Corporation Primary

[Champion]

leonerh76:

hmm...is the bus service that bad?? :shock:


Saw on the main webpage of CPS that there is currently a survey on the bus services....

https://docs.google.com/a/moe.edu.sg/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dEtLUUlOLVFZN2k4c1cwemJKWDVDOHc6MQ

What I gather from my DD1 after 7 months taking the school bus this year, she feels it is definitely much better than the previous provider. At least the bus is punctual and she can reach school around 7.15-7.20am and have time to interact with her friends. Previous one can come as late as 7.35-7.40am - just in time to reach school for flag-raising ceremony.

Din know about the above survey; perhaps the school is trying to gather more opinions from parents so as to feedback to Aik Wei Transport.

[SesamePaste]

I think it’s quite nice that the school is interested in feedback from parents. There was also a feedback form for 2CS registration to find out how parent select schools and what they value in the school. Hope this will help them to improve the school further.

[Champion]

Hi All,

Just happened to read the letter DD2 passed to me notifying on the change of the school bookshop vendor to Eng Seng Bookstore with effect from 1 August 2012.

Really had very bad experience with the previous vendor during the books-purchase time during last school holidays and also at the beginning of this year :frustrated: :stompfeet:

Anyway, hope with the changes, things will improved

[leonerh76]

Happy Hari Raya Puasa to all! Enjoy the holiday!

[sno_opy]

Champion, i see. No wonder my girl told me got new auntie there. She's regular customer, always bring back all kinds of funny things. Wondering why school allow bookstore to sell all these.

[SesamePaste]

What kind of "funny things" does your DD buy sno_opy?


While we are on the topic of buying things, how much does you all give your kids to spend in school per day/per week? Do you limit them to what they can or cannot buy? Do they complain about not enough money when they compare with their friends?

[Dora1]

Yeah, I'm also interested to know abt what sort of funny things they buy in sch, and how much pocket money to give them. I saw the canteen sells teriyaki chicken rice for $1.20. Most prob I'll give her at least that cos my girl loves jap food. My biggest concern is that she'll spend the money on junk food, sweet drinks or funny things fr the bookshop cos DD is a picky eater :frustrated:

[Kabby]

my ds used to get $1 in P1. that was when he only bought noodles, and he could choose between the 80cents size or $1 size.


i think all kids start out the same way. he too started to ask if he can have more money as he would like to buy a drink like his friends, or buy some snacks or biscuits the snack stall sells.

when they see the older ones buy stuff, it's even worse cos the older ones tend to have more money? the P1s normally all stick to buying food, all very guai wat... hehe

and yes he bought erasers from bookshop too.

i had some headache about that as well. but i thought if i just use a dictatorship way of stopping him from buying, then it doesn't teach him anything about handling money, yet only creates some envy (cos others can buy) and resentment (of me, for withholding money from him and having blanket ban on buying things).

what i am sharing here did not happen overnight, so please don't feel that it has to be an immediate change ya.

first. i decided to tackle the issue of pricing.
i asked him for the prices of the biscuits, snacks and drinks and stationery he would like to buy. as well as the brand/ type.

we listed everything down and then i brought him to NTUC/ Giant and Popular to find those same things.

he himself came to the conclusion that when we buy the same things in bulk, it becomes cheaper per unit. so he agreed to let me do the buying of packet drinks and snacks and he can either have them at home after he returns from school or he can bring them to school, but he will not buy them in school.

(did you know he used to buy a single small packet of Japanese seaweed daily in school, for 20 cents a packet??)

as for stationery, he found that there are nice designs and similar things he can get at Popular too, and especially at the year end sale where everything is 20% off, it's a great deal. i applied for membership for him at Popular too so he gets to see he gains more discounts that way.

the 2nd issue was about delayed gratification/ or self-control.
i didn't want him to feel that if i want it now, i can have it now, or i should and must have it now.
so i agreed to give him a little more money. I increased his pocket money to $1.20 then $1.50, after observing for some time that he can control himself and not spend all the money, only on essential food, and save the rest.
with his savings, i allowed him to save up so he can buy something bigger for himself, and also save some in his own bank account.
i bring him to bank in his savings himself and let him check his balance in his account book. all these seemed to make him feel happy to save.

of course, he had moments of weakness. there were times he came back having spent all his $1.50. sometimes it was a drink, or a piece of stationery from the bookstore. i try not to be angry. i try my best. then we try to discuss about it. (sometimes i have to discuss through a clenched jaw... lol... myself needing self-control...)

so ok, now at P3, he gets a lot more money as he stays back almost 3-4 days a week, and he doesn't spend on any extra thing now. and he usually is able to save all the leftover money. hope it can last him a lifetime.... we don't know what will happen once he decides to chase after girls in future!

[Hazelmama]

Thanks, K. My sis in law warned me it could take first 6 months to sort the pocket money issue. Another SIL resorted to letting my nephew bring lunch box because he came back with tons of junks.

[Kabby]

Hi hazelmama,

That could be a way too. The kids can save queueing time if they bring own food. It could be more nutritious as well. Maybe can do that few times and week and the rest of the week they can learn to manage $?