A nobel cause

9th September 2008

Today, is one of the days Yi Wen will be off from school due to the UPSR exam for the Standard 6 pupils. So, after discussing with her, she agreed that she would stay home with Mummy for the day (instead of going to the childcare. Both my kids are still at the childcare since I have not decided on my next step, ie. stay at home or work again). After all, she gets to wake up at eight/ nine o’clock, Good deal, isn’t it?

I thought I will try her out with my home-tuition method and see if we both are comfortable with this arrangement. So, we started off with her having her favorite breakfast of curry puffs (sort of setting her mood right purpose lah…). Then it is 2 hours of homework and revision time. From 9 till 11 pm, she was to complete some schoolwork and make some mathematics revision. It started off well, with me doing my internet surfing and checking emails (my other plan for staying at home to find other income thru online business etc.) and she doing her homework. However, things started to get ugly when she got stuck at her mathematics questions. She was so easily frustrated,, but I had to be cool, I told myself, I told her patiently and repeated how to tackle the question. But she was already out of sync. But I should say, I managed to be quite cool in explaining my purpose. Room for improvement though.

Then the rest of the day, I tried to make it a fun thing for her. She cooked lunch with me. Talked non stop. Even helped me with taking in the laundry which I rewarded her for good work done. Then, we made muffins together (as promised). She did her painting, though by this time, already very tired, I suppose. Anyway, I got her to take a short nap before we fetch Yi Hahn together

It was overall a good day. I should try this again on Thursday. Revision and then play time. So that she gets accustomed to staying at home with me (in case I really decided to stay at home). Actually the main idea of my staying at home will be to coach YI Wen in her schoolwork (since her results deteriorated last semester). How nobel, yah? Well, I thought if doing 2 things, working and coping with housework and kids is not working out, why not just focus on something. And then, there is the nagging thought of my neglecting the kids’s schoolwork (esp. Yi Wen’s) while I struggle to go to work everyday. Gee… (still at the back of my mind)