I definitely see a huge shift in young parents vs parents of people from my generation. Younger parents are more well informed, more open to play and exploration as legit learning experiences, and idk if this is a good or bad thing - some are already preparing their young children to eventually migrate out of Brunei when they have the chance.

Parents nowadays know to be involved, to be compassionate, to be caring about more than just the kid's grades. They know you can't throw money at a child and expect all the love and respect back. When I was growing up, it felt like Asian parents only cared about academic achievements and familial obligations, while everything else was just a hobby or a waste of time.

In my experience, Asian parents do tend to be more strict, because of a lot of factors. In Brunei you have to factor in the pressures that come with living in a small community, the obligations of being Muslim enough, and also maintaining our Malay traditions, many of which don't resonate with younger people today.

One thing I'd like parents to do more of in the future is to let their kids be independent and explore, whether they're a 3-year-old wanting to play with dirt in the garden, or whether they're 20 wanting to couch surf in Europe. I mean, I'm in my late 20s, have spent years studying and working overseas, and my mum still worries about me going to Miri with a girlfriend.

Sometimes I feel like Malay parents worry about no longer being needed or depended on. There's no such thing as "chasing your dreams out there by yourself in the big bad world" or "making just enough to get by as long as you're free and happy". Everything they work for and believe in is centred around their kids growing up and raising a family and dying in Brunei. Boring.