A neighbour’s complaint about my toddler’s footsteps made me question how far parents are expected to go to keep the peace. But children’s laughter and stomps aren’t noise — they’re life. Here’s why empathy matters more than silence in HDB living.

We expect silence from children, speed from elders, and perfection from parents - but life has always been noisy, slow, and messy where it matters most. This reflection is a call to patience and compassion: grace for our kids as they grow, grace for ourselves as we stumble, and grace for others along the way.