I hate badmouthing.
I noticed that when most people, when they reach a certain age, they like to badmouth practically anything under the sun.
I hate badmouthing.
No matter right or not, true or not true, I have decided to turn a deaf ear to it.
I can do it, so can you!
Stop badmouthing!
Seems to be constantly under attack from an invisible force….
I was working full time, so it may seem to be weird to those who suddenly see me fetching my kids…. every school day. And those who thought I am enjoying life at home, please take a look at your mother.
Seems to be constantly under attack from a visible force.
True, I am not looking for a job. At least, not now.
So, please stop bugging me to get a job because I quit because of my kids. And I won’t get a job until they prove to be self-sufficient without me around.
Have you ever heard of Kumon and its teachings?
If you have not, and are pretty concerned about teaching your kid(s) yourself, then you may want to know more about it.
Personally I do like the concept. And I actually went to a Kumon Centre nearby my house, wanting to register my kids in it, when Miloboy is 5 years old. Got to know Kumon through his kindergarten teacher as she feels that it will be very good if he is enrolled in that programme.
So I made an appointment and took leave from work.
When we reached there, the kids went in for the assessment test, on the subjects you want them to enrol in. Afterthat, they let us into the centre and we had to sit through a video session and a powerpoint presentation…..its like a Registration Ceremony, kinda unwarranted.
I remember the appointment time is 3pm, my kids couldn’t tolerate the long “Registration Ceremony”. At 4.30pm, the presentation is still ongoing……we had to get out of the centre….. . When I had to leave, one of the staff told me the “individual assessment” will be conducted at 5pm, but I cannot come back here once I leave as it is not allowed. All parents had to sit through the presentation.
I can’t help it, my boy is hungry, my girl is crying and my baby is alone at home with her grandpa, who is unable to entertain her for too long…..
I tried to make another appointment but the staff told me its subject to availability of the Presenter, that they will call me up when they manage to get hold of the Presenter.
What the Presenter did that day was:
1. Show all parents a video on how successful the Kumon teaching has on their students.
The assessment alone took about 45 mins. This video alone took about 30 mins. Quite unwarranted, if we are not interested, we won’t want to enrol our kids in there.
2. Powerpoint presentation
The initial slides should be DELETED. We dun need to know about KUMON’s history. Just tell us what is expected of us parents to make Kumon a wonderful programme. Yes, I listened to this for 15 mins before I had to leave the centre.
1. Its all about Practice, Practice and Practice.
2. Parents have to spend 30 mins EVERYDAY with the enrolled kid to complete his kumon worksheet/booklet.
3. The timing requirement of the Kumon worksheets is good as it sort of “enforces” the kid to be well-versed, and complete the worksheet within time limit.
As I said, I personally do feel that Kumon is a wonderful teaching method. Although I dun have a good experience there. I actually tried to implement it since I am teaching Miloboy myself. The daily 30 mins is a very very good gauge. Talk about spending quality time with kids. These 30 mins of teaching can be quality time too!
It has been a while since I post something. Well, before I go on, I think I have not updated that I sent my boy for a ADHD Test last month. And he is diagnosed to have it. 61% positive, as the paper says.
Right now, the doctor that is handling Miloboy’s case need to get feedback from the school as well, and the next appointment will take place late next month.
But yesterday, something drastic happened that I am still having chills from it.
My boy is the last one to come out of school…. and he is in tears, shouting back at his teacher. The crying part is “normal” to me. As he is a crybaby. But the shouting part…. this is NOT NORMAL.
I listened through the whole event which lasted 5 minutes till the teacher talked to me, finally, as I was waiting for her. She has previously given me a hand signal to wait, so I thought it will be better to remain silent till she is ready.
She demanded from Miloboy (conversation between miloboy and teacher) that he have to complete the worksheet and hand in tomorrow in school. Miloboy was shouting back that he is not going to hand in tomorrow but on friday instead. He clearly shows his deviant nature here.
Then he ran out of the school gate, crying, while I quickly talked to the teacher and got my girl to help keep watch of miloboy.
What teacher complained is pretty normal, Daydreaming in class, Not Attentive in Class etc. From what she had told me, she is displeased at the fact that she thinks Miloboy is capable of doing and completing the Maths worksheet in time, but he was actually daydreaming in class, and that he got one of the questions wrong.
Conversation ended when my girl ran back to tell me miloboy had went further away and threw down his school bag. I chased after him but he is actually waiting for me, so he is not that far away afterall. He told me he is throwing tantrums and he is Like That, he will cry first, then throw tantrums, and he wanted to go home alone.
He stopped at a nearby playground, which is good to me, as he still have not stopped his tantrums. I had to activate his dad, who was on the way home, to help talk to him.
When his dad arrived at the playground, and told Miloboy that he should not be daydreaming in class, but instead, try to complete the maths, whether or not he had done it right, as long as he tried his best, then the shocking part came.
“It does matter if I did not do it Right!!”
“I cannot get a C!”
“I will get punished if I get a C!”
Both of us are pretty shocked. We never stress the kids to get good grades, cos we both know that good grades do not get you anywhere nor give you a good start when you come out to work. More importantly, its on how you handle people, its the social skills….
But of course we had to comfort him first, the harsh reality can wait. What is more important now is that he got to know, Good Grades Ain’t Everything.
In my heart, I was thinking does getting an “A” earn me more money? Unfortunately, the answer is a No!
From yesterday’s episode, we can easily tell that Miloboy’s ego is badly bruised. He hates people shouting at him, and this is the first time that he retailates by shouting back…. and that he knew his teachers ain’t pleased if he does not get everything question Right….
I know the teachers must have been pretty stressed as well. I used to read a blog from a teacher but it was shut down due to “unknown” reasons…. I know they are really stressed.
So this is that the Education System we are giving our kids? Stressed teachers and stressed kids.
Is there a Need to stress a Primary One, 7 year old kid to this extent?
And he has to answer all questions correctly?
Just when did my Miloboy become a Genius ?
Pretty Crazy I would say…..
Now that I have gone through the Agony (maybe its kinda overrated, but still…) of the process of registering for Primary One, the books & school uniforms buying craze, the schoolbag dilemma, and worries about my boy, as he belongs to the category of people who simply don’t bother…..
Checklist (Note: I will not talk about academic stuff)
1. Your child should know how to buy food if you want to be worry free
2. Your child should be able to finish his/her food in at most 20 mins (recess is 25 mins)
3. Your child knows how to ask for permission from teachers to go to the washroom.
4. Your child is briefed on the school rules, what they can do, cannot do in school.
5. What is expected of your child’s behaviour in school.
On school rules, the Primary One Orientation upon successful enrollment held usually around month of November will give all parents a booklet on that aspect, do read it.
I teach him by showing him how to buy food from the hawkers, he refused to try it himself, saying he knows. But he tells me sometime later after school starts that he does not know how to buy food.
However, he knows how to buy drinks from the drinks stall…….well, parents are not allowed to buy food for the kids for the school I enrolled him in, so, I can’t do much. Now, I will start to bring food over instead, asking my boy to wait for me in the waiting area. I tried giving him packed food but he forgot about them….and brought back to me untouched…..
Its perfectly normal to worry about going to toilet by themselves, able to wipe/wash, and not pee on their pants… And also know how to ask for permission from teachers to go to the toilet.
Something funny happened to Miloboy and since he only told me about it, thought I will hold this little secret between us. :p
I heard the uniform vendor making remarks every now and then that lots of sizes are taken up and that parents should come earlier…. well, in the list that the schools gave us, there are dedicated days for parents of Primary One, Primary Two and so on. And it was the 3nd day for buying uniforms for Primary One…. (but 3rd weeks has passed since Orientation for Primary One). Well, the size my boy need is out of stock too, and luckily, 2 weeks before school starts, the stocks came in.
Now I need to buy my boy’s shorts again as he has much lost weight. He was sick for the whole of last week.
We parents worry about the kids so much that we forgot one aspect of the kid – their Individuality. I admit I was affected by the hype of ergonomic schoolbags that I nearly bought one (as written on my post about the booklist)…….not that they ain’t good, but I subsequently remembered that I did not ask my boy what he liked.
I asked him if he would like it when lots of schoolmates were to carry the same bag, maybe different colors, as him. (This is because the booklist has stated the prices of the ergonomic schoolbags, they really make it very convenient for parents…..that somehow, we are homogenised if we follow it) He does not like the idea…. So we just got him a haversack that he likes.
And not to worry too much on the school books load. The schools will actually collect some books from the kids that their load will not be that exaggerated. Yes they may carry a big bag but its really not that heavy.
I had a post on buying books according to the booklist. So that’s it.
Lastly, I will talk a bit on registration for Primary One. You will be given a queue number when you reach the school. Its on a first come first served basis but you need not be too overly concerned as once the quota hits, enrollment will be on ballot anyway. No preferential treatment of any kind will be given.
Its mostly filling up an application form, besides both parents’ identification documents, you will also need to bring your child’s health booklet along that shows his/her Immunisation Records. It will be very fast if the school’s well prepared. All these information are available at Ministry Of Education’s website.