What is the right parenting?
Am I a good parent?
These are questions that will hit anyone who has become a parent.
And I believe that there is never a definite answer.
But for sure...all parents want the best for their children.
I can't say that both me & my husband, are good parents for sure.
We are definitely way different from the typical parents these days....yup, the typical parents.
Ok, maybe...typical parents in SG?
Me & husband are totally slackers! Haha!
Ariq & Arisya went to PCF for their pre-schooling.
We didn't even survey or check out other privatised pre-schools. π
And when we needed to put Arisya in childcare coz we just had Aqil then, we put her in a PCF childcare too.
And of coz Aqil...EIPIC centre....our cool dude. π
We started sending them to sch at the age of 4.....for nursery.
To me that is as early as can be already.
3 years of pre-school...I believe is more than enough.
And when it came to registering Ariq for Primay 1...we placed him in my sch then! π
First reason is easy registration coz I'm a staff.
And secondly, we want our child to be in a neighbourhood school.
I also thought that it's be easier to go to sch together & I'm able to monitor him in sch.
In fact there's a sch right next to our house then but we still choose the later coz as much as I can handle it...as in send & fetch Ariq to & fro...I did it that way.
Ariq had the 'luxury' of not going to childcare.
Yup, I believe it is a 'luxury' as compared to being in childcare for 8-10hrs daily.
Thankfully, we have our in-laws staying with us.
Oh yes...AriqArisyAqil are pampered to the max by their grandparents.
Weekdays pampered by paternal grandparents & weekends over at maternal grandparents.
And when we had Aqil, we had no choice but to put Arisya in childcare coz it'd be hard on my in-laws.
We didn't want a maid coz we didn't want a 'stranger' living w us then.
And it was so so painful to see Arisya crying everyday...coz she had to wake up early in the morning to go to sch.
And how heartbroken it is to see her sleeping on the naked matress when I fetched her.
She could have been at home...sleeping with lots & lots of pillows & cushions all around her.
Yes, that's how AriqArisyAqil slept in their early years...lots of cushioning all around when they sleep. π
Hence it was only for a year that Arisya was in childcare.
We wanted her to be at home instead...at her safest & happiest haven.
So we took a maid.
Oh yes, we followed the 'trend' then too.
We signed Ariq up for taekwondo & Arisya for ballet.
But we stopped after the exams started coming.
No...not sch exams but exams for Taekwondo & Ballet...for them to move to next level.
We didn't sign them up for them to be stressed by more testings & exams apart frm sch.
Hence, we stopped sending them for such classes.
And to be in sch for more than 6hrs daily is more than enough.
We feel.
Hence, Ariq & Arisya has never had tuition nor enrichment classes other than in school.
We get assessments books for them to practise at home.
Only when its near the exams then they do the practices otherwise it is just school work for them.
Ariq is not in express.
Arisya is taking Maths & Sci at foundation for PSLE.
And no...we are still not getting tuition for them.
Cheapskate parents?
Bad parents?
To others...yes, maybe we are.
But to us...we just want our children to be children.
We don't push our children?
No, we don't.
We want them to be children for as long as they can be.
In fact childhood is like only first 12 yrs of our lives?
They will be in adulthood for the rest of their lives...they should be given that 12 years of childhood to be the children they are.
We understand that they may have to start from bottom without a degree.
But hey...we start with the lowest step when climbing up the stairs or ladder right?
Learning is for life.
Learning never stop.
For as long as they live...they will learn.
Not just abt calculations or scientific facts or history...but also about life...about love, respect, kindness, perseverance etc.
There is no definite best way in parenting.
All parents want the best for their children definitely. ❤
