Mom’s Daily

It is back to school again tomorrow. Seven years old children will begin Standard One in the Government schools.

Well, parents, let me prepare you for the cultural shock:

1) Toilets are very DIRTY. Many children may refused to use it. (Some even asked to go home to pee!)

2) There is only one teacher to 30+ to 40 children. Don’t expect any personal attention. Your child is practically on his/her own now.

3) Children may vomit, poo and even pee in their pants. Don’t be shock if he/she is yours.

4) Being a Government school with a huge number of children, some may have learning difficulties/ADHD/dyslexic and be very, very, very unmanageable in class. This includes tearing the books of the school mates etc. (Teach your child to be understanding to children like these and never to call them names. Some of these poor kids may be harshly punished by the teachers. Assure and explain to your child if he/she is traumatised by the loud scoldings/caning etc. )

5) Children needs guidance to start buying stuffs from the canteen. (Best if you have trained your child earlier, like 5-6 years old.)

6) Some parents are very inconsiderate and may squash your seven years old. (I see the same scene year in/year out.)

7) Some kids may blend in perfectly with the crowd and some may need time. (Good luck to you!)

Some safety tips:

1) See that your child can board and get down from school buses safely. Best if you can follow his bus route and observe from afar. (I did this when my eldest went to Standard One.)

2) Make sure that there is no dangling straps from the school bags.

3) Avoid giving your child a huge water bottle that has strap. This can be a choking hazard plus very dangerous if he/she travels by bus. (A 500ml bottle stuffed into the side pocket of school bag is the best. It is only for a few hours, for goodness sake, don’t force your 7 years old to bring 1.5 liter of water to school.)

4) Don’t buy expensive stuffs/stationeries for your kids. There are pickpockets and little thieves in school. (I had seen little pickpockets carrying out their job.)

5) Remind your child to see the teachers, any teachers, if he/she is hurt. Trust me, kids get hurt in school all the time. Falls, knives cuts, door slam injury, friend hit hard things on the head and etc.

6) Write down your phone numbers in a card and keep it in the school bag. (Even if your child can memorise it, he/she may forget when in a tough situation.)

7) Don’t let your child wear any chains/strings on the neck. Not even some protective amulet. Children can be rough during playtime.

Other things applicable in our Malaysian schools:

1) You need to proof that your child has taken all the schedule vaccinations. You have to produce the vaccination card from the hospital/clinic. If you are unable to find it, you may need to return to the hospital/clinic and ask for a copy of letter from the doctor that verifies this.

2) Your child will be given a health and dental card. You can opt NOT to allow your child to be treated by the Government doctors and nurses who come to the school periodically. (I usually prefer consultants from private practice.)

Lastly, if your child is going to Standard One, a few days off from work just to pamper the little guy/gal is a worthy investment. It can be a traumatising change for most children even if they did not show any signs of disliking school. Stay home and spend time chatting, listening and sharing with your child on the changes he/she is going through.

As for me, been there, done that! Phew….