Children of average ability

[corneyAmber]

ChiefKiasu:

ks2me:

...If your child trips often, please check for flat-foot with a podatrist. It may be a symptom of that which makes him appear clumsy. If there is really an issue in that area, then we can discuss further else at least put your mind at ease.

To us recruits when we were in NS, the definition of \"gifted\" is to be blessed with \"flat foot\".

Chief, you really have a great sense of humour to maintain your sanity.. :lol: But truly, the 'gao geng'(in Hokkien) ones are the gifted ones in NS, must give them credit...

[ChiefKiasu]

ks2me:

Chief, you really have a great sense of humour to maintain your sanity.. :lol: But truly, the 'gao geng'(in Hokkien) ones are the gifted ones in NS, must give them credit...

Actually I was selected to moderate this forum because I was deemed to be sufficiently insane. Anyway, the 'gao geng' ones I don't respect, much less give them any credit. But to be \"flat footed\" is like to be given an official letter from the heavens that, as much as you love your country and want to serve it, someone up there feels that you have some higher purpose other than being cannon fodder.

[shylyn]

Yoz Buds


I haven't had the time to reply but I hv been silently reading the posts by u & the rest..hmm..seems like there's a slight fire gg on here for the past few days..anyway, don't get too bothered w it..I always enjoy and hv learnt a lot from your sharing. many of the other forum mummies/daddies too! I always believe that everyone is entitled to his/her own opinions.

buds:

Hence, through the years
MMI has fine-tuned a lot of their lessons and worksheets to
accommodate our ever changing primary school syllabus, since
they first started. This shows improvement from when they first
started out. But again, every end result of the children still depends
on the teacher's calibre and passion for teaching young children...
But on the whole, i find that its curriculum is holistic and prepares
our children for primary education.

I agree with you totally..the imptance of a dedicated and caring teacher is never enough stressed.

buds:

i must have a conducive
working environment. Nice boss, nice place and nice people..
As i have the upper hand in the sense of experience(ehem), i select
my place of work... hehee... I do not enjoy working in a people-politics
kinda working environment. It distracts the much needed devotion
towards teaching children.

wow buds..no wonder u choose to b a sahm..hehehe..ur conditions r tough..but not possible..got to depend on luck yeh? Sama sama..i dislike off politics & thankfully, so far so gd...ever since I started working, no office politics..but of cos, occasional diff customers to handle lah..

buds:

Children who have been in childcare develop good sleep routine.
(For full day children) Even after childcare, they will sleep at the
designated times they have done so in childcare. And they will
sleep fast.

Oh yeah...how true for my boy..he sleeps & wakes up at his regular timing..kinda my mirror image..(oh..btw, I'm also a child care brought up kid.) I hv to sleep & wake up at the same timing everyday...

buds:

Though i do not fancy children being in childcare (if they do not need to)

Btw..the tot of becoming a sahm did cross my mind when i was abt to return to the workforce after my maternity leave..but knowing myself, I would prefer to leave the taking care of my boy to the child care. I still prefer to work..though i would also want to spend time with my boy & take care of his needs but with my temper, I will definitely spend more time scolding him instead. Thus, I would prefer to spend quality & good times nurturing and playing with him instead. definitely gives me joy looking forward to the time we will hv after work.

My in laws are actually more than happy to take care of my boy but i strongly prefer the cc..cos knowing what they do on a normal day (watching tv, playing) isn't exactly my cup of tea..still prefer my boy to be disciplined in a child care setting.

buds:

As for the new curriculum, push for it okay.. until you get it.
Its your right as a parent to know what is being taught or what
will be taught to your children.

Yep..finally, after 3 times of asking, it was finally emailed to me..I hv yet to read it though.. :lol:

buds:

5. Messy Classroom Management
Highlight what you have seen to the person in charge and the teacher.
Don't suffer in silence. It must've been heartbreaking to see your son
in that situation that unfortunate day.. hopefully and oversight due to
the many children to a class. The teachers take turns to care for the
sleeping children, have their lunch and prepare to afternoon lessons
during the children's nap time. Talk it out with them so it will help ease
the disturbed feeling you felt that day. My heart goes out to your son.
The poor dearie..

I guess u can call me a nice parent cos i just calmly highlighted to the teacher that my boy's pants was soaked & asked her to change it for him...cant imagine how the rest of the parents will react when they saw that...I do realise that it might be an oversight on their part & keeping my fingers crossed that it will never happen again..thankfully, my boy didn't get sick as a result. I hv spoken to the centre supervisor & she will speak to the teachers..let's see how it goes...i'm hoping that the care & dedication given to the children will improve w days..

[corneyAmber]

ChiefKiasu:

Actually I was selected to moderate this forum because I was deemed to be sufficiently insane. Anyway, the 'gao geng' ones I don't respect, much less give them any credit. But to be \"flat footed\" is like to be given an official letter from the heavens that, as much as you love your country and want to serve it, someone up there feels that you have some higher purpose other than being cannon fodder.

Unfortunately, the flat-footed ones I know actually rejoice that they are flat-footed....I have not met anyone in the \"noble\" category you have mentioned above yet, not sure if it is peer pressure that no one dares to admit openly that they love NS? so I put them in the same 'gao geng' category..

[shylyn]

jedamum:

oo....very comforting to hear your experience.
think it's too late for me to master MY motor skills!
just the other day while lunching out, my ds1 dropped his chopsticks. just when i was about to open my mouth with the usual words, i dropped my fishball!

Jedamum
sounds very like me...think till now, I still hv diff using chopsticks to grab fishballs..thus i never like fishballs.. :lol:
Btw..i'm also tripping often as well..but thinking back, sometimes my legs went jelly leh..heheh..

Taramind:

I definitely want them to learn swimming, but first I must find the time !

Taramind
When will u send ur kids for swimming then? I know the Sports Complex conducts swimming lessons for kids..& even toddlers..did toy with the idea of sending my boy for swimming but lazy to find time to bring him there.

Chief Kiasu:

Actually I was selected to moderate this forum because I was deemed to be sufficiently insane.

hehehe...I didn't know that this is a criteria to become a moderator :lol: U r definitely one funny guy

[buds]

Heyyo shylyn,


Firstly, busy is a good sign. Busy in the current context is having
work. Work brings money.. So work is good right now. Dun fret.
Catch up when you can. Love the updates by the way, all in a
nutshell. And i appreciate the silent encouragement from you.
Thank you.

Next, is teachers..
Ya, lor. You're right that a passionate teacher is never ever
enough stressed. Sigh. Just my luck getting such colleagues.
Complain also nothing done. Boss long time friend. Short of
manpower, takes whoever comes first then if lucky got better
one come along can change lah, if not make do with the lao-yah
one for a bit longer. The colleague from hell, i confronted her of
the things she did. She laughed it off saying i was dense and that
these kinda stuff is normal in childcare, to take children in hand so
they don't dare try anything funny from the beginning. Sad..

I said i don't do that to gain respect and maintain order and so do
others i know. She just said we're the soft type. So okay lah, diff
people different character. As long i get my kiddie outta there fast!
Boss never see the big picture... cos she's the boss. The staff aren't
real when the boss not around. So boss always see the normal stuff
then go office, or chat with parents who're around. What to do...

After some calming down, i don't see the need to destroy someone's
rice bowl. She has a family to feed too and school going children...
I do not see the pleasure i would get from being the one to put her out
of a job. My kiddie came out of it intact, tho' emotionally strained but
definitely a good lesson learnt. For hubs and myself too... Painful lesson,
but take it like a bitter pill. It took time to recover from that, for us as
parents mainly. But children are wonderful god's creations, they know
no malice and bear no grudges. Kiddie just resumed her PM kindy with
much happiness and seem to quickly forget the trauma she had to endure,
whether just to make me happy or she really forgave and forget, i will
not know the repercussions till later part in her life lah..

I did mention to tamarind what goes around comes around... So, i let it
be.. Last i was told, the nasty colleague got downgraded by management
to let her experience some humility. From working with K2's she went all
the way down nappy-changing, crying babies class in N1. Oh boy, was
she pissed.. Was told she begged for her place back in K2 and promised
to behave. No one could work with her from then on in N1, and complaint
after complaint from fellow colleagues of her tongue lashing and
authoritative nature. Even loud outburst with other staff during session.

Theeeenn only, boss saw the picture. But, know what... too late liao.
Many other great teachers were lost in the process. Teachers who reali
cared for the children, teachers who made the children there happy.
Yup, they threw in the towel. They told boss if she doesn't go they will go..
So, one by one they went marching off. Why was she still kept?
I don't really know, possibly cheaper salary and she can handle big
group of kids (due to the garang nature).

SAHM? Not by choice lah shylyn.. Thrown into the role cos nobody jaga.
And because of too many disastrous encounters in childcares i don't
think i can handle the emotional strain for financial freedom. So, i stay
poor for awhile lah. Very very hard ok? Not to mention, social life
downgrade to only kids pretend parties, hahahaa! On daily basis some
more. Debts after debts we slowly clear from our savings and hubs work
his ass off. The poor thing.. But it led to many priceless experiences
along the way that made us stronger and now financially very stable.

Hey yes, i do realise there will be a handful of parents who may not
have the patience to care for a child full day nor have the knowledge
to provide home education during such time, or some just cannot afford
t stay home due to financial situations. Different situations call for different
measures, but having your boy in childcare was a much better decision
lah in your case. The thought of the kiddies having so much idle time and
super pampered by grandpa grandma..... an overdose of that may not
be beneficial to ah-boy's growing developmental needs, ay.. So, your
decision was a right one. :celebrate: Yes, at least the time you spend
with him are definitely the great ones. Cherish him more.. Since
you see less of him.. He'll learn a lot from where you're putting him in
now.

Received the curriculum? Good for you.. After reading, dun quite under-
stand, i help ok?

Ya, i wud do the same too. Maintain composure... see the big picture...
investigate first... don't go crazy mama shouting at teachers without
first knowing the facts. Hope that never happens again. I cross for you
also, okay. Poor boy-boy you know.. Good you highlight to ctr supervisor,
and if she's a good one she will ensure positive improvements are made
over time. Good boss can inspire good teachers..

Have a good week ahead, you.
Take care.

[shylyn]

Hiya Buds

Nah..I'm sure u hv many readers who hv benefitted from your sharing as well..I'm one of them. I always enjoy reading posts by mummies/daddies who share something useful be it academically or character building ..cos it will add on to my knowledge..

Yep..I guess so..but then again, in this unpredictable times, being busy doesn't necessary means ur job is secure..so got to & keep fingers crossed.

buds:

The colleague from hell, i confronted her of
the things she did. She laughed it off saying i was dense and that
these kinda stuff is normal in childcare, to take children in hand so
they don't dare try anything funny from the beginning. Sad..

My kiddie came out of it intact, tho' emotionally strained but
definitely a good lesson learnt. For hubs and myself too... Painful lesson,
but take it like a bitter pill. It took time to recover from that, for us as
parents mainly. But children are wonderful god's creations, they know
no malice and bear no grudges. Kiddie just resumed her PM kindy with
much happiness and seem to quickly forget the trauma she had to endure,
whether just to make me happy or she really forgave and forget, i will
not know the repercussions till later part in her life lah..

oh dear..i hope this is not common among the teachers in my boy's cc..else cant imagine the pschological impact it will hv on him. In fact, I rem being made to stare at the sun when i was young together w e rest of my cc friends..cant rem what we were being punished for..but instead, I rem the punishment..luckily, my eyes didn't get blinded as a result. Hmm..luckily that incident didn't leave a bad impression of teachers/schooling on me..guess i was rather forgetful as well..& didn't rem it until lately.

buds:

working with K2's she went all the way down nappy-changing, crying babies class in N1.

I hope the teachers looking after the younger children do not think that they are in a lower position. Though changing nappies and looking after a bunch of screaming kids aren't exactly a cup of tea for many, it is still a noble profession..I never realise the imptance of presch teachers till I hv a kid of my own. Kudos to all the preschool teachers!

buds:

SAHM? Not by choice lah shylyn..

paisey lah..I tot u chose to be a sahm.. :oops:
honestly, despite the hardship, growing stronger & closer is still the best result one could get. I hv always admire sahms for their sacrifice and patience..not everyone is able to do it..I myself, is not one for sure..heheh..

buds:

The thought of the kiddies having so much idle time and
super pampered by grandpa grandma..

Indeed! Though my in laws aren't the type to super pamper him but as they r not used to teaching ..my parents as well..guess it wasn't their idea of spending time w their grandchildren..In fact, i tried to get my in laws (while they were still staying together w me) to teach my boy simple Chinese but they did not..so i guess no point forcing upon them.

buds:

Received the curriculum? Good for you.. After reading, dun quite under-
stand, i help ok?.

Thank u! Just read e curriculum..indeed very enriching as they covered all aspects! Hmm..only concern is whether my boy pays attention during class & whether he understand.. :lol:

buds:

Ya, i wud do the same too. Maintain composure... see the big picture...
investigate first... don't go crazy mama shouting at teachers without
first knowing the facts. .

I never like to jump into conculsion and accuse others unnecessary..I'll always consider others from their point of view..cos I don't like to be accused as well.
My only worry is that the teacher will bear a grudge against my boy & mistreat him if i complain too much to the supervisor...

[buds]

shylyn:

Yep..I guess so..but then again, in this unpredictable times, being busy doesn't necessary means ur job is secure..so got to & keep fingers crossed.

>I'll cross for you oso, ok!

shylyn:

buds:

working with K2's she went all the way down nappy-changing, crying babies class in N1.

>The said colleague told everybody she felt it was a demotion for her.
Personally, i prefer the younger kids classes. Children more cute and
innocent. And we can really see their improvement from cannot talk
to can talk non-stop, from cannot hold pencil to can write neatly and
colour inside the lines, etc. Not to mention, nice to huggie wuggie too!

>Guess, boss idea is to stop her from being the \"my pupils are big enuf
to do a lotta things and their own\" and too comfortable directing this
and that and all, to get her on her knees down with actual pre-school
life, where it all began... from the younger classes. And with small
children if she does her tongue lashing, sure they cry non-stop, so i
suppose boss wanna get her to curb her tongue too... and learn to treat
people with more love and care and most important, respect. Respecting
people doesn't mean with those who can already talk and able to have
tongue-wars, but all... including our cute babies. Human.

shylyn:

buds:

The thought of the kiddies having so much idle time and
super pampered by grandpa grandma..

>Mine both sides, super super pamper! My daddie tho' is excellent with
learn thru' play, but he gotta work.. shifts too.

shylyn:

My only worry is that the teacher will bear a grudge against my boy & mistreat him if i complain too much to the supervisor...

>Everyone worries abt this, you're not alone... Thats why more EQ in all
may save the world, hehee!

Geez, i'm so not good with putting this quote feature... :stupid:

[sunflower]

shylyn:

My only worry is that the teacher will bear a grudge against my boy & mistreat him if i complain too much to the supervisor...

Actually, I had this experience with my elder girl's childcare mate when she was in Nursery. The personality of the child's mother seemed to be the more vocal kind and she feedback quite a fair bit about the cc to the principal. I didn't realise until one day, I met her when fetching my child home from cc. She told me all her complaints and one of which was that her child's bottom wasn't cleaned properly (quite a few times) with visible poo after the big business.

I can't really remember the details but from her description, I sort of sensed that her child seemed to have been ostracised in class and not being treated in the usual caring manner by the teachers. It seemed to me that the teachers bore grudges against her child. Anyway, she withdrew her child at the end of the year.

[corneyAmber]

shylyn:

My only worry is that the teacher will bear a grudge against my boy & mistreat him if i complain too much to the supervisor...

The trick to be effective is not to do it as a complaint. I have given several feedbacks in the areas I deem necessary being a \"vocal\" mom myself. Always give a feedback with a constructive suggestion that is executable and non-selfish. Executable is very important as we should not be giving ideal situations and scenarios. Non-selfish is just as important because most organisations exist to cater for the mass(not refering to niche market) so the suggestion should benefit the mass. If it is only for our child, then it will fall through the cracks and make ourselves unhappy. Just sharing my experience only.

So far I have not put my child's position in school in jeopardy or run a risk of being \"blacklisted\" by the teachers. In fact so far all teachers dote on my child and I would like to attribute it to my child's effort as well cos never got \"sabotaged\" by mom who liked to give feedback when required.