Show Notes
I had the joy of spending time with Ssonia Ong of Ong Squad during her visit to Singapore, where I was deeply moved by the strong bond she shares with her husband and 5 children, aged 2 to 14. Their close-knit family culture radiates warmth and genuine joy, and I was eager to discover the parenting principles that guide her.
Ssonia’s story of reinvention is truly inspiring. When she was 38, she bravely pivoted from a fulfilling career as a child trauma counsellor to become a thriving content creator on TikTok, amassing over 17 million followers. It took immense courage to step into this new chapter, and her journey is a testament to the power of following your passions, no matter your age.
In our conversation, she opens up about her parenting journey, the challenges and triumphs of balancing motherhood with a new career, and how she fosters a nurturing environment for her kids. Join me as I explore her incredible story and the belief that it’s never too late to chase your dreams. Ssonia’s insights will inspire anyone looking to make a meaningful change in their life.
00:00 Introduction
00:36 Get to know Ssonia Ong
03:38 Content Creation During the Pandemic
08:22 Transitioning to a Full-Time Content Creator
10:33 Balancing Content Creation and Motherhood
12:09 Finding Inspiration on TikTok
13:05 Kevin’s Role in Ong Squad
15:22 Embracing Imperfection as a Content Creator
17:12 Creating Content with Positive Impact
19:13 Protecting Children on Social Media
23:21 Navigating Social Media Validation and Criticism
26:05 Memorable Interactions with Followers
27:18 Ssonia’s Content Creation Strategies
28:53 Redefining Creativity and Taking Risks
32:38 Navigating Motherhood with 5 Kids
35:30 Prioritising Marriage Amidst Parenting
39:14 Ssonia’s Advice for Young Parents
41:13 The Key to Raising Healthy Kids
42:12 Advice for Middle-Aged Dreamers
44:13 Ssonia’s Biggest Lesson in Life
44:49 Final Reflections
Follow Rachel here: https://www.instagram.com/ms_rach/
Follow Ong Squad here: https://www.instagram.com/_ongsquad/
More from CLOSER with Rachel Lim
Chloe Tong opens up about the life behind the roles she is most known for: daughter, wife, mother of five, partner to Grab co-founder and CEO Anthony Tan, and now the work she is building through ACE Team Foundation.
When do children stop trusting themselves?
The word narcissist gets thrown around a lot. But what does narcissism actually look like in a relationship, and what happens to us when we spend too long trying to manage someone else? In this episode of CLOSER, I sit down with clinical psychologist and bestselling author Dr. Ramani Durvasula to unpack narcissism beyond the label: the subtle signs we often miss, why narcissistic people can be so charming to the outside world, and why the people closest to them can have a completely different experience.
Hwee Keng said: “There is a personality in that small human being... you don’t know the settings. First, I think you need to find out the settings.” As parents, we spend so much energy shaping who we hope our children will become, and perhaps not enough time discovering who they already are. What struck me about Hwee Keng is how much of her parenting has been about unlearning her own expectations. She even caught herself once after feeling disappointed that Max didn’t win a competition, and realised some of that disappointment was about her own ego. That hit me. Because maybe the work is not raising the child we imagined, but learning to really see the child in front of us. In this episode, we talk about curiosity over performance, giving children real agency, the difference between “you’ve got this” and “we’ve got you,” responsibility, consequences, and what it means to raise children who are truly fit for life.
Before Shanti Pereira became Singapore's fastest woman, before she made history on some of the world's biggest stages, she was a ten-year-old girl who lost a few races in primary school and wanted to quit.