Hi,
It is that time of the year again but Jason is sitting for his 'O' level exams. in about a month's time.
It is well known that when the children are having exams., the parents also get stressed or even more stressed than their own kids......ha.....ha......
Yes, I have been through it but we must learned to let go eventually and just be there to support them...... by encouraging them and ensuring that they have enough rest too....
What do I mean?
Guide them to adopt a systematic approach to studying for their exams and not a last minute rush. Teach and help them to come out with a schedule for revision and eventually they should be able to do it themselves.
Encourage them to study wisely but also let them have some free time to rest their brains.....eg they should still exercise or watch TV, etc.....
Jason sometimes asked me to wake him up after 30 minutes of power nap but then when he could not wake up, I just let him sleep on as it seems like he needed the rest badly. He has overslept for more than an hour a few times.
I told him that I rather he be healthy and well rested than struggled to study if his body and mind are not up to it.
I was more hands on and gave more guidance when Jason was in primary school but I gave him more independence when he started his secondary schooling.
I was pleased when he handed me a revision schedule last night and asked me to help put it into the PC and print it out for him. Well, my efforts in teaching him to do a revision schedule has paid off.
Many a times, I re-assure him that no matter what results he gets, as long as he tries his best and gives his best shot, we are happy and supportive of his actions. We will then move on and look at the options available for his next stage of education; eg JC or Polytechnic.
I know it is tough to let go at times and the tendency to nag at them when you see them not studying enough from your perspectives.
Lay the foundation well when they are young and they should be able to manage it on their own.
Happy Parenting.....
David
Monday, September 28, 2009
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
A Family Should Have 2 Children
Hi,
In some countries, there are restrictions on the number of children that a family should have due to their own specific reasons.
Eg. China has such a policy due to their large population. Singapore used to discourage you from having more than 2 kids in the past.
Recently, I have been busy flying to and fro Penang to help care for my parents especially my mother who is recovering from her mild stroke.
My elder brother and younger sister, who are living in Australia, also flew back to take turns to care for them too.
During one of my trips back to Penang, my wife was explaining or updating my only son, 16 years old only, about our rotation duty or what I called as 'tour of duty'.
Surprisingly, Jason said that he is the only son in our family so how to rotate then.... if we need any care in our old age...?
This was discussed again when I was home over dinner and Jason finally said that hopefully, we will be living in the same country as him......!
Yes, it is indeed true that if you only have one child the responsibilities or burden will be very heavy on that one person.
In fact, a friend of mine even mentioned it to me when we decided to stop at one child.
Most of us always think that it is either too expensive to have another child or that it would not be fair to the second child as we are not already spending enough time with the 1st child so how to cope with another one....!
At least, this is typical of Singaporean lifestyle.........sigh
BUT, after my own experience of taking care of my parents, I think it is better to have at least 2 children so that the siblings can approach each other for help or discussion.
A spouse is never the same as your own sibling when it comes to your own family issues involving your parents.
Think about it....... seriously!
David
P.S. My elder brother is now in Pg for 3 weeks, followed by my younger sister for 1 month. My elder sister is retiring early so that she can go back to Pg to live with our parents from Nov 09 onwards. I have been flying back to Penang to monthly to take my parents for their doctors' appointment and also when needed.
In some countries, there are restrictions on the number of children that a family should have due to their own specific reasons.
Eg. China has such a policy due to their large population. Singapore used to discourage you from having more than 2 kids in the past.
Recently, I have been busy flying to and fro Penang to help care for my parents especially my mother who is recovering from her mild stroke.
My elder brother and younger sister, who are living in Australia, also flew back to take turns to care for them too.
During one of my trips back to Penang, my wife was explaining or updating my only son, 16 years old only, about our rotation duty or what I called as 'tour of duty'.
Surprisingly, Jason said that he is the only son in our family so how to rotate then.... if we need any care in our old age...?
This was discussed again when I was home over dinner and Jason finally said that hopefully, we will be living in the same country as him......!
Yes, it is indeed true that if you only have one child the responsibilities or burden will be very heavy on that one person.
In fact, a friend of mine even mentioned it to me when we decided to stop at one child.
Most of us always think that it is either too expensive to have another child or that it would not be fair to the second child as we are not already spending enough time with the 1st child so how to cope with another one....!
At least, this is typical of Singaporean lifestyle.........sigh
BUT, after my own experience of taking care of my parents, I think it is better to have at least 2 children so that the siblings can approach each other for help or discussion.
A spouse is never the same as your own sibling when it comes to your own family issues involving your parents.
Think about it....... seriously!
David
P.S. My elder brother is now in Pg for 3 weeks, followed by my younger sister for 1 month. My elder sister is retiring early so that she can go back to Pg to live with our parents from Nov 09 onwards. I have been flying back to Penang to monthly to take my parents for their doctors' appointment and also when needed.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)