Some months ago, I had bought a set of edutainment books for my kids. It is called Logico. It comes in Primo series (intellectual development for age 2-5) and Piccolo (for age 5-9), a fun thinker (comes with 10 books and match frame) and 4 Disney Word books. It does not come cheap. From a mummy’s view, I thought these would give hours of fun learning for my kids. I paid for them and cross my fingers that my kids do not throw them aside after 3 days.
Well, on the first day, they were excited about them. On the second day, they walked past, remembered, and played for less than the time on the first day. On the third day, they walked past, but they did not touch them. Disappointment kicked in and I felt I must have made a wrong choice. One small relief was that at least they were interested in the Disney word books and still are after these months of owning these expensive books.
Hmm, what’s the lesson here??
1) Kids do not need expensive books /edutainment or whatsoever.
2) Kids prefer the old fashion way of getting mummy to read books to them and indulge in a world of unlimited imagination.
3) Kids would rather enjoy their time with mummy playing silly make believe tea parties, funny faces, etc than to be self-entertained or self-learn with the expensive edutainment.
4) Kids are kids. They want mummy’s or daddy’s company.
5) And again. Kids are simple. We adults are the complicated ones.
Many parents around me have more than one enrichment activity for their kids. Shichida, Kumon, I can read, Berries, piano lessons, ballet class, art class, etc. Like them, I wanted my daughter to learn more than her Yamaha Junior Music Course (YJC) which takes place once a week. I wanted her to learn violin, swimming, ballet, dancing… Sensing side-track, my husband will pull me back and remind me of over-enriching our kids.
Over-enriching = Less time for play = Less happy times to remember when they grow up!
I have to constantly remind myself that kids are simple and they should grow up happily. The really complicated ones are the parents themselves. Parents send their kids to this and that classes on the hope that the kids start out on a better headstart and more advance path than others (not to say if that’s the right path!) Also, parents subconciously make their children fulfill what they have missed out on their own childhood.
Right now, I am satisfied with the once a week YJC for my girl. My boy has started his since he turned 4 this year.
Spare me the hectic and disruptive lifestyle of sending my kids to numerous classes. Let my kids enjoy a full time-table of play, play and play before they start formal school.
Childhood is short. I want my children to remember a childhood full of happy memories.