Parental Guidance

- Season 1

(2007)

James and Ling are two selfish individuals with nothing to worry about this world, except themselves. When tragedy strikes, they find themselves having to fulfill a promise to their loved ones - taking on the charge of three children. The best way to do it would be together. Unfortunately, James and Ling would rather be leading quite separate lives as they dislike each other intensely. For the benefit of the children, James and Ling come to a compromise.

It's back to the negotiating table for lawyers James and Ling. Now married and parents to three children, it finally dawns on them that these kids actually need a stable home. Unfortunately, James' home, after years of sloth and neglect, is a better home for rats than children. The children, in the confusing shuffle from Uncle James' to Aunty Ling's home, miss their parents dearly.

When you can't cope, hire a maid. With a full time 7-day-week career that Ling is used to putting in, there's really no time to accommodate the kids. James is no help, since he's lazy and just as hopeless as the children. Enter Mimosa, every capable, top of the line maid. But James is too familiar with maids. He grew up with them rather than parents and has an aversion to them. But with no money and not contributing at all to the upkeep of this family, he has no say. However, Ling realizes that she isn't really fulfilling her promise to her cousin just by shoving the ...

James and Ling are now full-fledged parents. With no maid, they now have to handle everything themselves. They try to juggle work and children but it ends in near-disaster when Jonathan gets an asthma attack. James is guilt-ridden and wonders if he's fit to be a parent. Meanwhile Ling tries to handle the children herself and finds that being a single parent is a daunting task that is a grueling challenge to even the toughest career woman.

James and Ling make plans to go away separately for the Christmas long weekend, each assuming the other would watch the children. They try to bribe their way out of spending Christmas with the kids by buying them toys. They finally realize the error of their ways and spend their first Christmas with the children. However things go awry and Christmas dinner turns into a disaster.

James and Ling seem to be getting the hang of being parents. Things are going smoothly until Jocelyn reminds them they haven't been to school yet. James and Ling go on a hunt for the best schools for the three children, and find they are really out of touch with the school system. Besides grappling with the new value-added systems, they find they have to work harder than just meeting the principal to get a place in the school of their choice.

Jolene, the youngest child sets off a kutu infestation in the house. Ling goes on a cleaning rampage and not allow the head lice to get the upper hand. In doing so, she discovers a letter hidden under Jocelyn's bed to a boy James and Ling know nothing about. When they try to get more information from Jocelyn, they realise that Al, James' pupil who has been baby sitting them at night when James and Ling have to work overtime, knows more about their own children than they do.

James and Ling are 'encouraged' by their respective bosses to attend the Singapore Lawyers Association Family Day. They bring the children along and attempt to prove that they are good parents. But that becomes a big challenge when their youngest, 5 year old Jolene, bullies all the children there. Adding to the chaos, Ling meets her ex-fiancé and his new girlfriend.

James' mother, who is divorced from his father returns, causing chaos and mayhem as old family skeletons come out of the closet. James is stuck between his warring parents and Ling gets a glimpse into James' complicated childhood and the effect of his mother's actions on James. They both gain an understanding of the impact a parent has on a child.

Just how good are James and Ling together? James mother, Cecilia, and Ling's ex-fiancé, Terence, don't think they're right at all. Cecilia feels there are no sparks between James and Ling and so it doesn't do the marriage any justice. Terence thinks marrying for the children is a really bad reason to be married at all. It's up to them to show them that James and Ling should go their separate ways.

It's a confusing time for James. His parents, divorced, are now back in love. James just wishes everything was back to normal, and tries to break them apart to prevent another bitter divorce in the future. In the meantime, Jolene has injured her hand when her fist lands on a fat boy's cheek when he offends her.

James' father, Patrick is getting remarried to his ex-wife and marriage plans seem to be growing larger than they anticipated. James and Ling's marriage goes through a rough patch when Ling's inability to give her voice to her true emotions prevents them from communicating freely. This episode is about how one should stay and confront what one believes in, instead of running away - from confrontation, from facing failures and from one's own true emotions.

Ling gets a job offer she's always dreamed of. James' now re-married parents offer to take care of the children and take them off James' and Ling's hands. This means that James and Ling can go back to the lives that they were used to. But is the single me-only life they still want now that they've experienced this new life with the three children?