Why We Built KiddoSG

A story from Andy and Wendy, two working parents in Singapore with three children, too little time, and one big wish: that no parent should have to figure this out alone.

11:47 pm, a Tuesday

The house was finally quiet.

Our eldest, sixteen, was still at his desk with his Additional Maths paper, headphones on. He is in the last batch to sit the O-Levels; next year the SEC begins. Our second son, nine, in Primary 3, had fallen asleep with his English spelling list under his cheek. Our little girl, six, in K2 at the childcare centre, was curled up holding the Hanyu Pinyin flashcards she still mixes up: b, p, m, f…

Wendy sat at the dining table with her phone, scrolling through her fourth parents' WhatsApp group of the night. Someone had posted, "Anyone know a good A-Math tutor near Sengkang? Urgent, prelims coming." Forty replies. Three phone numbers. Two agency links. One message saying "My cousin's friend very good, but quite expensive leh."

Andy came back from the kitchen with two cups of Milo, and we looked at each other. Neither of us said it out loud, but we were both thinking the same thing:

How do other parents do this?

We both work full-time. We are a normal, middle-income family. We have no helper. When things get really hard, Grandma crosses the Causeway from Johor Bahru to help us for a few days, and that depends on the jam at Woodlands, on her knees, and on her own life over there. Every evening we come home tired, cook, check homework, sign the forms in the school bags, and only then, after 10 pm, do we start the "second job" that every Singapore parent knows: finding the right help for our children.

That night, we spent two hours on one question: who should teach our son A-Math for the next eleven months? We ended up going to bed without an answer.

The second job no one trains you for

Three children means three completely different worlds.

Our eldest needed a tutor who really knew the O-Level syllabus, and quickly. Agencies told us they would "match" us, then asked for half of the tutor's first month as their fee. One tutor cancelled twice in the first month. Another asked us to transfer three months of fees up front "to lock the slot". We hesitated, because we had heard about centres that closed suddenly and parents who never got their money back.

Our second son was falling behind in Maths. P3 is when the "model drawing" starts, and he was losing confidence. We didn't need an expensive specialist. We needed someone patient, nearby, on a weekday evening after we got home. We found a tuition centre with a good Google rating, but when we asked about the price, the answer was "fees on enquiry", and the real price, with registration, materials and a "deposit", was almost double what we had guessed.

Our little girl was turning seven next year. P1 registration came and went, and suddenly everyone around us was talking about phonics, pinyin, "reading readiness", ballet and swimming. We wanted her to enjoy learning, not be pushed. But which enrichment class? Which teacher is qualified? Is "certified" a real certificate, or just a word on a poster? Who will be in the water with our daughter at the swimming class?

Every one of these questions took hours, in the little time we had. And at the end of it, we still never felt sure.

The guilt

There is something many working parents don't say out loud. We will say it here.

We felt guilty.

Guilty that we couldn't sit beside our son every night and teach him fractions ourselves. Guilty that we chose a tutor in a hurry because we were too tired to compare. Guilty when Grandma, seventy and with bad knees, took two buses and a Causeway queue to fetch our daughter from childcare, because a class timing clashed with a meeting at work. Guilty when we paid for a full term of a class our daughter cried at after week two, and the centre said "no refund".

We are not experts in education. We are just two parents who love our children and are trying our best, between office deadlines, school WhatsApp groups, CCA timings and the price of everything going up.

We realised we were not alone. Every parent we talked to, at the void deck, at the school gate, in the childcare pick-up line, had the same story. Different children, same tiredness.

The void deck conversation

The idea for KiddoSG was born at our void deck.

One Saturday, waiting for our son's CCA to end, Wendy started chatting with two other mothers from our block. One had a P3 son. The other had a P3 daughter. All three children were struggling with the same Maths topics. All three families were each paying around S$50 an hour for one-to-one tuition, or searching for it.

One of them laughed and said, "Eh, why don't we just share one tutor? Three kids, one table, split the fee."

We did. A retired teacher came every Saturday afternoon to the study room of the community library nearby. The three children worked together. They pushed each other, laughed together, and suddenly Maths was less lonely. Each family paid about a third of the price. Our son came home and said, "Mummy, I explained the model to Jun Wei today."

That one sentence stayed with us.

Shared tuition worked. Then it got messy. One family moved away, and nobody knew how to split the fee fairly anymore. Someone forgot to pay. The WhatsApp group became awkward. We needed a fair, clear and kind way to do it, with rules everyone agreed to before starting.

That evening Andy said: "There should be an app for this. For parents like us."

What we wished existed

So we sat down and wrote a list. Not a business plan, just a list of everything we had wished for, as parents, over the years.

One place to find help for all three kids. School subjects from K1 to JC, and enrichment like piano, ballet, swimming and coding, from toddler age up.
Real prices, shown up front. Per lesson, per hour and per month, all-in, with no "fees on enquiry". And a simple way to see what is normal in our area, so we know if we are paying too much.
Badges that tell the truth. Not "certified" or "background checked" as marketing words, but exactly what was checked: a real Singapore phone number, a real qualification, a real coaching registration. And an honest message when something was not checked.
Never paying a whole term up front again. Pay per lesson, after the lesson. A short time to say "something went wrong" before the money goes. A cooling-off period when we sign up for a class.
A fair way to share a tutor. Split the fee clearly, agree on the rules first, and if a family leaves, nobody is charged more without saying yes.
Our children's privacy, protected. Tutors should see our town, not our address, until we choose them. No child's name or school shown publicly. No NRIC collected, ever.
One family calendar. Tuition, ballet, swimming, school holidays and Grandma's visits in one place, with a reminder the night before, because we are tired and we forget.
Grandma can help, without the stress. Give her the schedule and reminders, but not the payments. And in her language.
A place where parents share with parents. Not another noisy WhatsApp group, but a calm, kind, moderated space for every age: toddler sleep and first words, P1 readiness, PSLE stress, the new SEC, teens and phones, enrichment that's worth it, and juggling work and family. Plus real reviews and plain-English guides.
Free for every parent. Finding help, booking, sharing a tutor, and talking with other parents should never depend on how much a family earns.
Fair for tutors too. Good tutors shouldn't lose half a month's pay to an agency. If they keep 100%, the best of them will stay.

That list became KiddoSG.

Why "KiddoSG"

"Kiddo" is a warm, everyday word for a child. "SG" is home. The app is for every Singapore family and their kiddos.

We want it to be, for every parent, a friend who has already done the homework. One who already compared the prices, already checked the certificates, already knows what "G3" means and what changed with the SEC, and already found two other families nearby who want to share a tutor for P3 Maths on Saturday afternoon.

For a working parent, the most precious thing isn't money. It is time: time to sit with our children at dinner, instead of scrolling through WhatsApp groups at midnight.

How KiddoSG helps a parent like us

Here is the Tuesday night we wish we had had.

At 9:30 pm, after dinner, Wendy opens KiddoSG. She types "Sec 4 A-Math, Sengkang, weekday evenings". She sees tutors with clear rates, real reviews from other parents, and badges that say exactly what was checked. She posts one request, and by morning five tutors have applied, each with a short message about how they would help.
Andy checks the local price guide: the typical A-Math rate in our area. Now we know a fair price.
We book a trial lesson, and pay only after it happens. If we're not happy, we tap "Report a problem", and the money waits while someone helps us.
For our P3 son, we join a shared group of three families nearby. The app shows the split per child, and the rules everyone agreed to. When one family moves away, the app asks us what we want to do. It never charges us more without our "yes".
For our K2 girl, we book one trial ballet class, then a 4-class pack, not a full term. When she has a fever and misses a class, we get a make-up credit.
Grandma gets a caregiver login on her phone. She sees the week's schedule and gets a reminder, but she doesn't have to handle any payments. When she visits from JB, she knows exactly where to go.
Everything appears in one family calendar: three children, one screen.

And at 10:30 pm, the phone goes down, and we sit with our children.

Sharing what we learn, parent to parent

The most helpful advice we ever received came from other parents, not from advertisements. A mother at pick-up who told us which questions to ask a tutor. A father who explained the new PSLE scoring in two minutes, better than any website. Grandma's friend who said, "Let the child play first, the pinyin will come."

So KiddoSG is built to pass that wisdom on:

Guides written in plain English (Chinese, Malay and Tamil are coming), on the questions every parent asks: choosing a tutor, the first-lesson safety checklist, what Full Subject-Based Banding means, getting ready for P1, budgeting for tuition, and keeping tuition healthy so childhood isn't only homework.
Reviews only from real lessons, written as "Parent of a P5 student, Sengkang", never with a child's name.
Shared groups, where the parents themselves become a small community and help one another.
Parents' Corner, a free sharing space where parents talk about raising kids at every age, not just tuition:
Topics by age: baby and toddler (18 months to 3), preschool and K1–K2, primary and PSLE, secondary and the SEC, JC and teens.
Everyday topics: enrichment, working parents, grandparents and caregivers, and children who learn differently.
How you appear: as "Parent of a P3 child, Sengkang", never with your child's name, school or photo.
How it stays kind: posts are moderated, there are no ads, and tutors can't sell there. When a teacher answers, they are clearly labelled.
Questions and tips: ask a question and other parents answer. Mark the answer that helped you, so the next tired parent finds it quickly.

We believe every parent's experience, the mistakes and the wins, can save another parent a sleepless night.

Not about money

We want to be honest about one thing: we did not build KiddoSG to get rich.

We built it because we know how it feels to be tired, worried and alone with these questions. The point of this app is for families to help each other: to share a tutor, share a tip, share the way home from school. Every parent who answers another parent's question at night is doing what this app is for.

The app needs some money to run safely: payments, checking tutors' certificates, keeping the community kind. All of it comes only from the app's own income, the optional plans that tutors and centres choose, never from our own pocket, and never from parents. We will keep costs small, and every year we will show where the money went. But the heart of KiddoSG will always be free for parents, with no commission taken from teachers, no selling your data, and no ads.

Our promise to every parent

We are not a big company. We are parents first. Here is what we promise:

Free for every parent. Finding tutors and classes, booking, paying per lesson, joining shared groups, the family calendar and Parents' Corner are free. Safety features are always free.
No surprises with money. You see the real price before you pay. You pay per lesson. We never hold your tuition money.
Honest badges. We only say what we really checked. We will never say "background checked" when no such check exists.
Your children's privacy comes first. Town, not address. Nickname, not full name. Never the school. Never the NRIC.
Kind to tutors. No commission on their fees, so good teachers can keep teaching.
Built for real families. Busy parents, grandparents helping out, teens growing up, and children from playgroup all the way to JC.

To our three children

To our eldest: we know the O-Levels feel heavy right now. Whatever the results, we are proud of how hard you try, and of how you help your brother with his Maths when you think we aren't watching.

To our second son: the day you said "I explained the model to Jun Wei" was the day this app began. Keep explaining. Keep sharing.

To our little girl: b, p, m, f, you'll get there. And you will always be our best ballerina, even when you spin the wrong way.

We built KiddoSG for you, and for every child whose parents come home tired but still sit down at 10 pm to ask, "How was school today?"

For every working parent who has ever felt they're not doing enough: you are doing more than enough. Let us help with the rest.

Andy and Wendy Founders of KiddoSG, Singapore

我们为什么创建 KiddoSG

一对新加坡双职工父母、三个孩子、永远不够用的时间，还有一个心愿：不要让任何一位父母独自摸索。

星期二，晚上 11 点 47 分

家里终于安静下来了。

16 岁的大儿子还坐在书桌前做 A 数（Additional Maths）的题，戴着耳机。他是最后一届考 O 水准的学生，明年起就改为新的 SEC 考试了。9 岁、读小三的二儿子，脸颊压着英文听写单睡着了。6 岁、在托儿所读 K2 的小女儿，抱着她还常常认错的汉语拼音卡片蜷成一团：b、p、m、f……

Wendy 坐在饭桌前，手机上是今晚第四个家长 WhatsApp 群。有人问："有没有人知道盛港附近好的 A 数补习老师？很急，快预考了。" 四十条回复，三个电话号码，两个中介链接，还有一条："我表哥的朋友教得很好，不过有点贵哦。"

Andy 从厨房端来两杯美禄。我们看了对方一眼，谁都没说出口，但心里想的是同一句话：

别的父母，到底是怎么做到的？

我们两个都是全职上班族，普通的中等收入家庭，没有请女佣。实在忙不过来的时候，外婆会从马来西亚新山过长堤来帮忙几天，但那要看兀兰关卡塞不塞车，看她的膝盖，也要看她自己在那边的生活。每天下班回到家已经很累，煮饭、检查功课、签书包里的通知单；然后过了晚上十点，才开始每个新加坡父母都懂的"第二份工作"：为孩子找到对的帮助。

那一晚，我们为了一个问题花了两个小时："接下来十一个月，谁来教儿子 A 数？" 最后还是没有答案，就上床睡觉了。

没有人教过我们的"第二份工作"

三个孩子，就是三个完全不同的世界。

大儿子需要一位真正熟悉 O 水准课程的老师，而且要快。中介说会帮我们"配对"，然后要收老师第一个月学费的一半作为佣金。有一位老师第一个月就取消了两次课；另一位要我们先转三个月的学费"保留位子"。我们犹豫了，因为听说过补习中心突然倒闭、家长的钱拿不回来的事。

二儿子的数学跟不上了。小三开始学"画模型"，他越来越没信心。我们不需要很贵的名师，只需要一位有耐心、住得近、能在我们下班后的平日晚上上课的老师。我们找到一家 Google 评价不错的补习中心，一问价钱，却是"费用面议"；加上注册费、教材费和"押金"，真实价格几乎是我们预想的两倍。

小女儿明年就上小一了。小一报名季刚过，身边的人都在谈 phonics、拼音、"阅读准备"、芭蕾、游泳。我们希望她享受学习，而不是被逼着学。可是该选哪个才艺班？哪位老师真正合格？海报上的"certified"是真的证书，还是只是一个词？游泳课上，跟我们女儿一起在水里的是谁？

每一个问题，都要在我们本来就很少的时间里花上好几个小时。而最后，我们还是常常不确定。

愧疚

有一件事，很多上班族父母不会说出口。我们在这里说出来：

我们很愧疚。

愧疚不能每晚坐在儿子身边亲自教他分数；愧疚因为太累、来不及比较，就匆匆选了一位老师；愧疚七十岁、膝盖不好的外婆，坐两趟巴士、排长堤的队，只为了帮我们去托儿所接女儿，因为课程时间跟公司会议撞了；愧疚我们付了整期的学费，女儿第二个星期就哭着不肯去，中心却说"不能退款"。

我们不是教育专家，只是两个爱孩子、在工作期限、学校群组、课外活动时间和不断上涨的物价之间尽力而为的普通父母。

后来我们发现，我们并不孤单。在组屋楼下、在校门口、在托儿所接孩子的队伍里，每一位家长都有相同的故事。孩子不同，疲惫一样。

组屋楼下的一段对话

KiddoSG 的想法，诞生在我们组屋的楼下。

一个星期六，等儿子课外活动结束时，Wendy 和同座的两位妈妈聊了起来。一位的儿子读小三，另一位的女儿也读小三。三个孩子卡在同样的数学单元；三个家庭都在为一对一补习付大约一小时 50 元，或正在到处找老师。

其中一位妈妈笑着说："诶，不如我们一起请一个老师？三个孩子一张桌子，学费平分。"

我们真的这样做了。一位退休老师每个星期六下午来附近社区图书馆的讨论室。三个孩子一起学习，互相比赛、一起笑，数学突然不再那么孤单。每个家庭只付大约三分之一的价钱。有一天儿子回家说："妈妈，我今天教俊伟画模型了。"

这句话，一直留在我们心里。

一起请老师很有用，但后来也变得很乱：一家人搬走了，没有人知道学费该怎么重新公平地分；有人忘了付钱；WhatsApp 群开始变得尴尬。我们需要一种公平、清楚、又体贴的方式，让大家在开始之前就先同意好规则。

那天晚上，Andy 说："应该有一个 App 来做这件事。给像我们这样的父母用。"

我们一直希望有的东西

于是我们坐下来写了一张清单。不是商业计划，只是这些年来，作为父母，我们一直希望有的一切。

一个地方，照顾三个孩子的需要。 从 K1 到初院的学校科目，以及从幼儿开始的钢琴、芭蕾、游泳、编程等才艺。
真实价格，事先说清楚。 每堂课、每小时、每个月，全部包含，不再"费用面议"；还能看到我们这一区的正常价格，知道自己有没有付太多。
说真话的认证标志。 不是营销用的"certified"或"背景调查"，而是清楚写出到底查了什么：真实的新加坡手机号码、真实的学历、真实的教练注册；没查过的，也老实说没查过。
再也不用先付一整期学费。 一堂一堂付，上完课才付；钱转出之前，有一小段时间可以说"出了问题"；报名才艺班有冷静期。
一种公平的"一起请老师"的方式。 学费清楚分摊，先说好规则；有家庭退出时，没有我们同意，绝不多收一分钱。
保护孩子的隐私。 在我们选定老师之前，老师只看得到我们住的区域，不是地址；孩子的名字和学校永远不公开；永远不收集身份证号码。
一个家庭日历。 补习、芭蕾、游泳、学校假期、外婆来访，全部在一个地方，前一晚提醒，因为我们真的很累，会忘记。
让外婆帮忙，却不添压力。 给她课程时间和提醒，不必管付款，而且用她看得懂的语言。
一个父母与父母分享的地方。 不是另一个吵闹的 WhatsApp 群，而是一个安静、友善、有人管理的空间，涵盖每个年龄：幼儿睡眠和第一句话、准备上小一、小六会考压力、新的 SEC、青少年和手机、值得上的才艺班，以及工作与家庭的平衡。还有真实评价和浅白的指南。
对每一位父母免费。 找老师、预约、一起请老师、和其他父母交流，都不应该取决于一个家庭赚多少钱。
对老师也要公平。 好老师不应该把半个月的收入交给中介。让他们拿回 100%，最好的老师才会留下来。

这张清单，后来就变成了 KiddoSG。

为什么叫"KiddoSG"

"Kiddo"是对孩子亲切的称呼，"SG"是我们的家。这个 App 属于每一个新加坡家庭和他们的孩子。

我们希望它对每一位父母来说，是一位已经帮你做好功课的好朋友。 它已经比较好价格，已经查过证书，已经知道"G3"是什么、SEC 改变了什么，也已经帮你找到附近两户想在星期六下午一起请老师补小三数学的家庭。

对上班族父母来说，最珍贵的不是钱，而是时间：吃晚饭时陪在孩子身边的时间，而不是半夜还在刷 WhatsApp 群组。

KiddoSG 怎样帮助像我们一样的父母

这是我们希望曾经拥有的那个星期二晚上：

晚上 9 点半，吃完饭，Wendy 打开 KiddoSG，输入"中四 A 数、盛港、平日晚上"。她看到价格清楚的老师、其他家长的真实评价，以及写明查过什么的认证标志。她只发一个请求，第二天早上已经有五位老师申请，每位都写了一段话，说明会怎么帮忙。
Andy 打开本区价格指南，看到附近 A 数的一般价格，心里有底了。
我们先约一堂试课，上完才付钱。不满意的话，按"报告问题"，钱会先暂停，有人来帮我们处理。
二儿子加入附近三户人家的补习小组。App 清楚显示每个孩子分摊多少，以及大家同意的规则。有一家搬走时，App 会问我们想怎么做，没有我们的"同意"，绝不多收。
小女儿先上一堂芭蕾试课，再买四堂的体验配套，而不是一整期。她发烧缺课时，我们拿到一次补课额度。
外婆的手机上有照顾者账户：看得到这星期的课程、收到提醒，不需要处理任何付款。她从新山过来时，清楚知道要去哪里。
一切都在一个家庭日历里：三个孩子，一个画面。

然后晚上 10 点半，我们放下手机，陪孩子坐一会儿。

父母之间，经验互相分享

我们收到过最有用的建议，都来自其他父母，而不是广告：接孩子时一位妈妈告诉我们该问老师哪些问题；一位爸爸用两分钟就把新的 PSLE 计分讲清楚，比任何网站都清楚；外婆的朋友说："先让孩子玩，拼音自然会来。"

所以 KiddoSG 要把这些智慧传下去：

用浅白语言写的指南（中文、马来文、淡米尔文版本即将推出）：怎样选老师、第一堂课的安全清单、全科目编班是什么、怎样准备上小一、补习预算，还有怎样让补习保持健康，不让童年只剩下功课。
只来自真实上课的评价，署名是"一位小五学生的家长，盛港"，永远不写孩子的名字。
补习小组，让家长们自己成为一个小社群，互相扶持。
家长交流角（Parents' Corner）：一个免费的分享空间，让父母聊养育孩子的每一个阶段，不只是补习：
按年龄分类的话题：婴幼儿（18 个月至 3 岁）、学前与 K1–K2、小学与小六会考、中学与 SEC、初院与青少年。
日常话题：才艺班、上班族父母、祖父母与照顾者，以及学习方式不同的孩子。
你怎样出现：署名是"一位小三孩子的家长，盛港"，永远不显示孩子的名字、学校或照片。
怎样保持友善：有专人管理，没有广告，老师不能在里面推销。老师回答时会清楚标明身份。
提问与分享：你可以提问，其他父母会回答。标记对你最有帮助的回答，让下一位疲惫的父母更快找到。

我们相信，每一位父母的经验，不管是犯过的错还是成功的方法，都能让另一位父母少一个失眠的夜晚。

不是为了赚钱

有一件事，我们想坦白说：我们创建 KiddoSG，不是为了发财。

我们做这个 App，是因为我们明白那种又累、又担心、独自面对这些问题的感觉。这个 App 的意义，是让家庭互相帮助：一起请老师、分享一个方法、分享放学回家的路。每一位在深夜回答别的父母问题的家长，就是在做这个 App 想做的事。

App 需要一些钱才能安全地运作：处理付款、核实老师的证书、让社群保持友善。这些钱只来自 App 本身的收入，也就是老师和补习中心自愿选择的付费方案；不是我们自己掏腰包，也绝不向父母收费。我们会把成本减到最少，每年公开说明钱用在了哪里。但 KiddoSG 的核心永远是：对父母免费、不向老师抽佣、不出卖你的资料、没有广告。

我们对每一位父母的承诺

我们不是大公司，我们首先是父母。我们承诺：

对每一位父母免费。 找老师和才艺班、预约、按堂付费、加入补习小组、家庭日历和家长交流角，全部免费。安全功能永远免费。
金钱上没有意外。 付款前看清楚真实价格；一堂一堂付；我们绝不代管你的补习费。
诚实的认证标志。 只说我们真正查过的。没有的检查，我们绝不说"背景调查"。
孩子的隐私第一。 只显示区域，不显示地址；用小名，不用全名；永远不显示学校；永远不收集身份证号码。
善待老师。 不抽老师的佣金，让好老师可以继续教下去。
为真实的家庭而设计。 忙碌的父母、帮忙的祖父母、成长中的青少年，从幼儿到初院的每一个孩子。

给我们的三个孩子

给大儿子：我们知道 O 水准现在很沉重。不管成绩怎样，我们都为你的努力感到骄傲，也为你在以为我们没看见时，耐心教弟弟数学感到骄傲。

给二儿子：你说"我今天教俊伟画模型了"的那一天，就是这个 App 诞生的那一天。继续分享，继续教别人。

给小女儿：b、p、m、f，你一定会学会的。就算转错方向，你也永远是我们最棒的小芭蕾舞者。

KiddoSG 是为你们而做的，也是为每一个孩子而做的：他们的父母下班回家很累，却仍然在晚上十点坐下来问一句："今天在学校怎么样？"

给每一位曾经觉得自己做得不够的上班族父母：你已经做得很多了。剩下的，让我们来帮你。

Andy 与 Wendy KiddoSG 创办人，新加坡