Archive for the ‘Guest Writer’ Category
18 June 2010
A global adventure
Posted by DAVID BC TAN under: Guest Writer.
[Here's a great idea for geography lessons: Homeschooling mom Heather who blogs at Cultivated Lives takes her boys on a fun adventure around the world. It's so cool you might just be inspired to take your own kids on a similar trip.]
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Going Global
We plan on traveling all over the world this summer…
…without ever leaving home.
That’s right, this summer we embark on a journey around the world and discover where we fit into it!
Xander already has my love of maps. Sometimes I wonder if it can be genetic. Afterall, I am the daughter of a cartographer dad and a geography-degreed mom!
This last year we’ve had fun running to our wall map of the world to find locations that come up in our reading. After reading a book about the earth, the boys set to work creating their own maps!
I was actually pretty amazed at the features and locations that Xander included on his map. He totally pegged where we live in his rendition of North America and was able to pinpoint where Ittiel lives (the Peruvian boy we sponsor through Compassion.)
Keegan drew a fanciful map of his ‘world’ which included mostly local places (our house, the store, the cookie store, Oma/Opa’s house, Aunt B’s, etc…)
[You can see more photos and read the rest of the kids' global adventure at Cultivated Lives].
Thanks Heather, for letting me put your post here!
23 December 2009
Throw Out Your Perfect Standards
Posted by DAVID BC TAN under: Guest Writer; Social awareness.
This is an excerpt from a speech given by Amy J. Delph at the 2008 EDISON Youth Achievement Awards Ceremony. Public service is a component of the award and here Amy is speaking about the need to do longer term public service projects and the benefits such projects have. Amy is the director of EDISON Enterprises, a company that specializes in programs that promote critical and creative thinking. Several homeschoolers have had stints with EDISON as well. You can find out more about these programs by calling her at 012-658-7587 or visiting the website.
A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO I READ a disturbing report about events in Haiti. The report began with this line, “It was lunchtime in one of Haiti’s worst slums, and Charlene Dumas was eating mud. Charlene, 16 with a month-old son, has come to rely on a traditional Haitian remedy for hunger pangs: cookies made of dried yellow dirt from the country’s central plateau. ”
I read further to discover that the price of food had gone up by 40%, not just in Haiti, but in many Caribbean island nations. People like Charlene make up 80% of the population of Haiti and they get by on less than $2 U.S. dollars a day. Two cups of rice (back then in January) cost .60 cents. When they cannot afford the food the poor turn to eating dirt cookies.
Food shortages and hunger are just one issue. We’ve all seen how high oil prices can reduce opportunities for education, health care and other needs for people. We also have natural disasters like cyclone Nargis and the earthquake in China. While we will always have natural disasters, poverty, environmental pollution, and other problems, the severity and frequency with which we are seeing these events take place sends a strong signal that we can no longer sit on the side lines and let others take care of the problems.
We don’t even have to go across the ocean to see the urgent calls for public service. We find them right here in our back yard. And by that I mean the extraordinary change in the political landscape of Malaysia. The results of the March 8th elections have shaken things up considerably and open opportunities for more voices to be heard and more avenues to take action. Furthermore, I believe the results have underscored an important principle of democracy and that is citizen involvement. That doesn’t mean only in political ways. Involvement in democracy includes concern for the sustainable well being of fellow human beings as well as of the environment in which we live. It includes awareness of and concern for human rights and a willingness to consider the views of others.
I believe we are in a unique time period. If we fail to promote a culture of civic involvement among both adults and our youth, then the new democratic space will close. Either the old powers will reassert themselves or new powers will gain control. We must remember that democracy requires us to be active stakeholders. We must not lose sight of the original roots of the Greek notion of government and democracy, which is citizens working together to determine the character and direction of their society. Aristotle, an ancient Greek philosopher wrote, “All persons alike should share in the government to the upmost.
And so I have identified 3 important reasons why we should focus on voluntary public service:
The first deals with effectiveness of longer community service projects. The other two touch on the urgent signs that tell us that we dare not neglect community involvement.
But that is probably not enough to motivate you. Many of us are already aware of these issues, but we still resist active involvement. I think American writer and political activist Paul Loeb summed this resistance perfectly when called it the “perfect standard.” The perfect standard includes: The perfect time, the perfect cause and the perfect activist.
The Perfect Time
With the “perfect time” people believe they shouldn’t begin working for social change until the time is ideal. When the children are grown, when it’s not an exam year, after I finish my studies, etc. But we must realize that there probably is never going to be a time in our lives when we are not facing some kind demand or pressure. Paul Loeb says, “Instead each of us faces a lifelong series of imperfect moments in which we must decide what to stand for.” While we wait for the ideal time to arrive, weeks, months and years pass by. Our whole lives can go by before we fine the “perfect” time to get involved.
The Perfect Cause
With this one we want something that is easy to do and we will see results quickly and there is a perfect plan of action. In other words there is no uncertainty and the cause is already a winner. It has to be in the right location and must fit our schedules perfectly. As we wait for the perfect cause we squander repeated opportunities to involve ourselves in the larger community for causes whose reasons may be imperfect and whose outcome is far from certain – in other words, causes that are real.
The Perfect Activist
For this barrier, people of all ages feel they have to have all the knowledge and all the abilities required before they can get involved. They feel they have to have absolute understanding of the situation before wading in. That may be true of the fireman who walks into the burning building, but it is not the case for lending a helping hand in your community.
We don’t need absolute knowledge to get involved; we only need to have a sincere desire to make a difference. That desire is the starting point that puts us on the road to learn. We learn as we go, we learn from mistakes, we learn from our experiences and we learn from trial and error.
Take Tara Suri. When she was 12, she accompanied her parents on a visit to their homeland of India. While she was there, she was touched by the extreme poverty she witnessed all around her. When she returned back to the States, she decided to do something about it. Tara decided to raise money for orphanages in India and the Sudan. Did she know a lot about these orphanages or special techniques for raising funds? Did she have a lot of contacts that she could mobilize to raise millions of dollars? No. Tara started with what skills and knowledge she had. Her first effort was a bake sales and recycling used soda cans. Then she got her friends involved and started a club called HOPE. Step by step she and her friends worked on this problem. She has since joined forces with another NGO to form a website called Turn your World Around were she offers encouragement and practical help to young people who want to get active in making a change in their world.
The problem with our notion of the perfect activist is that we don’t think of people like Tara Suri. We look at people like Martin Luther King Jr. at the height of his influence and we think we need to be like that. But we have to remember that even Martin Luther King didn’t know everything about civil rights leadership before he started and he made mistakes and had failures too.
We do not make things worse by getting involved; getting involved helps things get better. In fact “knowing nothing” makes us easier to be around and easier to work with. We have no ego to get in the way! We should be like Tara Suri and take action despite our fears and less-than-perfect preparation.
How do we characterize a socially active person? Another wonderful quote from Paul Loeb says, “We are people of imperfect character, acting on the basis of imperfect knowledge, for causes that may be imperfect as well.” It seems to me that Mr. Loeb’s standard is one we can all live up to.
So we come back again to the question of, “What’s next?” Although as the leader of Edison Youth Achievement Award, I have answered that question, it reminds me of a saying about leadership. “If you think you’re a leading and you look back and no one is following, then you’re just taking a walk.”
The question has to be answered by each of you. If we are able to lay down our perfect standard, we can become an advisor for EYAA, opening an opportunity for five more youths to have the chance to grow in ways they never expect, just like you heard in today’s speeches. If we lay down our perfect standards, people like Charlene Duma don’t have to go hungry. And if we lay down our perfect standards we can shape this nation’s future rather than leaving it to rot in cynicism and indifference. How will you answer this question today?
24 June 2009
What were we thinking?
Posted by DAVID BC TAN under: Guest Writer.
GUEST WRITER: Bill Smith
The other day I was rifling through some old computer disks in search of one I could copy some files to. To my amazement, some of the disks still worked. More amazing was one Microsoft Word version 5 file I found from 1993, our first full year of “official” homeschooling. The file was named simply “WHY.doc.”
I opened this little mystery nugget to find the brave declaration by parents of a six-year-old, parents who dared against cultural tide and conventional reason to homeschool. We lived at the time in a different country, far from support groups and curriculum fairs and far from American homeschool pioneers who could assure us we weren’t crazy.
Here, we took our stand, though the neighbors thought us alien in more than nationality. Here we did what no one trying to fit into a foreign culture should do—homeschool. There were so many doubts and so many sleep-delayed nights pondering what could be wrong with us that we would risk ostracism and damage to our six-year-old and her little sister. Each morning, mothers waved their children down our little street of tightly-packed houses toward the government school. Only our school-age child remained at home. What was wrong with us? What were we thinking?
And yet, the desire to educate our children at home would not hold back. Inside, we knew we were committed. Outside, we doubted and even grieved for the relationships strained by our decision. It was then that we realized we could not maintain this stand against the “natural order” of modern society unless we agreed on a “declaration.” Like Luther at Wittenberg, the colonial signers at Philadelphia, and lesser-knowns whose words have been lost, my wife and I made a list titled “Why We Desire Home Education.” I can tell you now that there were at least five and a half reasons. (Either that was enough or later editions of Word don’t read well the old version 5 files.)
In 1993, we nailed that list to the door of our minds to fend off doubts and doubters. We placed our John Hancocks under the fifth-and-a-half point to remind ourselves that even if no one else agreed with us, at least we agreed with each other. We also agreed that this was God’s direction for our home.
We have entertained few doubts since 1993. Making that list and agreeing on our course together set a foundation that we could point back to and remind ourselves that, even if what we do sometimes seems wrong, we do it in full agreement. Even if we and our children endure difficulty because of it, we know that we began this homeschooling voyage in faith that it is right for our family.
The decision to homeschool is still not easy for many. To sustain that decision through internal doubts and external opposition, making a list, agreeing together and posting it on the mind’s door is a great beginning toward staying the course.
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ABOUT THE WRITER: Bill Smith is father to two home educated girls and husband to one extraordinary homeschool mom. Bill and Derri Smith authored The Character Series for home education, and they provide values-based book reviews at BookAngles. Their current work is to prevent human trafficking. The above article first appeared at HomeschoolEnrichment.com
14 May 2009
Walking in the Light
Posted by DAVID BC TAN under: Devotional; Guest Writer.
GUEST WRITER: Selina Lim
God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. (1 John 1: 5, NIV)
The atmosphere was somewhat romantic with candlelight. Ah hah…not fine dining with my beloved husband. That would be a luxury.
It was the last Saturday of March. We were doing our part as good citizens of this beautiful world.My daughter and my sister made their statement to fight global warming by casting their votes for Earth Hour, a global event organized by WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature or World Wildlife Fund) annually. We were gearing up for that hour by ensuring dinner and dishes and showers were done by 8.30pm. Excitement filled the air as the children talked about what they would like to do during that hour. What an opportunity to bring out our beautiful scented candles and let them shine! The simple dwelling became exotic just with candlelight.
What an adjustment even for just an hour! Every time I entered a room, my hand automatically reached out for the switch on the wall, only to remember I was observing Earth Hour just before my finger made a quick tap. Baby Ashton was busy as usual crawling and exploring the house. The darkness did not deter his exploration. My eyes had to be keener in following his active movement, ensuring his safety. Then I smelled a stinky diaper. As much as I was tempted to switch on the light so that I can do a good job in washing his bottom, I wanted to follow through our vote without “cheating”. One of my little helper had to shine the candlelight while I washed him. The shadows cast upon the toilet wall entertained this super wriggly baby. Extra checks were done to ensure he was thoroughly cleansed. It was such hoo-ha over this daily norm.
I was really thankful for proper lighting. I am even more thankful for the Light of God and living in the Light. In fact, the verse says God IS Light. Darkness has a representation of hostility and aimlessness in life. It exudes a creepy and evil feel. It speaks of the enemy. The interesting point is, when light comes, darkness has to flee immediately. Light, no matter how small instantly overcomes darkness. It never fails to give direction even if it may be just one step at a time. It orders our steps. The power of light erases the works of darkness (Romans 13:12). There is absolutely no room for darkness when light enters.
Walking in the Light gives us confidence and peace simply because we can see, and knowing that our steps are sure and the destiny in God is certain. Harm and dangers may seek to threaten us but surely cannot touch us. We are protected (Psalms 34:7). What a comfort to know that even in the valley of the shadows of death God is with us (Psalm 23:4).
Having lived in the light, any form of darkness will surely cause us to be uncomfortable. The brief one hour without light for me affected my activities. How much more negative impact it would be for our lives if we do not have the Light of God? Or should I say, “if we do not have God?”
Give thanks for his deliverance and let’s remember the lost.
God of Light, Thank You for delivering me out of darkness into Your Light. It is so good to know we can walk confidently and peacefully in our daily lives and towards our eternal destiny. I ask that You will be gracious and merciful to many who need Your Light. Shine, Jesus shine! Fill the land with Your Glory. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
About the writer: Selina Lim is a homeschooling mother of four. Selina and her family lives in sunny Penang. This post originally appeared in her devotional blog, Gems For The Heart
26 October 2002
A New Life
Posted by DAVID BC TAN under: Guest Writer; Parenting.
GUEST WRITER: Celine Leslie
With the arrival of our newborn baby boy Jonty (“God has given”), our family has embarked on a new adventure in the unpredictable and exciting journey of life. For me, being able to hold the evidence of new life has been a vital part of leaving the past behind and forging ahead with investing in the future of another soul that needs nurturing. While Kyle (in heaven for almost 2 years now) will always be lovingly remembered in our family, the fact that our destinies have taken separate paths does not hurt quite so badly now.
What happens to homeschooling when a baby arrives? Those with babies will testify to the planning that mothers go through while still pregnant, wondering what the best course of action is. Having had babies before assures me that it is possible to homeschool with a baby. Nevertheless the temptation is to worry and fret over the other children missing out on education while mother is too exhausted from lack of sleep or looking after a colicky baby.
The truth is that the children have had a wonderful time bonding with their new sibling. Meanwhile, Dad has been home most of the time, having a ball playing backyard cricket or taking them on outings. Being school holidays, the children have also been taking advantage of free activities on offer at this time. Most of all, they have had the invaluable and precious experience of caring for a newborn baby and making sacrifices to help mum with household duties. Formal bookwork takes a backseat when these life lessons (which don’t come by very often) are being learnt. Children do not always remember what they are taught. However, certain experiences leave indelible marks upon their minds. When the children look back at their childhood, they will remember these times with fondness.
Without the convenience of having relatives close by, a few worries did cross our minds. God, however, had already had His plan in mind. Labour started only when all commitments had ended and the calendar was empty. The delivery happened during the day, ensuring that the children only had to be at friends’ for a few hours. The hospital staff was kind enough to allow a 4-night stay, allowing for adequate rest and recovery. Since coming home, all my meals have been unexpectedly catered for by wonderful friends. Just when one supply ends, another arrives, and it hasn’t finished yet. The bottom line – God looks after us.
Which should not be a surprise. When I gaze at Jonty, I am amazed at the trust of a baby (Ps 22:9 – You made me trust while on my mother’s breast). The baby does not question the ability of the mother to care for him. Jonty does not worry about the supply of milk. If he did question it, he would find out that God, in His goodness, has made the law of supply and demand such that the supply would always be there as long as Jonty needed it, even for a few years. Yet the evidence of a few years’ supply of milk would be lacking. How often we wish to see the evidence of God’s provision instead of trusting God to supply according to our need. If only we could be unquestioningly contented to suck out of God’s perfect provision, believing that He would be far more able than the world’s most perfect mother to give us the very best care in every part of our lives.
You can see that it has been a time of learning for all of us. There are undoubtedly many more lessons to be learnt as we go through the joys and tribulations of parenting this new life. Meanwhile, we thank God that He is the Author of life and the Maker of all things new.
About the author: Celine Leslie who resides in Adelaide was blessed with the birth of Jonty on 23 Sept 2002. Congratulations to the parents, Mark and Celine!
20 September 2002
Homeschool Liberties
Posted by DAVID BC TAN under: Guest Writer; Reading.
GUEST WRITER: Grace Koh
Tears began to well up in her large, dark eyes. Her mouth, usually formed into a mischievous grin, began to take on an inverted U-shape.Then she began to cry. Loudly.
“Okay, okay. We’ll do something else,” I said wearily. I put away the book and resigned myself to the fact that my fourth attempt had ended in miserable failure – like all the previous attempts. I made a mental note to look for someone to donate the book to.
My daughter is bright, intelligent, inquisitive and one of her favourite words is ‘Why?’. She knew her alphabet and could easily recognise various words she sees around her. But she couldn’t read. Or rather, she wouldn’t.
I was trying to get her started on reading by using the time-tested `Peter and Jane’ series. Clearly it was not working. As newcomers to homeschooling, I cannot even begin to describe how discouraged I was feeling, having to face this setback so early on. I was completely disheartened.
As the days passed, I began to feel better as I observed how happy Beatrix was, busying herself with her usual ‘activities’. I then recalled the moment she had announced her educational preference by telling me emphatically, “Mummy, I don’t want to go to school.”
That was a year ago from then, when she was about two plus and I had been collecting brochures and scouting around for a suitable playschool/kindy. Her clear intention not to attend school hurled me into a world of turmoil and eventually, pushed me into the unchartered territory (or so I thought – then) of homeschooling.
As I began to explore this educational possibility, it seemed to me to be more and more viable in more ways than one. It took me a good six months of (part-time) research and plenty of encouragement from other homeschoolers before we officially decided to go the homeschool way.
Back to the reading bit. Some time after the final abortive attempt at `Peter and Jane,’ we went to our favourite bookstore to browse. My daughter loved to be read to, despite her seemingly reluctant attitude towards reading. She had wanted to look for a new Tigger story. It was then that a range of reading books caught my eye – a series of twenty books with catchy titles, interesting stories and fascinating illustrations. I leafed through Book 1 and showed it to my daughter, tentatively asking, “Would you be interested in this?”
She took the book and flipped over the pages. “Yes!” came the excited reply.
The book was a smash hit! Beatrix enjoyed it tremendously and would even pick it up herself to read after we had gone over it a couple of times. Soon we went on to Book 2, then Book 3, then Book 4.
By relating this story, I am by no means suggesting that everyone should abandon Peter and Jane and turn to the reading series we are using. What I am saying is that there will always be alternatives available if ‘classic’ ones don’t work. And homeschooling gives us, as teachers, fantastic opportunities to choose those best suited for our children.
Alternatives which would otherwise be disallowed or not even considered in conventional schooling. Homeschooling my child has made me realise that, just like adults do not all learn the same thing in the same manner, neither do children. They are, after all, ‘little adults’.
As homeschoolers, we have the blessed luxury and treasured liberty of choice.
My short path so far along the homeschooling road had been rather bumpy. My friends, well-meaning though they may be, never tire of showing me their horrified expressions when they meet me and find out that Beatrix, now five, is still ‘not in school’. They always dutifully point out and warn me of the dire consequences she would face as an adult if she were not exposed to the ‘real world’ via the school system.
As for my relatives (and my husband’s) well, that is another story altogether!
But I have a lot more resolve now than I did a year ago, and anti-homeschool sentiments from friends and families alike are affecting me less and less. Each time I hit a trough, all I have to do is to look at Beatrix and I feel more convinced that we have made the right decision for her wholistic education.
Now, if only I can find a way to effectively teach her to be diligent in clearing her always-overflowing table.
About the writer: Grace Koh’s daughter Beatrix was 5 years old when she contributed this piece in 2002
20 September 2002
7 Habits of Highly Effective Families
Posted by DAVID BC TAN under: Book Review; Guest Writer.
GUEST WRITER: Celine Leslie
Some readers may recognise the author from his previous book, “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People”. This highly acclaimed and well-received management book contains in-depth insights into keys for more effective living. Although it was written primarily as a management tool, the principles outlined are applicable to people from all walks of life. In fact, most of Covey’s examples are from real-life family situations. It is therefore no surprise that he follows up with another gem of a book, this time directed specifically at family living.
Using the same seven habits of his first book, but applied to family life, Covey has created an inspiring, challenging and highly readable practical manual for developing and maintaining “highly effective” family living. While the definition of “highly effective” is not pursued rigorously, it is taken for granted that most of us, Christian or otherwise, desire strong, healthy, family relationships. Whether we live in a healthy family atmosphere or not, we instinctively know that the really important things in life at the end of the day have to do with building and maintaining lasting, strong, fruitful family ties. The book does not assume the background of the reader and applies even to singles who have not started their own family but wish to apply these principles to their adult family situations.
Each chapter is filled with real-life examples, many of them Covey’s own. He is down-to-earth and honest, never presenting the picture of that “out-of-reach” perfect family. His language is practical and sometimes humorous, almost always inspiring. His ability to “peel” and explore the depths of the principles (which at first glance, are obvious and indisputable), suggesting applications in diverse situations, is outstanding. At the end of each chapter, there are study questions for discussion with family members, with a section for those with young children.
While the market is saturated with books to help families, I don’t think I have come across a more readable, digestible, practical and challenging book that addresses many core issues of family living. Covey does not take an overtly Christian viewpoint, although he makes it clear that he is personally guided by spiritual principles. It is not obvious from his writings that he is a Mormon, but I don’t find anything objectionable in his book.
16 July 2002
Kids’ Stuff
Posted by DAVID BC TAN under: Guest Writer; Parenting.
GUEST WRITER: Kimberly Lee
“In our pursuit to provide our kids with things that we did not have when we were young, let us not forget to give our kids what we once had when we were kids”, was part of the message from our last Sunday Service.
These words spoke volumes about the kind of things that I wish to impart to my kids. We have two pre-school kids – Allyn is 5 and Aidan is 3.5. I, for one had fond memories of my childhood. My daddy is a good artist; he draws and paints very well. We had 4 siblings in the family. When I was growing up we hardly had toys or new clothes. But we were never short of paint – oil, pastel, water-colour, charcoal, etc. My daddy taught us something that he knew best – how to draw and paint.
I remember how I used to draw a rat and painted it red. This would annoy my teacher. She would try to persuade and reason with me why my rat should be black. I would simply reply that, ” My daddy says I can use any colour that I like. It’s just an expression.” And I still hold true to what my dear father said, this time with my very own kids. One day, I found my daughter colouring her monkey green!!!
A lot of things that I do with my kids revolve around the environment & nature. I do teach them a certain amount of academics, but I try to keep these within the context of the themes that we are pursuing. Among the activities that keep us busy at home include:
1. Nature themes – insects, birds
We would catch the different insects that come into our home and study them – ‘lab within the home’. The kids will get to feed the insects with different kinds of food and determine what kind of food suits the insects best. Once we had a cricket and it made so much noise at night that daddy had to leave it outside the house. We then read up more on crickets and found that the noise produced by a cricket corresponds with its surrounding temperature. That night the kids took the cricket into their air-conditioned room and it was a restful night for everybody.
One of the most recent projects is growing vegetables. We have already managed to get some seeds and styrofoam boxes. And we are looking forward to putting the soil in.
2. Nature walks
We love learning about the names of flowers and trees. We make occasional mini-trips (usually 1 – 1.5 hrs) to the Botanical Gardens covering a different section of the garden at a time – rainforest trail, palm gardens, cactus garden, flower gardens, etc.
The highlight of our trips is the information stall at the Gardens. The kids would get an ice- cream each as we talk to members of the `Friends of the Botanical Society’ raising questions about things we have seen. We would often pick up an item (dry leave, flower or ticket stub) for the kids’ journals.
Aidan isn’t really writing yet; but a small memento such as these usually stays in his memory for a good long time.
3. Field trips
I was away for a 4-day seminar recently so my husband took the opportunity to bring our kids back to his ‘kampung’ in Seremban. He wanted to show them his own ‘childhood experiences.’ The kids went to a waterfall/brook where their daddy used to visit when he was a child. They also had a chance to visit an ostrich farm and a museum.
Back at home in Penang, the kids love to ride with daddy in his truck for short drives. Recently they went to a durian orchard. Since the beach is also fairly near our home, we often go for a stroll together as a family, or sometimes fly a kite.
4. Library/bookshops
The Children’s Library is a stone’s throw away from our home. Tuesday is our library day. We read in the library as well as borrow books to bring home. Sometimes we go to a bookshop that has an inviting and child-friendly kids’ section.
By and large we do a lot of reading together. This is probably one of the most inexpensive yet fun activities for the kids. Although I am quite flexible with our reading schedule, we have stipulated times set aside just for this purpose: 3.00- 4.30 pm (that’s mommy’s wind-down time!!). After reading to the kids (usually a book each), I will read my own stuff and take a snooze!!
Bedtime stories & prayer is another ritual which is religiously observed in our home. One night Allyn fell asleep without her regular story & prayer. She got up at 2 am, stormed into our room and demanded her story and prayer!
5. Swimming/cycling
Friday afternoons are swimming days. Our kids usually meet up with 1 or 2 other homeschooling families to swim in the pool at one of the homes. Other times we just cycle in the park, or to each other’s home.
6. Art/craft
The kids’ art & craft materials are organised in a plastic 4-tier mini chest of drawers. We also custom-made a Montessori table (with laminated top for easy cleaning) which seats 4 kids (or adults) comfortably. The kids usually access these art materials themselves and work independently at the table. This activity is definitely one of their favourites.
Very often I have to make use of this ‘activity’ to lead them into academics. E.g.: Yesterday, we did a craft on snails. As part of the vocabulary building exercise, the kids were introduced to all the different words related to snails – glide, shell, tentacles, slimy, etc. I also taught Allyn to decode these words phonetically as she heard them. She also made up a story based on the different snails she made. I wrote out the story for her leaving out words which were part of the decoding exercise that we worked on earlier. She filled in these missing words and sketched some pictures to illustrate the story. So there we have a story “Happy Snail & Sad Snail” composed & illustrated by Allyn (albeit, dictated to and written by Mom!), which makes her simply eager to read the story to her brother.
7. Songs/music
My husband and I are neither musicians nor singers. Fortunately there are these glorified appliances with sing-along tunes called CDs and videos. Our kids simply learn by just listening and singing along. Allyn sometimes amazes us by doing simple dance steps from the videos. Their favourite video is “Hi-5″ an Australian music production.
Our kids do not speak a lot of Chinese at home but they are able to sing a few Chinese scripture choruses after listening a few times to a tape. Another tape series that’s good for memory verses is Steve Green’s “Hide Them in Your Heart.”
I also pin up a 7-verses-a-week chart for the kids. Everyday they (Aidan, least of all) would read out a verse from the chart. Usually the chart will be up for at least a month. But I am more interested that our children understand the verses fully before we move on.
In short, we are busy all the time.
About the writer: Kimberly and her family lived in Penang at the time of writing.
4 July 2001
Coming full circle
Posted by DAVID BC TAN under: Guest Writer; Parenting.
GUEST WRITER: Celine Leong
It may be the year 2001, but one wonders if mothers in the new millennium are any more enlightened about motherhood than their mothers were. From the second half of the 20th century, women began to break free from the traditional paradigm of motherhood–that of being at home with the children.
Leading women activists were arguing for the right of mothers to find expression of identity and self-worth away from the kitchen sink. At the same time, women were getting more educated and gaining qualification in areas previously dominated by men. This led to a surge of women in the workforce.
Mothers found themselves juggling between their roles of primary carers of their children and shakers of the corporate world. While some worked for financial reasons, many were seeking self-fulfilment, and still others may have felt an irresistible urge to meet the challenge of trying to be a supermum.
One generation later, the typical working mother is now more stressed than ever, having to maintain the dual role of managing the household (albeit with the help of maids or in-laws, with their own set of problems) and being a conscientious employee.
Furthermore, she faces the mental pressure of guilt (about not spending enough time with the children), resentment (at having to sacrifice more than other members of the household) and sheer fatigue.
Instead of making huge strides in being liberated from the shackles of the past, women today are no closer to finding a satisfactory answer to the dilemma of spending quality time with family and advancing in their career.
Greater male participation in the sharing of household duties has been advocated but, in reality, this is unlikely to happen. For some, the only solution seems to be a compromise of postponing marriage and/or children. This, however, postpones rather than solves the problem, not to mention the additional battle with the biological clock.
Perhaps the underlying reason for the struggle to have it all is the slow but sure shift in values. In the past, children were a highly prized part of the community, with prosperity often being measured by the abundance of descendants.
However, the progress of the last century has brought with it the scourge of materialism. Children now compete with the other ornaments we accumulate to flaunt our status in society.Asians today will consider being childless if it means interfering with their lifestyle. In our unashamedly feverish acquisition of the symbols of success (cash, career, condo, etc), we often neglect our children.
Admittedly some mothers ease their conscience by decreasing their hours of work, but most are still reluctant to sacrifice their career for what is perceived as the menial task of child-rearing. The fear of isolation, low worth, insufficient intellectual stimulation and loss of financial independence are factors weighing against a woman’s decision to spend more time at home.
My own struggle with this issue arose when I had my first child 10 years ago. Could I (or should I) be a supermum? An achiever by nature, I was an engineering graduate with a rewarding career and an earning potential that exceeded that of my husband’s. Naturally I also wanted the best for my daughter. However, my husband had resigned from his position when I was pregnant, and although this had its advantages (he spent a lot of time with our newborn), the financial pressure we were under dictated my choice to continue work, at least on a part-time basis.
Eventually, acknowledging God as the originator of families, I began searching His blueprint for successful mothering.
What I discovered was the extremely high value He places on children, giving them to us as our heritage. A heritage, being more than a gift, is an inheritance that lasts forever. Therefore, the task of nurturing children is a privileged one, requiring focused attention and effort.
A mother who chooses to fulfil her destiny as the shaper of the next generation cannot fail to find significance in that role. Consider the ridiculous scenario of pitying poor Tiger Woods for being tied to the golf course, unable to party or enjoy =ife. One sees the arduous nature of his work, the constraints it puts on him and the sacrifices he has had to make along the way.
Yet he makes a deliberate choice to live that way because of the value he places on the attainment of golfing excellence. The trophies that await him motivate him to a lifestyle monotonous and restrictive to others, yet pleasurable and exciting in its ability to direct him towards his goals.
In a similar way, a mother who values her treasures in her home gladly makes the sacrifices needed to attain parental excellence. The trophies involved are that of children who are loving, mature and able to leave a positive mark on their society.
While not wanting to gloss over the complexities of this issue by giving trite answers, I can only testify of the freedom that came with pursuing full-time motherhood. No longer a mindless slave to the trends of society, I found myself released to follow what seems natural to a mother’s heart. Fears of entrapment, boredom and poverty proved to be unfounded. It has been an adventure of growth for mother and children alike.
Four children later, I am still relishing the joys of this lifestyle, meeting each crisis with the assurance of long-term rewards. Even through the unexpected death of my fourth child, Kyle, last November, I am able to be thankful for the privilege of having looked after him for his short lifespan of two years.
His departure has only confirmed the importance of relationships over possessions, hence the need to savour every moment with our little ones. While that is another story in itself, Kyle’s death has been a stark reminder of our mortality, adding to the resolve of parenting with eternal values in mind.
That, perhaps, is the ultimate challenge of parenting in the new millennium–having the courage to make the choices that will affect eternity.
About the writer: Celine Leong was born in KL, but she now lives with her family in Adelaide. This article was first published in The Star, 27 June, 2001, and then posted to HOMEFRONTIER subscribers.
7 March 2001
Timely Tips for Homeschoolers
Posted by DAVID BC TAN under: Guest Writer; Values.
Guest Writer: Celine Leslie
Although many miles separate us, I feel a oneness in my heart with you, the home-educators of Malaysia and Singapore. Some of you know that our precious little boy, Kyle, went to be with the Lord in November 2000, but we are still left with 3 equally precious gifts whom we continue to home-educate. Actually, they are more than gifts, they are our heritage (Ps 127:4). Gifts may be temporary, but a heritage lasts forever.
Friends, we may not see the results of our sweat and tears in the near future, but rest assured that the seeds that we sow into their lives will bear fruit for eternity. Unlike athletes that train in order to attain short term glory, we make ourselves fit for a task that has far-reaching effects – that of laying the foundation for the future generations.
Not being a structured person by nature, organisational skills are not part of my forte and I have had to work at learning how to be more efficient. Many mothers have lamented that were it not for their lack of such skills, they would consider the option of homeschooling. Homeschooling certainly has a way of forcing us to be more efficient in our use of time and resources. May I encourage you, wherever you are at, to work at this – don’t compare yourself to anyone else, but work at making small steps of improvement.
Here are some tips on the use of time.
Prioritise: We are to be accountable to the Lord for our use of time, so we need to be careful about prioritising. It would help to see where we are at by recording what we do for a week. Use the categories of Sleep, Eat, Work (incl housework, preparing schoolwork), Spiritual Activities (visiting, preparing sunday school, etc.), Church Attendance, Personal Devotion/prayer, Entertainment and Leisure (with children/spouse). Maybe driving should be a category by itself, judging from the traffic in KL!
Economise: We can learn to economise our use of time, by cutting down on time-wasters. Eg. can we make less shopping trips and make sure that we do as much as possible everytime we have to go out in the car? Be brutal with the use of the phone (unhook it in the morning). Instead of watching the TV, read a good book with the children (it will feed their minds much more than the contents in the so-called textbooks).
Maximise: Kill two birds with one stone whenever possible. Talk to the children when you are driving. Learn the times tables in the car. When you are cooking, get the children to help, even if it takes longer. In the long run, they will learn to love cooking and help save you time! If you are having trouble finding time for individual devotional time with each child, do it when you are putting them to bed. Have a memory verse to go through each week and do it with them at that time. Pick themes for your verses, according to their needs, eg. forgiveness, overcoming fear, being kind, etc.
Organise: Insist that all the family write down appointments on the family calendar as soon as anything is confirmed. That way you won’t forget upcoming events. Do your exercises as part of daily activities, eg. when the children have their play time, you can do your jumping on a little trampoline, or have family walks every evening, or when everyone is watching the news, do your stretching then. I do ankle exercises when I’m brushing my teeth! The important thing is to plan the time, then apply yourself to do it. There are many daily and weekly planners available – find one that suits you. It only takes 4 weeks to form a new habit, so with the Lord’s help, changes are possible.
Have you any tips that have helped your family? Maybe you’d like to share them too. I would personally love to hear about what works for other families and my ears are forever trying to pick up new ideas.
About the Writer: Malaysian-born Celine and her family reside and homeschool in Adelaide.