This is a normal father & son conversations. . . ..
One of event this week have given me an opportunity to teach my son about Time Management.
To a Primary 1 student, they will not know what is "Time" means. Of course they will learn it in school. But still, when you tell him "Make sure you come back before 6:30pm" when he asked for permission to go downstairs to play with his buddies, they will always come home around 7pm or so. It is usually the bigger kids who has grasp the Time concept and wanted to go home for dinner, then, he knew it is time to come home.
On Thursday afternoon, his good friend's mommy asked if she can picked Jay up after Jay's Chinese Tuition on Friday (the next day) to Lukas's home and play? I knew immediately, this is another "Self-Invite" event but requests were made thru Lukas' mommy.
So, I told her that, I need to have a chat with Jay first before I can decide.
Explaining the Scenario
So, I spoke to Jay Jay after I picked him up from his BrainFit class. That was about 4:30pm.
Daddy: I understand you have not done your CMA home work. (Usually CMA has a lot of homework. We don't mind that because it is the only subject that brings back a lot of homework. It is good for him to "experience" and "feel" the homework pressures. Its not hard homework, it is just simple repetitions homework, but still give Jay Jay a pretty good idea on "real homework".)
Jay: Ya. I can do it tomorrow.
Daddy: But tomorrow you have a Chinese Tuition. So, when you think you have time to do this, given Saturday morning 9am is the class?
Jay: After I come back from school, I got time to do it.
Daddy: You come back 1:40pm, the tuition starts 3pm. You no need time to shower and eat meh?
Jay: After tuition can do too.
Daddy: But I thought you want to go to Lukas's home to play?
Jay: But Auntie Cheryl says cannot go. No time.
Daddy: No... She Whatsapp me say can go now.
Jay: Yeah!
Daddy: Don't yeah. How about CMA homework?
Jay: After I come back from Lukas home, I do?
Daddy: Do you think you can come back that early? When you come back, you take shower, and don't you think you need to sleep already?
Jay: (Feeling a bit stress)... oh....
Daddy: How about today?
Jay: But I want to play with Kay Kay at the playground. (We need to picked Kay Kay up as mommy is in US).
Daddy: So, if you finished play ground you can play? I thought Shao Yuan (Neighbors from next Block) and you are playing bicycle from 6-7pm.
Jay: Oh ya.
Daddy: So, today, I teach you Time Management. Time management is just like Swimming, another "life skill" you need to learn on your own. Nobody got right or wrong answers, but you need to learn how to think and use it. Time Management is to control your time. How to make sure you have free time to do things, to do home work and to play.
Jay: But I have no time already.
Daddy: To me, how I see it, you left with the time after dinner. before sleep.
Jay: But I cannot play iPad. (It is Thursday, it's usually iPad night).
Daddy: Time management is about sacrifices.
Jay: Huh? What is sacrifices?
Daddy: Err... It is like, out of three things, you can only do two, and you have to pick which one you do not want to do. Normally, you are in situation where you want to do all three things but time not allowing it.
Jay: ohhhh...
Daddy: So, if you wan to play with Shao Yuan, then you have less time. If you want to play iPad, then, tomorrow, you cannot go to Lukas' house. If you want to go Lukas house, then, it is likely you cannot play iPad. Or you want to sacrifice the time to play with Shao Yuan.
Jay: OK. I know.
Daddy: (Reached home). OK, go start doing CMA homework.
10min later, around 6pm, his friend Shao Yuan came up and ding dong the door bell. So, I told Jay, "go, go play with your friend."
7pm, he came back. We have dinner. He had a shower. And then... without asking... he hit his study room and start doing his homework.
And he took about 40 minutes to complete 90% of it. And he told me he will do the listening one (20min MP3) tomorrow.
So, tomorrow, when I see him again after he went to school, it was at Lukas' house.
So, I asked him.
Daddy: Have you finished your CMA listening test?
Jay: Yes.
Daddy: I see you go long list of home work to do, have you finish this and that?
Jay: Yes.
Daddy: When do you find time to finished so many home work?
Jay: After I come back, after my lunch. I finished CMA, and in school, when I got time, I already finished the English homework. And I also finished reading the Chinese mini test. and so on...
I am very happy about this. As this is the first attempt to explain Time management and priorities with him.
As you know, we have trained Jay to be independent to do his home work on his own for almost 7-8 months now. And this is the first time he demonstrates how he understand priorities and arrange his time to do his homework.
Of course, Top Priorities for him is to PLAY. And I want him to play too.
At the same time, I also taught him that leaving the home work and not doing it for so long will shorten his time overall. By the time he realize he needs to do the home work and submit the next day, he will be very kan ciong.
Well done Jay. If you reading this after many years later. You know Daddy is very proud of you to achieve this. Bravo.
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