Handling My Reticent Boy – Getting him to talk
My eldest kid, I call him Miloboy, he displays his quiet nature since he’s a toddler but he’s definitely a hyper active child. Getting him to talk to me ain’t easy, I have to keep probing.
When my kids come home from school, I liked to ask them how’s their day, what they ate in school… There are times when my boy got tired of me asking him the same questions everyday. He will brush me off saying he is tired. When he does this, most of the time, my girl will follow suit.
So in order to make them talk, I have to tackle my boy first, to make him talk. I told myself I had to be creative. 
(WHEN MY BOY IS IN KINDERGARTEN ONE, I was still a working mum)
Me: “Dear, is school fun today?”
Boy: “hmm…”
Me: “Ok, what did you eat today?”
Boy: “MOM, I’m tired.”
Me: “Ah I know! you must have drank cold milo today right?!” (Looks at him suspiciously, for my boy will cough whenever he drinks cold stuff, so drinking cold milo is not a desirable behaviour.)
Boy: “NO…” (got worried)
Me: “Then what did you eat?” (concerned)
Boy: “Ok ok, I had bread with butter today….”
Sometimes you need to change strategy. (Try to get updates from teacher how’s your kid doing in school.)Whenever you get new information, especially when you know their friend’s names, you can talk more about it. Now when I ask them questions on school, they will give me more information, especially when they had a good time at school.
These 2 months after I quit my job, I am much closer to my kids, therefore, they are more willing to talk without me acting all funny and stuff.
Now the main concern for Miloboy, whom me and hubby feels that he should go see a doctor and do something about his inability to focus and his restlessness. We have been suspecting that he had ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). I’m waiting for his primary school orientation that’s coming up in another 2 weeks time, and maybe then, get a referral letter from the school on this issue.
October 28th, 2008 at 10:58 pm
true. i alway tell my mom don’t be such a 八卦 when she keep asking. :X
November 2nd, 2008 at 7:05 pm
Hehe, if anything happens to a child, people will say, how come parents dun know? And when parents ask, the child say parents are busybodies….. being parents are so difficult….
November 10th, 2008 at 10:10 am
Don’t worry about Miloboy. I think it’s quite common for boys. My nephew is now 12, and still have the above symptoms that you’ve mentioned.