I sent my children to school

Chua was a little stressful lately because he needed to fetch his both daughters to school. With his tight schedules while conducting his business, he found not enough time to complete his work. His working wife could not help because she works as an office administrator and is not supposed to come out while working.

To encourage my friend, I gave him this true story. I have a very successful family's friend in Penang who had a formula to guide and educate their children. The husband is a lawyer and the wife is a doctor. Their three children had completed their university studies and all are self employed professionals too like both their parents. According to their parents, when the children were young and were at school, they never failed to drive them to study and picked them up again later of the day. All other families usually paid school buses to fetch the students or letting the neighbours to help. Not this family! The father and the wife took turns to be responsible to the welfare of their kids. They scarified much of their working time to be with their boys and girls. The morning session when they sent them to school was the time for motivating and inspiring. The early pep talk could spur them for better result at class later. Later in the evening when they picked the children home, either parents would listen to their day's class story. Their attentive listening could sense and to understand whether the children were happy or otherwise. Should there be a problem, the parents would solve and provide solution immediately. The children were properly groomed and developed out from the journey to school. It was the best and ideal time to understand and to teach the children.

After this short episode was told, Chua was enlightened and he promised not to complain any more. What about me! So sad! Because by the time I was given this true story, all my sons were already grew up in life. But! If ever I had a chance to have another baby, I believe I will be a better father to the child.

How true....

If I had my child to raise all over again,

I'd build self-esteem first, and the house later.

I'd finger-paint more, and point the finger less.

I would do less correcting and more connecting.

I'd take my eyes off my watch, and watch with my eyes.

I'd take more hikes and fly more kites.

I'd stop playing serious, and seriously play.

I would run through more fields and gaze at more stars.

I'd do more hugging and less tugging."

- Diane Loomans, from "If I Had My Child To Raise Over Again