Club SAHM

[ANobleNerd]

I homeschooled him because both dh and I felt that there was no guarantee that he'll get good teachers all the time. We were at the mercy of the system - he had fantastic teachers at P1, but P2 teachers whose educational philosophies were diametrically opposite that of ours.


We didn't want DS to learn to be a P3 at P2, and we didn't want him to think that learning was just about passing exams. We wanted to give him time to read and not have to get caught up with doing homework (He had 3 hours of homework to do a day from school at P2!). We wanted to make sure he got his fundamentals right - but it's easier said than done.

DS isn't a super-gifted student, nor an especially studious one. He's an average kid with the usual need to be reminded constantly (and yes, at time, exasperatedly) to complete his work or chores on time. However, I realise that in homeschooling him, we do see that his relationship with his younger siblings is very strong because they see one another a lot, compared to if he's in school for long hours during the day. Also, because of homeschooling, my younger ones are highly interested in reading and writing because they see their 'hero' doing it day-in-and-day-out. Reading and Writing are norms in our household, thanks to the eldest.

[janet88]

ANobleNerd:

I homeschooled him because both dh and I felt that there was no guarantee that he'll get good teachers all the time. We were at the mercy of the system - he had fantastic teachers at P1, but P2 teachers whose educational philosophies were diametrically opposite that of ours.


DS isn't a super-gifted student, nor an especially studious one. He's an average kid with the usual need to be reminded constantly (and yes, at time, exasperatedly) to complete his work or chores on time. However, I realise that in homeschooling him, we do see that his relationship with his younger siblings is very strong because they see one another a lot, compared to if he's in school for long hours during the day. Also, because of homeschooling, my younger ones are highly interested in reading and writing because they see their 'hero' doing it day-in-and-day-out. Reading and Writing are norms in our household, thanks to the eldest.

I do agree the education system is not friendly to all kids, esp those who are year end babies. My younger daughter is Nov child and she's only 6 but have to study what a 7 year old has to do at P1.
However, homeschooling requires courage as child is not in school and hard to tell if he/she is in sync with what is taught (sorry, that's my view. No offence).
Regarding your eldest child's love for reading and writing, I feel that's really great because that is something I hope my kids can develop a love for.

You are really dedicated...even though I'm a SAHM, I do not have the courage to think of homeschooling my kids.

[sleepy]

ANobleNerd:

we do see that his relationship with his younger siblings is very strong because they see one another a lot, compared to if he's in school for long hours during the day. Also, because of homeschooling, my younger ones are highly interested in reading and writing because they see their 'hero' doing it day-in-and-day-out. Reading and Writing are norms in our household, thanks to the eldest.

I forsee my 'classroom' will go haywire. Impossible to coach them in academics when both are home. My girls will end up chatting non-stop or arguing. To get some serious work done, I've to separate their desks in their room. Now I even resort to placing them in different rooms whenever they are home.

The only time they manage to co-exist quietly is when they're reading :faint:

ANobleNerd:

We didn't want DS to learn to be a P3 at P2, and we didn't want him to think that learning was just about passing exams. We wanted to give him time to read and not have to get caught up with doing homework (He had 3 hours of homework to do a day from school at P2!). We wanted to make sure he got his fundamentals right - but it's easier said than done.

For my elder child, I know she would do better, in terms of knowledge capacity, if homeschooled. Spending 6 hours in school doing mundane stuff is no challenge. However, it would be very taxing for me to homeschool her. She's too headstrong and argumentative to follow my teaching instructions. She doesn't mind going to school though. She enjoys the playtime with her classmates and 'yummy' canteen food

The next best thing is homeschooling her is I tried my best to be less uptight about her academics. At home, she has access to hundreds of story books and general knowledge references to satisfy her craving for knowledge. She's a big fat book worm :lol:

[ANobleNerd]

Sleepy, I think my daughter will thrive at school too.


You know how when our kids are very young and when we're confronted with our kids not always hitting their developmental milestones at the times the literature said they ought to be, and our mantra is, \"Every child is unique and develop at their own pace\"?

Somehow that mantra is lost the minute they begin school.


It's tough, but we keep needing to remember that every child is unique and learns differently, and the learning process is more important than the grades they get... but then, from the way you handle your kids, it's more than obvious you already know this.

[Kabby]

ANobleNerd:

You know how when our kids are very young and when we're confronted with our kids not always hitting their developmental milestones at the times the literature said they ought to be, and our mantra is, \"Every child is unique and develop at their own pace\"?

lol. I get bombarded with emails every week from Baby Center with \"what my bb should be doing\" now.

I know, I signed up for it in the first place when I got preggy cos I liked to see what was happening in me every week of pregnancy.

Now I'd be like, oh, is my dd supposed to be doing this ALREADY??!?

and i'd quickly go test her, cos i'm not even sure i noticed if she can point to her head when asked to, or have tried 10 different kinds of fruits already....

with no. 3, i have kind of stopped tracking when she does what. and i have not asked her to point to her head until i saw the email!

hahaha.

[Kabby]

Hi fellow SAHMs,

the plus point about being a SAHM is that you can go out during times when there isn’t a crowd and thus have less problem with queues right?

Can you all share where do you usually bring your toddlers during the day? Especially for those with Pr sch/ kindy older siblings but another toddler at home.

My mornings are pretty much me and bb, and I’d like more ideas on where to bring her out. Yet, I cannot go out for too long cos I need to be back before ds1 returns from Pr sch and ds2 from kindy.

The other minor thing is, do you all prefer to go to places within walking distance or do you all usually drive alone with the toddler?

If so, how do you make toddler happy in seat without being a multi-tasking madwoman like me?

dd absolutely hates sitting at the back in her car seat, restrained and she’ll scream. Then I’ll be singing songs, talking and trying to interest her in things outside the car, and other distracting stuff like passing her baby biscuits or toys from the front, all the while trying to drive. It is madness…

Alternative is to ignore her screaming but my threshold for loud noises is quite low, so I tend to go mad too, if her screaming continues. Ugh…

[sleepy]

LKVM:

kabalevsky:

Hi fellow SAHMs,

the plus point about being a SAHM is that you can go out during times when there isn't a crowd and thus have less problem with queues right?

Well kabby thats one thing which I am quite jealous of the SAHM

This comes with a cost. At the expense of earning double income

But off peak is still crowded nowsaday. So many people in NTUC during off peak hours

[janet88]

LKVM:

kabalevsky:

Hi fellow SAHMs,

the plus point about being a SAHM is that you can go out during times when there isn't a crowd and thus have less problem with queues right?

Well kabby thats one thing which I am quite jealous of the SAHM

The one thing GOOD about being SAHM is to enjoy off-peak shopping and private sales, not that I often attend them...the other thing which is not too pleasant is to be able to look after kids if they are not well... TOUCHWOOD !!! Oh yes, near exam period, there is no need to take annual leave.

[janet88]

kabalevsky:

Can you all share where do you usually bring your toddlers during the day? Especially for those with Pr sch/ kindy older siblings but another toddler at home.

Even when my younger one was in kindy and older one in pri school last year, we couldn't go out much since she dismisses at 12 and with just 1 1/2 hrs b4 older one dismisses from school, we were neither here nor there.

My mornings are pretty much me and bb, and I'd like more ideas on where to bring her out. Yet, I cannot go out for too long cos I need to be back before ds1 returns from Pr sch and ds2 from kindy.
How about IMM ? Now that kids are in morning school, I will go there to enjoy air con or walk to Popular as hubby works from home, we will pick them up during his lunch hour.

[janet88]

LKVM:

janet_lee88:

[quote=\"LKVM\"]
Well kabby thats one thing which I am quite jealous of the SAHM

The one thing GOOD about being SAHM is to enjoy off-peak shopping and private sales, not that I often attend them...the other thing which is not too pleasant is to be able to look after kids if they are not well... TOUCHWOOD !!! Oh yes, near exam period, there is no need to take annual leave.

Oh yes... one of my collegues's son is not well and had to be admitted so she cannot take too many child care leaves so no choice have to take annual leave :stupid:[/quote]I am not working and hubby & I do feel the pinch when son needs to attend compo writing class...however, we have to take him out of the other Eng class as it is too expensive to hold on to both programs.
Hubby's annual leave is mainly for son's CA/SA bcos hopeless mummy here cannot handle Maths.