Friday, September 12, 2008

I Am A Mum, Too!

My mum pacifying my niece (little Wahidah).
"Bye mum, I love you!". Friday tuition is more fun when he goes with a friend.

My mum just arrived from Alor Gajah, Melaka to be with me for a few days.

Every now and then, I am faced with friends (who are mothers) who want to know my opinion about raising children................come on, this is an art that is never taught in a formal education. But , to me, I take it seriously whenever a friend wants me to give my views on this matter.

I am a mother and I still have my mum , not forgetting a mum-in-law......Soon, I will have a D-I-L too!

I deal with this matter professionally, and we (my friends and I) are engaged in an animated discussion about 'growing pains'. Sometimes, it is the question of how much freedom should we let our children have? In most occasions, mums want to know how to motivate their children to be diligent. Among the many things which always interest me, is the question of how to mould our child into a responsible and reliable young person ?

Most of the time, I say that a child will become a somebody when you let him/her take charge of himself/herself. Smothering our children with attention can kill them! Similarly, they deserve our gentle (yet firm) words and also the touch of our hands.

But most importantly, parents must be the
role models to their children. Leading by example sends a clear message. Eg When on the road, at the traffic lights, parents should not run the red light. (Or in Malaysia , the term is 'beat the red light').

I make mistakes too, but this sort of mistake is a rarity and I don't wish to repeat the same offence!......'coz I am a mum, too!

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