2019 PSLE Discussions and Strategies (Children born in 2007)

[bluepencil]

ShareShareLah\" post_id=\"1940553\" time=\"1570630712\" user_id=\"181541:

bluepencil\" post_id=\"1940552\" time=\"1570630524\" user_id=\"165241:

[quote=slmkhoo post_id=1940488 time=1570599820 user_id=28674]
Not joining is OK initially until you see how things go. But if there is a lot going on, even informally, your child will be left out. I have kids of different personalities - my younger child hated being out of the loop, while my older one was quite happy to be left out! We eventually insisted that the older one get a phone because she often didn't know what was going on, turned up at the wrong place/time or brought the wrong things (or didn't bring what she was supposed to). We let the younger one have a phone because she was miserable when left out. Both were responsible users, so I don't regret letting have phones in early sec school. Parents do need to set rules and enforce them, especially initially, no matter when the phones are introduced. And you might want to consider that early-teens is better time to start imposing rules than mid-teens.

Thanks, care to share what are your rules and limits? I know that every family is different. But I read somewhere in general no more than 2 hour screentime in total.
The bigger problem is that classmates are using phone non stop, and this affects my child and give me a harder task to enforce rules. I wish I can use a scissors to cut off ties but the peer environment is really hard to control.
It's also hard when the child is unhappy once you enforce those rules, and this is puberty age

By far I find phones the worse of all compared to laptops somehow, for eye health even at least.
When you think about it, actually everywhere you also see adults looking at phones non stop...

Thanks for sharing bluepencil, I think it's good you mentioned screentime for kids. I only let my kids use the computer for 1 hour as leisure and 2 hours for school-related work. Wonder if this reasonable? My spouse will help me to monitor the kids though. :hugs: :grphug:[/quote]welcome! it's something like that
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/pediatricians-no-more-than-2-hour-screen-time-kids/

but i mean in general if you talk to parenting or cousellors, they will always say you set your own rules and what is acceptable or not in your family.
And that's where I find it a bit hard, cos if I can I would rather be some parents here who says some kids don't use phone until Sec 3! quite unbelievable in my case

[ShareShareLah]

bluepencil\" post_id=\"1940556\" time=\"1570631130\" user_id=\"165241:

ShareShareLah\" post_id=\"1940553\" time=\"1570630712\" user_id=\"181541:

[quote=bluepencil post_id=1940552 time=1570630524 user_id=165241]

Thanks, care to share what are your rules and limits? I know that every family is different. But I read somewhere in general no more than 2 hour screentime in total.
The bigger problem is that classmates are using phone non stop, and this affects my child and give me a harder task to enforce rules. I wish I can use a scissors to cut off ties but the peer environment is really hard to control.
It's also hard when the child is unhappy once you enforce those rules, and this is puberty age

By far I find phones the worse of all compared to laptops somehow, for eye health even at least.
When you think about it, actually everywhere you also see adults looking at phones non stop...

Thanks for sharing bluepencil, I think it's good you mentioned screentime for kids. I only let my kids use the computer for 1 hour as leisure and 2 hours for school-related work. Wonder if this reasonable? My spouse will help me to monitor the kids though. :hugs: :grphug:

welcome! it's something like that
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/pediatricians-no-more-than-2-hour-screen-time-kids/

but i mean in general if you talk to parenting or cousellors, they will always say you set your own rules and what is acceptable or not in your family.
And that's where I find it a bit hard, cos if I can I would rather be some parents here who says some kids don't use phone until Sec 3! quite unbelievable in my case[/quote]

Me Too haha. :goodpost: Kids carry phones when they are so young nowadays :celebrate:

[floppy]

bluepencil\" post_id=\"1940554\" time=\"1570630811\" user_id=\"165241:

Indeed, now when I think of all the good advice here, I should check out if any school deals or school specs. I didn't know that maybe schools have a specification. I thought just get the best possible to my budget standard laptop which actually can also be used at home when the current home one is not as capable when need to use for some multimedia etc

Specifications:
1. Runs Microsoft office - Word and PowerPoint
2. Runs an internet browser- preferably Chrome
3. Reasonable ‘speed’ (this isn’t a school spec but mostly not to frustrate the user)

You aren’t building a game machine and the secondary school laptop won’t be running Photoshop, Premiere, Visual Studio and other professional grade software.

[sharonkhoo]

ShareShareLah\" post_id=\"1940562\" time=\"1570634943\" user_id=\"181541:

Me Too haha. :goodpost: Kids carry phones when they are so young nowadays :celebrate:

The younger they are, the stricter the rules. For sec school kids, parents have to have good reasons for the rules, and be prepared to show that they are abiding by the same principles (not necessarily the exact limits). For eg, no phones during meals, parents also put their phones aside for significant periods of the day, etc.

For my kids, we capped the time allowed for leisure computer use to 30 mins a day, but relaxed as they got older. By the time they were sec 4, we didn't really monitor, but they were being sensible. For phones, we set a cap of no more than 20 mins at a time, twice a day, for leisure and general chat. Our main rules were that they should not use their phones while walking around, while studying or doing homework, during meals, and they should not be checking every 5 mins! Phones were left in the living room during study time and by bedtime. We impressed on them that no-one needed to be connected all the time, and their friends could wait a couple of hours for a reply (unless in some real-time emergencies). They needed help initially in deciding how to manage, and how to communicate our rules to their friends, but we didn't have fights over phone or computer use.

[jtee07]

This is the article on mobile phone usage in schools after a court case surfaced where the (rich) parent sued the school.


https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/education/strict-rules-on-mobile-phone-use-in-many-schools-some-may-confiscate-phones-for

[bluepencil]

slmkhoo\" post_id=\"1940584\" time=\"1570666303\" user_id=\"28674:

ShareShareLah\" post_id=\"1940562\" time=\"1570634943\" user_id=\"181541:

Me Too haha. :goodpost: Kids carry phones when they are so young nowadays :celebrate:

The younger they are, the stricter the rules. For sec school kids, parents have to have good reasons for the rules, and be prepared to show that they are abiding by the same principles (not necessarily the exact limits). For eg, no phones during meals, parents also put their phones aside for significant periods of the day, etc.

For my kids, we capped the time allowed for leisure computer use to 30 mins a day, but relaxed as they got older. By the time they were sec 4, we didn't really monitor, but they were being sensible. For phones, we set a cap of no more than 20 mins at a time, twice a day, for leisure and general chat. Our main rules were that they should not use their phones while walking around, while studying or doing homework, during meals, and they should not be checking every 5 mins! Phones were left in the living room during study time and by bedtime. We impressed on them that no-one needed to be connected all the time, and their friends could wait a couple of hours for a reply (unless in some real-time emergencies). They needed help initially in deciding how to manage, and how to communicate our rules to their friends, but we didn't have fights over phone or computer use.

:goodpost:

[ShareShareLah]

slmkhoo\" post_id=\"1940584\" time=\"1570666303\" user_id=\"28674:

ShareShareLah\" post_id=\"1940562\" time=\"1570634943\" user_id=\"181541:

Me Too haha. :goodpost: Kids carry phones when they are so young nowadays :celebrate:

The younger they are, the stricter the rules. For sec school kids, parents have to have good reasons for the rules, and be prepared to show that they are abiding by the same principles (not necessarily the exact limits). For eg, no phones during meals, parents also put their phones aside for significant periods of the day, etc.

For my kids, we capped the time allowed for leisure computer use to 30 mins a day, but relaxed as they got older. By the time they were sec 4, we didn't really monitor, but they were being sensible. For phones, we set a cap of no more than 20 mins at a time, twice a day, for leisure and general chat. Our main rules were that they should not use their phones while walking around, while studying or doing homework, during meals, and they should not be checking every 5 mins! Phones were left in the living room during study time and by bedtime. We impressed on them that no-one needed to be connected all the time, and their friends could wait a couple of hours for a reply (unless in some real-time emergencies). They needed help initially in deciding how to manage, and how to communicate our rules to their friends, but we didn't have fights over phone or computer use.

Thanks for sharing, slmkhoo, :udaman: your \"phone usage plan\" for your kids seems very strict. Have you met with any resistance from your kids? I am very impressed with how much self-discipline you instilled in your kids. I sometimes have trouble convincing them to put away their phones and concentrate in their work or family time bonding.

[jj_1808]

Hi Parents ,

I have a debate with some of my friends relating to the PSLE tough Maths paper - challenging questions and following are their views:-
1) It is within the syallbus
2) it’s that difficult only GEP students can do
3) it does not need to undergo Maths Olympiad training
4) we are complacent
5)mathematical concepts not strong, so when questions twist … children cannot see it.

What do you think ?

[bluepencil]

jtee07\" post_id=\"1940586\" time=\"1570666609\" user_id=\"134791:

This is the article on mobile phone usage in schools after a court case surfaced where the (rich) parent sued the school.

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/education/strict-rules-on-mobile-phone-use-in-many-schools-some-may-confiscate-phones-for

I wish my DD phone is confiscated till she is 21 !

[ShareShareLah]

jj_1808\" post_id=\"1940608\" time=\"1570672564\" user_id=\"31403:

Hi Parents ,
I have a debate with some of my friends relating to the PSLE tough Maths paper - challenging questions and following are their views:-
1) It is within the syallbus
2) it’s that difficult only GEP students can do
3) it does not need to undergo Maths Olympiad training
4) we are complacent
5)mathematical concepts not strong, so when questions twist .. children cannot see it.

What do you think ?

Must be a rigorous debate! :nailbite: :yikes: IMHO, I think No.5 ( mathematical concepts not strong, so when questions twist .. children cannot see it.) is very likely. Students must first understand how the question is phrased before they can attempt and sometimes, students are used to certain question types, so when the wording changed, they are confused.