Just Keep Swimming …
One of my favourite photos this week.
Taken after the kids were done with their swimming lesson.
It’s been a little more than 7 months since Anya and Vai started their weekly swimming lessons, and they’ve been progressing relatively well.
They look forward to their swimming lessons and they can now do the breaststroke without holding onto the swim board all the time.
Anyway, I thought as long as they have fun while learning how to swim and what general water safety means, I’m happy for them too!
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PS: SO happy too that for 3 weeks in a row I managed to conquer my ‘laziness’ and actually SWIM as well when they have their lessons! *Whoopee*
[Click HERE to read a little more on why Swimming is a GREAT pregnancy exercise!]
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I can imagine how fun this moment was for you and your kids. My daughter normally loves the water and would beg me almost everyday to bring her to the pool for swimming lessons. I can see her joy everytime we get near the pool. So happy that you’re able to share the same moment with them and at the same time teach them swimming lessons.
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Hi Lindy,
Thanks for writing and sharing your situations with me. Thanks too for reading up my blog all this while =)
I’ll try to answer the questions you posted as best as I can yeah …
1. Parents who have no knowledge in Mandarin, how do you then help out with your kids homework?
Oh yes, I’m hopeless in Mandarin! =)
So this is what I do :
– Kids have Mandarin lessons, once a week for 1 hour.
– Once in a while I play children songs (Mandarin ones =) at home >> we always have music at home, so I usually include Mandarin songs as one of those that we listen to.
– As Anya is now in Primary 1 and has Mandarin spelling tests / homework, whenever she needs ‘help’ with her Mandarin homework, I refer to websites (eg. http://www.nciku.com/). And to review her Mandarin spellings before the day of her Mandarin test, I simply go through the list with her (with totally broken Mandarin hehe), and she usually would laugh at my ‘broken chinese’ too =) So far it still works out okay for us =)
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2. Are the kids being outcast in school just because they are considered an International student in a gov school? We did not apply PR status for Joshua yet.
No. At least not for our case, from the very start of their school days. I guess, this will depend on the students in our kids’ class too (eg. if a new student is ‘totally different’ from the rest of the classmates, like … an African boy), then I guess it’ll somewhat be ‘harder’ for the boy?
In Anya’s school, there are other races and students from other countries (eg. Koreans, Americans, etc), … so there’s no ‘discriminations’ …
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3. Really, is the education stressful?
This is a topic that I sometimes bring up on my Facebook actually. And I have yet to write a blog post on it.
Today’s academic expectations are definitely different, and somewhat tougher, compared to decades ago. Part of globalisation and the increasingly ‘competitive world’ that we live in, I guess?
The thing is, although we may not agree with the existing education sytem, we can’t ‘escape’ from the system in which we live in (for our case, Singapore’s education system). So, this is our family’s approach:
>> We try to ‘minimise’ other ‘classroom activities’ outside of school, and not send our kids to ‘top schools that will naturally demand extra performance and results from the kids’.
One thing I notice from friends’ feedback is:
many of the pressures our kids are feeling come from parents’ expectations too (and parents are feeling the pressure from school, teachers and peers?). So, in the end, whether it’ll be ‘stressful’ for the child, it also will depend on how we treat the kids …
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4. What made you choose Singapore instead of going back to Indonesia?
My hubby and I left Indonesia since our high school days. We came straight to Singapore from Australia, only going back to Jakarta at least once a year (holiday trips). So, basically we’ve been here even before we were married, and we’ve sort of settled down here.
To me personally, Singapore is better than Indonesia when it comes to ‘overall safety’. I can conveniently travel with the kids without my husband, on public transports, and this is something I definitely can’t do if I live in Indonesia. I guess each country has its pros and cons.
Perhaps one day we’ll return and live in Jakarta? Who knows =)
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As for English speaking swimming instructor, sorry … I can’t help you with this one. Have you tried looking up the expats community websites or something? I’m sure there’s such a site in Indo and hopefully you can get some info there …
Do stay in touch!! =)
hi leonny
this is my first time writing to you. actually, i’ve been following your blog for quite some time and i must say that it is truly instumental. do keep up the good work. i do hope that baby no 3 and your family are all in good health. btw, the photo looks great.
i’m a mother myself. Joshua is 4 years and 3 months old. Grace is 11 months old. my hubby and i (both malaysian Singaporean PRs ) were working in Singapore for about 5 years. back then, Joshua was taken care by my mom in Malaysia. (yep, you can imagine how excruciating leaving him behind). we practically went back to KL every weekend just to see him.
anyway, we are currently based in Jakarta. Yes. i’m a travelling spouse, thus i do not hold a full time job other than being a SAHM to my two wonderful kids. in fact, Grace was born in RS Pantai Indah Kapuk.
We’re at this crossroad, particularly me. Because we’ve been away from Msia for quite a while, I’m just not sure if going back to Malaysia is a good idea. I guess you know what i mean. I’m not looking for anwers but rather trying to reach out to other parents who’ve ‘been there and done that’.
And knowing that you are from Indonesia, I can’t help but wonder how you are able to manage all these in Singapore:
1. Parents who have no knowledge in Mandarin, how do you then help out with your kids homework?
2. Are the kids being outcast in school just because they are considered an International student in a gov school? We did not apply PR status for Joshua yet.
3. Really, is the education stressful?
4. What made you choose Singapore instead of going back to Indonesia?
I guess we have 2 options (when my hubby’s assignment is accomplished here)..it’s either back to Malaysia or Singapore.
btw, we are trying to look for an English-speaking swimming instructor here but to no avail.
god bless..