Parenting

Interview with Bob Adamberry F.inst.D.

Introduction:

Bob Adamberry is the CEO of Asia IncentivesR and has been living and working in Asia since the late 1980・s. Living and working in both Singapore and Hong Kong Bob has developed his Advertising and Marketing business he started in Europe in the 1970・s. Basing his family in Singapore during his children・s schooling years Bob was involved in various institutions serving the foreign and local communities. Bob was a long term board member of the British Chamber or Commerce heading the International Committee and was also a founding committee member representing the UK in the European Chamber of Commerce which has gone on to develop the Free Trade agreement between Singapore and the European Union. Bob was also a Governor at Tanglin Trust School (TTS) in Singapore the leading British curriculum based school in S.E.Asia. In his twelve years at TTS (1997-2009) Bob was involved in developing the schools learning support department and through this involvement went on to assist in the establishment of the National Singapore Dyslexia Association whose patron is former Singapore Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew.

Did having to juggle your responsibilities at your business and at the Trade Chambers and school Governing make it more complicated to manage your parenting?

My involvement in Governing the school and being at Chamber committee meetings was usually during working hours and therefore impacted more on my business than on my responsibilities at home. I have a very understanding and supportive wife who I have been with since my late teens. Our partnership means we try and give everything we can in terms of time and support to our children. I am a proud father and always did what I could to offer my boys the best start in life. If it was a matter of going out for networking with Chamber colleagues or assisting to coach my son・s soccer team there was no choice in my mind, my family always comes first.

You were involved in the founding of the Singapore Dyslexia Society which helps children with learning difficulties, what inspired you to support this cause?

My involvement was based on the fact that at the time no similar society existed in Singapore to support children who require special attention in helping them overcome specific difficulties they may have that may not directly be associated with their overall capabilities. No child should feel they are hampered by an issue that if assisted by caring professionals would allow them to be as capable or more capable to succeed in their academic and working life than any peer who does not suffer from any learning difficulties.

Whilst I was a Governor at Tanglin Trust School I began working in association with the schools Educational Psychologist. As we were working on expanding the schools support network for students with learning difficulties in co-operation with the Parent & Teacher Association (PTA) it was then decided that I would be the Governor to handle the development of the Learning Support program at the school. During my work in this department I became knowledgeable in this area of teaching and it was at this time that my wife and I discovered that my youngest son who at the time was about five or six years old was dyslexic that affected his reading skills. As my son was able to have the special and professional care and attention he required to help him handle and overcome this difficulty I felt strongly that this assistance should be available to all children and parents that require support in over coming these learning difficulties.

My son with the help and backing of the learning support team at Tanglin Trust School managed his dyslexia and finished his schooling with very good grades and is currently in his final year at University in Scotland.

What advice can you offer parents when choosing the best school for their children?

With hindsight I would say you should always look at the results attained by the school but also look at its pastoral care in terms of how it deals with such things as learning difficulties whether or not your child requires such support as this is an indication of the attitude and ethos of the school in which your child will spend its formative years.

What kind of activities do you think encourages a child・s creativity and over-all skills development?

In my opinion I believe that a child should be encouraged to participate in a varied range of activities to further develop their over-all skills. Artistic activities such as painting or music can be an effective way for children to develop and understand their emotions.

Mathematics can help a child expand their understanding in relation to problem solving. A foundation in maths can enable a child to explore other fields that may be of interest to them in their future life such as sciences, computing and business.

Health and fitness are also very important activities to ensure a child becomes a well-rounded individual. As well as instilling a routine of healthy living sports and exercise can help stimulate a child・s cognitive skills, understand the concept of competition and also relieve stress. Team sports can also help develop a child・s social skills which will help them with relationships at home and at work in their later life.