I still remember vividly how I reacted when I became a first time mummy. I would comb through books to help me decipher what my boy was trying to tell me amidst his cries.
I always thought that there as a fixed formula or at least an answer in those heaps of books to manage a crying and colicky baby.
I WAS SO WRONG.
There were several times when I would raise the white flag and conclude that I couldn't handle or understand my baby. I cringed at the thought that he would never get to sleep through the night or wean off the pacifier and eventually be diaper free. I was in constant worries that all these milestones are such impossible feats to achieve.
But amazingly, what seemed to be unattainable turned out to be a thing of a past. And just when I thought all my worries are over, out comes a new set of worries.
The week before school closes, we were to have a teachers-to-parents session to discuss about our son's development in school.
And this is what his English and Chinese teacher wrote in his report: -
"Jayden is a quiet boy. He respects people's properties and follows instructions. A shy boy that needs to be encouraged constantly"
My first question to the teacher was "Are you sure you got the right report?"
And the teacher looked at me weirdly as if I'm doubting my own son. Can't help it when your boy displays a split character at home and rattles non-stop beside your ears. It's hard to believe that he isn't the talkative sort.
Apart from that, the teacher also commented that he doesn't like art & craft sessions and will always look forward to play-time and story telling. I am disappointed to know that the son hasn't inherit any artistic genes from me and instead took the wholesome boring genes of his dad. Haha.
Also, the boy is adapting slower than his peers in terms of understanding numbers and alphabets, although he has no issues with shapes and colors. The teacher related to his late submission to the school which may require some time for Jayden to keep up. At that moment, I was already going through a mental list of enrichment classes while the teacher chants away on other issues that I wasn't hearing.
Am I worrying too early? Should I be preparing to send Jayden for enrichment classes when he's barely 3? Is there a book to tell me what to do?
All of a sudden, it dawned upon me that raising an infant was so much easier. He cries = he need milk or food or just need a cuddle and some nap. But now as a growing child, there is so much more I have to provide.
Will I do it right? For now, I have been trying to resume the bed-time stories instead of fictitious company like Barney & Friends.
