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Mr Rafie lets Reyhana (centre) and Rasyiqah choose what they want to read. Name: Mohamad Rafie Abdul Sajit
Age: 45
Occupation: In between jobs
If there is one thing Mr Mohamad Rafie Abdul Sajit regrets, it is that he did not read to his three elder children when they were younger.
Working 12-hour shifts as a technical specialist at a chemical factory on Jurong Island then, he returned home late and had no time to read to them.
But after switching to a more stable 8am to 5pm job, he had more time to spend with his two younger daughters, Rasyiqah and Reyhana, aged nine and five, and began reading to them.
His two elder daughters and son are between 16 and 19.
There is a difference when you start reading to children when they are younger, said Mr Rafie.
He added that his younger daughters 'speak up and ask more questions' compared to their elder siblings when they were at their age.
He also said the pair are so inquisitive, they sometimes ask him questions that he cannot answer, such as 'why do fruits have different colours'.
He said: 'I have to go on the Internet or ask around just to find out.'
To keep them amused during the bedtime stories, he imitates animal noises such as roaring like a lion.
His wife, Madam Kamariah Abdullah, 44, a housewife, joins in the storytelling sessions at times. But she is more the one in charge of their well-being, such as running baths and cooking meals, he said.
The father-daughter trio also make frequent trips to the Jurong Regional Library near their Jurong West HDB flat to borrow books.
He lets them choose their own, saying it is 'interesting to watch what they select'.
'It shows their personality,' he added.
His nine-year-old, whom he describes as being bubbly, loves mystery and ghost stories along with teen love novels such as the Sweet Valley High series. The Primary 3 student buries her head in a storybook whenever she travels on the bus or train, he said.
His five-year-old, who is in kindergarten, loves colourful pop-up books of animals.
Both like to borrow the same books again and again, he noted.
He added: 'It boosts their confidence if they read something they are familiar with.'
This article was first published in The Sunday Times.
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