Pei Hwa Presbyterian Primary

[janet88]

Hi IJJ,

Last night when I couldn’t handle the Math question, I asked my boy. Daughter asked me, ‘you mean you don’t know ?’ I told her, ‘yes, I don’t understand and your daddy or gor gor are better in Maths than me. There is nothing wrong asking’. She has finally got it into her head that mummy doesn’t know Maths. Whew !!!

I must remind myself NEVER EVER buy ‘Excel in Maths’ again.

[kohhweelin.010441gmail.010441com]

periwinklejoy:

Can share some tips on scheduling? I want to spend time with her on Eng, Compos (Chin and Eng), Science. But its week 4 already and nothing accomplished as I cldn't bear to get her to do any more work after she finished her hw.

Actually scheduling is not the difficult part. Try and plan ahead, factoring in some buffer, to something that fit your dd's current school activities. Focus on quality learning. It's getting them to complete the assigned tasks on time that is tricky. I let her \"enjoy\" her work by letting her eat ice-cream or fruits while working on home-assigned activities (seatwork), but not so when playing on the piano. She cannot eat anything while doing schoolwork too to prevent \"accidental smudges\". Keep her on a happy, relax yet alert mode, then she can keep to the schedule. I will \"act\" out her moxie and be a clown to help her to remember faster and better. I agree that sometimes schoolwork takes up a lot of time, she has to research on news reports to be typed into Class Blog, do all the activities in the Little Red Dot, do 周记 fortnightly, write all 13 four-chars 听写 in one day into her 笔记, 小书, and of course the usual EL, Math, CL hw and what-nots assigned by her class teachers and theory by piano teacher. Oh yes, and Science project too. A lot of times, all these will spill over to her schedule time to do assessment books. So I will steal time whenever there is lesser hw and let her do one subject from her assessment books, usually Math. However, I realised, nearer exam periods, less hw, so she could usually focus on assessments more.

I sit in with her during piano practices to ensure all songs are quality practices, can skip those that she could play well. This one, I have to be very firm. I have a list of \"compulsory daily items to play (scales, contrary motions, chromatic scales, arpeggios)\" pasted on her piano.

I let her guinea pig sit by her side while she does her past year papers. Of course, she is responsible for cleaning up after whatever left behind by the guinea pig after that.

As long as she can keep to the time and produce quality work, I am fine with whatever ways she wants to do her work. I have to be flexible with 3 kids in the house. She is a task-oriented girl (like the mum) and an Energiser (or Duracell?) battery so she can last pretty long. Her schedule work runs from 2:45pm - 6:30pm (more academic, inclusive of 1 hour of piano practice), dinner, 7:30pm - 9pm (lighter work like reading or doing corrections from my assigned work).

While she's doing work without needing my guidance, I turn my attention to my 5-year-old and carry out HER schedule with her, at the same time, listening out to my dd1 so see if there's anything that she needed my help with. Well...you can tell...my dd3 is pretty much \"self-entertained\", or in better words...\"free play\"...if you do not wish to see it as her being \"neglected\"...hehe...


For EL compositions, I used to let her do one every alternate days (on weekdays only) one month before SA1 and SA2. The other alternate days will be for CL compo. She reads a lot of upper primary model compositions and has taken a liking to certain styles. However, I am still not very happy with the way she writes, she is careful in not making spelling or grammatical mistakes but she always writes in a \"playing it safe\" way, meaning she keeps to the story plot, using idioms, creative phrases as and when, but does not introduce twists. I felt though it's smooth writing but it's very cliche-ish...I would prefer her to write more instrinsically. She plays piano in the same way too, technically note-perfect but lacks the articulation. :roll: I guess it's personality.

Have fun parenting. It's a privilege not everyone is entitled to.

[IJJ]

janet_lee88:

E3:

[quote=\"janet_lee88\"]Hi E3,

3 hours passes very fast...I know it bcos I used to struggle to do as much as I can when daughter was in kindergarten.

If you go back to school, you'll be too tired to coach eldest one when she returns home. Maybe you can consider this option when #3 is older.

Thanks Janet, so nice of you to consider my welfare. Yup, I am now busy compiling theory notes for each individual question for my dd's theory exam. Once March is over, I think we can breathe easier...I hope.... :nailbite:

With 3 kids, you definitely need to save energy for them. No point going back to teach for the few hours bcos you need to factor in time to travel and it's tiring.[/quote]This, I fully agree. I often tell my hubby, \"Since you work hard because of the family, so, please don't sacrifice the family just because of your work.\"

[janet88]

IJJ:

janet_lee88:

[quote=\"E3\"]
Thanks Janet, so nice of you to consider my welfare. Yup, I am now busy compiling theory notes for each individual question for my dd's theory exam. Once March is over, I think we can breathe easier...I hope.... :nailbite:

With 3 kids, you definitely need to save energy for them. No point going back to teach for the few hours bcos you need to factor in time to travel and it's tiring.

This, I fully agree. I often tell my hubby, \"Since you work hard because of the family, so, please don't sacrifice the family just because of your work.\" [/quote]Work is work...but family is the reason why you work.

[janet88]

E3:

periwinklejoy:

Can share some tips on scheduling? I want to spend time with her on Eng, Compos (Chin and Eng), Science. But its week 4 already and nothing accomplished as I cldn't bear to get her to do any more work after she finished her hw.

For EL compositions, I used to let her do one every alternate days (on weekdays only) one month before SA1 and SA2. She reads a lot of upper primary model compositions and has taken a liking to certain styles.

Thanks for the tip.

[IJJ]

E3:

Have fun parenting. It's a privilege not everyone is entitled to.

Thanks for sharing, E3!

There are some identical parts between yours and mine. My #1 is quite task oriented, but with her increased work load, we are re-adjusting her schedule. Getting her to work on tasks is easy, but to complete on time is harder. With so much stuff on hand, and piano exam coming, there is hardly any buffer to squeeze in. Poor girl. As for introducing twists and using creative phrases/idioms in her writing, she is alright, but she is quite careless in making grammatical and spelling errors. CL is an entire different story. She has alot to work on.

My 5 yo is quite self entertaining, she writes (copies from story books)m works on kumon activity books, draws, practises ballet/gym as well as plays toys, mostly independently. She also entertains baby alot.

[IJJ]

periwinklejoy:

Wow, u hv gained 100% trust and respect fr yr dd! Great job!

Thanks.

[kohhweelin.010441gmail.010441com]

IJJ:

She also entertains baby alot.

Happy to know that you share some similar sentiments, IJJ. Yup, like your younger ones, my dd2 and dd3 are inseparable, now that they started attending Kindy together.

[Funx3]

E3:

janet_lee88:

[quote=\"E3\"]
I have been contemplating going back to school as Flexi-adjunct once dd3 settles into her Playgroup routine. So far, she is adjusting well but I, myself, end up making use of that time doing 'research work' for my girls. Time passed quickly and then they are all back home. My timetables at home run back-to-back like racing in a triathlon.

When my son is in school, I found myself doing 'research work' too. By the time I am done, it's almost time for them to return home. Usually mornings, I mark the work he has done the night b4. Then prepare what I will do with my younger one.

伟大的母爱! Come, let's all sing...\"世上只有妈妈好...\" :love:

Ok, I am going cuckoo also... :siao:[/quote]We Need to Release Stress By Being \"Xiao\" Once in a While, Right?
Errrrrrrr .... Caveat .... When Our Kids R Not at Home, Of Course!
Ha HA ....
:celebrate: :celebrate:

[lizhi]

E3:

Thanks Janet, so nice of you to consider my welfare. Yup, I am now busy compiling theory notes for each individual question for my dd's theory exam. ..

I am impressed, you are a great mom! :celebrate:
I cannot stand staying with children whole day, i eagerly go to work in order to run away from them. my sat & sunday are the most troublesome times.