All About Your Child

Ok, people who know me for years, know that I’m often as blur as a sotong…I did it again!

Oh well, I do remember that Teacher’s Day is on the 1st of September every year but I DIDN’T know that its a one week school break starting tomorrow…

Keatkeat told me while we were having lunch, that everyone gave Mdm Normah and Miss Chen (the Mandarin Teacher) gifts and flowers except him.

Allan and I was still questioning Keatkeat, “why did they celebrate Teachers’ Day today? It should be next Monday.”

Keatkeat: “I’m on holiday ALREADY! No school on Monday!”

Only then did we call up the school to double confirm and at the same time hope to be able to talk to Mdm Normah, because when we realised the blunder we made, it was more than 45mins after we have left the school.

Luckily, we managed to get her. She usually leaves the school 15mins after school ended.

Me: “Hi Mdm Normah, this is Cheng Keat’s Mommy, I’m sooooo sorry. I didn’t know it was school holiday for the whole of next week and that everyone celebrated Teachers’ Day today. And because of my mistake, Keatkeat is feeling very bad that he didn’t give you anything.”

Normah: “*laugh* oh don’t worry about it. Cheng Keat told me, “Mdm Normah, can I give you a present tomorrow?” I hugged him and said, “don’t worry Cheng Keat, its ok.” Then Cheng Keat pointed to my brooch, “I gave you this last year right?!” *laugh* “Yes Cheng Keat, you gave me this brooch last year and I like it very much, see I’m still wearing it.”

Me: *still very apologetic* “When will you be leaving school today?”

Normah: “Another half an hour”

Me: *thinking it will be too rush to get her a present* “Will you be coming to school next week?”

Normah: “Yes, Wednesday”

Me: “What time?”

Normah: “9am”

Me: “Good! I’ll see you then.”

Normah: *laugh* “Don’t worry about it.”

Me: “No I can’t, Cheng Keat is feeling terrible and so am I….ok, so I’ll see you on Wednesday…”

Normah: *laugh* “ok, see you then…”

So I’m gonna go make up for the BIG MISTAKE I’ve made…luckily its still can be remedied.

*sigh*

Binbin didn’t sleep till 1am last night. Nope, no tantrums, nothing out of the ordinary. He was just too excited and happy yesterday because everything went smoothly for him the whole day, that was the caused of his insomia.

He did so well for his very first attempt on ‘Bowling Buddies’ on my Facebook, got a couple of spares. His face was glowing with pride as he slowly fell asleep. Come to think of it, my Facebook games are played by everyone else except me, the owner of the account…Allan loved the games and was so addicted to it, which got the kids involved in it too and now Keatkeat is so good in the ‘Bowling Buddies’ that my sis opened a Facebook account just for him a few months ago….

When Binbin was truly in dreamland, my tummy was growling so loud I couldn’t ignore. So I got up, wanted to eat some Cheese Rings to shut my tummy up, but it went on with its protest till I had my bowl of instant noodles.

So Allan and I watched one of his favourite show ‘Dirty Jobs’ on Discovery Channel as I gobbled down that bowl of hot noodle soup. When that was done, I was too full to sleep (I do have a problem, don’t I…hmmmm…).

We kept switching channels till we saw a (repeat telecast) local Mandarin comedy variety program called ‘Conscience Found’ (in English).

The topic was on parenting. They acted out how parents through common practises slowly but surely spoiled their child, unknowingly. When they finally realised it, it was too late to turn back the clock…the show ended with this sentence…

(translated in English)
Kids are adorable,
but there are moments when they could be a pain in the ass too.
If we are too lenient towards them,
the consequence may turn out to be lamentable.

What are your thoughts about the above? I’m on the brink of breaking my angel-like patience with my 4-year-old Keatkeat already. Yes, I’ve mentioned before the characteristics of a 4-year-old. I thought I was prepared for it. Afterall, I’ve taught 4-years-old before and that was a whole bunch of them when I was in Child Care.

But then I realised that IT WAS DIFFERENT when it comes to your own kids, its just NOT THE SAME….you witness the change from a little angel to a little ‘devil’, someone who used to listen and goes with your whims and fancies has changed into someone who is all out to irritate you and when your confront him:

Me: “Keatkeat, why did you do this?”

Keatkeat: *Shrugged his shoulders*

Me: “Do you know by doing this, you will irritate me?”

Keatkeat: “Yes.”

Me: “Then why did you still do it?!”

Keatkeat: *Giggled* “I don’t know.”

Me: “You think it’s funny to this or it’s funny to irritate me?”

Keatkeat: *Giggled more*

(Then the man of the house would step in)

Allan: “Don’t need to talk to him, he never learns, let him feel physical pain, that’s how he will learn.”

Me: “Keatkeat, I don’t like to scold you and I don’t want to beat you like Papa, can you please (beggingly) stop all these nonsense?”

Keatkeat: “Sorry Mommy.”

Just when you have forgotten about the issue, he did it again in another way!!!! *Urgghhhhh* Then before I can open my mouth, Allan whacked him….you think that solved the problem? NO!!!!! ‘cos when the pain on the skin is long gone, Keatkeat is up to his mischief AGAIN! That’s how difficult a 4-year-old can be!!!!

So to me, those words of advice I saw at the end of the programme set me thinking….its not only about your parenting style its about changing your parenting style to suit the changing development stages of your child as he goes through self-exploration and changes in his personality before he is moulded and ‘take-shape’ permanently as a grown-up – that’s the challenging part!