"You are lucky," a friend quipped, "you have two schools to choose from for your children! So which are you intending to send your children to?"
I smiled wryly. Is it really any good? Sure, they are almost literally 'a stone's throw away'. Jurong West Primary School has been standing there before I had moved in and next year will see the opening of registration for a new school, Frontier Primary School, on the other side of my block. Lucky, you say?
If you think of the convenience - sure. It will be hassle-free if they were to attend those schools. But, they are... the epitome of neighbourhood schools are... *gasp* (I 'hear' audible sighs of surprise) My wife had graduated from one in Bedok, and many other friends had. They maintain that there is nothing wrong with sending their children to one, while casting looks of disapproval on me.
I had studied in Nan Hua Primary School. A 'SAP' school, branded one? When I was a student there, that was hardly the case. I got a place there based on that being my mother's alma mater, and because it was just down the street when I resided in Clementi Avenue 1, near the home of its old building in the said street. Though I am not in a position to claim that the school produces excellent students for certain, I dare say that it would give my children a 'better chance' to succeed in life later.
You see - good teachers, though not necessarily all going to good schools, are wanted by all schools. They could be proud that they are teaching in a school with relative prestige. Schools on that level can easily 'get rid' of poor performers, those that do not match their school's desired outcomes. Though I cannot vouch that all teachers in the said school are great, I can safely say that most of them should be able to produce some 'baseline' results.
Coming from the education line and being an ex-teacher in a primary school, I have witnessed how children from neighbourhood schools 'lose out', due to their parents trying their best to provide for their families. This, inevitably compromises time with their children, bringing about many 'latch-key' children. Children without proper guidance of a significant other.
This does not mean to say that all children who have parents who work at home / are housewifes excel in the academic area. Some are just there to ensure that their children do not go awry in terms of behaviour. Some can hardly 'value-add' in the area of the children's school work. Their children may be 'milder' in terms of behaviour, but it does not guarantee excellence in studies.
Sending my trio to a school that teaches, without distractions of classmates' family problems and their errant behaviour, is just the first step in hope for bright futures for my jewels. We have to continue to assist them in their work and emotional well-being for them to get closer to the 'complete picture' and an ideal life later.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Paint away!
It is behind the back of my mind to immerse our children in a myriad of activities within our means. Give them as many opportunities to learn and find out where their strengths lie and their hobbies are. Give them experiences that they will not look back later as grown-ups to ponder why they have not been given chances.
Yen had bought some painting pieces (B5-sized) for children to paint with. Sunday, 8.30pm. Looking at the clock, she lamented that it would have to wait another day as it was late and near bed time for our trio. I thought for a while and asked, "But the children have such packed schedules already... If we do not let them do it (paint) now, when are we going to let them do it?" She probably saw some sense in my words and conceded.
So started the children's excitement. From the unwrapping of the boxes... the emergence of the pictures... the sight of the paints and the holding of brushes... I swear I saw the glimmer in their eyes that this was going to be a fun thing for them to do.
I guided Felix and Rachel (being older, I had actually gave her instructions verbally and let her discover things herself), whilst Yen gave full attention to our youngest jewel, Kayleen. I started off being uptight about Felix not holding the paint brush correctly, not using the correct strokes when painting, creating blotches while he painted and leaving big patches of dried, uneven paint on the picture...
"Kayleen, no!" screeched Yen beside us. It was then that I thought, "Why are we so uptight, seeking perfection in their work? Perhaps I should let them try and have fun, learning through experiences!" That was when I let Felix have more fun in painting, choosing only to touch up the painting in between the switches of paint for him.
Yen, on the other hand, did things her way. She let Kayleen hold the brush and paint the bigger pieces while taking over and completing the work for the fine patches. Rachel ended up being very frustrated with her work when she painted out of line and used a piece of tissue to 'erase' the errors. She found out that her actions had not helped her clean things up, and almost ended up teary-eyed when she was the last to complete her painting. She is quite a perfectionist when it came to some things!
Our children were quite glad with their work in the end and insisted on bringing their masterpieces along to play-school the following day to show their teachers. It spurred Yen to purchase a new set of work for them, this time, pieces of a bigger dimension so that they can handle the painting of the pictures better. Now when is the next best time for them to paint?
Yen had bought some painting pieces (B5-sized) for children to paint with. Sunday, 8.30pm. Looking at the clock, she lamented that it would have to wait another day as it was late and near bed time for our trio. I thought for a while and asked, "But the children have such packed schedules already... If we do not let them do it (paint) now, when are we going to let them do it?" She probably saw some sense in my words and conceded.
So started the children's excitement. From the unwrapping of the boxes... the emergence of the pictures... the sight of the paints and the holding of brushes... I swear I saw the glimmer in their eyes that this was going to be a fun thing for them to do.
I guided Felix and Rachel (being older, I had actually gave her instructions verbally and let her discover things herself), whilst Yen gave full attention to our youngest jewel, Kayleen. I started off being uptight about Felix not holding the paint brush correctly, not using the correct strokes when painting, creating blotches while he painted and leaving big patches of dried, uneven paint on the picture...
"Kayleen, no!" screeched Yen beside us. It was then that I thought, "Why are we so uptight, seeking perfection in their work? Perhaps I should let them try and have fun, learning through experiences!" That was when I let Felix have more fun in painting, choosing only to touch up the painting in between the switches of paint for him.
Yen, on the other hand, did things her way. She let Kayleen hold the brush and paint the bigger pieces while taking over and completing the work for the fine patches. Rachel ended up being very frustrated with her work when she painted out of line and used a piece of tissue to 'erase' the errors. She found out that her actions had not helped her clean things up, and almost ended up teary-eyed when she was the last to complete her painting. She is quite a perfectionist when it came to some things!
Our children were quite glad with their work in the end and insisted on bringing their masterpieces along to play-school the following day to show their teachers. It spurred Yen to purchase a new set of work for them, this time, pieces of a bigger dimension so that they can handle the painting of the pictures better. Now when is the next best time for them to paint?
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
A struggle we have in life
"Daddy, are you going home with us?" Felix inquired innnocently.
"No, Felix, Daddy needs to work tonight," I replied, surprised at his question. Why did he ask? I did not have to wait long for an answer.
"Huh... but you haven't been spending time with us..." the visibly disappointed boy curled up in the backseat of our family vehicle, and pouted.
I stopped to think. Was what he said true? Sure, I am actually at work three out of the five weekday nights. Add on the private tuition student I have, that meant another night away on one of my two free days. Yen has consistently helped remind me of my absence from home at night when I get requests for new assignments.
Reality check. I left MOE a little more than a year ago so that I could spend more time with my family. I had wanted to be a bigger part of my children's lives, to play a better role of father than I had been playing. One year on - has things changed? Sure, I have more time on my hands and I manage my time more flexibly. The dough that I bring home is equal, if not more, than what I draw as a civil servant with the MOE for most months. I lose out on the perks, including the thirteenth month bonus and medical benefits, I had used to enjoy as a teacher in school. But I wonder - is that time spent with my family fruitfully??
On weekdays when I am not teaching in school (as I had done previously), our children are 'parked' in play-school so that we can get other things done. I mark my students' work and get miscellaneous chores done. I leave home to fetch them at four-thirty or so, hopefully picking Yen up together and going home. Most times, I scoot off to work after dropping them at home. By the time I reach home, they are in bed mostly, getting ready to bed. I will be the one to hush them and soothe them into dreamland.
On weekend days, I work from 9am to 1-plus in the afternoon. On Saturdays, I rush home so put them into their afternoon nap, and send them to swimming class with Yen in the late afternoon. We will have a simple dinner together most Saturday nights. On Sundays, I meet Yen and our children for lunch and see the elder two into phonics class. We will proceed home for their nap and end the day with simple dinners usually, all tired out by how fast the weeks pass us by.
I find pockets of time I can to play simple games with our prince and princesses. I take them on outtings on days that they do not have to attend school or extra programmes. I try to capture as many memories of them while they grow up on film (more like jpeg these days). I read with them whenever I can find time. I spend my whole November (when I do not have lessons) with them. I know I have not done enough, but it is much better than previously when I was 'in the system'. I have given whatever spare time I can to my precious wife and children. I long to do better; what choice do we have when we struggle against the day-to-day events and the high cost of living we have here? Sigh.
"No, Felix, Daddy needs to work tonight," I replied, surprised at his question. Why did he ask? I did not have to wait long for an answer.
"Huh... but you haven't been spending time with us..." the visibly disappointed boy curled up in the backseat of our family vehicle, and pouted.
I stopped to think. Was what he said true? Sure, I am actually at work three out of the five weekday nights. Add on the private tuition student I have, that meant another night away on one of my two free days. Yen has consistently helped remind me of my absence from home at night when I get requests for new assignments.
Reality check. I left MOE a little more than a year ago so that I could spend more time with my family. I had wanted to be a bigger part of my children's lives, to play a better role of father than I had been playing. One year on - has things changed? Sure, I have more time on my hands and I manage my time more flexibly. The dough that I bring home is equal, if not more, than what I draw as a civil servant with the MOE for most months. I lose out on the perks, including the thirteenth month bonus and medical benefits, I had used to enjoy as a teacher in school. But I wonder - is that time spent with my family fruitfully??
On weekdays when I am not teaching in school (as I had done previously), our children are 'parked' in play-school so that we can get other things done. I mark my students' work and get miscellaneous chores done. I leave home to fetch them at four-thirty or so, hopefully picking Yen up together and going home. Most times, I scoot off to work after dropping them at home. By the time I reach home, they are in bed mostly, getting ready to bed. I will be the one to hush them and soothe them into dreamland.
On weekend days, I work from 9am to 1-plus in the afternoon. On Saturdays, I rush home so put them into their afternoon nap, and send them to swimming class with Yen in the late afternoon. We will have a simple dinner together most Saturday nights. On Sundays, I meet Yen and our children for lunch and see the elder two into phonics class. We will proceed home for their nap and end the day with simple dinners usually, all tired out by how fast the weeks pass us by.
I find pockets of time I can to play simple games with our prince and princesses. I take them on outtings on days that they do not have to attend school or extra programmes. I try to capture as many memories of them while they grow up on film (more like jpeg these days). I read with them whenever I can find time. I spend my whole November (when I do not have lessons) with them. I know I have not done enough, but it is much better than previously when I was 'in the system'. I have given whatever spare time I can to my precious wife and children. I long to do better; what choice do we have when we struggle against the day-to-day events and the high cost of living we have here? Sigh.
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Silly me - check the tyres!
My boy, Felix, has weak legs! He can hardly get the bicycle moving! Or so I thought...
I brought Rachel and Felix downstaris just the other day as Kayleen was still asleep. The bicycle with training wheels that sat in a corner in their bedroom had gathered a few inches of dust and I thought it might be good for them to get moving once in a while too.
As we only bought one bicycle, the children had to take turns. Rachel seemed to find it hard to cycle initially, but she got going gradually. I attributed it to her being 'rusty' as she had not been cycling for sometime and was not used to it. When Felix had his turn, I found him not being able to move the bicycle. "Weak legs," I had thought, due to his being a year younger. Throughout the near hour-long session in which the duo took turns on the bicycle, we had to push Felix or he would hardly be moving on it.
A couple of days later, something struck me. I remembered how my brother, Eddie, found it difficult to turn the wheels of my car and he concluded after a week that the tyres were not fully pumped. He was right. Could the tyres to our children's tyres have suffered the same fate? I checked when I returned home later and confirmed my suspicions. Silly me! The tyres were almost totally flat! How could the children have been able to cycle on the bicycle?
That night, Yen and I took them down again. They cycled with ease! Ha. A new experience for me - check on the tyres before cycling!
I brought Rachel and Felix downstaris just the other day as Kayleen was still asleep. The bicycle with training wheels that sat in a corner in their bedroom had gathered a few inches of dust and I thought it might be good for them to get moving once in a while too.
As we only bought one bicycle, the children had to take turns. Rachel seemed to find it hard to cycle initially, but she got going gradually. I attributed it to her being 'rusty' as she had not been cycling for sometime and was not used to it. When Felix had his turn, I found him not being able to move the bicycle. "Weak legs," I had thought, due to his being a year younger. Throughout the near hour-long session in which the duo took turns on the bicycle, we had to push Felix or he would hardly be moving on it.
A couple of days later, something struck me. I remembered how my brother, Eddie, found it difficult to turn the wheels of my car and he concluded after a week that the tyres were not fully pumped. He was right. Could the tyres to our children's tyres have suffered the same fate? I checked when I returned home later and confirmed my suspicions. Silly me! The tyres were almost totally flat! How could the children have been able to cycle on the bicycle?
That night, Yen and I took them down again. They cycled with ease! Ha. A new experience for me - check on the tyres before cycling!
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