Yvonne Lim Wants To Be Present For Son Taking PSLE Next Year: "Do Your Best, But Don’t Lose Your Childhood"

The PSLE can be stressful for students and maybe even more so for their parents.

Although her son AJ is only in Primary 5, Yvonne Lim is already thinking ahead to how she can best support him when he sits for his Primary School Leaving Examination next year.

During a recent set visit for her upcoming Mediacorp drama No Other Way, the 49-year-old actress told Chinese media 8world vibes that she has even considered taking a break from work next year to help AJ “gear up for” his biggest exam yet.

In No Other Way, Yvonne plays Dr Susan, a psychiatrist who works with the police to assess suspects’ mental states but offscreen, her focus is very much on family.

Having lived in Taipei with her businessman husband Alex Tien and their two kids — AJ, 10, and Alexa, eight — for the past decade, the family moved back to Singapore late last year. The children are now enrolled in local schools.

Yvonne tells 8days.sg that her kids have since “settled in a lot better,” though the transition initially came as a “bit of a shock.”

“The pace and expectations here are quite different, especially for my elder son who’s in Primary 5. I’m so relieved kids adapt fast. They’re much more comfortable these days.”

Previously, Yvonne shared that her children had “quite a bit of catching up to do” in English, as composition writing wasn’t part of Taiwan’s curriculum.

“Honestly, compositions were challenging at first. But with practice and guidance from their teachers, they’ve become more confident,” she says, adding that she’s since engaged a tutor — something they didn’t have back in Taipei.

“It’s more to support the areas where they need an extra push, and it has definitely helped."

When it comes to exams, Yvonne admits she’s probably the more nervous one in the household.

“Alexa is in Primary 2, so everything’s still chill for her,” she laughs. “But with AJ, I’m definitely more anxious than he is because I worry he can’t keep up. He’s actually calmer than me, which is good!”

As for her plans to possibly take a break from acting, Yvonne says it wouldn’t be for the entire year.

She already has her work lined up, but if she does take a break, "it would probably be closer to the PSLE period."

"I don’t think I need to stop for the whole year. I just want to be present for my child.”

She already carves out time to revise with AJ, going through his mistakes and helping him stay consistent.

“I just want to make sure he understands what he’s learning,” she says.

In her 8world interview, Yvonne revealed that her husband wants her to continue acting, even if she takes a short break.

“He knows I get very kan cheong during exam season!” she laughs. “But he also feels acting is something I truly enjoy and doesn’t want me to give it up completely. He’s very supportive.”

Alex also pulls his weight at home.

“He makes sure the kids are doing their homework and helps with sending and fetching them for classes when I’m working. It’s teamwork. We balance each other out,” Yvonne shares.

Yvonne describes AJ as a hardworking and determined student, though, like any kid, he has his phases.

“Some days he’s very motivated, other days he needs a bit of a nudge. But overall, he really tries,” she says proudly.

Though PSLE is still almost a year away, Yvonne says AJ has started to feel the pressure.

“A little bit, yes. He knows it’s an important year, but we try to keep things healthy. I tell him: do your best, but don’t lose your childhood. Work hard, play hard. That’s the balance we want.”

As for which secondary school AJ hopes to get into, Yvonne remains tight-lipped.

“He already has one in mind, and we’ll try our best to support him,” she says. “We just want him to go to a school where he’ll feel happy, supported, and motivated.”

She adds that they’re “not rushing into DSA” and will “see how things unfold naturally.”

“We just want him to go to a school where he’ll feel happy, supported and motivated."