Exploring Our Children’s Potentials

Seventeen and ninety seven.

My grandma looked at Anya and said, “When I was your age, I was married to your great grandpa, and had my first child the next year.”

…

Glad that things have changed a lot, I guess.

Had my jab today.

Astrazeneca

(Can’t choose “which vaccines” we’re getting. Still observing the side effects. None so far.)

I looked at my eldest’s maths, and … I totally have forgotten e-ve-ry-thing.

And anyway, my brain capacity seriously can’t handle any of it now.

It’s been more than 14 months since all 3 kids physically go to school.

As much as we all hope the pandemic is over real soon, I am glad to see that with that extra time at home, they each pick up new skills at home.

This is one of them.

And just like that, our youngest is TEN!

So what is Brie like now?

Well, she’s bubbly.

She talks a lot.

She’s not into cats somehow.
No, she’s had NO bad experiences with cats. She somehow is just very scared of them.

She’s basically not into pets in general.
I’m trying to get her to be “less scared” of my Dad’s dogs, hehe.

She still plays tennis, and practices with Daddy.

She remembers details of what she sees.

Brie loves to create videos on all kinds of topics, from how to use various kinds of apps, step-by-step baking guides, to storytelling using a puppet (which she named “Donnie”).

All throughout her fourth grade, Brie has been doing her online school almost independently (with minimal help from me).

This online school system somehow brings out her “self-discipline” that she already has in her.

Her communication and leadership skills are strong.

Being ten, I can see how she still needs to learn how to tolerate others who are different from her, how to communicate her thoughts and disagreements, to stay humble and open to corrections and inputs from others.

Anyway.

It’s been a blessing to have this girl in our family.

May you grow up becoming more like Christ, Brie.

Someone who loves God, and is greatly used by God to bless others and bring glory to His name.

Amen.

“Do your best!”, we often say to our kids.

We tend to say it before they go for their exams, sports competitions, etc.

But have we thought about what “Do your best!” mean TO THEM?

…

On top of saying “Do your best!” to our children, it’d be helpful if we ask them to share and list out their “specific, concrete, achievable, small goals” that they will do if they are to “do their best”.

Because without such list of things to do, “do your best!” statements become too vague and “abstract” for them.

Let’s say, if they’re preparing for their final exams, then “doing their best” may mean:
– reducing the amount of daily use of phone to play online games with friends, from 1.5 hours to 30mins a day?
– going through chapter ___ to chapter ___ later today, between 5pm – 7pm
– etc.

Or, if they’re about to go for a sports competition, then “doing their best” may mean:
– getting a good rest the night before, waking up early, making sure your stomach is filled with food that’s good for the body that will go under pressure
– preparing own water bottles and change of clothes either early in the morning or the night before
– remembering past practices and advices from coach, and putting them into action when you’re all alone fighting on the court
– Moving your feet, catching every ball, and striving to win every point
– etc.

…

Kids would need our help and guidance since young, so they can learn to be more independentGenerally, kids would need our help and guidance since young, so they can learn to be more independent and are better trained to think of such “concrete things to do” in order to “do their best”.

For example:
– When they’re young (even from the age of 5-6yo), we can help by coming up with a list of “Things to do” FOR them (i.e. a “Check List”), so that they can prepare them themselves

(Important: Refrain from doing it FOR them, e.g. Do not prepare the water bottles for them)

– As they grow older, we can have a regular chat with them and verbally go through their concrete “things to do” if they’re to do their best.

…

What other things would you do with the kids if you’re to help them “do their best”?

a family that walks together stays together

Empty streets of Jakarta on Hari Raya holiday.

Enjoying days when traffic condition is awesome in the busy city of Jakarta.