Schooling

Some people have been asking me when am I going to place V in a school. Er, isn't she a little too young?

Apparently not in Singapore. Parents seem to start them young here. There are enrichment classes catered to children as young as 6 months old. Seriously????? Music lessons when they are 6 months old? Can you just switch on some music and dance along with your baby at home instead? Right brain training where they flash flashcards after flashcards? That doesn't sound too fun to me. Language classes, Math classes and classes that seem to promise to produce gifted children. Really lah, gifted is gifted, how to produce one! I know of parents who rush their kids from one lesson to another, and end up having lunch in the car on a weekend. Come on! Weekends are precious family time! Can't we just do nothing and have a nice leisurely brunch at a table as a family, bonding and talking?

Maybe we are too laid back and nonchalant. Maybe we ought to be doing more for our child. We did sign up for a baby gym class for her when she was about 9 months old. We wanted her to socialise with kids who are of her age. That didn't work out too well, because she was busy doing her own stuff and wasn't really doing much of the class activities, so we ended it after a term. That was it, we didn't sign her up for anything else.

We like her to learn through play, in a less structured environment where she can explore more on her own. She doesn't know her alphabets, shapes, colours and numbers yet? Good heavens! We are such lazy parents! But really, what is the point of her knowing those things now? If she is ready, she will pick those things up at her own pace.

We point out things to her when we go out, looking at the fruits and vegetables and naming them in supermarkets. Stepping on dried leaves on the pavements, picking up fallen flowers, twigs and leaves if she feels like it, looking at trees, plucking bougainvilleas. Watching the world go by on a busy road, people watch in a cafe. Learning to be quiet in a library, visiting museums, go shoe shopping and picking out shoes for me. Visiting my grandma who is in pretty bad shape now. Helping me with the house chores, throwing her diaper in the bin, putting her worn clothes in the laundry basket. Helping me fix dinners. Learning to undress and dress herself. When we read, she would now look at the words. I will point out letters and numbers to her. If she remembers great, if she doesn't it doesn't matter too. There isn't a need for anything more structured than that. We do crafts at home, which she enjoys now. Messing with the glue, colouring and showing off her work to papa when he gets back from work.

Kids should be kids! They are so young once, let them to carefree and play. That is the only time that they will ever be able to be just that. There is more to life than being strong academically.