Kid's Story: Sharing the Bone

Summer break already began. We go to the pool every afternoon.  Winston does not sign up for any private skill training classes as most Chinese kids do in the summer, because I think he may not have enough free time to do things.

To make his summer not so boring, I planned some writing and painting hours for him at home. After building his blog in Window Live, his writing improved a lot, but still not good.  I let him practice writing in English and Chinese in turn in his blog. I found some tool books about kid's writing at the on-line bookstore. They are still on the way. Before then, I thought I may give Winston the practice on "Look and Write". 

Wisnton is not good at coloring.  Richy said maybe we should let him attend a painting class.  I am still hesitating.  Do kids have to gain all kinds of skills? Winston has talents and interest in Music but none( or very little) in painting . He draws but does not draw very well. I think, to him, the painting lesson at school is enough for entertaining and training.  I would let him take painting class only when he likes to.  For now, we just "play" writing and paiting at home. Here is his "colorful" dog story. He gave the title "Sharing the Bone" to it. Enjoy~

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Pictures Drawn by: June

Pictures Colored by: Wisnton

Story Written by: Winston

Sharing the Bone

       One day a dog saw a bone. He liked it so he ran to the bone. The bone looked delicious. The dog wanted to eat it so he walked closer and closer. Suddenly a lady dog came by. She looked hungry. Then the dog let her take the bone.

       The dog had nothing to eat and became hungry.  Few days later, the lady dog came back with two bones to share with the dog.

才藝觀摩 Kids Talent Show

Parents and kids loved our last week's bakery workshop so much, so this week we planned a talent show for the kids.  Every kids show her/his  talent by telling stories, presenting paintings, or playing music. Kids enjoyed the show so much.  After they finished, everyone volunteered for an encore performance. So Winston played on violin song and told 3 riddles, then he played one piano song as an encore. After the talent show, kids played in the house and parents chatted and drank tea in the dining room.  I enjoyed the opportunity to know other parents, exchange views, and learn from others.

上次的烘培體驗營反應特好， 我們趁大家的暑期活動還沒展開之前，辦了一次非常輕鬆的才藝交流觀摩會，地點是在LuQi同學家。孩子們本來有點緊張 ，到後來(為了得到棒棒糖)每個都要求要加演一場， 所以平均一個孩子表演了三個節目。節目之後，孩子在不同房間裡玩 ，我們大人則是在餐廳喝茶、吃點心、交流閑聊。Winston同学的妈妈们都很重视教育，也很用心在分享 、學習親子教育經驗。來蘇州二年，我這個台媽很高興開始認識大陸媽媽。

LuQi妈妈很好客， 準備了很多東西 ，吃不完還讓我們帶回家 ，言談舉止中， 覺得她是個有涵養的成熟女性 ，我們的家庭、成長背景不同，但頗談得來。 

 

 

兒童烘培體驗營 Kids Bakery Workshop

Winston finished his final exam at school. On June 25, We invited some of his classmates to our house to make cookies and pizzas.

The kids had good time with the DIY food. They also grabbed every chance to play in the kid's room.  After they left the room was a chaos.

Richy fixed some of the broken toys and felt proud of himself for being able to fix the seemed unfixable toyes.

It was so much fun to watch kids play and learn. The feedback from parents and kids was very positive. I plan to hold this kind of activity again next year before school's summer vacation.

趁暑假開始前， 辦了一次小朋友親手做餅乾Pizza的體驗營。

Naievte

Winston's Stuffed  Pals

We all possess the naivety from childhood, but some hide it and some don't.

I am very much a naive person. Sometimes I don't like to be surrounded by people who consider themselves more mature and more right. There is nothing wrong about being naive.

As a mom, I want my child to grow mature but I treasure the moments while he was a child and naive.

Winston is quite naive , maybe a bit more naive than his peers at this age.
He likes to preach to his pals, teach them English and Math.  It is cute to watch him punish the pals.

When we two are alone, we are both very naive.  Many times I pretend to be a student and he is the teacher.  He likes to be a wizard and turns me into a lady frog. Sometimes, when I was angry, he used his magic wand to change me into a dumb mom.

We read stories in turn, talk and act like we were in the stories.   Kids and Moms together, they know how to please each other. I guess it is because of "Naivete".

I feel guilty that I take advantage of his naivety to let him play piano and violin to the big audience---his pals and me ( I really enjoy his music).  I also pretend to be a silly violin and piano student of his.

After the pretending game, he already gets his music homework done and, the fun. Then he moves on playing his Wii and I am the housekeepking mom again.

So is it this time.  Winston asked me to knit a Rabbit for him.  I told him that I would knit more if he would practice music more.

So this week, without my pushing or yelling, he went to the piano and got the violin on his own. I knitted the rabbit by his side. 

He checked my progress once a while and happily went on his work.

I want to knit some pals for him while he still talks to them. Winston needs the patience to practice his piano and violin.

I call this a win-win game.

After creating this rabbit pal, Winston asked me: what is the sound a rabbit make? 

I saw rabbits, but I did not remember they even make any sound.  

Now we have to think of one cute little sound for Rabbit to make. 

Because when teacher Winston asks questions in his pals' class, rabbit has to make sound to answer.
 

New Pal-Rabbit

學習

肚子咕噜了三天，现在食欲恢复了，又与瘦身无缘了。



上周，帮Winston换了小提琴老师，心情变化真大。一来是与原有的老师相处得很好而不捨也不好開口，原来的老师很有耐性也很认真，但适合初至中级学习；二来是新老师是苏州有名的大师，有点不敢相信我们Wisnton这么早就能跟大师学习了，老师也蛮喜欢Winston的。Richy消遣我这个妈第一次去上课比Winston还紧张，昨天上课，老师送了Winston一片他与钢琴老师合奏的CD，我们回家听了，可惜只有五首，意猶未竟。

雖然我没啥音乐素养，但找老师我自认可以，我观察得出老师的深度广度，还有一点就是要懂得启发与能沟通，一个当初用理解的方式去学习有成的人，不論他所遇到的学生程度高或低，必能用能被理解的方式去教学生；而一个用死背模式学习的老师也只会用同様的方法教学生，学生摸不着头绪，只能跟着死背。

從Winston老师们的教学，可以观察到他们的专业与敬业精神，他们不会表现出不可一世、高不可攀的模樣，教琴很仔细认真，非常重视基本功夫，他们认为基本功影响未来长远的发展。我很高兴能帮Winston在钢琴、小提琴方面都找到很好的老师。我觉得孩子既然有这方面的天分与兴趣，就要找对老师学好，Winston在音乐上确实有天分，我只认为小学没甚麽压力（如果有压力应是家长观念问题）应多充实课外技能，长大後才有机会做选择，未来不可知，以后的事就顺其自然了。我也相信，有我这个陪练的妈在一旁当Winston的学生扮丑搞笑，他的学习过程会是快乐没压力的。

栽培小孩若能顺着原有天赋，是顺水推舟、事半功倍。如果强迫小孩学他没兴趣也没天分的事儿，是逆水行舟且事倍功半，只会破坏亲子关系。

如果家长一味向“钱”途看齐，只会毁滅孩子的天分，我觉得很可悲。

想当初很小的时候，我看到风琴就很想弹，看到纸就想画，当时没有机会学习，现在陪着孩子练练玩玩也不错。