Son No 3 is over the moon.
Last night, I discovered that two of his lower incisors are shaky. On closer examination, I could see the buds of the equivalent adult teeth sprouting behind the baby teeth. He was at once both excited and anxious. Grinning from ear to ear, he asked whether he would swallow those shaky teeth when he was sleeping? What if he accidentally swallowed them when he was eating? He wanted to see the dentist straight away. Well, it is my job to reassure him - that's what mothers do.
However, Son No 2, older by two years, is dismayed. All his baby teeth are still intact. Before this, he has been telling me about his friends in school having their baby teeth dropping off and that he was waiting for his turn. It is a double blow now that even his younger brother is having shaky teeth.
Son No 2 asked me wistfully, "Are adult teeth or baby teeth better?"
There is only one answer I can give, "They are the same."
"Why is it that I still have my baby teeth?"
"Well, that is because your baby teeth are very strong."
I have given this same reply 5 years ago as Son No 1 was also a late developer of adult teeth. I remember he too was feeling kind of inferior to/envious of his friends.
Son No 1, now older and wiser and who himself just had his own baby pre-molar extracted to make room for a new one, has been rather helpful on this issue. He comforted Son No 2, saying that his baby teeth also took a long time to be replaced. Son No 2 who looked up to him was somewhat convinced.
Children, sigh... whatever their age, they have their own worries:)
Thursday, 17 July 2008
Tuesday, 15 July 2008
Classroom Chaos
Yesterday, Son No 3 came back with another story about his "naughty" classmate. Wayan, a diminutive angelic-looking 5-year-old, was asked to stand in a corner by Teacher as punishment for a misdeed. Wayan took one step and then returned to his seat, claiming that he was tired!
I was curious how Teacher reacted and prompted Son No 3 to continue with his story. My unusual interest was stemmed from the fact that Son No 3 has declared that he will never want to be a teacher when he grows up. I sense that his classroom experience is not too good and this has affected him somewhat.
So what did Teacher do when Wayan was defiant? According to Son No 3, Teacher threatened to leave the classroom if Wayan did not obey her. Was Wayan moved by the threat? No, sirree! In the end, Teacher had no choice but to carry out her threat and left the class.
Without any teacher in the class, Wayan reigned terror and told his friends that if Teacher returned, he would throw her down the stairs. It's probably bravado speaking. When Teacher did return, he did not repeat what he had said to Teacher's face... BUT one of his classmates did so. Teacher was truly facing a massive loss of face.
There are many angles to this story (eg questions on home upbringing and parental role) but I am focusing on the teacher here. Children can be terrors, I admit, but pre-school teachers need to use some child psychology here. Put yourself in Teacher's shoes. What would you have done? Remember, these children are all fee-paying children and many have parents who are important so-and-so. The teachers cannot do what Chinese school teachers do and wield a cane.
To me, it is important to remember that the child loves attention and will probably play up the situation. When the child refused to stand in the corner, I would have removed him from the classroom. Talk to him, scold him, or whatever... out of sight of his classmates. Make sure he is contrite before he returns. Alternatively, if Teacher knows that the child fears his parents, threaten to call the parents.
Son No 3 once misbehaved in his Chinese class. His teacher did not do anything then, but after the class, his teacher told me about it. I did my part and told Son No 3 in no uncertain terms that his behaviour was not acceptable. The next lesson, I followed up with the teacher and received a glowing report of his behaviour. I am glad. A good parent-teacher partnership works positively for the upbringing of a child.
I was curious how Teacher reacted and prompted Son No 3 to continue with his story. My unusual interest was stemmed from the fact that Son No 3 has declared that he will never want to be a teacher when he grows up. I sense that his classroom experience is not too good and this has affected him somewhat.
So what did Teacher do when Wayan was defiant? According to Son No 3, Teacher threatened to leave the classroom if Wayan did not obey her. Was Wayan moved by the threat? No, sirree! In the end, Teacher had no choice but to carry out her threat and left the class.
Without any teacher in the class, Wayan reigned terror and told his friends that if Teacher returned, he would throw her down the stairs. It's probably bravado speaking. When Teacher did return, he did not repeat what he had said to Teacher's face... BUT one of his classmates did so. Teacher was truly facing a massive loss of face.
There are many angles to this story (eg questions on home upbringing and parental role) but I am focusing on the teacher here. Children can be terrors, I admit, but pre-school teachers need to use some child psychology here. Put yourself in Teacher's shoes. What would you have done? Remember, these children are all fee-paying children and many have parents who are important so-and-so. The teachers cannot do what Chinese school teachers do and wield a cane.
To me, it is important to remember that the child loves attention and will probably play up the situation. When the child refused to stand in the corner, I would have removed him from the classroom. Talk to him, scold him, or whatever... out of sight of his classmates. Make sure he is contrite before he returns. Alternatively, if Teacher knows that the child fears his parents, threaten to call the parents.
Son No 3 once misbehaved in his Chinese class. His teacher did not do anything then, but after the class, his teacher told me about it. I did my part and told Son No 3 in no uncertain terms that his behaviour was not acceptable. The next lesson, I followed up with the teacher and received a glowing report of his behaviour. I am glad. A good parent-teacher partnership works positively for the upbringing of a child.
Friday, 11 July 2008
The Fragility Of Life
My brother-in-law had a massive heart attack yesterday. He was brought to the hospital in the nick of time and this saved his life. He is in his early 50's.
My brother-in-law was fortunate on several counts. The heart attack occurred only when he reached his worksite and not whilst he was driving. He was surrounded by caring colleagues who took quick and decisive action. He was not caught in a traffic gridlock which was prevalent in this city during the morning rush hour. This particular worksite was located in a neighbourhood with a top-class private hospital. Finally, he was tended to immediately by medical professionals on arrival and an angioplasty was done within 3 hours from the time of the arrest.
Near brushes with death affect not only the person concerned. It is a grim reminder to all of us of our mortality and the fragility of life.
Over the past 12 months, I have been in and out of hospitals more than any other period in my life. Three other immediate family members have had life-threatening calls. One year ago, my brother had a heart attack. Over Christmas, another brother was admitted to the high dependency unit for chronic asthma. In April this year, a sister-in-law had a stroke. They all survived, thank God.
The doctors who attended them all had this remark to make: because they are young, the prognosis for recovery is high. My four siblings/siblings-in-law are in their 30's, 40's and early 50's. Is that a comfort, I wonder? It begs the question why is it that we need to watch out for our health at a younger age now?
To me, survival is neither contingent on the state of health nor the person's age, though both factors obviously help.
To me, survival is really contingent on a fortuitous combination of circumstances that enables the person to get medical attention as soon as possible. It is the fight against time, more than anything else.
Ten years ago, I lost a sister who was in her late 30's. She had endured a difficult pregnancy and childbirth. Resting at home during the confinement period, she had continued to be plagued by high blood pressure. When she collapsed, the ambulance took some time in coming and was later caught in a traffic jam. Sure, she was not in the pink of health, but if she had got to the hospital in time, who knows how the course of events might have turned?
My brother-in-law was fortunate on several counts. The heart attack occurred only when he reached his worksite and not whilst he was driving. He was surrounded by caring colleagues who took quick and decisive action. He was not caught in a traffic gridlock which was prevalent in this city during the morning rush hour. This particular worksite was located in a neighbourhood with a top-class private hospital. Finally, he was tended to immediately by medical professionals on arrival and an angioplasty was done within 3 hours from the time of the arrest.
Near brushes with death affect not only the person concerned. It is a grim reminder to all of us of our mortality and the fragility of life.
Over the past 12 months, I have been in and out of hospitals more than any other period in my life. Three other immediate family members have had life-threatening calls. One year ago, my brother had a heart attack. Over Christmas, another brother was admitted to the high dependency unit for chronic asthma. In April this year, a sister-in-law had a stroke. They all survived, thank God.
The doctors who attended them all had this remark to make: because they are young, the prognosis for recovery is high. My four siblings/siblings-in-law are in their 30's, 40's and early 50's. Is that a comfort, I wonder? It begs the question why is it that we need to watch out for our health at a younger age now?
To me, survival is neither contingent on the state of health nor the person's age, though both factors obviously help.
To me, survival is really contingent on a fortuitous combination of circumstances that enables the person to get medical attention as soon as possible. It is the fight against time, more than anything else.
Ten years ago, I lost a sister who was in her late 30's. She had endured a difficult pregnancy and childbirth. Resting at home during the confinement period, she had continued to be plagued by high blood pressure. When she collapsed, the ambulance took some time in coming and was later caught in a traffic jam. Sure, she was not in the pink of health, but if she had got to the hospital in time, who knows how the course of events might have turned?
Tuesday, 8 July 2008
Childhood Ambitions
Son No 3 has been contemplating his future career options. I have told him if he studies hard and finishes university ("... is it very hard?" "no, dear.."), he can be anything he wants. That started him thinking...
At the foodcourt, he thought of being the food-seller (hawker) so that he can collect money. But then he was worried. "What if I forget who orders what?" he wondered aloud.
After watching a 9/11 documentary on the History channel, he wanted to be a fire-fighter. Again, doubts crept in. "What if I need to go inside but I can't?"
Nevertheless, he was very sure what he did NOT want to be. He did not want to be a teacher. I was very surprised. When asked why, he said he could not stand it when the children made a lot of noise. I told him that as the teacher, he could ask them to keep quiet. He countered, "What if they still don't keep quiet?" Then he cited a boy named Wayan in his class who was very naughty. Ahem, I wonder what he has been experiencing in school... is his teacher really so helpless?
Then today, in the car, he asked me why is it that some police ride on the motorcycle and some in the police car? I explained to him that those who ride on the motorcycle are the traffic police and they catch people who bang other people's car and do not follow traffic lights. Those who are in the police car catch thieves and other bad people.
Then today, in the car, he asked me why is it that some police ride on the motorcycle and some in the police car? I explained to him that those who ride on the motorcycle are the traffic police and they catch people who bang other people's car and do not follow traffic lights. Those who are in the police car catch thieves and other bad people.
Son No 3 then declared he wanted to be the traffic police. Then again, being the cautious fellow that he is, he has two worries:
- What if people bang him when he is asking the cars to go (at a traffic junction)?
- What happens when he is sleeping at night and people bang each other?
Well, there's still plenty of time for him to change his mind... !
Sunday, 6 July 2008
My Birthday!
It's my birthday today! (Stretch...) But it's only 6:30am.
Where's mummy? Here she is. (Hug, hug) Happy birthday, she says. Can't wait for my present. I have asked for the Pokemon Game guide since a few months ago. There it is!
Ping Yee has earlier got me hamsters (thanks, Ping Yee) and mummy says Fai Du will let me choose my birthday present from him when he comes to visit next week. After breakfast and some computer games, we leave for One Utama. Just mummy and me.
I choose a fresh cream cake with fruit toppings because I can't find any coffee and nice chocolate cake. For lunch, we search high and low for my favourite Genki Sushi but can only find Sakae Sushi. Mummy asks the shopkeeper and he says Sakae Sushi has taken over Genki Sushi. I am disappointed.
But mummy says we can still buy my favourite ebiko "nemo eggs" sushi from the Jusco counter and we can then have a picnic! Yippee! We eat the sushi on a bench in front of the supermarket. After that, we have a second lunch at KFC.
I look forward to going to school because I have a goodie bag for each of my 5 friends: Zhiu Yi De, Yuki, Charreal, Shanel and Loh Yi Ni. Shanel says she will give me a present but she has forgotten to bring it.
That night, we celebrate with the whole family at the "lala" place, a small eatery at Hartamas Shopping Centre.
When we return home, we cut the cake. Now, I am really 7 years old!
Mummy and Daddy take such a long time to take pictures that the candles almost burn the cake. Seriously.
Note how short the candles have become!
The cake is delicious. But what I really like is planning how to train my pokemon with big brother (see below)!
Saturday, 5 July 2008
Blogging Conundrum
It occurred to me how strange it is that when things are happening, I have no time (and energy) to update my blog. And when things are not so-happening, well, there is not much to update. Hmm...
Anyway, this week has been one of those weeks. Two visits to the doctor, a visit to the dentist and a mid-week birthday celebration. That about took up all my me-time.
I am still feeling the fatigue and will do justice to Son No 2's birthday celebration at a later date...
Anyway, this week has been one of those weeks. Two visits to the doctor, a visit to the dentist and a mid-week birthday celebration. That about took up all my me-time.
I am still feeling the fatigue and will do justice to Son No 2's birthday celebration at a later date...
Tuesday, 1 July 2008
Under the Weather
Son No 2 had been coughing for a few days. On Sunday night, the cough got worse and he had congestion in the chest and difficulty in breathing.
Though I count myself as an experienced (read: cool) parent, there is nothing like a sick child that makes you panic and sows doubts about your earlier decisions: Should I have brought him to see the doctor when he first started coughing? Should I have stopped him from going for his taekwando class? Should we all have rested at home that day?
And there is something about the night that casts gloom and pessimism. There is a proven theory that things always seem better in the day - research has shown that more people living in or close to the North Pole tend to have depression when it is winter because for them, the daylight hours are very short.
Anyway, back to Son No 2. Knowing the effects of night (I have rushed to the ER many times in the past, and it is always at night), I got a hold of myself and applied medication as I knew best, using the Ventolin inhaler. It worked for a while. Son No 2 continued wheezing, though he could sleep and breathe easier than before.
The next morning, I brought him to a paediatrician and to cut the story short, he rested at home for a day and is back in school today. He has recovered very well, though he is still on medication.
But that's not the end of it... Son No 1 came back from school today and complained of the same symptoms. He's now sleeping like a baby after taking some medicine. Looks like it's another round of (not so) merry-go-round....
Though I count myself as an experienced (read: cool) parent, there is nothing like a sick child that makes you panic and sows doubts about your earlier decisions: Should I have brought him to see the doctor when he first started coughing? Should I have stopped him from going for his taekwando class? Should we all have rested at home that day?
And there is something about the night that casts gloom and pessimism. There is a proven theory that things always seem better in the day - research has shown that more people living in or close to the North Pole tend to have depression when it is winter because for them, the daylight hours are very short.
Anyway, back to Son No 2. Knowing the effects of night (I have rushed to the ER many times in the past, and it is always at night), I got a hold of myself and applied medication as I knew best, using the Ventolin inhaler. It worked for a while. Son No 2 continued wheezing, though he could sleep and breathe easier than before.
The next morning, I brought him to a paediatrician and to cut the story short, he rested at home for a day and is back in school today. He has recovered very well, though he is still on medication.
But that's not the end of it... Son No 1 came back from school today and complained of the same symptoms. He's now sleeping like a baby after taking some medicine. Looks like it's another round of (not so) merry-go-round....
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