My ultimate gratitude to Allah SWT, the Most Merciful and Most Beneficent. It is with His blessing, guidance and grace that this humble gift came to fruition.
I wish to take this opportunity to express my heartfelt gratefulness to Tan Sri Dato’ Hjh. Napsiah Omar, my former lecturer and Department Head of Home and Food Technology, Faculty of Agriculture, Universiti Pertanian Malaysia, who discovered my potential in academia and subsequently extended a scholarship award from the Public Service Department for me to further my studies in the USA in 1979. My wholehearted gratitude also goes to my late mentor, Professor Dr. Tom Luster of Michigan State University, whose caring and authentic professional attitudes and values I emulate.
My sincere appreciation to the past and present top management team of UPM, especially to YBhg. Dato’ Dr. Ir. Muhamad Zohadie Bardaie, former Vice Chancellor, for trusting me to lead the Faculty of Human Ecology as Dean in 2003, and to the current Vice Chancellor, YBhg. Prof. Datin Paduka Dr. Aini Ideris, for her kind attention and unceasing support to every one of us enabling us to perform to the best of our abilities and together help UPM to soar. My deepest thanks go to the former and current deans as well as colleagues at the Faculty of Human Ecology, especially from the Department of Human Development and Family Studies, for the friendship and outstanding professional support over all these years. Many thanks to Professor Dr. Laily Paim, the present Dean, Dr. Zainal Madon, my Department Head, and members of the Inaugural Lecture Committee headed by Mr. Nasrudin Yahya, for all the support and assistance accorded to me for this lecture. Special thanks to Teacher Nurhayatul Nira, her team, and the children from
FACE of FEM, UPM, for presenting such a beautiful and refreshing performance during this special occasion.
With all my heart I would like to express my genuine appreciation to the Government of Malaysia for awarding me scholarships throughout my tertiary education. The same indebtedness goes to various agencies for awarding me grants to conduct research. In addition, I wish to convey my gratitude to Michigan State University for awarding me the Dissertation Fellowship.
I would also like to communicate my warm thanks to MOHE for appointing me as a member of the Evaluation Panel for Research Grants since 2006. Additionally, I wish to thank the Malaysian Qualification Agency for appointing me as a member of the MQA Evaluation Panel for assessment of Early Childhood Education as of 2014, and the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development for allowing me to serve as Visiting Board member of the Sungai Besi Approved School since 2005.
A million thanks to my co-authors and co-researchers, local and international, for sharing their invaluable knowledge and experiences with me. Thank you so much to recent collaborators, especially, Professor Dr. James J. Ponzetti (University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada), for giving me and my co-authors the opportunity to contribute a chapter in your book (2016). Likewise, to Professor Dr. Sabine Andresen and team and the Jacobs Foundation of Germany for inviting me to collaborate in the International Survey of Child Well-Being (ISCWeB) along with 43 other countries in the world.
I am extremely grateful to Professor Dr. Ross Wilkinson, Convenor of the Relationships and Psychological Health Laboratory at the School of Psychology, Australian National University, Canberra and Jennifer Bowes, Director of the Institute of Early Childhood Research, Macquarie University, Sydney, for inviting
me as a Visiting Professor in 2011 and 2013, respectively. It was such a pleasant professional experience.
To all my undergraduate and postgraduate students who have touched my life in so many ways, thank you for enriching and motivating me in my teaching and supervision and most of all for making me feel young at heart. To my two very kind and caring Graduate Research Assistants, Sharisse May Barra and Amira Najiha Yahya, I cannot thank you enough for all the time spent, undivided support and assistance in coming up with this book and making this presentation successful.
To Dr. Nor Sheereen Zulkefly, thank you so much for the several brainstorming sessions we had on delineating ideas for this book. I am blessed to have you to talk to at sometimes odd hours of the day. What is so sweet is that you were always very careful in making sure that what you expressed is not reflective of the ‘OCD parenting style’ you had endured. To the many others who contributed to my success directly or indirectly, I wish to convey my unfeigned thanks to all.
No words can adequately express my love and greatest gratitude to my late parents, Tiawa binti Ujang and Baharudin bin Md. Nor, who, throughout my growing up years, completely and unselfishly gave themselves to me. Their love, encouragement, and prayers helped me to achieve my educational and professional goals. Most importantly, with the will of Allah their perfect parenting has made my life significantly fulfilling. May Allah SWT award both Mak and Abah with Jannatul Firdaus. My heartiest appreciation also goes to my siblings as well as my extended family members for their love and prayers.
My last but certainly not least tribute goes to my beloved husband, Zulkefly Abd. Maulud, my daughter, Nor Sheereen and my son-in-law, Nik Mohd. Faiz, I thank you from the bottom of my
heart for all the love, patience, support, sacrifice and prayers; and to Nik Hana Arissa, my first granddaughter, I wish you to know that your presence is such a precious gift in my life. Thank you, Allah.