The latest episode of 8days chat show DNA features former Mediacorp actress and host Evelyn Tan, 51, alongside her daughter Kristen Lin, 21, as they join host Rebecca Lim to talk about homeschooling, Lin's showbiz aspirations and their close mother-daughter bond.

Lin is the eldest of Tan and Mediacorp actor Darren Lim’s four children. She has three younger brothers, Jairus, Way, and Elliot, who turn 18, 16, and 12, respectively, this year.

While Lin was well-behaved growing up, she admitted that she went through a rebellious phase.

“There was definitely a phase where I wasn’t the most pleasant child to deal with,” said Lin, before chuckling and passing the baton to her mother to share more about that period of their lives.

“I think for a first-time parent of a child who’s growing up, it was very tough for us. She was an ideal model child. We would give them iPad time once a week for just half an hour, and at half an hour, when the timer was up, she would [voluntarily] hand the iPad back. She would not argue, there would be no complaints from her,” recalled Tan.

So, when Lin entered her more defiant years – or as Tan put it, “wanted to go autonomous” – both she and Darren Lim were completely caught off guard.

“It was a real 180-degree flip. There were times when she was really testy – she would go under the radar, above the radar, you know, everywhere else but in front of us,” added Tan.

When prompted by the host to share a specific example, Lin didn’t hesitate: “Definitely curfew.”

“When we’re teenagers and when we’re hanging out with our friends, it always extends way longer than we think it will. Sometimes, I don’t have the habit of texting my parents to let them know, like ‘Hey I’m still safe’, or at least give them an update of my whereabouts,” she said. 

Tan shared that she and Darren Lim initially set an 11pm curfew, but eventually relaxed it, asking only that Lin keep them updated – which, she admitted, “she didn’t even do it”.

“That was when it really got to us. It came to a point where we told her ‘If you don’t want to listen to us, maybe just get out of the house’...