Time (with them) matters

Sitting opposite my Joy, not bcoz I needed to supervise her doing homework but bcoz I wanted to support her in spirit. I asked her if she would prefer that I just go to the living room and read my papers so that she could concentrate 101%, of which she said nope. She preferred me to be around so that we could chit chat while she does her corrections. It's the final sprint towards the major/dreaded/overhyped exam - PSLE.

Honestly it doesn't matter to us what score she gets. Just that day I was telling my other mummy kakis that we are going to have a whole week of feasting and partying coming NDP, not forgetting watching the NDP show on tv (coz we haven't been successful in ticket balloting), they look at me as though I was from a different planet.

"No TV / outing for the entire long hols bcoz its PSLE!" - exclaimed my kakis

I was shocked. How could anyone not watch the NDP show since it's only once a yr!?? I know my kids are looking forward to watching it and being couch potatoes and chilling together.. hahaha..

I'm glad I'm not in the "exam rat race". Their reply was their kid is not Joy. But trust me, even if it's the twins, I would adopt the same parenting style. 

Anyway I've digressed coz the tween has been distracting me with her school gossips that I find it hard to concentrate in my entry.

I spend the entire fri night with her, our phones switched off and we chatted the night away. Eventually she slept together with me bcoz she misses the 1-to-1 attention. I obliged. It was nice to just catch up on her "world news" and concentrate on her alone. Hopefully this would top up her love tank so that when she finds the revision gruelling, she will always come back to us and confide in us. It's important to talk to our kids n look them in the eye and just let all other things pause. Becoz nothing else matters more right.

I've also started the habit of not looking at my phone while in the car. It definitely was a habit hard to keep but it was for the bigger good. Either I could participate in the little chats or I could just recharge. 

Spoke to uncle choo last night. We both agreed that I cut down on my work in the coming weeks just so that I could provide the emotional support to her/girls. Girls are a complicated creature. They think too much especially when their school is a girls school..too much bitching and emo emo stuff. Better do regular checks/reviews so that we are kept up to date with their growing.

"No one cares how much you know, unless they know how much you care." Its what I firmly believe and hope to practise, be it in my family, my work or circle of influence.