Sometime, Help will not really help

“If you want children to keep their feet on the ground, put some responsibility on their shoulders.” – Abigail Van Buren-

Well, Help will not help.. of course SOMETIME, NOT ALWAYS 🙂

Every parent has their own way in educating their children. As for me, I will not always help my kids in doing their things. Few examples are below.

Since they aged 2.5 year old, we have started to ask them to learn how to wear their own clothes. Do you thing it is too early for this age? Some people told me it is too early for them, but my answer is no, it is not too early. There is nothing wrong to let them learn.. Since they can do it them selves why do we have to always help them?

One day, we visited one of our relatives for their son’s birthday. Once we reached their place, we realized that JJ was sweating and I gave him his clothes and asked him to changed his clothes him self. And our auntie looked surprise and asked us how come JJ can changed and wore his own clothes. JJ was around 3 years old that time.

It also applied to TT, when he was 2.5 years old we also had already trained him to wear his own clothes. Well, we purposely involved JJ in teaching TT to learn to wear his own shirts. When TT struggle and cannot wear it him self, he will always ask my help, but I will always ask him to try it him self. Knowing that he cannot get any help from me, he will approach his brother, and JJ always help his brother. I told JJ not to always help TT when TT faces any difficulties. I tell JJ to let TT try to face it him self first, and once we think that he really cannot do it, we can help him then. Well, finally TT can do it him self until now. And somehow they make it fun and challenge each others who will be the faster in wearing their own clothes. Win or lose, doesn’t matter… The one who lose, will say “Learn from your failure” 😀

Well it might not be that neat, but at least they learn something that they can do it them selves, not always depending on others. And at the end, I will help tidy up the clothes that they wear.

On JJ’s third years birthday, my mom brought him airplane Lego which should be for 7-12 years old. His daddy made for him. And well, it was always broken a part by TT as he was only 1 year plus that time. We decided to keep it for the time being because they were still too young to play it. Few months ago, we decided to open it for him as he asked for it and claimed that he can do it now. Firstly, his daddy helped him and guided him using the book. When it broke apart again, he asked his daddy to make it for him again and his daddy asked him to try it him self. Well, he was not confidence enough but we encouraged him to try first. Finally JJ (5 years old) can do it him self thought it is not perfect. And he was so happy with the result.

When JJ started to read (4 years old) he will read what ever words that he sees in the road. Sometime he will ask me, “Ma, how to read this?” I will not just read for him. I will always ask him to spell it him self and of course when he makes some mistakes on the spelling or reading, I will help him.

By doing this we will encourage them to not giving up easily, always try, and also make them independent.

Sometime by helping them, we are not helping them. By not helping them, we have already helped them.

                             “Do not handicap your children by making their lives easy.”
                                                               -Robert A. Heinlein-

Loving animals – Crafts

“A dog may be man’s best friend, but a child’s best friend is a puppy”. (Unknown)

Well.. I am glad that JJ and TT’s school have a project called “Community Project – Raising Fund for SPCA.

Parents and kids need to make any arts or crafts of the dog. And this project will be sold in order for the fund raising. This project’s aim is to impart and instill our children the right attitude in treating and caring for animals.

Well, this also gave them the art activity in their short break school holiday two weeks ago.  We did it together and yeah, kids also enjoyed. I cannot draw 😀 but I learnt to draw those two dogs from youtube. Initially, I planned to use stickers but my husband suggested it would be more impressive if I draw it my self. So I tried and I did it. Kids’ part is pasting those pictures. And Well, it is ready..

I hope my kids will also have the right attitude in treating and caring for animals. We don’t have any pets at home now. But I can see that they love dog, cat, fish and bird.

Well.. these two cards will be sold at the Fun Raising for SPCA. I know these two cards are very simple cards. But I am happy that I did have fun time together with my kids when we did this project together. It is not compulsory for all parents to get involved in this program, but I really hope that most of the parents and students in the school will get involved in this program. One of parents told me that she will get her daughter to make a necklace and put the picture of dog as the pendant together with her.

The result are as picture below. I do not upload pictures of the inside of those cards as it contains only text and a picture of a dog. Those pictures of the front side of those cards were drawn by me and pasted by JJ and TT. While the back side of those cards, I just stick  stickers.

Have you ever been involved in this kind of program? Would you like to share? 

JJ: I am big boy now, Mama!

Yes, time is fast! Fast, very fast! He is five years old now!

I still remember when I wanted to give birth him, it was my first pregnancy, I had no experience. Five years ago, the day that we’d been waiting for arrived. Baby JJ was coming to the world, to our family, to our lives.

He grows very well and healthy. We read him story everyday, yes, it was bible story. Since he was in my tummy he already listened to the story that the daddy read for him. When he was a baby until he was 3 years old, I read the story for him. He has started to read by him self when he was 4 years old. Once he can read by him self, he starts to read the story for TT until now.

He is a good teacher for his younger brother, he is a good brother for TT. He really protects his brother. Well, I find that he is not only protective to his brother but he is protective to the younger kids.

He has started to go to school since he was 2 years and 3 months. He loves his school time until now. Three hours in the school make him more mature and independent. And he loves to socialize with all his friends and teachers. His teachers have never have complaint about him. His friends love him.

Today, we celebrated his birthday at his school.. Some teachers who taught him when he was in pre-nursery and nursery, looked very happy and said that time flies. One of the  teacher’s assistant told me that JJ loves his brother so much and he knows how to take care his brother. He always stand up for his brother. He is very good. At the end she said that JJ and TT really know how to take care each other.

After celebration at school, we went to Science Centre and kids had fun there.. HAHA not only kids, but the mommy and the daddy also had fun there… The most important thing is that we can spent time together there as a family on JJ’s birthday. Another thing, we can see that JJ and TT were so happy, that’s make us happy 😉

We are his parents thanks to God for blessing us with this wonderful boy, Yes, God bless us with two wonderful boys.

Now JJ is 5 years old. Time will keep move forward. Sometime I miss the time when he was a baby and I am glad that he is growing everyday.

My hope that he will grow become good boy and good man later on. Love God, love people and full of compassion towards others.

THANK YOU GOD for JJ is 5 years old now. MAY GOD BLESS HIM MORE AND MORE

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JJ
WE ALL LOVE YOU

On The Teachers’ Day

It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge — (Albert Einstein)

Three days ago, JJ and TT celebrated The Teachers’ Day in their school. I went to the school and saw what happened there. Some students will give gifts to their teachers as a token of appreciation to their teachers because they are very helpful and always encourage them.

Two weeks before kids celebrate teachers’ day at their school, we have already talked about giving teachers’ day gifts to their teachers. Kids are very excited to give their teachers gift. I asked them to make a list of their teachers’ name. And yes.. they did it.. they list all teachers in their school, all teachers that they know in their sunday school and all teachers in their tuition classes. Well.. I told them that they have to choose some of them.

Finally, we decided to buy these gifts as teachers’ day gifts and gave them to their teachers them selves.

They love their teachers. They have one same favorite teacher, let’s say her name is Ms. A. She taught JJ when he was in the pre-nursery class and I did request to the principal to let TT under her class also when TT in pre-nursery class. And yes, TT is in her class this year 🙂 They love her very much, she is a very passionate teacher, very patient and also always encourage my sons in everything they do. I believe other parents also share the  same perpective as mine. I talked to some parents whose their children were in the same class with JJ and they were agree with me. Found out that it was not only me who request Ms. A for their kids. Some other parents, especially whose kids were taught by Ms. A, requested Ms. A to teach their other kids.

Kids also made their own card for their school teachers. They enjoyed it and were very happy when they gave those cards  to their teachers.

In the Chinese Language tuition class, JJ and TT also get two very good teachers. Too bad that JJ’s teacher who had been teaching JJ since JJ was pre-nursery had to go back to China recently. JJ loves her so much, but I am glad that his new teacher is also a very nice teacher. As for TT’s teacher, she is very patient and TT also likes her so much. We are not Chinese speaker, but we are very happy that JJ and TT get these two good teachers in their Chinese tuition class. My kids’ chinese improve a lot.

This all remind me to my secondary school’s form teacher. He is an old man, but he is a very cheerful man. He always be nice to his students. He has retired already. Once, my mom said that he came to my mom’s shop and asked about me.

Don’t forget that we also kind of teachers for our kids. Set a good example and give the best to our kids 🙂

Happy Teachers’ Day for all teachers all over the world.

A teacher’s purpose is not to create students in his own image, but to develop students who can create their own image. 
– Unknown Author –