Parenting

One tiny hand to guide and hold,
One tiny life to shape and mold;
each child, a gift from God above,
a symbol of His strength and love.

The world shines bright with endless possibilities each time a little child is born.

Being a parent is not an easy job. Children see what you do and they follow what you do. So it is so important to be a good role model for your child so that he/she would learn all the good things from you.

From my experience, it is just so easy for children to learn bad things and it is so difficult for them to do good things. Being a mother, I had to cover so much duties since the guy do not ‘help’ much…. we are not taught about how to raise children in schools nor taught about “The Meaning of Life” in school…. We go to school to study “English, Maths, Science, Chinese (Mother Tongues), Social Studies/History, Music, Arts, etc… The main topics, especially in Primary School being the first four mentioned above…. (written 29 January 2010)

Yesterday I wrote about Why Work, Why Study.  Isaac is 21 months old now.  He is learning fast, and I am very surprised at his “language ability”.  Here I am, ‘working’ while Isaac is sleeping.  I was mopping the floor just now.  But the man was just ‘too busy’, could not leave his computer.  Isaac had a fall in the kitchen.  Luckily it was not too serious.  Then he locked the door.  Scream at Isaac,”Doooonnnnn”tttt gooooo outttttt!!!!!!”  Isaac cried even louder.  I had to quickly finished up my work.

Now, guess what the guy is doing?  He is answering a phone call from his mother.  Before that, the daughter answered the phone and she asked him to answer the call.  ”WHHHHHOOOOO?”  he asked.  No reply.  I wondered who called also.  Apparently, the caller had hang up the phone.  It rang back again.  It was his mother.  He said that the daughter had “mouse voice”….  Now the house is so quiet now.  He was on the phone for more than half an hour already.  I did not hear any of his voice.  His voice, talking to the mother is so quiet, exactly “Mouse Voice”….  Do you get what I am trying to say?  Parenting is just what you do and then the children learn from you.  Sometimes, it is just more than what you do.  Because certain traits is already in your genes.

The moment I finished up my work, went over to carry Isaac, his face was filled with tears and mucus (from crying).  Such a pathetic look.  To a small baby, and he is screaming!  To big boy and girl, he screamed and shouted as well.  He wants RESPECT from the children…  This is what every parents wanted.  But do you ASK for respect?

Parenting is really an ‘on the job training’ experience.  Yesterday, an indian boy hit Isaac on the head at Dough Culture.  I was just standing behind the pram where Isaac was sitting.  The indian mother walked in front and the indian boy walked behind.  He was playing with the plastic divider before that.  Richard (in the queue) stopped him from playing.  Obviously the mother was not bothered about it at all.  You can see how different people have different degree of ‘parenting’ style and concern over their children in little things like this!  I was so angry with the boy for doing such a thing to Isaac.  However, I knew that he is a kid.  But later, I thought that it would be good to tell his mother.  I went up towards the boy.  But he and the mother had gone far ahead.  The mother was still leading in front and the boy alone behind…

Looking after children 24/7 is no fun at all — especially if you need to ‘look after’ the WHOLE HOUSEHOLD — acting like an octopus.  Leaving the child at childcare centre and joining the workforce is an easier choice — got money and got friends.  Got work and then you can employ maid… will it solve the problem?  I had thought about all these, but it just won’t work.  In the past, I had maids.  I still need to train the maids, supervise the maids.  The man would not do anything still…  In the end, it is still I need to settle everything myself — all the organizations at home… (written 24 February 2011)