By Radha Basu

For the past five years, Madam Lily Ong, 67, has been taking a train from her home in Ang Mo Kio to Woodlands every weekday morning, returning only after a hard day's work 12 hours later.

Her 'workplace' is the home of her son Elisha Lim, 38, where she acts as friend, companion and peacemaker to his three children aged between three and eight.

'It's like any full-time job, just more pleasurable,' said the petite grandmother, who has helped raise 17 grandchildren.

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