I was at a work talk, which was pretty mundane, but at the end the speaker was telling the story of The Three Bricklayers to drive home the idea of having the right attitude and understanding the big picture. Basically the story goes like this,
"Someone saw three men working. He asked the first man what he was doing and the man said he was laying bricks. He asked the second man the same question and he said he was putting up a wall. When he got to the third man and asked him what he was doing he said he was building a cathedral."
They were all doing the same thing. The first man had a job. The second man had a career. The third man had a calling.
At an organisational level, it's important for an employee to know that no matter how small our job is or how insignificant it may seem, we are all laying bricks to build the company up. There is a big picture in our daily actions, and what little we do still makes a difference.
On hearing that parable, I related it more to me being a mum and how I communicate to Lil Pumpkin about her studies, though.
As she progresses through her schooling years, her school load is getting more and more intensive. Every other day, I'm telling her to "study hard", or "do your homework" or "remember your revision" etc. Even I reckon that I sound like a broken record and find it sian to say it over, and over again...
I know Lil Pumpkin is a curious child and likes learning new things, but sometimes schoolwork or listening in class can be boring. Rather than just reminding her on completing the immediate task e.g. learn her spelling or finish her homework, I should remind her to see the end result and focus on the bigger picture i.e. gaining more knowledge, creating a life that she wants, being a useful citizen of the world, having the ability to positively impact others in the future etc.
Maybe then, she would be more self-motivated to strive on completing the challenging tasks at hand without me prompting, and not be disappointed if she has mini set-backs in her schooling journey.
Lil Pumpkin may be laying bricks every day, but if she can envision her own personal "cathedral", she will enjoy her school years more, and grow more through the process. Right? #mummymusings
It's easy to tell when Lil Pumpkin likes a book because she will go read it all by herself again, and again, and again... without any prompting by me. Like this Science Made Easy with Doodles book that's co-authored by local writers, Aurelia Tan and Dr. Koh Siak Meng.
It's not even a fictional storybook, but actually a unique pictorial companion guide to the current MOE Science syllabus that extrapolates all the important core concepts and condenses them into colourful & cute little drawings that make it easy for young students, like Lil Pumpkin, to understand.
Lil Pumpkin is a visual learner and has always been interested in arts and doodles, so this was exactly what she needed to introduce her to the key scientific facts, concepts and principles that she is/ will be learning in school, and help her to remember them better.
Wordy textbooks with little or no pictures just doesn't cut it for her at the moment (ી(΄◞ิ౪◟ิ‵)ʃ)
“Science Made Easy with Doodles” is a complete set of 18 doodles, for the nine Lower Primary and nine Upper Primary Science units in the Ministry of Education {MOE} Science curriculum. It covers Diversity, Cycles, Systems, Interactions & Energy in both Lower Block {P3 & P4) and Upper Block {P5 & P6}.
The book itself is A4-sized and wire-bound. Every page is fully colour-printed on a hardy artcard and laminated, so we don't have to worry about the pages getting crumpled or tearing if water is accidentally spilled on it.
It happened before though, as since it's so light and provides a quick and easy revision of Science topics, we like to bring the book out for Lil Pumpkin to read while waiting, and she accidentally knocked a cup of water over it during dinner. We quickly wiped it dry with tissue and there wasn't any damage or need to dry it much further.
Here are some examples of the cute doodles, which Lil Pumpkin likes to copy out sometimes and that's good I reckon because it helps her to remember better haha.
Each page highlights and summarises key teaching points of 1 unit. Just the fundamental information, nothing too in-depth or confusing. I love that all the abstract science concepts in this new school subject are broken down step-by-step, and presented clearly & succinctly for Lil Pumpkin.
Actually, I heard that quite a number of schools have also used the illustrations found in the book as learning walls for the students!!
If you're interested, "Science Made Easy with Doodles" book costs S$32 and is sold online here and in Junior Page bookstore at Alexandra Retail Centre {ARC} & KK Hospital. Check out Harvest Edutainment website for more information on the A2-sized wall posters and customised wallpaper that are available too.
For my own special friends & blog readers, I've TWO Science Made Easy with Doodles Pictorial Guidebook {worth S$32} to give away!! A perfect Science study companion for P3 - P6 students, or even for younger children if you'd like to introduce Science concepts to them.
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Last Thursday we bought the Creative HansVision PX2131 Chinese electronic dictionary for Lil Pumpkin. Apparently students in Primary, Secondary and JCs are now allowed to use e-dictionaries during the compo paper for PSLE, GCE N(T), N(A), O and A-Level Examinations so schools allow them for use during class and school exams too.
However, exactly when they can start using them in class and during school exams will depend on the school. Some schools only allow kids to use them from P4/P5 onwards, while others, like Lil Pumpkin's school, lets them use them from P3 onwards.
It is not a necessity. Students are still allowed to use the traditional paper dictionaries to help them write compositions like before, but given this time and age where kids nowadays are more geared towards technology like mobile-phones, tablets and computers, they would probably be more comfortable using e-dictionaries compared to paper dictionaries {which I still personally prefer!} where it is quicker and more convenient to bring around.
However, for paper dictionaries, you have to be precise in knowing the number of strokes or exact hanyu pinyin for each Chinese character. There is no "auto-correct" or any intuitive help that an electronic dictionary provides.
I guess that can be the reason why you would or wouldn't start your child on an electronic dictionary. It doesn't "force" them to count the number of strokes or know the hanyu pinyin before they need to check the meaning of the words. So, it is thus useful for a child who struggles in this area, and yet it provides no motivation for them to improve on them either.
Anyway, I'm not going to discuss whether to get a paper or e-dictionary in this post. Maybe another time.
But since I posted on my Facebook page & Instagram that we got Lil Pumpkin the PX2131, a few parents requested for a review on this particular model so I'd focus more on that here instead.
Background of Chinese e-dictionaries in Singapore for use in exams
Since 2007, the Ministry of Education {MOE} allowed the use of electronic CL-CL dictionaries during examinations for all levels from PSLE to pre-University starting 2007.
There's a list of approved Chinese e-dictionaries compiled by Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board {SEAB} for PSLE. Approval for use in national examinations is valid only for 5 years for a specific edition/version starting from the examination year following the year of application. Vendors need to apply for an extension of the validity period of the approved dictionaries, which they do so don't be afraid to get one now even if your child's PSLE is after the current approved period.
From this list, you can see that there's only 3 major players in the market - Besta, Creative and ZZ. A quick check online shows that Besta and Creative are the more established brands, while ZZ is a new company and their dictionaries were only added into this list from this year. All 3 are local, Singapore companies {but ZZ originated from China}.
The first approved Chinese e-dictionary {HansVision PX2051} was a collaboration between Creative and Ministry of Education for our students. Then Besta started their All Pass series targeted for students to bring into exam halls and ZZ was established in 2016 and started selling their versions last year.
Why did we get Creative HansVision Chinese E-Dictionary PX2131?
We bought Lil Pumpkin her Chinese e-dictionary the night we found out that she could use it for her P3 compo exam paper, which was a week later. We wanted to get it fast so that she'd have time to get used to the e-dictionary in time for her exams.
Just so you know, we didn't really have much time to do a comprehensive comparison of all the available models out there. I assume that the internal software {Chinese dictionary, vocabulary bank, Chinese idioms list, hanyu pinyin search functions etc.} is about the same across the board. However, I asked around, read some reviews and we narrowed down to the model we wanted to get her based on some factors that were important to us.
Firstly, the e-dictionary had to have a handwriting input function as that's the main way Lil Pumpkin searches for words in the dictionary app she uses at home. At the moment, she rarely searches for words with hanyu pinyin mainly because 1) most of the times she already doesn't know how to read the characters, that's why she needs to search haha, and 2) it is just quicker to write it out then to type out the hanyu pinyin.
Basically with this factor, it eliminated almost all of the Creative HansVision models except for PX2131 as that's the only one that has a handwriting input function. Even the latest PX2181 model that was released this year does not have a stylus / handwriting input function {see comparison table at end of post}!!
Besta All Pass 3 {the older versions are out of production and not in sale anymore} and ZZ models were still in the game though.
Secondly, we wanted something compact and light for her to bring to and fro school. Creative HansVision PX2181 and Besta All Pass 3 fit this criteria. ZZ e-dictionaries are apparently modified car navigation devices. They are newer, touchscreen, coloured, have bigger writing surfaces, use built-in batteries but are also heavier, bulkier and require frequent charging {and they also didn't have the Wildcard Search function - see below for details}.
Thirdly, we wanted to buy from an established brand because it's for use during exams. I mean, I don't want her to bring it to exams then suddenly it conks out and won't work!
Although I like that ZZ e-dictionaries are touchscreen, coloured & have a bigger writing surface, there is not much track record on how long they can last without charging, how they heat up, how they will hold up against kids bringing them around in their school bags or kids inevitably dropping them from their desk every now and then {fyi, their screens are made of glass, compared to plastic for Creative & Besta} and whether their resolutions will distort or become pixelated over time... like how quite a number of parents complain about Besta All Pass e-dictionaries, even up to recent months for All Pass 3.
{image from a parenting forum}
{image from Besta Facebook page}
Yup, even with the clam-shell case design, some parents complain that their kids' Besta e-dictionary screens crack or have black lines across. And the stylus doesn't have a slot in All Pass 3 e-dictionary itself {it's stored in the provided case} plus the handwriting input function isn't as sensitive as Creative HansVision PX2131...
So with all these in mind, we chose Creative HansVision PX2131 as Lil Pumpkin's first Chinese e-dictionary!! *throws confetti*
I say "first" because I expect to have to buy a few times in the course of her studies haha since parents say these e-dictionaries don't last thaaaaaat long {2 years tops?}, she might lose it and better versions will be out by the time she takes her PSLE. But still, I hope that this e-dictionary will last her a couple of years.
Quick Review
You can see the full specifications in the table above or from Creative HansVision's website. The English and Chinese manual is available here. See comparison between PX2131 and PX2181 {2018 model} below.
1. Box set & accessories
One unit comes with Creative HansVision PX2131 e-dictionary, a retractable stylus, black earphones, a mini paper cleaner, 1-year warranty card and 2x AAA batteries. Cost is S$59.
Hard cover case {black only} can be purchased from Popular bookstore at $6.90 or Creative HansVision at S$5. Additional stylus can be purchased from Creative HansVision at S$3. For purchase from Creative HansVision, you may call to order & have it delivered to you, or buy direct from their service centre: A Genuine Technology, 1 Rochor Canal Road #05-67 Sim Lim Square.
2. Design
I was surprised that Creative HansVision PX2131 e-dictionary is so small haha... like a mini calculator? Some say like a BlackBerry phone. But good that it's light and compact for Lil Pumpkin to bring around.
Buttons are pretty small for adults, or those with fat fingers hehe, but for kids like Lil Pumpkin they are reasonably easy to press. For the screen, I would prefer it to be bigger as sometimes the complicated characters seem too cramped and she is not able to distinguish the different strokes properly. However, it is big enough for her to write her characters and read most of the time. Back-light is a hit too.
Unfortunately, it does not come with a cover. You have to purchase a hard protective case separately. However, the PX2131 seems pretty hardy and unless the kid is going to sit on it or drop it face down, it doesn't really need the cover for protection. The on/off button is also not protruding like the rest of the buttons so it's not likely to get switched on accidentally too.
There is a stylus slot for the accompanying stylus at the back, and a headphone jack at the side. It's a very simple, no-frills design which I actually like so that Lil Pumpkin won't get distracted when using it to study. With her phone dictionary app, it's easy for her to lose focus and start fiddling around with other apps or games.
3. User-friendliness
Lil Pumpkin {currently P3 student} spent less than half an hour to learn how to operate the basic functions from her daddy. She would need more time to practice using it efficiently though.
This is a Chinese-to-Chinese dictionary so there's no English meanings given and even the buttons are labeled in Chinese. It is daunting {even for me!}, but in a way I'm glad as it "forces" Lil Pumpkin to recognise and widen her vocabulary. Basic knowledge of Chinese words like 开关 {on/off}, 目录 {menu}, 说明 {help}, 输入法 {input method} etc. required. There's English help if you press 【说明】.
4. Pronunciation Function
You can check the pronunciations of just the character{s} searched, but the full reading of the meaning{s} or examples of use is not given. It would definitely be useful to have the latter.
The voice is clear, and only works when listened to with earphones though.
5. Search functions
Press 【电子词典】->【输入法】->【拼音】or【部首】or【手写】
a. Hanyu Pinyin Search - Type in hanyu pinyin of the character{s}
b. Initial Consonant Input - Type in first letter for each character e.g. mmhh and 马马虎虎 pops up. c. Wildcard Search - Type in * for unknown characters e.g. 不*不* and 不慌不忙，etc. pops up d. Cross-referencing Search - Highlight & search within explanation e. 部首 {bushou} Search - Use Chinese radicals or strokes to search f. Polyphonic Character Search *new* - Find all pronunciations & corresponding explanations g. Handwriting Input Search *new* - Using a stylus to write on the screen surface
Very handy to have so many different ways to search for the Chinese words meanings and readings, for single and multiple characters. However, at her current Chinese language level, Lil Pumpkin will not likely use all now. The Wildcard Search is extremely helpful, but I suspect 部首 Search will be used the least. If it lasts {and hopefully it does!}, this e-dictionary will be even more useful at higher levels and is acceptable for use at O' & A' Levels too.
6. Special Handwriting Input Feature The screen is relatively sensitive i.e. you don't need to press too hard for it to pick up your writing & you can write without a stylus. However, Lil Pumpkin still writes her Chinese characters quite big and slow and sometimes she needs to do it a few times to get the correct words because after she finishes writing the radical, pause to check, then write the second part of the word, the dictionary suggestions would have already popped up and may not contain the word she was looking for.
Do note that this e-dictionary does not have a "true touchscreen". It's useful only for writing the characters, but you cannot choose options or navigate by touching the screen. I hope they improve on this for later models though.
7. Battery Life Hard to say since we got it just a week ago but since it has just a black & white screen and simple blue back-light, I don't expect it to eat a lot of battery power. The screen will stay lit when it is powered on, and the e-dictionary will automatically power off if there's no activity for 20 mins.
Anyway, 2 x AAA batteries can be easily changed from the back. 8. Value-for-Money We paid S$65.21 {S$59 + S$6.90 less 10% for Popular members, no discount on PX2131 as it is NETT price}. It is not terribly expensive as an electronic teaching aid, and with the functions it comes with, plus I expect Lil Pumpkin to use it for at least 2 years, I reckon it is value-for-money.
If you buy in school, or during their roadshows it might be even cheaper. Initially, I was surprised that the PX2131 was so low-tech, even though it's one of their latest models #firstworldproblems But then again, the exam e-dictionaries are meant to be low cost, most likely to make them accessible to all students from all family income levels. You can see that all of them are around S$50-100 each and at this price range, so I can't expect a whole lot of applications or functions like how I might be used to with a smartphone.
9. Does the child like it??
As you can see from the video above, Lil Pumpkin likes her new e-dictionary because she finds it helpful, and also because I think it's a novel study toy for her haha.. Yesterday, Lil Pumpkin had her P3 Chinese compo exam and she said that she used it, mainly for checking how to write words using hanyu pinyin input.
Her classmate has the Besta All Pass 3 which she played around with and liked that design too because "it can open and close", and "has a small box at the bottom to write in".
That "small box" is actually smaller than PX2131's writing surface and not as sensitive though, according to some users. I told her that if they improve on their technology & flaws, we can consider getting it next time as I prefer their clam-shell case design too. My old JP-EL e-dictionaries from Casio were like that too.
P.S. I heard from some parents that there are no display models at Popular bookstores for Creative HansVision e-dictionaries. Only for Besta e-dictionaries which has their own counters {promoters only work 1pm - 9pm though} in Popular.
However, we bought ours from Marine Parade Central's Popular and they had display models for customers to play around with for PX2131 and the latest PX2181. From what I gather, main difference is PX2131 has the handwriting input, while PX2181 doesn't but has the newest function of inputting the four tones of classical Chinese phonetics (四声) and non-stress voice (轻声) for a faster search. E.g. cheng2jiu4 will get the result 成就
If you wish to try out all Creative HansVision models, then go to their main office at 63 Hillview Avenue #03-09 Lam Soon Industrial Building. I called their office a few times to ask questions about the products and they seem quite friendly.
*Note: This is not a sponsored post or advertorial. All opinions are my own.
In the midst of the year-end exam madness, Lil Pumpkin took a break and attended her classmate's birthday party at Thow Kwang Pottery Jungle on a Sunday afternoon.
What a unique venue for a birthday party!! Not your typical indoor-playground-kids-go-berserk party venue, which Lil Pumpkin loves no doubt, but this was a place that I've been wanting to go to myself for a loooooong time!!
However, it is at a far end of Singapore for us i.e. very ulu and inconvenient to get to, and lazy me being me, I've been putting it off until now... so so glad that we had a good nudge to head down and explore a bit!
I think I have a love-to-party face, which isn't exactly wrong since I do love parties, so I always get thrown into party-planning at work or for friends' gatherings.. but honestly, there's a difference between party-attending, and party-planning. I hate party-planning.
Too much effort, coordination and time required. And most of the time, you can't even appreciate the party you meticulously took to plan as well as you've to make sure it runs smoothly!! Geez.. I'd rather just show up and enjoy the party as a guest haha..
Looking back, I think the only parties I willingly planned was for our wedding, and for Lil Pumpkin's manyue party and her 2nd birthday. Even then, her parties were kept small for only close family and friends, and I have no idea how I managed to pull off organising our wedding celebration held over 2 days with around 250 guests, and even some coming in from overseas.
Knowing the amount of work that goes into party-planning, I'm always grateful to the parents of kids' whose amazing parties Lil Pumpkin gets to attend, no matter they be small & intimate, or big & extravagant.
This recent party she attended tops my personal fave list though as it incorporated a bit of Singapore heritage / culture into it.. something you know I hold dear in my heart and hope Lil Pumpkin can experience more of.
Thow Kwang Pottery Jungle {aka TK Pottery} is a family pottery business and where you can find one of Singapore's oldest "dragon kiln" that was built in the 1940s. There are only 2 dragon kilns left in Singapore, with the other one being in Jalan Bahar Clay Studios {near TK Pottery}.
Dragon kilns are made of bricks and take up large spaces. TK Pottery's 36m long dragon kiln is about 2m wide and can hold up to 5,000 ceramic pieces. Wood is used to fire the kiln from various openings {known as the dragon's "eyes"} and it's only fired when there are about 3,000 clay pieces.
Therefore, its dragon kiln is only fired up 3-4 times a year after amassing enough pieces from its weekly workshops or from the public {yes, you can bring in your own pieces to fire too!} and outsiders can also take a look at how the labour-intensive process is done too.
FYI, the firing process requires the dragon kiln to be kept lit for 24 hours at a constant temperature of 1,260℃!!
TK Pottery offers regular programs and workshops for kids and adults in one of their 4 studios that includes materials, glazing and firing.
From their website, I see that a 2-hr workshop costs S$48/adult, S$38/child {7-14 years old} and S$65/parent + child {below 6 years old}.
The birthday party was held in one of their studios which was a second-floor loft. Pretty cooling, cozy, and kampong-ish hehe...
I'm not sure if the balloons were brought in by the parents of the birthday kid or provided by TK Pottery for their party package, but it certainly made the otherwise dull atmosphere more cheerful and kids-friendly.
It was a drop-off party and apparently TK Pottery charged the party by head so if parents wanted to sit-in, they had to pay additional charges to join the pottery party workshop...
Not that we wanted to, really haha. The boy and I are happy to drop Lil Pumpkin off to play with her friends while we had a little me-time to ourselves (*≧▽≦) Lil Pumpkin likes it that way too heh.. We can always come back another time to join a pottery workshop.
At the beginning of the party, the kids went for a little educational tour at the dragon kiln to learn more about its history and how it functions. I'm sure they were all very excited to know that their precious DIY clay pieces would be fired up in there too!
One thing I notice about Lil Pumpkin's parties nowadays, especially with her classmates, is that it's mainly organised via Whatsapp groups. I have my fair share of apprehension regarding Whatsapp groups {see my tongue-in-cheek list of 10 Types of Parents You Meet in Whatsapp Groups} but they are no doubt very useful too.
Throughout the party, the host mum sent us photos and updated us on the party going-ons so that it seemed like we were there with the kiddos too..
Apparently there was one workshop instructor who taught the kids how to mould the clay to make a fish {??} holder and they got to decorate and paint it themselves.
I can't wait to see Lil Pumpkin's finished pottery product! The first one she has ever made!! °˖✧◝(⁰▿⁰)◜✧˖°
Other than hosting pottery workshops and classes, TK Pottery also sells a large variety of ceramic items that are decently priced.
There are aisles & aisles and shelves & shelves of pots, plates, cups, mugs, vases, jars, bowls etc. and it will take probably a whole day to look through everything! As it was really hot that afternoon and the boy and I wanted to do groceries while Lil Pumpkin was at the party, I just had a quick walk-through but I definitely want to be back again to pick up some stuff... and maybe do a little Christmas shopping too hehe.
The next dragon kiln firing is on Sat 11 Nov 2017, 9am and there are free guided tours at 1pm & 5pm {no reservations required}. We might try to head back there that day.
TK Pottery is collaborating with the famous pottery artist, Ros Lee, of Polkaroos fame. If you like her work, you can shop for some of her goods there or even attend one of her workshops.
Thow Kwang Pottery Jungle
85 Lorong Waras
Open daily 9am - 5pm {except Chinese New Year}
Tel: 6268 6121
Website: http://thowkwang.com.sg/
Last Saturday was our first Parent-Teacher Meeting {PTM} in Lil Pumpkin's primary school!! Oh goodness.. has half a year really passed by since she started Primary 1??? It seems like just yesterday when we had her orientation...
In her school, the PTM is called 3-C Dialogue Session where it is a time for parents, teachers and even the students to connect, communicate and celebrate the learning of the students.
I like that the kids were involved too and the teachers got the students to reflect on their schooling journey for the past semester, to think about what they did well, and areas which they can improve too. Then during the PTM, the students presented on their reflection to the parents (∩_∩)
For Lil Pumpkin, she told us that she enjoys learning new things in school and playing with her classmates. However, she needs to work on being able to give the speaker her full attention and to be able to listen wholeheartedly without interruption. We were told that sometimes she gets so excited by what she hears that she immediately wants to respond with something.. but if she's not called upon to speak, she would just turn to her friends and tell them! (≧▽≦) Oh dear!
Our appointment was at 9am and we arrived about 15 minutes before that. While waiting, her teachers got the parents to write a word of encouragement to the kids, and for the kids to write a thank-you note to the parents. After which we can display it on the classroom whiteboard when we entered. Such a thoughtful initiative!
As usual, the boy and I weren't really worried about Lil Pumpkin's academic progress. Well, not yet anyway. From the school work she brings home and from the results of whatever mini assessments she has {not many, really}, we know that she is able to cope relatively well.
This was confirmed by her teachers as well who were quite impressed with her Maths and English language & writing skills. Her form teacher showed us some of her English writing work and I must say, I was pretty impressed too! I didn't know that they started writing in paragraphs haha..
For Mandarin, her written skill is strong but speaking still needs more work.. well, no surprise there and something we really, really need to work on (ᗒᗨᗕ)
What the boy and I were most concerned about was how she was doing socially in school. Is she interacting well with her friends? Any relationship problems we should be aware of? Lil Pumpkin is a very sociable person and is someone who treasures friendship very much. However, sometimes she will come home crying about this friend or that. It hurts me to see her like that.
Her teachers have noted that Lil Pumpkin has a "sensitive soul" {exact words used} but there's no friendship problems we should be worried about now. In situations where Lil Pumpkin may have been upset with her friends, it's because they picked up undesirable behaviour or words from older siblings or people they interact with outside of school which they used on their classmates, but the teachers are aware of it and have addressed it with the relevant parents too.
Overall, Lil Pumpkin has adapted very well to her new school life and her teachers are very pleased with that. From our perspective as parents, we can see that too - although Lil Pumpkin wakes up rather groggily most mornings, she doesn't cry and is always happy to attend class and talk about what goes on in school.
This semester the boy helped to give an occupation talk to the Primary One cohort on his job as a vet {oops I haven't written about that yet!!} and we told the teachers as well that if time allows, we'd be happy to volunteer in other areas if they need us too.
I'm pretty excited to see what Semester 2 will bring! But for now, we're just going to have fun this June holidays together as a family and let Lil Pumpkin rest and do what she enjoys most... playing haha.
I did ask her teachers if there was anything we needed to work on at home during the holidays and they said no... the kids have done a lot during school time. It is time to let them relax..
Since Lil Pumpkin started P1, I joined my first school parents Whatsapp group for her class {we didn't have this practice in her preschool}.
I've long heard about these fabled parents Whatsapp groups from my other mummy friends.. it's a double-edged sword that's extremely useful for socialising {especially for busy working parents like us who aren't able to hang around in school much}, finding support & keeping up with school activities, events and important news, but it can also be a channel for parents to compare results, chat mindlessly / b*tch about unrelated matters, form cliques etc. and that's where the unnecessary stress and anxiety from being in one comes up.
Who would want to receive incessant messages asking how well your kid did in the recent test, which revision assessment books they are using for tuition, why this kid is a school monitor but not XXX or mundane discussions on breakfast menus??
I know I don't, and thankfully our class Whatsapp group hasn't shown it's negative side.. yet?? haha. I do reckon my parents WhatsApp group has more pros than cons for me at the moment for "keeping us in the loop" and if you are thinking of joining one to reap its potential benefits too, here's a tongue-in-cheek look at 10 Types of Parents You Meet In A WhatsApp Group:
1. The Know-It-All
They are always in tuned with school gossip news and are glad to share it and/or make sure everybody knows that they know about it {first}. You might love them for being so generous with the information {especially when it's useful}, or hate them for being attention-grabbing, but either way these are the parents to look for if you're not sure what time school ends tomorrow / who is the class Music teacher / when is the next 听写 etc.
2. The Eager Beaver
You never have to worry about being #foreveralone in the chat group because they always reply to every. single. comment. They have an answer for every question, and opinion to every thought. One does wonder if they has a life outside of Whatsapp （>∀<）
3. The One-Liner
Scratch that. These parents should be known as "One-Worders" as their vocabulary is only limited to "Ok", "Noted", "Thanks", "Yes" etc. The masters in this category actually go one step further and just reply in mere letters e.g. "K" {okay}, "Np" {no problem}, "HBD" {happy birthday}.
4. The Grandmother-Storyteller
The exact opposite to the "One-Liner", these parents basically type out short stories with every response. I bet their kids will win #BestCompo award in school.
It's ok if they do it all in one single comment, but woe betide you when they break it up into a gazillion separate messages that send your mobile in a beeping frenzy. These parents are why we have the "Mute Conversation" button for WhatsApp chats.
5. The Lurker
You won't even know they are there until you look at the members list. They don't reply to any comment or question. Absolutely zero participation or signs of their existence.
6. The Complain King
If recess time is too short, you will hear about it from them. If the weather is too hot for P.E., they are going to criticise it. If there is too much or too little homework, these parents will definitely have something to say too. Worst if you're planning a class party and all they can come up with are ideas to shoot it down.
7. The Blur Sotong
These parents are absolutely clueless about school dates, homework, spelling lists, or basically how the education system is run and hang on to the chat group like a dear lifeline. Or sometimes they get wind of wrong info and cause panic in the group. They could also be known as "Askholes" when they keep asking for advice, but refuse to take it in!
8. The Drama Queen
They tend to freak out and make everything a BIG DEAL.. most of the time, over something small. Raise the alarm if their kids forget to bring their homework to school, or if they didn't teach the kids how to use the new school library system, or forgot to remind the child that lessons ended earlier that day {even though the teachers would have informed the students already}.
Relaaaaax, we send our kids to school to be more independent and learn new things on their own, right? Let them make mistakes and learn from them! (^_－)☆
9. The Saint
They send individual birthday greetings & holiday wishes, offer friendly advice & thoughtful help, responds at the right time, keep quiet to listen, are always politically correct and includes everybody in the conversation. Basically the "wise and caring parents" that we all want to be (✿╹◡╹)
10. The Teacher's Pet
Somehow due to being parent volunteers or from being in school 24/7 stalking their children each day, these parent are on very friendly terms with the teachers and are always eager to approach them for any clarification. Not sure which uniform to wear on Tuesday? They will rush to ask Teacher X. Maths problem has a typo? Don't worry, they have Teacher Y on speed-dial.
If the teachers know of anything discussed in the chat group, you know who leaked out that information #oops
Are you in a parents WhatsApp group of any sorts?
Can you relate & who else would you meet in such groups??
P.S. This list is far from exhaustive and based on experiences from my friends and I. It is not meant to be taken toooooo seriously, or used to target any individual in my chat groups or otherwise.
P.P.S. Typically, a school parents WhatsApp group is not an official school communication channel, and is usually set up by fellow well-meaning parents of the class / across the level / cca group etc. You do not have to be part of it if you don't wish to, and I know some parents who decide not to. Personally, I don't think you will "lose out" by not being in one as responsible schools will email / SMS parents on important issues, but there are merits like what I've mentioned above to being in one for sure.
And just like that, the first 3 weeks of Lil Pumpkin as a Primary 1 kid flew by!! (★^O^★)
For the first 3 days, we were lucky that her primary school allowed parents into the school to help their kids transition into their new environment with totally new faces and culture. We could go up to their classrooms before class started and see them eat/ buy food at the canteen.
During lesson time, we had to stay at the dedicated parents' corners or could attend some of the free parent education seminars {e.g. Structuring Your Child's Time} to support & encourage us in our new journey with our kids.
I heard that for some schools, parents were not allowed in at all! #toughlove
Lil Pumpkin was really looking forward to primary school starting so even though we had to wake up much earlier than usual, she was not grumpy at all... just kinda confused why we had to wake up in the middle of the night while the sky was still dark haha.
The first week she would jump excitedly out of bed to get ready for school {so different from when she first started preschool haha} but come the second week, I think the excitement kinda died down and she began to have trouble getting out of bed.
There were no tears, just lots of blur, sleepy faces #thestruggleisreal
For me, it was hard adjusting to waking up so early again too but I'd to put on a brave face for Lil Pumpkin and show her that yes!! It can be done!! (◕‿◕✿) After dropping her off in school, I'd usually take a quick nap at the back of the car while the boy sends me to work though haha...
In case you're wondering, so far she hasn't had any homework or tests yet. The school has just been focusing on getting the kids accustomed to their new lifestyle and school rules. Last Friday we were given their English & Chinese spellings lists though and both will start next week {Week 4}.
I think being in preschool for the past 4 years definitely helped teach Lil Pumpkin to be more independent and attuned to formal school structure. She adjusted much quicker than I expected and has no problem listening to her teachers, following a timetable or staying in school for 6 hours straight.
Actually on the second day of school when she saw me at recess, she told me to go home!! Pffftt... must have thought this mamarazzi was "embarrassing" her #wheredidmybabygo
For the first 2 weeks, P5 pupils were assigned as buddies to the P1 kids. They taught and guided them on how to buy food during recess and brought them around the different parts of the school like the library, teacher staff-room, dental clinic, indoor halls etc.
Lil Pumpkin told me that the best part of her school day was actually to go to recess with her P5 buddies {not sure why but apparently she had 3??!} Aww! I saw her buddies while I was in school for the first few days and they were really sweet to her too.
At first, she wasn't keen on buying food from the canteen and wanted me to prepare obentos for her. However, with the the encouragement from her buddies, she now likes to buy recess food from the canteen {always sushi!!}, even on her own this week, so I just prepare mid-day snacks and lunch obentos for her daily.
She usually eats lunch on the way home in the car since she ends school almost 2pm.
Last Friday we prepared some notes and treats for her buddies to thank them for taking care of her and giving her such a warm welcome to her new school.
After the first weeks of adjustments, this is roughly her weekday school routine:
6.10am Wake Up + Morning Milk
6.15 Get Ready for School
6.35am Leave Home + Breakfast
7.10am Reach School
2pm School Pick-up + Lunch
2.30pm Reach Home
2.45pm Afternoon Nap
4pm Wake Up
4.10pm Afternoon Tea
4.30 - 8pm Revision / Play / Visit daddy's clinic / Enrichment classes etc.
8.10pm Dinner
9pm Shower + Get Ready for School
9.30pm Bedtime Ritual i.e. prep bed, muck around, bed-time story
10pm Sleep
I know Lil Pumpkin sleeps later than a lot of school kids her age but as working parents, we get home late most days {especially the boy} but still want that interaction time with her.
Anyway she still gets her afternoon nap and around 8 hours of sleep at night so should be fully rested each day, even if it's a struggle in the morning. I think it's mainly because we are not morning people, not because she doesn't have enough sleep since she has around 9-10 hours a day! (ヘ。ヘ)
For me as a new P1 parent, I was so glad that I was going back to my alma mater so I wasn't really a noob in the school and could guide Lil Pumpkin and the boy on school tradition, culture and expectations. There were some changes since the time I left school, of course, but a lot of things have remained the same and the familiarity definitely lessened my anxiety on this new journey for all of us.
After 3 weeks, Lil Pumpkin is still very happy to go to school and I can see that her love for school is growing stronger, and stronger each day. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside when I hear her try to sing our school song!
I hope that at the end when she leaves, she will remember lovingly all the friends she made, crazy fun times at school events, valuable life {not just academic!} lessons and all that she did to lift high the banner of the school ♥
