Zoe Tay On Kids, Discipline & Raising Her Sons To Speak Mandarin

Read the lovely and talented Zoe Tay's very interesting interview now.

Zoe Tay, the “Queen of Caldecott,” award-winning actress and mother of three sons with husband Philip, has always been refreshingly down-to-earth about family life. In an interview theAsianparent conducted with her some years ago at the First Moms’ & Dads’ Congress, not long after the birth of her third son, she spoke candidly about discipline, raising her boys to speak Mandarin, handling working-mum guilt, and staying sane through it all. Her thoughts have aged well, so we’re revisiting them here.

Zoe Tay’s parenting, in her own words, comes down to a few grounded ideas: firm but respectful discipline shared with her husband, insisting on Mandarin at home, not over-stressing the kids, and accepting that working mothers have to let go and trust their help.

What follows are her own reflections from that interview, retained as she gave them. They’re not expert prescriptions. They’re one hands-on celebrity mum’s take, and that’s exactly why they resonated.

How she and Philip handle discipline

Asked who the disciplinarian was at home, Zoe was clear it was mostly her. “I’m more strict,” she said. But the striking part was how she and Philip handled it together: “When it comes to parenting, Philip and I will talk and we try to respect each other’s parenting style. We always try to be calm and when one is disciplining the child, we do not get involved.” She gave an example that many parents will recognise. When Philip was disciplining their son, the boy came to her for rescue: “But I told him, no, he must listen to ‘baba’ — father.” The lesson underneath is a united front: not undermining the parent who’s handling the moment.

On raising her boys to speak Mandarin

Long before bilingualism became a mainstream parenting preoccupation, Zoe was firm about it. “The kids have to speak the language. You have to force them to speak Mandarin,” she said, but her method was about environment, not drilling: “if they know how to say table in English, you must ask or teach them to say it in Mandarin. Create an environment for them to learn, play games with them in Chinese, and let them understand the culture. That is very important.” Immersion and culture, in other words, not rote. It’s advice that has only aged into the mainstream since.

What she says about enrichment classes

On the perennial Singaporean question of enrichment classes, Zoe struck a balance. She consulted friends for advice on the best classes for her boys, “but I don’t want to over-stress them.” Family did some of the heavy lifting: “My mother-in-law is a teacher, so she helps to teach them in Maths and English.” A measured take in a culture that often tips the other way.

On working-mum guilt and letting go

Perhaps her most relatable reflection was on the guilt every working mother knows. She recalled being on a film set when her young second son spiked a fever of 40 degrees: “I couldn’t leave work. I had to call my mom and neighbour to help send him to the hospital.” Her conclusion: “As mothers, you always feel guilty when you go to work. When I’m home, I try to take care of the baby myself.” And on relying on help without falling apart: “You have to let go sometimes. If you want helpers to help you, you must trust them to help.” On managing it all, her anchor was simple: do what you love and savour the children. “I have so much fun and joy spending time with them.”

Frequently asked questions

How many children does Zoe Tay have?

Zoe Tay has three sons with her husband Philip. This interview was conducted not long after the birth of her third son.

What’s Zoe Tay’s parenting and discipline style?

By her own account she’s the stricter parent, but she and Philip discipline as a united front. They talk through their approaches, stay calm, and don’t undermine whoever is handling the moment. As she told her son when he sought rescue from his father’s discipline: “he must listen to ‘baba’.”

How did Zoe Tay teach her sons Mandarin?

Through immersion instead of rote: insisting the language be spoken, prompting the Mandarin word whenever they used the English one, playing games in Chinese, and teaching them the culture. “Create an environment for them to learn,” she said.

What did Zoe Tay say about being a working mother?

She was candid about the guilt, recalling being stuck on set when her son ran a high fever, and about the necessity of letting go: “If you want helpers to help you, you must trust them to help.” Her balance was to care for her children herself when home, and to enjoy the time with them.

What to take from her advice

Revisiting Zoe Tay’s interview, her parenting wisdom holds up: be firm but present a united front on discipline, build a Mandarin-speaking home through immersion and culture instead of drilling, resist the urge to over-stress children with enrichment, and, as a working mother, accept the guilt, trust your help, and treasure the time you do get. Grounded, honest advice from a mum of three who clearly enjoys the job.