Recipes for Success: Family Routines, Positive Habits and Real-Life Tips
By: Justin Chan and Joey Ong
Synopsis
Is joy around mealtimes possible?
Mealtimes are messy — but they may also be the most important moments we get with our kids.
If you’ve ever sat with a family with kids under six at mealtime, you’ll know the struggle. Picky eating. Food dropping, drinks spilling. The challenge of simply getting food onto plates and into bellies. At some point, our family meals became a chore to survive rather than moments to enjoy. When our third child joined the table and survival mode kicked in, we knew something had to change.
Breakfast sets the tone for the day. Dinner resets us for rest at night. For our kids in preschool from 9am to 6pm, those two meals may be the main face-to-face moments we share. If we don’t correct our attitude towards mealtimes, we shortchange ourselves of what could have been a meaningful family rhythm.
If we make small shifts at mealtimes — repositioning ourselves and reclaiming precious connection time even in the thick of the moment — we can keep chaos from stealing the joy and discover it right at the table, in the mess.
We can’t aim for perfection in parenting. But we can aim for success in our family life — it looks different for each family, but the core principles remain.
Our new book, Recipes for Success, captures these principles that have guided our family. Our hope is that by sharing them, we can spark conversations and encourage fellow parents to keep going, to keep fighting this worthy battle of reclaiming and restoring connection with our kids!
— Justin & Joey, parents of 3
(Connect with us on ig: @justinchanjl @joeyozy)
What you can expect:
• 60 full-coloured pages
• insights and reflections
• practical parenting tips
• fun activities for kids
• easy-to-prepare recipes
Supported by Focus on the Family Singapore
Launched at FAM JAM! Fest 2025
Published by Fantastic Bureau
www.fantasticbureau.com
Mealtimes are messy — but they may also be the most important moments we get with our kids.
If you’ve ever sat with a family with kids under six at mealtime, you’ll know the struggle. Picky eating. Food dropping, drinks spilling. The challenge of simply getting food onto plates and into bellies. At some point, our family meals became a chore to survive rather than moments to enjoy. When our third child joined the table and survival mode kicked in, we knew something had to change.
Breakfast sets the tone for the day. Dinner resets us for rest at night. For our kids in preschool from 9am to 6pm, those two meals may be the main face-to-face moments we share. If we don’t correct our attitude towards mealtimes, we shortchange ourselves of what could have been a meaningful family rhythm.
If we make small shifts at mealtimes — repositioning ourselves and reclaiming precious connection time even in the thick of the moment — we can keep chaos from stealing the joy and discover it right at the table, in the mess.
We can’t aim for perfection in parenting. But we can aim for success in our family life — it looks different for each family, but the core principles remain.
Our new book, Recipes for Success, captures these principles that have guided our family. Our hope is that by sharing them, we can spark conversations and encourage fellow parents to keep going, to keep fighting this worthy battle of reclaiming and restoring connection with our kids!
— Justin & Joey, parents of 3
(Connect with us on ig: @justinchanjl @joeyozy)
What you can expect:
• 60 full-coloured pages
• insights and reflections
• practical parenting tips
• fun activities for kids
• easy-to-prepare recipes
Supported by Focus on the Family Singapore
Launched at FAM JAM! Fest 2025
Published by Fantastic Bureau
www.fantasticbureau.com
Contributor's Note
Hello! I am Joey, a mummy of three young kiddos aged 6, 4 and 2. Our parenting journey has been marked by chaos, lessons, and newfound hope through the years. We can’t aim for perfection in parenting, but we can aim for success in our family life — it looks different for each family, but the core principles remain. With support from Focus on the Family (a charity we volunteer at), our new book captures these principles, and we hope to encourage parents to keep fighting this worthy battle of reclaiming and restoring connection with their kids.
— Joey Ong
— Joey Ong