Fourth

Gideon. The 4th arrow in my quiver, so to speak. He's currently coming to 21 months old, and is at the stage where he's becoming aware of his surroundings and environment, and learning to interact meaningfully with the people around him more and more. That's the super fun stage, where, for the first time, you speak an instruction, and he actually understands it and carries it out. It's the transition between an uncomprehending baby and a young child whom you can engage in actual conversation.

Unfortunately, it's also the time where he's realising he can demand his way, and he actually has free will and can do pretty much what his little heart wishes. So he starts shouting and screaming his way to getting what he wants. And sometimes, just to recover some measure of peace, we take the easy way out and give in to him. As you would imagine, that just encourages him further, cos now he knows Daddy and Mummy's weakness.

Still, it never get old watching my kids grow up. With Gideon, it's the fourth time, but it still just amazes me how he picks up everything like a sponge, and starts doing and saying stuff by learning them himself. I can't wait for him to grow up and start speaking sentences. Wait, I take that back. I want to slowly savour every moment for as long as I can, because once he's past this stage, he's not coming back to it anymore. The natural babyish cuteness is inevitably going to go, and I just can't get enough of it as it is. I want more of this:

So parents, especially fathers, who may tend to leave the taking care of kids to the mothers, don't miss out on this golden period. Seize every moment that you can, spend as much time with your kids as you can. The memories are just so precious, and such a time passes all too quickly. Your kids are also going to appreciate you being there for them and with them. This is the time your kids look up to you as their heroes, and you have the best opportunity to teach and guide them in the way they should go. There's not going to be a second chance.

Gideon, my beautiful boy, may God bless you mightily with joy and happiness everyday as you grow up, and may every day be an exciting adventure to learn and play, in the environment of love your mother and I try to give you.

Exams

Chloe just finished her exams last week, and her results are starting to trickle in.

It has been a struggle the past 3-4 weeks, helping her prepare for her exams. The truth is, I must take part of the blame. I've not been following her work too closely the past year, because she has been doing fairly well, and so we have been a bit more lax with her. Unfortunately, I didn't realise that she has not been keeping up with her work, and we've been trying to play catch up while revising for her exams.

It's all too easy, I suppose, to blame her for not doing her work well and not paying attention in class, etc, but when I stop to think about it, she's only 9 years old(actually, she's only 9 this December), how can she fully understand the importance of having a right attitude to her studies, and to prioritise what is important? It's probably something most parents have to deal with. When you're a kid, you just want to have fun, who would enjoy doing homework and assessment books?

Still, there must be a balance, and I find myself struggling with this. How far do I go in pushing her in her studies? What's her limit? At what point do I hold back and allow her a breather? At the same time, am I being too relaxed with her? Is she understanding the importance of studying hard?

Nowadays, people like to say kids should be allowed to have fun, enjoy their childhood, experience all sorts of things, rather than just study, study, study. I think it's important to enjoy the experience of childhood, and go out there and try stuff, but it's a reality that studies are important, and not just in the academic sense. I think it trains up a sort of discipline, to do something you have to do, even though you don't feel like doing. That's something I'm trying to train Chloe in, more than purely getting good grades. If ultimately, she demonstrates the right attitude in putting in the effort in her studies, even if her results are not the best, I will be fine with that. That is something I remind myself often, to focus more on developing her character and good values, than just the actual grades themselves.

There has been some improvement, and I think she is starting to grasp the concept of having to do what needs to be done, even if it may not feel good to do so.

Just writing out random thoughts at a time when I probably should be sleeping