Met a friend while i was having lunch yesterday, he was there with his 9 years old boy, every time when i see those wonderful boys and girls, there is one question that i would always ask them.
I would ask them," are you a happy boy or girl ?" so the same question i asked my friend's 9 years old boy,his candid reply was something that i could not comprehend, he said he hated school holidays,then when i probed further he said his school holidays were spent mostly on tuition classes.
I could seriously understand the boy's unhappiness why should school holidays the same like school days, right? Then i asked my friend,why did he have to send his son for tuition classes during school holidays.
He said he wanted to prepare his son for the next year's school syllabus already, he didn't want his son to be left behind in class next year, he said he was afraid that his son could not cope well next year.
After my friend finished with his reasons,i turned to the boy and asked if he was happy going to school, he said he was not but i asked him if he was not happy in school, how come he was always the tops in the class, he just kept quiet.(he silence indicates some wrong some where, doesn't it)
My friend used to tell me how good he son fared in school.
Sometimes i wish parents could go back in time to be kids once again and feel for those little ones... sincerely i want my boys to do well if not exceedingly well, at the same time most important of all, i want them to be crazily happy.
童年一失永不回
P/S : We forget that we were once kiddos too.............................
Oh my gawd. I have tuition classes and I have my free fun time too. I'm still top of my class. Why would parents wanna limit their children's play time aduh~ *swt. I wouldn't want to let my children (if I have any in the future) to go through their childhood not having fun.
ReplyDeleteThe sign of the times. The kiasu parents...all the pressure on their poor kids or sometimes, the parents are not bothered to spend time with and take care of their own children - just pack them off to tuition class, wash their hands. These will complain and be so unhappy if the tuition centre/teacher takes an off day for some reason or other.
ReplyDeleteKids these days are lucky (in terms of materials), but also more tension from school and education now...
ReplyDeleteYou have a nice day!
I agree with STP. Some parents depend wholly on teachers and tuition centres. I've come across friends who send their children to 'afternoon' classes everyday, whereby they need to attend from 2pm to 6pm after school hours. Extra class for improvement is good, but don't overdo it.
ReplyDeleteI was once very "kanceong" type too, especially towards their studies. When I wanted them to do revision and it was the school holiday, I tried to do it short. On the hand, I let them watch more hours TV, go online more, do more sport and spend more time on things that they love, like drawing and colouring. Your post always served a good reminder to me.
ReplyDeleteYes I agree with you bro - to be happy. Spend quality time with your kids whenever possible.
ReplyDeletetrue..don't pressure the kids too much..
ReplyDeleteI don't go to any tuition classes. What for?
ReplyDeleteI reckon with suituapui. Parents nowadays too Kiasu...Last time, I only took tuition for certain subject only. For me, I'll worried about my son too, and thanks for reminding me for not overdoing it! Have a nice day bro.
ReplyDeleteChildren nowadays are unfortunate - not all la. They're unfortunate in the sense that they are victims of modernisation where only the fittest survives this challenging world.
ReplyDeleteParents who don't toe the line might feel out of place, and children of such parents may be an outcast for not being part of the kiasu fraternity. It's easy to say "Don't pressure them" but in reality, if your children don't score a large number of As in the public exam, would they secure a good job eventually? If your child is a bright kid, then don't pressure them la but what if they aren't? Our education system doesn't cater to slow learners. :(
Times change, lives change & therefore people need to change to keep up with these.
Cheers!
All in all, parents have all the responsibility in bringing happy children, despite bright or otherwise children, with proper guidance and encouragement a not bright child can turn out to be excellent as well...
ReplyDeleteKids are truly pressured now. My 2 year niece is going to nursery come Jan 2011.
ReplyDeleteSuch parents should revaluate what they are doing. Is it really in the best interest of the child? All work and no play makes Jack/Jill a dull boy/girl.
ReplyDeleteThink parents should go for tuition instead than rather pressurized the children. There are seminars for correct parenting and that could help the children.
ReplyDeleteNowadays it's pretty hard to find parents like you that willing care to put themselves into their children shoes... your boys are blessed of having a father like you!
ReplyDeleteEugene, i sometimes wish life were as simple as in our younger days. the system no longer works this way. kids who work extra hard go to better classes. those who don't stay at the top go to lower classes where school authorities try to teach them less so that they will pass although with mediocre results. it is the pass rate that counts after all. at the end of six yrs in primary school, the child's psyche would have been irreversibly damaged as well as have much limited education. my kid can spell,write,blog etc but he was sick last yr and was demoted. he spent six months writing lines and lines of words like kemalangan, school, beautiful..where is the learning n education involved?
ReplyDeletefortunately he was lucky and able to prove himself more capable than some students in the top classes and pulled himself out of this so called remedial class. if he had not pulled himself out, he would have been written off by the end of a year with the influence of his peers and lower expectations of teachers n classmates.
This post was intended to let us as parents to know that besides school,besides getting good marks,good grades,,,, there is one important as far as our children are concerned.....that's happiness,that's play,that's being naughty, that's being simply a child...............
ReplyDeleteThis is specially to Beng Beng.... when i read your comment,i could understand how you felt as a parent and i am glad your son is doing great..........
ReplyDeletetake care now
I remembered a fren of mine asked me, if the kindie my gal attended is good. I asked her, how do u judge the kindie by telling is good or not? She told me got many homeworks ar, got extra class for this n that or not. I stumbled a moment. Too me, as long as the kindie is clean and safe , my girl is able to read and write..i think is good enough rather than she comes back with pilling of homework to do which she cant cope up
ReplyDeleteMommy Ling..
ReplyDeletethanks for sharing,you me same same, as long as .............