Exploring Our Children’s Potentials

In Singapore, all children who turn four years old (regardless of their birth moths) in a particular year can choose to start Nursery.

And if they turn five that year, like Anya, they can go to Kindergarten (referred as ‘K1’). Anya still has K2 next year before she starts Primary One the year after (Yikes! That’s Primary school in TWO years time! Already!)

I still remember how things were not easy for us when Anya started her schooling days last year.

She cried and refused to let me go home! She slowly started to settle down on the second week, and I posted a blog entry sharing some of the things I did to make her less anxious about the idea of being at school.

And throughout the whole of last year, Vai and I sent Anya to school too (and picked her up afterwards). Rain or shine. It’s a choice that I made and in May last year, I shared my reasons behind our daily school trips.

Now.

At the end of January this year, the thought of letting Anya go on the school bus crossed my mind.

Anya asked about it a few times, and I too realised how if she did start taking the school bus this year, quite a few other things would work out for the better.

And so she did.

She officially started taking the school bus on February 1st. Happily.

[Holding up a hand puppet in her Chinese Class]

A few friends asked about how I feel. You know, about ‘Anya taking the school bus’ and ‘me no longer sending her to school’ thing. And so I thought I share it here with you too:

– When Wilson and I finally confirmed our decision to let Anya start taking the school bus, the reality of ‘I won’t be sending her to school again then’ hit me. And I felt rather sentimental inside.

It’s like, I know sending her to school and picking her up again every single day (ie: walking under the scorching sun or the pouring rain together with Vai) was tiring. But really, the funny thing is, I don’t mind.

Yes there were (many) days when she was moody, and threw tantrums in public almost as soon as I picked her up from school. Our daily school trips were not always sweet and easy too. But again, as I look back at how things were the whole of last year, I must say I really never regretted my decision to personally send and pick her up from school myself.

I enjoyed and treasured the experience.

And I felt sad inside, thinking how there would be no more of such days.

– I cheered myself up though by thinking that IF I’d like to pick her up from school myself on certain special days, I still CAN anyway. I’d just need to inform the school bus lady.

And so after having that thought, i felt much better.

– With Anya taking the school bus, it’d mean MORE time spent with Vai alone. Which is something that I’d also look forward to.

I’d have FOUR good hours with Vai, instead of just 1.5 – 2 hours with him.

And that means Vai and I would have enough time to go out and about together! Just the two of us!

…

I’m happy that Anya starts taking the school bus this year because,

– I’ve at least experienced sending Anya to school myself for one whole year last year. Lots of nice memories for us to treasure.

– And, as the little brother is older and bigger this year, and understands more things, the timing is just nice, because I get to spend MORE hours with him alone, especially BEFORE he starts going to Nursery next year!

…

And so there. By now, it’s been more than three weeks since Anya first started taking the school bus.

She’s enjoying it, and I too enjoy my extra twosome time with Vai.

Things seem to work out well for everyone.