Spring Field Trip

Bismillah.

It's been a very long tiring day, but fun nonetheless. Woke up that morning with some thoughts lingering from the night before ' Is it gonna rain? Have i got things settled? Will the bus come on time? would the edu guide card works? yada yada.

An attempt to make them stay in line.

 

Standing there and be like, 'Okay, this is hard.'

Headcounts was hard. Children just never stay at the same place.

'Is everyone ready?' Got loud yes (es) but their excited faces barely seen. Coz they were all so tiny, hidden behind those huge seats. So cute meh.

***

I don't want to write on how the program goes or how we technically get things sorted.

It would rather be on the things I learnt and experience today as a teacher/guardian to these beautiful children. 

Attending children, even for a single day, gives me a sound idea of how challenging, hard and complicated a mother's job is. While everything said is true, it's almost incomprehensible that by the end of the day, you actually feel like it's the most fulfilling and rewarding thing done.

Nature and Children. 

The weather was brilliant alhamdulillah. It was raining yesterday so i was keeping my hands crossed. Not today, please.

Some of the paths are slightly muddy. But I think the management team got it sorted out since they were expecting a lot of visitors for Easter celebration. A lot of people keep entering the compound since morning and by the time we arrived, we went straight to the playground area. Fast enough to mark our territory lol. Only then couples of parent came with their little boy/girl(s).

I noticed something peculiar and extraordinary about their parenting style which I see less in Malaysia generally. Those children goes straight into the mud and step in the puddles so nonchalantly, as if, knowing their parent wont be upset with that at all. Unlike some parent, who expect children to play and think like adults.  Tak kotorkan baju and all.

They let children play like children.

It's an amazing sight to observe.

I was genuinely astounded by the simplicity and huge curiosity of these small children. And how it was expressed was just sometimes goes unnoticed to adult especially. One boy stopped at random places and lying flat on the ground. Me too, find it odd. But when I asked him 'why?'. He said, he wanted to feel the surfaces. And only then, I noticed he did that in all different surfaces, pebbled, grassy etc. It's just their unique way of exploring the world. I must not limit that with my adult mind. And i secretly wish to go back and try to see this world through a child's eyes. wild curiosity, unburdened mind, no fear of expectation, fearless really and positive.

Warmth and strength

One of my reading is 'Compelling people' written by John Neffinger and Matthew Kohut.

'When we make judgements to people, we look past these personality factors (introverts, neurotic etc) to strength and warmth, because a person's strength and warmth are ultimately the factors most likely to affect our life. '

'The upper-right corner is clearly the place to be. People there are on our team, and they are the best players. This is wherethe people we call 'charismatic' hang out. There is not a lot of company up there, because it is not obvious how to master the tension between strength and warmth and project enough of both simultaneously to earn both great respect and great affection.'

I just love psychology. 

It's just very close to what we are dealing with on daily basis. It helps you to improve, not just as leader, friend, lover or family member, but really, as a human being.

As for yesterday, dealing with children, of so many different personality and upbringing. It was interesting and it makes you think big time.

Parenting

I always got myself confused. For now, I'll stick to what I believe. (It might change through experience)

'Tegas pula, hendaklah dizahirkan melalui pendirian, peraturan dan keputusan. Wasilah untuk ia disampaikan, banyak bergantung kepada kekemasan berbahasa kita. Untuk bertegas, caranya bukan menengking. Tetapi menuturkan mesej kita dengan ayat yang berkuasa tinggi'

When children (of a certain age group) have a dispute with you, i just cant help feeling that communication is the best thing you can offer. I would not leave the child, until I got my decision justified. Some people might straight away ignore the child. This would only be last resort after communication doesn't work. I think.

While we were playing games at the open field, one of the girls deserted herself and cried.  She had suggested to play a 'stick in the mud' and I said, 'Yes, we can ask your friend later'. The whole group however decided to go for 'musical statue' instead. It was a challenge to talk to her with our decision set.(we've played musical statue). She feels like it is unfair and told me that I was lying. Sumpah rasa bad and no, that's not it.

So, I talk to her. Trying to reason with her that we are in a team and decision must come after getting opinion from everybody considered. The majority will decide. And not getting your opinion accepted does not mean that your friend despised you or you are somehow left out. And alhamdulillah she understood.

I go over and over again after short statement/reason. 'do you understand teacher? why i do that?'

I will continue explaining that part until she nod and move on to another.

*What I did may differ had she been a much smaller girl who does not know how to reason yet. 

But, it's important to acknowledge that each child is different to another  because they have different upbringing at home.


Children's talk

You have no idea how humorous or fascinating a conversation with children is.

'What does a plant need to survive? Your friend told us just know that they gonna need sunlight and air. What else does it need to grow?'

'Chocolate. It needs chocolate.'
 ..

 'Teacher, why is it called nenek si bongkok tiga? '

'Can there be more than one nenek'

Gosh. <3

Our group.

and pray together out in the nature.

Forest was amazing.
I too wish to be a cool mother one day. Delve into the nature, we'll walk the muddy trails and gaze upon the stars on a wide open field. oh well.





Until then, yesterday was an enjoyable lesson to me.
Looking forward for more.

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