Before Therapy Playground Time

I took Alfee to see Pat for his brain gym therapy today. We dealt with his reluctance to learn and his anxiety. His body has matured over the the couple of months and now it's no longer necessary for me to be the surrogate.

Sophie's Drawing

Alfee's Drawings

Art Class @ Home (5)

Sophie's Night Sky

Alfee's Night Sky

Skylace School Holiday Programme Day 2

Skylace School Holiday Programme Day 1

It's Okay To Quit, Let's Move On...

I thought about my kids' learning journey a lot these days. I lament about them going through enrichment classes with nothing but unrealistic dreams of success and total disregard for hard work and perseverance. I bang table at their lack of progress and poor performance. I yell at their apathy when I try to counsel or convince them that they should have gratitude and cherish the opportunities given to them on platters. Then finally I weep... for the shattered hopes that they can excel in whatever I want them to do and prove that I have succeeded as a good mom... quite quietly. I internalise their lack of accomplishment as my personal failure. Surely I haven't pushed them hard enough or maybe I'm not hardworking myself. I didn't stand firm and bite the bullet with them. I couldn't model determination to them. I allowed them to quit. 

I think I'm a quitter myself. As a child, I like many sports and activities but I quit when I realise I'm not good enough. I feared judgement and failure, I still do. My parents neither encouraged or stopped me for trying. Over time, I got to know myself much better and labelled myself as 'jack of all trade, but master of none'. I often questioned if there was any place for someone like me... no talent, no skill... Then I realised I had better not quit so easily if I wanted to find a niche for myself. So, I picked subjects and skills that I could do reasonably well in and went ahead with them, creating little successes. Although I can't say I am very skilled now or I have turned out very fine, I am good in certain things and I know it. So, is my approach very wrong then? I think maybe not so. Quitting takes some reflection and courage too. After all, I had to admit I couldn't do it and move on without losing hope in my next endeavour.