Let them learn

School starts tomorrow. I have ironed my girl's school uniforms and cleaned up her school bags. It is going to be busy Monday morning tomorrow. I have been lazy for the past 2 weeks, waking up around 7.30am since my Baby Jay sleeps late and sending him to baby sitter's around 8.30am. Now I have to set my alarm back to 7.00am otherwise I will not be able to get up early. *wink*

Met up with an old friend few days ago at the shop. We chatted mostly about kids. As her boy is a year older than my girl, her boy will be in Primary school next year.

Both of us are "bananas", we do not read Chinese although we can converse in simple Chinese. However we have same goal for the children, i.e. to be able to understand, speak, read and write Chinese. That simple!! However it does sound like a challenge for me being not able to read Chinese to encourage and educate my children in Chinese. I cannot depend on my hubby to teach the children; he is so busy with his work commitment. But I am glad that my girl has been picking up on Chinese since last year. She talks more in Chinese now. Less English accent too.

Back to my friend, she is operating a tuition school. She is familiar with the children' psychology, behaviour and attitudes after so many years. Parents now are very "kiasu" type. They want their children to be this and that, but they deprive the children one important thing. What the children really want and need???

So her advices to kiasu parents (including me! Lol!) are as follow:

1) Never discourage, scold or chide your children if they have bad marks or dislike particular subjects in school. Positive feedbacks work better.

2) Do not push your children to do things they do not like. The more you push them, the more rebellious they become. Marks and performances will be affected and they tend to dislike studies

3) Do not over-stress your children with packed schedule. I have a cousin that did not have free times and every day (including Saturdays and Sundays) have extra classes may it be music, drawing, Chinese classes, abacus and so on

4) Give your children some breathing time. They need rest too.

5)Understanding what they really need. Give them time to learn. IF your children is weak in certain subject, just enrol them in tuition for that particular subject.

6) Ask what the children want. Do they like to go to dancing class, swimming class or music class. Let them choose. Let them explore by themselves