Wednesday, May 20, 2015
Isn't letting them enjoy themseves the best ?
When I was in Korea, I just thought my kids would have fabulous time here going to the beach , swimming and playing with kids in the park while they would be naturally exposed to English. I thought they would be free from any stress and happy with the life here .After I came here, I realized it's not the case. My kids rarely go to park during the weekdays because of their mom who's struggling to fit in as a student and a resident in U.S. They have lots of works to catch up with their schoolwork and Korean study. I have lots of korean neighbors in my apartment unit. Most of them like me are mothers with kids. Whenever they are together, they always talk about how to get good tutors for their children, which summer camps are good for their children's English. I wish I could let my daughter and son enjoy beautiful weather and nature here and mingle with local kids. But, more I talk to these moms , the more concerned I am about my kids English and other study stuff. Do I have to get a tutor for helping them with their English? Do I have to send them to one of the well known summer camps? Right now, I have had so much to work on, I can't possibly concentrate onj ust one things, though. I really do hope in the summer vacation, I could enjoy the quality time with my kids in the beautiful beach without worrying about English ,study , and anything.
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I remember when I was going to the grade school, my mom always enrolled me in so many extracurricular activities during Summer time. She hired tutors to go over the up-coming school subjects. I was so exhausted going from one class to another one, and overwhelmed with the load of activities that she planned for me. Her philosophy was that I should use my summer time efficiently, and use the time to learn something new, and review the school subjects of the up-coming school year. I think it is important to give children a break during summer. Perhaps, you can arrange to travel around the California, and spend some quality time with your children. Family boding is very important for the growth and development of children. You can use the summer time as a designated time to interact with each other over a group of activities such as traveling, or a major fun project. There are other ways to learn, and to use the summer time efficiently, other than the conventional summer camps. You can keep your children engaged by going to parks together and play games, go on a nature hike and make a picnic together. You can go to the museum and have everyone pick out a list of things they wish to see. You can plan a meal made from new recipes or make some cultural dishes.
ReplyDeleteMy host family, who have been living here for more than 7 years, has 4 children. The oldest girl is now 10 years old and she goes to English school, Japanese school and a piano lesson. The girl sometimes said "I'm really tired from schools" but if I ask her whether you want to drop one of three schools or not, she answers "NO!!". She also told me that she enjoys all schools. Her mother told me that she was worred everytime the girl starts new school. Becouse I don't have kids, I'm not sure but... children enjoy their life even if the parents think that the environment is not good for children.
ReplyDeleteNaoto
I would just like to say that your strength and courage as a mother, as a student, as a support system is unbelievably admirable. I am not yet a mother, so my thoughts may be slightly meaningless, but my sister always tells me something that resonates with me. She says, "You need to be nice to yourself, because no one is else able to be as nice to you as you can." She is right. It is exceptional and exceptionally difficult what you are doing - going to school, living in a new country, raising your children. I think every family dynamic is different, and if your priority for your children in their youth is for them to enjoy themselves and be carefree, they will thank you in the future. We put such pressure on children in this day in age, and I think it's a bit sad. I am still young, but I don't remember doing homework in the summer. We played in the neighborhood until the sun went down. So, all of this in mind - Be nice to yourself! You are doing a great job, I'm sure of it.
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