciation to others and to ourselves is characterized by gratitude. Gratitude makes us more aware of the sources of hope, joy, and wonder in our lives. Being grateful can improve your health, strengthen relationships, and help manage your finances.

Here are just some of the financial benefits of practicing gratitude:

IMPROVING PATIENCE

Practicing gratitude can affect your patience. Researchers found that feelings of gratitude reduced financial impatience, according to a study published in Psychological Science journal. Those who showed gratitude had increased willingness to wait longer to receive their money. While those who wrote about neutrality tended to opt for immediate payouts.

REDUCING DESIRE FOR MATERIAL THINGS

Psychologists Robert Emmons and Michael McCullough showed that people who counted their blessings had a more positive outlook in life, exercised more, and were more likely to help others. These findings were supported by Psychologist Nathaniel Lambert who found that feelings of gratitude were associated with lower materialism.

Feeling thankful for what you have can enhance your satisfaction in life and reduce your desire to buy more things. Think about that!

INCREASING GENEROSITY

As said above, generosity can increase the likelihood of helping others. The goal of financial planning is to allocate money towards things that you value most, which can be the welfare of others. Gratitude was shown to motivate people to pay it forward or to give back in many ways including financially.

Image Credits: pixabay.com

An article published by the American Psychological Association reported that gratitude facilitates generosity. People who were feeling gratitude were able to share more money with others, despite the recipient being a stranger.

BOOSTING YOUR EMOTIONS

When it comes to gratitude, the first step is to acknowledge the gifts and benefits we have received. Secondly, you must recognize that you have been blessed by others, luck, or divine intervention.

Gratitude requires us to see how we have been supported and affirmed by other people. In return, it can make us feel satisfied and secure.

HELPING COUPLES WITH MONEY FIGHTS

A 2015 study by researchers at the University of Georgia found that gratitude can help couples to manage financial conflicts. Expressing appreciation and feeling appreciated are hallmarks of strong partnership, according to couples’ therapist Ed Coambs.

Ed said:

“In a flourishing, healthy relationship, gratitude flows naturally and pretty easily. In a functioning relationship, it’s more intermittent, a little less consistent. In a dysfunctional relationship, it’s absent.”

Image Credits: pixabay.com

Many financial conflicts stem from partners not feeling appreciated for their efforts to save money and to look after the couples’ future. This is where gratitude can come in.

Sources: 1, 2, & 3

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Ways to teach your child to be independent

mother and child brushing teeth

When you do stuff for your children that they are competent of doing for themselves, you are inadvertently sending a message that you lack trust in their capabilities.

As a result, the child loses self-esteem and independence and becomes unable or unwilling to complete age-appropriate responsibilities. This is often referred to as habitual defeatism. That explains why it’s critical not to hurry into resolving minor difficulties as they arise. Boost your child’s problem-solving abilities by asking if he or she can think of a solution. Offer them time to consider their options before presenting your suggestions.

Read on for ways to teach your child to be independent.

Allow failure

The most difficult lesson of all is to let your child fail and to be there for them when they need assistance. Don’t criticize or disempower them for underperforming, but don’t make their situation appear insignificant either. Failure is an inevitable aspect of life, and we will all stumble at some point. Teaching kids that it’s alright to keep trying will give them self-confidence as adults in the future.

Take time to teach

Most things are easier to complete yourself rather than having to educate your child on how to perform them. It’s also never pleasant to see your child battle with something you could simply help them with. Even so, consider the time you spend educating your child to perform a task on his or her own as an investment. You will spend less time performing those duties yourself next time if you take time now to teach your kid how to keep their toys or clean up their room.

Avoid over-supervision

Most kids require room to grow and change. And if they never have had the opportunity to be self-reliant as a child, they are unlikely to become more so in the future. Give your kids plenty of freedom to develop without being too much in “monitor mode” to foster independence.

For instance, allow them to play in their room without having to check in on them every five minutes. Whether it’s picking up the mail at the letterbox or ordering a meal at a fast-food restaurant, strive to figure out at least one opportunity each day for your child to do something independently with little supervision.

Shower praises and rewards
a mother praising her daughter

Image Credits: themontessorifamily.com

When children breach the rules or fail to stay on target, paying attention to them is tempting. However, giving them negative attention might reinforce bad behavior. So, catching kids doing something good and praising them is the key to encouraging positive conduct.

Don’t forget to present a bonus for your children for their independence. Whatever form of reward or incentive program you adopt, it should be realistic. Reward your child for achieving their goals in the same manner as your boss does after you meet your KPIs.

Consider how much easier life would be if your children made simple breakfast for themselves, cleaned up after daily meals, and helped around the house. Teaching kids to be self-reliant will not only make your life easier, but it will also set them on the route toward being more responsible young adults as they grow older.

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