Supporting Child's Talent/Hobbies
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thanks for sharing 2ppaamm. your post has enlightened me. to be more patient towards my elder boy. he does daydream a lot and I find that the more I sit beside him, the more he relies on me.
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Thank you 2ppaamm. An inspirational piece of sharing which I share with my dh and it triggers a long talk and discussion.
[quote]The funny thing is, all of us are so busy teaching our kids how to make a living, many forget to teach them how to save and manage the money they make. JMHO, our kids will not have a problem earning money, but they will have a problem keeping that. Just look at all the credits, loans etc that are raking up... O, look at Michael Jackson. A record breaking earner yet a pauper ...
I like to tell my kids this: It is not how much you earn, but how much you save that really counts... That is perhaps the best gift I feel we can leave our kids. And a totally different perspective from the credit-run world.[/quote]Strange. Yesterday afternoon, I've had a light hearted story telling with my kids on MJ, how he started, how his life was & how he managed his expenses. Agree for my kids & they are very diligent in saving. DS has already been asking how to do investment since he hit P1. I've given tuition during my younger years and some children really need a lot of help just to get a passing grade. For parents with children struggling, I believe their priority will be at least a basic pass before pursuing their interest. -
smurf:
thanks for sharing 2ppaamm. your post has enlightened me. to be more patient towards my elder boy. he does daydream a lot and I find that the more I sit beside him, the more he relies on me.
Hm.. daydreaming is also very good. DS1 was like that. I had to sit beside him to remind him or his work can never be finished. Somehow, once he found passion in something, including his studies now, I never had to do this again!
Find what he loves and you will never have to run after him... that's what I learnt and hope it applies to your kid as well! -
HI 2ppaamm,
he only wants to play game...any kind...handhelds, computer...etc...ask him to read, draw, he will start to daydream after 5 mins...even eating!:(
I've remove all sort of games.
and he is super lazy...lazy to eat, lazy to do work, lazy to do anything...every mouthful of rice, I've to pester him.
he's attending 3 hrs kindy, and I'm thinking of changing to full day child care for him just so that he can learn to be more independent, but he is k2 now..too late to change.
guess what. sometimes, he will tell me, 'mama, i'm daydreaming now. :frustrated: -
I've did some thinking. What is nature without nurture. I have been so swept away by 2ppaamm's children achievement that I fail to mention behind the achievement is a very supportive and resilient mother.
Personal confession. :oops:
MUSIC
I was not even able to judge if my child is receiving sufficient or the right amount of knowledge. Even when I realize something is lacking and I need to find a more suitable classes, I still ponder upon if I am making the right decision. To approach the school to move him up is like making me move a mountain. I am that hesitant. Even when I read there is a NAFA audition end of last year, reading the post, just makes me disheartened. It's like calling it quit before the battle begin.
In music, the only thing that my child needs from me is to get him a proper teacher. I have no issues in sitting down getting him to play. He has no issues of practising if only there is a new song to learn.
2ppaamm, you've gotten a perfect pitch. For myself I've gotten myself a good teacher which is ds himself. But my little teacher knowledge is limited. So it is up to his mother to try and make a difference.
SPORTS
I know ds can run and has good stamina. What I have done is to have him embrace the love of nature. We go for long walks through the parks, breaking into a sprint just for the fun of it. As for dd, no running. Just a long leisurely walk and appreciating nature is something I hope I can instill.
I have sent ds for swimming class last year. Dd a few years back. Dd swimming, she picks it up from school. DS was looking at me hopelessly asking for rescue during his swimming lesson. After 3 lessons I call it quit. I realize my child needs me the very reason for the looks. I'm glad that I did because he learns well from me & dh. Now in P3 (haha 2ppaamm you are not the only one), ds has requested for formal swimming class. Yes, this time I better find it fast. DS is informally taught by me and dh. He nows just happily jumps into deep pool and swim across while either me or dh frantically following from behind just in case, he don't have the stamina to complete it.
ART
I've got to thank dh for this. He is the one buying the photocopy paper, painstakingly draw transformer for ds who in turn copy his daddy's style of drawing. DH is also the one buying the comics which my kids loves to copy and re-create them.
I'm buying a clear folder for each of them. That will be their art portfolio if the need ever arise.
This morning, I was asking dh to spend time with dd telling him dd's comic need to be a bit neater. Her boxes although in story sequence doesn't seems to be in the same size. His answer :heresmyfish:, artist doesn't like to be dictated EN and comics are supposed to look like that and not neatly arrange! :oops:
So...2ppaamm. Thank you once again for sharing. :udawoman: Your children's achievement are your achievement too.
I'm motivated and learn a lot from your post. -
[quote]HI 2ppaamm,
he only wants to play game...any kind...handhelds, computer...etc...ask him to read, draw, he will start to daydream after 5 mins...even eating!
I've remove all sort of games.
and he is super lazy...lazy to eat, lazy to do work, lazy to do anything...every mouthful of rice, I've to pester him.
he's attending 3 hrs kindy, and I'm thinking of changing to full day child care for him just so that he can learn to be more independent, but he is k2 now..too late to change.
guess what. sometimes, he will tell me, 'mama, i'm daydreaming now. [/quote]Psssttt...smurf, does sound like my daughter. It takes years for me to figure out. She is now turning 11.
[quote]Find what he loves and you will never have to run after him... that's what I learnt and hope it applies to your kid as well![/quote]I agree on this. It's a feel good factor. Once a person feel good or has pride on something that he/she has done well, it will rub on to other aspect as well.
The very reason why I start this thread how parents assist their child in their hobbies/interest/talent.
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hmm, he told me he wants to learn music, but, I know it's 'san fen zhong ri du'. he never see thru anything 1. which is why I scared if I sign him up, end up waste $$. half way drop out.
but he can remember songs/music easily. even those music that I let him listen when he was a bb and he is 5 now. sometimes when we go to certain places, and there is music playing, he can tell me, 'hey mama, the einstein music!.\" (coming from baby enstein DVD). -
EN,
If I were to start a new website, which I have thought about for the last 10 years but never got to do it, it will be cluelessmom.com because I was a clueless mom and will continue to be, but one thing for sure: I'm willing to learn from my own mistakes.
Go for the music auditions I have pmed you previously. If the teacher is not able to take your children, try NAFA. I don't recommend NAFA, unfortunately. Long story, but NAFA is not for everyone. Does not matter if your kid made it for the auditions or not, at least you know how to move on. Whichever teacher you choose, I do believe parent involvement makes a difference. Here's how I go through music class with my kids:
1. Ask that you be allowed to sit in, and take notes. Some really kiasu parents take video!
2. I have a copy of their music while they do through the lesson, and I jolt down the teacher's remarks and the child's weaknesses on that copy.
3. Every day, during practice, I pick up about 5 points, and work on those with the child (not more or he will be scared!)
4. Each practice session should not last more than 15 minutes for a beginner, and longer as the kid gets used to it.
5. Revise yesterday's work and progress on the 5 new points.
6. I have a daily time table for each day's practice, which I make into a little notebook every 3 months or so. 1 page each day. Very detailed one. With my lousy drawing, I draw something they like when they finish the day's plan. Er... yep, I'm the very disciplined kind.
7. Does not matter whether mama is good at music or not. You will become good if you keep at it. Ask questions during the music class. If your kid starts at grade 1, that's not difficult to start learning from.
8. Perfect pitch can be picked up (I believe) once you listen close enough. Perfect pitch is not a necessity in music.
9. Teacher is very, very important. Don't settle for a convenient teacher who can come to your house at the right time. My kids and I travel across the island to have lessons with the teacher.
10. O, and I don't believe in photocopying music violating copyrights. Heh heh... I believe that a new book gives them the extra motivation (that mummy bought me a new book to start the next grade/level)
Smurf, if I were you, I will definitely register the child for some music class. He is at the perfect age, and he is asking for it! The investment you put in is like the premium in insurance. There's no guarantee you'll use it, but if you happen to 'strike', bingo! I had no clue that my kids will be musically inclined as well, but I registered DS1 anyway, one day when I walked past the school. The rest, they say, is history.
What I did was to draw up a simple verbal contract with my child. Like this, \"I'm going to register you for XXX class ok?\" Child responds yes. \"It will take 2 years to finish. During these 2 years, I will practice with you every X days, for XX minutes. You must do this diligently. Do we have a deal?\" When the kids get bigger, I let them decide the X.
From your description, your child is definitely 'material'. Now, the nurture has to take over. Try Yamaha JMC? I really like that particular course.
EN, not everyone has got a good stamina and can run without getting tired. You probably didn't know that's a special gift because it runs in your family. This is what I do to nurture the love and excellence for sports:
1. I educate the purpose of sports: for health, for building team spirit, for building character, for a life-time of enjoyment. Never allow the pressure of competition and winning deviate us from these basic principles. People first, winning second.
2. Never miss a single training, for whatever reasons. If sick, call the coach and explain why. If it is raining, call to ask the coach if it still makes sense to make the journey down. Never skive. If injured, sit by the side to watch - build the team spirit.
3. The coach has a final say to everything. During that 1 or 2 hours, don't look to me for solutions. Tell coach what you need. If coach says the grass is red, don't argue that it is green. I empower the coach a lot, and to be able to do so, I choose my kids' coaches very carefully: chemistry with the child, character of coach and the values and principles he/she holds. Respect the coach like a mother/father and love him/her dearly. My children will buy gifts and flowers for their coaches out of their own pocket money. But most of all, they will not switch to another coach in the hope of better results (there are always better coaches). I want to build loyalty, trust and \"drink water must remember where the source is\" in my kids as well.
4. Never laugh at a friend or feel small because someone is better. We all will get there ultimately if we do not give up.
5. Deal with one new learning point a time. Don't cram too many things in one lesson.
For the art part, I think your hubby is better than me! I also agree to let the artist decide what is good and beautiful. I have never once commented on my kids' drawing, except to discuss what they are drawing. My son once told me that if I had sent him for art classes, he would have lost all interests. Wah, luckily I didn't. He is now doing fine arts at tertiary level, and getting comments from experts. Hm... he is ok with that because he has lots of respect for those accomplished artists, it's a good thing this non-expert did not make a single comment... :oops:
Hope these little stuff I do give you some ideas to plan your interesting journey with the kids. If they day dream, ok lah, ask them to tell you what they are dreaming about. Take that opportunity to bond lor. What to do, if we pick up a fight, precious time will be lost... That's how I think.... very pressured for time all the time. So have to use every minute creatively... :lol: -
2ppaamm:
Haha ! Meeeeee, tried taking videos before and would try again when time is right. Hubby has been sitting in for a few months. Now, after discussing with the teacher, daddy has been chased out, because teacher wants to open dd up.EN,
1. Ask that you be allowed to sit in, and take notes. Some really kiasu parents take video!
9. Teacher is very, very important. Don't settle for a convenient teacher who can come to your house at the right time. My kids and I travel across the island to have lessons with the teacher.
Meeee again ! I had very bad experience for convience sake, now dd travels to the other side of the island with this wonderful teacher and she never drags to go.
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daisyt:
Ha ha... you are really a perfect kiasu mom!!! Great! Sometimes wished I had done a bit more. Maybe I'll do this video thing from next week onwards, so I don't have to strain my eyes so much to see where she is pointing.. getting old ma...
Haha ! Meeeeee, tried taking videos before and would try again when time is right. Hubby has been sitting in for a few months. Now, after discussing with the teacher, daddy has been chased out, because teacher wants to open dd up.
Meeee again ! I had very bad experience for convience sake, now dd travels to the other side of the island with this wonderful teacher and she never drags to go.
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