(This article is written as my reflection on the challenges I faced as a parent whose kids are entering school and with it, experiencing the joys and struggles of the demanding education system. This article is not meant to judge anyone. In fact, it’s written to heighten the awareness of the tightrope every parent walks in balancing the desire to see their children achieve their potential while redefining the meaning of success in this stressful world we live … [Read more...]
Lesson from a Broken Glass…
Photo Credit It’s one of those phone numbers I saved for ease of use but interestingly, when it flashed on my phone early one Monday morning (ya, Monday), I wished I wasn’t staring at the very number I saved, because it sent thousands of alarm bells ringing in those 3 seconds or so that it was flashing - ‘School’. It couldn’t that she had forgotten to bring something important as we had personally gone through the schoolbag the night before, including forms to submit and a twig she was to … [Read more...]
Confessions of a Primary 1 Dad…Real Struggles Faced By P1 Kids (& Their Parents)…
We were at a dinner function when I glanced from the corner of my eye and saw my daughter, all of 7 year old, reading intently a write up on Taylor Swift and bobbing her head to the singer’s tune which I eventually learnt to be ‘Shake it off’. Funny, that was exactly what I had trouble doing - ’shaking off’ the reality that my daughter, who barely a year ago, was still singing musical highlights from Rodgers and Hammerstein with me in the car, has just added the likes of ‘Tay Tay’ and One … [Read more...]
{Giveaway} Junior Explorers: Discovering our Planet!
‘This is way cool!’ ‘Where did you get these cards and learning materials from?’ Instead of the daughter, it was I, the Daddy, who was intrigued about the contents of the latest Junior Explorers ‘Mission Box’ that had just arrived in our mailbox (which I just happened to lay hands on before the daughter did). After I investigated the contents within the Welcome Kit and Mission Envelope, I couldn't wait to embark on the mission with my daughter! We know that the key to effective … [Read more...]
Life after P1 Registration: Preparing Your Child for Primary 1
Ok, so the annual panic for Primary 1 registration is here again. One year ago, we went thru a nail-biting episode – complete with ‘Toto’ Balls and the monotonous announcer - Yes, we went through the dreaded school balloting! But truth be told, surviving the P1 registration is just the tip of the iceberg. Whether you get the school of your choice or otherwise, your child will be in a school and, from experience, beyond the registration process, there’s a whole host of things you need to do to … [Read more...]
P1 School Balloting: A nerve-wrecking, ball of an experience
It’s kind of like seeing a ghost - you never quite believe what others go through until it happens to you. So here I am, sitting alone in my car, parked in the compound of what I hope would be my child’s future school. I said a quiet prayer, switched off the car engine, armed the alarm and walked towards the school office - conscious that I would return in less than an hour’s time with a reality that either my wife and I have hoped for or…otherwise. Yes, I am here to … [Read more...]