My observation:
As a foreigner living in Singapore for decade, I have noticed an aspect of the Singaporean culture that is very prevalent: It seems that mistakes are not acceptable. Perhaps of the KIASU traits generally.
Many parents I came across can be hard on the children for making mistakes in their schoolwork. I understand that the parents are trying to ensure that the children make the most of the education with their great expectation.
Unfortunately, their children would, as a result, grow up afraid of making wrong decisions or taking risks. Such an environment is not conducive to creative thinking, which is intuitive and often characterised by the philosophy of "learn as you go" and "trial and error".
What I thought if you want your children to be creative, give them the freedom to learn from their mistakes, instead of instilling in them the belief that errors can only lead to bad consequences.
Creative and spontaneous action may not always yield success, but the truly memorable achievements in life will always come from an unfettered mind that is free from the fear of failure.
