Mark Lee has long secured his spot as one of Singapore's top entertainers.

In a conversation with Mothership over the phone, however, the 51-year-old took on an avuncular quality when dispensing advice on managing relationships at home.

Family of five

Lee has three children with his wife Catherine Ng:

• 12-year-old Calista
• Nine-year-old Marksonn
• Seven-year-old Calynn

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With circuit breaker measures, the five have mostly been staying at home, although Lee still runs several businesses, including those in F&B.

When asked if the proximity has resulted in more friction for the family, the funnyman simply said, "Don't try to create any problems or trouble, try to understand each other."

But he went on to elaborate,

"Often times, after getting along for an extended period of time — including boyfriends and girlfriends — one might realise, 'Oh, they [your partner] actually have all these flaws and habits.' But don't forget, you also have what."

Instead of scolding them for their habits, Lee advises lowering your volume and speaking nicely.

"Don't need to talk so loud lah, everybody stay at home very pek chek (frustrated) already," he added.

He also believes that abrasion between any two parties are usually caused by emotional reactions. The tone matters a lot when it comes to how people react to you, Lee said.

"Sometimes I can tell my wife is a bit pek chek. But I try to tell some jokes and relax. Cause it's tough to get the kids to do their homework [laughs]."

Lee and Ng would also spend time with their children on games such as Monopoly, as well as creative projects.

Video games and gadget usage are also unavoidable during this period, Lee tell us, although they limit the children to half-an-hour blocks.

Walking around the house

In addition to juggling the roles of a husband, father, artiste, and entrepreneur, Lee also has his fingers in the charity pie. 

He is currently an ambassador for WeWalk for SG, an initiative that encourages Singaporeans to walk at home to raise money for charity and show their solidarity with frontline workers.

A group of Hwa Chong alumni have pledged to donate S$35,000, as long as the participants hit a combined number of more than 20 million steps over a nine-day period.

The target Lee has set for himself is 6,000 steps.

While it's not a high target (for Lee), the ambassador says that he would rather set a manageable goal and exceed it, rather than aim for something more ambitious and not achieve it.

May 25 is the third day in, and Lee has already accumulated about 2,000 steps.

Lee has made it a point to carry his phone whenever he moves around the house, so that he can clock his steps.

If he finds himself sitting down for too long, he gets up to circle his house a couple of times before resuming his activity.

"Since I've promised to take part in this event, I should experience it for myself, both physically and mentally," Lee explained.

While it might paint a funny sight to imagine Lee walking around his house for no particular reason, he sees it as a "win-win situation".

"You can get some simple physical activity done by walking around at home, and at the same time, contribute to charity. [...] It can also keep you from gaining weight after circuit breaker," Lee jokes.

Mark Lee the salesman

After WeWalk, Lee will be trying his hand at something new: being a salesman on Facebook Live.

"Next Sunday afternoon and Tuesday, I'll be selling some pork and beef, belonging to my friend's company," he reveals.

Said friend is a supplier for hotel restaurants, but has nowhere to move his stocks this year due to the Covid-19 situation.

Since he's a "long-time friend", Lee will be helping out by hawking the products online, and find out if he can make the cut as a salesman.

To catch Lee in action, you can keep a lookout on his Facebook page.

Top image via Mark Lee and Catherine Ng's Instagram page