His Mandarin class

Hubby and the extended family (especially my in-laws) have been voicing out a lot of concerns concerning my 2.5 yo's inability to converse with Mandarin. So I have actually been looking for Mandarin classes at various schools since last year. However, the classes that suit us (location and timing) are always packed and I'm real fed up of being put on the waiting list. I finally managed to get him a place at Julia Gabriel and the hubs accompanied him there. But we did not enrol him there as hubby felt that the fees are too exorbitant (SGD40 for a 1 hour class which in actual fact is only 45-50 minutes due to 10-15 minutes of free play).

Thus, when Lexuan, a Chinese Language School opened its doors at the mall opposite our condominium, I enrolled Joshie there. Three trial classes for $110. Comes to nearly $40 a class but it's a 90 minute lesson. He started his first lesson last week. It's a parent-accompanied class.

Only student in class. Since they are newly opened, they are still busy advertising for more students.

Joshie and his teacher.

Actually I was quite horrified to see the way Joshie behaved in class. I have not accompanied him for classes since Jan this year and thus, I do not know how he behaves in school. Last year, he used to stick to me and would obediently listen to teacher. However, this time, he was only quiet for the first 10-15 minutes. After that, he didn't want to sit still. He was walking, running and dancing around the room. Pulled the paper wall deco off the wall too. Didn't really listen to teacher and when she asked him to repeat a chinese word, he would say "ju ju" cheekily. Even stuck out his tongue at her. Gosh!!!

Cheekiness aside, I seriously don't think my son would enjoy this class. I don't agree with the teacher's method of teaching. She is too strict and doesn't give my son freedom of choice. She expects my son to sit still on the chair for the whole 90 minutes. Only sang 1 song throughout the entire class and there were no actions to accompany the song. A lot of flash cards. No interesting activities or craft. I know my son. He wouldn't enjoy this method of teaching. That's why he was restless and wouldn't concentrate.

Thus, we are not going back there anymore. Just gonna wait till January 2012 when I enrol him into LeapSchoolHouse for a 5-day week, whereby Tues and Thurs lessons are purely in Mandarin. Joshie enjoys the teaching method there and I have seen how much he has learnt through his thrice weekly English sessions there.

Swimming

The cheeky loves playing with water, no doubt about that. However, he gets annoyed when I shower his head with water during his hair wash. And when we are at the pool, he can react in two different ways; depending on which friend is at the pool with him. If he is playing with his old time friends like Oscar and Rion, he seems apprehensive and hardly goes down the slide. He'd just goof around with them. He wouldn't even follow Oscar down the slide.

BUT, if his new friend Gaspar is at the pool, I see a different Joshie. Gaspar is his classmate and he is 6 months older than Joshie. In his company, Joshie tries to behave like a big boy and he likes to imitate everything Gaspar does. He would go down the slide together (pictured below) and wouldn't even cry or run to me if Gaspar bullies him.

Funny huh?

Anyway, here's his new Minnie Mouse hooded towel which daddy bought from Hong Kong. No more Mickey so he had to make do with Minnie instead. Joshie loves his towel a lot.

Naughty corner

I established the "naughty corner" a couple of months ago. Why naughty corner and not the rod/cane? Well, I have used my hands to whack his bum-bum or hands when he is naughty but I find that it doesn't work! He doesn't seem to be afraid and I do not want to increase the intensity of my beating and act like a 'mad woman' in the process. Moreover, I do not want to set a bad example for him........"hmnn, mummy screams and beat when I don't obey her so I can also act the same way when she doesnt 'obey' me!"

It was difficult in the beginning. He wouldn't stay at the corner and would always escape! =P So I had to keep bringing him back to the corner. After about two months, he seems to understand and would stay in his corner. Just look at him, ended up lying down cause he was quite tired here. We had just got home from school!

Last weekend, I also started establishing the naughty corners outside the home. It wasn't intentional though. He was being very difficult while we were having dinner at Takashimaya. I warned him that he would have to stand in the naughty corner when we got home but that did not deter him. So I just walked him to a quiet corner and made him stand there. He was crying and kept turning his head to look at mummy who was walking away from him. After that, he was an obedient boy once again!

Poor Joshie

The little boy who misses his daddy very very much!!!!

Hubby left on a business trip yesterday around noon. Joshie fussed a bit but didn't cry so I thought he would be OK. I was wrong! When I put him down for his afternoon nap, he cried for quite a while. He usually goes to sleep without any fuss, maybe a few cries when he is overtired/overstimulated. But yesterday, it was quite a long, uncontrollable cry. Finally went to sleep and woke up an hour later. I was reading a book in our master bedroom when Joshie walked in. He climbed onto our bed and lay down on hubby's side, sobbing away. And he sobbed himself back to sleep again (pictured above).

Last night, he woke up 3 times throughout the night. Wailed loudly!!!!!!! I had to go in and console him. He couldn't self-soothe himself and was crying very loudly. In the morning, when I went into his room at 7:07am, he had just woken up. He got down from his bed and went to our room saying "daddy, daddy".

This evening, hubby spoke to him on the phone and told him that daddy will be back soon. We really hope Joshie will be fine. Hubby travels a lot, thus Joshie will have to adapt. Anyway, I also can't wait for hubby to be back. The house feels so lonely without him!

Strong willed child

Current favourite words are "no" and "no need". At a tender age of 19 months, he already knows what he wants and would protest when things don't go according to his liking. We have been patiently explaining to him that he won't always get what he wants. Have told him umpteen times that he is too young to decide what he should/shouldn't do and thus, he has to listen to Mummy & Daddy. Yet, he still tries to assert his demands and would kick a fuss when we don't give in to him.

That aside, he can be a really good and obedient boy at times. I sometimes bring him to the toy store when we are at the mall and let him roam free in the store while I quickly browse through the toys. Compared to other kids, he rarely throws a tantrum when we have to leave and he obediently puts everything back. Even when I ask him if he wants a certain toy, he'd decline by saying "no" or "back back" (meaning to put back the toy). I guess he is still at the age where he won't demand for toys so I'd better enjoy this phase first before he starts telling me he wants this and that!

Naughty or older kids

I realised that Joshie loves to mix with either naughty kids his age or older kids. He seems to find this two groups of kids very interesting. He is keen to join in on what they are doing. Whereas if I were to let him mingle with his peers who are quieter and less naughty, he'd just look at them and slowly entertain himself.

This is a scene from Kindermusik. This boy Joe, who is sitting next to Joshie is rather naughty. Won't sit still, hardly takes instructions and he's always running around during class. The maid has to go after him most of the time. Joshie finds him fascinating. When he sat down at the corner to drink his water, Joshie also took his bottle and went to sit next to him! =P