Recently there was a spate of articles in the Straits Times about parents spending huge amounts of money to make sure their child/ren are kept ahead of the pack. I already wrote briefly about this on Of Babies and Tuition.

In case it wasn't clear in that post, let me state again - I certainly do not believe in hothousing our children.

BUT

I believe in encouraging them to do the best they can and will not hold them back if I can help it;.

Why do I say that? My oldest read very early. He read "milk" to me at the grocery store one day when he was barely 21 months old. And most of our children are able to hold a pencil and write simple letters by the time they are 2.

Does that mean I was/am hothousing them??? NOPE! They learnt what they learnt through our daily life and through their playing with each other.

When I mentioned that most could hold a pencil and make lines that became letters  the person I was speaking to was shocked. And when I said, "No, I am not hothousing them", the person replied, "You're not?" sceptically.

Oh please! I have 6 children, 10 and under. I need to cook, homeschool the older ones, keep the younger ones out of trouble and clean the house. Do you think I have time to hothouse them even if I wanted to???

I don't hold back the children. This is what I'll say. If they show interest in reading, and I am able to give them simple 10 minute lessons on phonics, I do it. If they are interested in counting and matching numbers to the things they count, I buy them simple number matching "workbooks" from Popular and let them play with it.

If they get it wrong, they get it wrong. If they get it right, good for them. They have progressed with no stress on either them or me. But this is not hothousing lah!

There - I have gotten this outoff of my chest!

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Posted by Delci

This is 1 area I am STRUGGLING...

If E likely going to school, I have actually been holding back cos I'm worried that he may get too bored in school.

The other day, he was mumbling to himself the simple multiplication. Parents ought to be proud, but I was thinking "oh man, he gonna be bored with P1 math!"

Some may think, so what if they are bored. When children are bored in class, what will they do? Create trouble isn't it? So what happen when they create trouble? The teachers may not be happy about it.

My hubby says its ok, if he is advance, just keep teaching. But... sigh... I just don't know how.

Posted by sam

Eh, so what, whether you ARE hothousing or not? No big deal, right? And Del, yah, he'll have an ez time in P1, lor. And for you even easier.

Posted by MamaLim

So feel so misunderstood. Haha! Like people saying I am very patient. Ha! Biggest joke ever.

Delci - E will just see school as a BIG playgroup :) All he needs to do is concentrate on making friends. Can relax lah!

Posted by Delci

Big playground?! Shall see...