“IT’S KIND OF BORING”
For some families in the west, the haze has disrupted children’s routines and limited opportunities to play and socialise outdoors.
Eight-year-old Eashan, who used to visit the playground every evening after school with his five-year-old brother, has not been allowed to do so since the haze worsened.
“I feel like it’s kind of boring. Because usually at the playground I get to meet my friends and then play with them,” he told CNA.
His weekend swimming lessons have also been cancelled by the school.
His mother, who gave her name as Ms Chew, 38, said the family has been spending more time at home or visiting air-conditioned shopping malls instead. She worries about the impact on her sons’ social development if the haze persists.
“In school it’s just study, study, study. So in the evening, their playground time, when it’s reduced, they don’t get to socialise properly,” she said.
Logistics worker Chua Hang Cheng, 50, has also advised his son, a student at ITE College West, to stop going cycling in his free time.
Mr Chua, who works in a warehouse at Tuas Depot that is not fully enclosed, said the haze has irritated his throat. He has also been limiting the time he spends outdoors whenever possible.