All Entries in the "Parenting Views" Category

Handling Misbehaviour in Class

It can be extremely torturous dealing with a hyper lot in class. The different personalities and upbringing of the 42 individuals in my class often leads to classes of opinions.

Almost daily I have to take the role of judge and jury as I try to maintain peace within the four walls.  It is really mentally and physical exhausting having to deal with the same errant children over and over again.

Through my career I have come across three main types of students who constantly misbehave in class.

The Clown

This student loves having attention on himself even though it maybe for the wrong reasons. He does silly actions and loves to have other pupils laugh at his lame jokes or behaviour.

The Elephant

This student can and does get physically or verbally abusive with other pupils in class. He enjoys playing the bully and destroying other pupils property and happiness.  He behaves like a bull in a china shop leaving a trail of destruction.

The Mad Hatter

The typical chatterbox who will talk about anything and everything. He doesn’t have an “off” switch and the volume which he talks can be extremely loud and distracting for others around him.

What I have realized is that there are similarities between these three personalities. What these students  are craving is for immediate attention and positive or negative affirmation. They may not receive “sufficient” love and attention at home, therefore they seek such “attention” in class.

To keep misbehaviour to a minimal in the class I have set  class rules since the start of the term.

The students follow a 3 strike system.

Strike 1- Verbal warning  is given to the student to stop the misbehaviour.

Strike 2- The student’s name is written on the board and he would have to stay back after class for a “talk”

Strike 3- The student’s parent is called up and told about the misbehaviour in class.

By implementing such a system it has helped me keep my cool and get less distracted by these “side attractions” in class.

How do you handle misbehaviour in class?

Visit to Bodyworlds at Singapore Science Centre

Body Worlds & The Cycle of Life

Singapore Science Centre

On till the 6th March 2010

Admission Charges: Science Centre + Bodyworlds

Adult: $21 Child $13 ( 3-16yrs old)

* 18% discount if you produce your Passion Card when you purchase your tickets.

On Boxing Day we brought the kids to the Science Centre to view the exhibitions at Body Worlds.  This exhibition has been in Singapore since October.

Body Worlds  had received quite a controversial review due to the fact that they use real human bodies as exhibits. It can be  a rather gruesome site for some and admission to the exhibition did come with a  disclaimer that it may be unsuitable for young kids. Nevertheless we felt that it would be educational for the boys to view these exhibits.

Ryan has been interested in the various parts of the body and had been asking me to borrow more books about the human body from the library.

This was a chance for him to see first hand for himself the various parts of the body and the different systems that made up the body. He kept asking me about how each part of the body interact with the other parts.

Roy too was interested  in seeing the various bones. The giraffe and horse exhibit were the most impressive  to him. He kept on pointing to these two animals and pulling me over to stand next to him at the exhibits. It must have taken years to create these pieces of art as each piece was painstakingly preserved and carved out to represent the various human body systems.

I personally was interested to see the conception of a baby. The showed how the baby looked at 3 weeks , 12 weeks, 4mths, 6mth and 8mths in the womb.  I had a clearer idea on how a baby develops in the mother’s womb and how Ryan and Roy must have looked at those various stages.  It definitely  gives one a much clearer view how the baby develops than through the ultra scan pictures that one views at the gynae.

Here is a short clip which I found on You Tube explaining how the exhibits are made.

TT- The Laundry

5 loads of laundry- checked!!

This week I had to cope with extra loads of laundry which kept piling up due to last week’s vacation to the Phillipines.  When one bring the kids for a holiday so many extra pieces of clothing needs to be packed along. It is also extremely hard to judge the number of pieces to bring along for each kid. I thought a set for each day would be sufficient but apparently it wasn’t enough as they ran out of clothes to wear.

We didn’t manage to wash the clothes during our trip as it was raining most of the time in the wee hours of the morning and it took an extremely long time drying clothes indoors. In the end we had to purchase a new clothes for the boys when they ran out of clean clothes to wear.

Children’s clothes were plentiful and moderately priced in Cebu. There is a wide selection even for boys. However for adults most of the designs were quite dated and not really to my fancy. The boys love their new  clothes and proudly showed them off to everyone.

The next time we go on vacation I’ll make sure to check in advance the laundry facilities at the spot we are visiting.

Parenting without the Guilt

Many a time one may question yourself if you are doing the right thing for your child. There are many experts out there every ready to dish out their “best” advices to you on how to solve your problems. Is it really possible to eradicate the problem by using Expert A’s techniques? Should I go with Expert B’s recommendation instead?  Will the fix be temporary or permanent?  How long will it take to solve the problem?

101 questions flood through your head as ponder over the “best solution” to your current problem. The more advices you seek the more confuse you get. You may even be frustrated and filled with regret if your desired results are not met and you are left with thinking “What if??”

I personally have been in that situation before and it isn’t a good feeling to have. Regret doesn’t do anyone any good. No point mopping over what has or hasn’t been done. It is time to move on and continuing doing what you know is best for your child.

Here are some tips on how to be at peace with yourself and your parenting style.

1. Take head of what you are taking in

   Ask yourself what you believe in. Who is influencing your train of thought? Are you focused more on the positive or negative comments? Are you proud to be yourself or easily swayed by flashy media images and fads?  It may not be easy to self reflect but once you manage to get it done you will have a better understanding of your needs.

2. Listen to your inner self/voice

   Meditation will help to muffle the voices you hear in your head. It would help you connect with your inner voice/self.  Let’s take a simple task of choosing what to wear to work in the morning. Should I wear a dress? Pants or skirt? Do you really want to wear that fancy looking dress or comfortable pants with a blouse? Think back to when you’ve listened to your inner self before making a decision. What did it feel like? Was it stressful? Did it feel good?

3. Build on your Victories

   Note when you are listening to your inner self. Like the time you were extremely tired and rejected an offer for a night out with your friends. Ask yourself, “What is important to/for me?” Even if it is just taking some time out for ME TIME is that something that you want to do?

4. Communicate your desires

   Upon noticing what you want, it is important to have your desires communicated. Say it out and say it clearly. Even though your friends may or may not ask you it is important for them to know how you feel and what you want.  You may not get your way or desires each time and that’s how life is. However, if you haven’t said out your piece you will NEVER get what you desire.

5. Balancing what you learn or hear

   It is tough to judge whether the advice you have got is good or bad. Sometimes advices from our parents and friends help us while at other times their good intentions may turn out to give us more problems and stresses. Worst to say, some individuals may deliberately mislead you with bogus information to give you a false sense of assurance.

It is important for you to sieve the advices given and use your intuition on what is the most appropriate line of action to be taken. This way you will be able to live without regrets.