Moving Up Ceremony

My daughter is graduating tomorrow from preschool.  

There was a parent-teacher meeting a few weeks back to decide whether parents still want to have a moving up ceremony for the preschool kids.  Ever since the K12, there were no graduation rites required.   According to the teachers, they need to get the consensus of the parents on having a Moving Up celebration of the students. 

Well, everyone said yes to the idea of having a ceremony ... except for me.  I didn't see the point of having a ceremony for the kids since the transition of preschool to grade school didn't seem a big deal for me.  It was just another one of those we have to spend on.    

But I couldn't do anything about it since most of the parents said yes.  

However, during their rehearsal, I found it's importance.  It's about getting nearer to our goal of giving Via an education that she needs for her future survival.  And yes, it was worth celebrating.  Good thing parents like me were outnumbered or else, Via have to put off the chance to go up the stage and be recognised for the work the she has done the past school years.    

Terror Mom

It's that time of the year again when parents are cramming for their children.

I have to say that I am one of the irresponsible mothers around when it comes to my child's education.  I spend the whole day at work 5 to 6 days a week ( and sometimes, it extends to 7 days a week) and when I get home, the only thing I could make myself do is teach my daughter with the Homer App or To Do Math app in the iPad.  And that comes after playing with her Peppa Pig/Sofia The First/Toy Story action figures.  Her bedtime is 8pm and so from the time I get home, I get to have only two hours for her.  I don't want it to be so gruelling for her, for both of us.

Because I wanted to avoid grilling her, I ended up doing the same thing yesterday.  I decided to stay home and concentrate on her pointers for review.   The challenge was keeping her interested in what was in front of her.  There were so many distractions.  She wanted to drink, eat, sleep, pee and everything else except read the words in front of her.

I have to say that to teach oneself from scratch is hard but to teach a little one how to read and write is a lot harder especially when they are not that interested.

I was trying to save up on the tutor fees that is why I was trying my best to do this for her.  Besides, it's a chance to bond with my daughter.  I didn't know that crying was going to be part of it.  She now prefers her father over me after yesterday.

I thought I can handle it but I lost my temper especially when she was doing something else.  One episode took really long (according to my husband).  The whole time I was shouting already and I was failing at containing my anger to a minimum.  All my patience was gone.  I even gave her a spanking.  It was a brief one but something she was going to remember for a long time.  

I scolded my husband afterwards saying that he should have stopped me when I was just starting to scold her.  My husband tried, according to him but I don't remember.

However, we made up saying last night while in bed and hugging her that I will not get mad after yesterday ever again over school work.  I'll give her the breaks that she wants as long as she promises that when she comes back to her seat again, she's going to pour all her attention.

Right now, she's having her time with the other neighborhood kids downstairs.  She's been complaining that they were noisy.  I knew she was just envious of them being outside rather than inside the house being grilled on the written words in front of her.  Now, she's making her noise of her own outdoors.

We'll try again later.  It's still early.  We've got time.