Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Pushing them to their (own) limits...

I reached the office at 7:32a.m this morning and it's now 9:48a.m.

And I'm feeling REALLY sleepy. Had a mug of very strong coffee just now, AND a packet of nasi lemak with kerang. I think the latter has overpowered my coffee. Time for a short break now.

As Ayah is away in Bangkok, I'm Hanna's supir for the next few days, meaning I had to leave the house at 6:45am this morning, so that she would be in school latest by 7:10a.m! I don't know about your kids, but for Hanna, it's such a sin to reach her school after 7:15a.m (and her school only starts at 7:35a.m, mind you!). It's the same with Hasya, who gets panicky if she were to reach school after 12:45p.m (and her school only starts at 1:10p.m!) Is it a GIRL thing or what?! Because it's not the same with Hilman - he's always oblivious of the time. It doesn't matter when he reaches his school, as long as he reaches his school. Simple.

After sending Hanna, I had to go to my MIL's to send Hasya's and Hilman's school uniforms, etc. Both of them spent the night at their Wan's. They had their mengaji class there last night, and as I knew we would have to leave the house very early this morning, and as such they would be deprived of their beauty sleep, I asked them to sleep with their Wan last night, to which they gladly agreed :). They were still asleep when I went to Mak's this morning, so, I decided to come to office early. And now I'm very sleepy...

Anyway, Hasya and Hilman had their Open Day last Thursday, and both Ayah and I went to see their teachers to discuss their progress in school and also to collect their Report Cards. And we had a very pleasant surprise that day, but at the same time, we felt quite bad...

We already knew that Hasya got No. 1 in her class. It was expected, in a way. Hasya is a choleric girl and very confident, and she knows what she wants. She has always got No. 1 (except once - and she was pretty upset then as she didn't like the feeling of being second best). And she always knows who her competition in her class would be, and she would make sure that she beats them, even without us prodding or pushing her. So, Ayah and I would just give her our encouragement all the way. She thrives on challenges.

This time around, her competition is a boy named I**an I**andar. They had never been in the same class before, and I**an had always got No. 1 in his class all these while, too. And Ayah and I were aware of this fact as we would always see him going on stage every year during Speech Days, etc. And when we knew that Hasya would be in the same class as I**ran this year, we always remind Hasya that she has to work harder to make sure that she stays on top. Hasya being Hasya, she does not need us to tell her that. She knows she HAS to do it.

And us being kiasu parents, after the exams, every time we fetch the kids from school, we would ask her what her marks were. And the next question would be, "What about I**an?" (Hehehe!) And we were not surprised when we found out that Hasya actually kept a record of every single marks that I**an got! There was a panic bout for a couple of days for Hasya, when I**an got 100% for his Maths, and Hasya got 93.5%, and for a few days, I**an was leading by 0.5 markah! And finally, when the marks came for Science, and Hasya got highest in her class, it was official - she beat I**an by 2.5 markah... And we didn't even have to ask her about it when we fetched her from school that day. She told us right after opening the car door, even before she got into the car! Hehehe...That's choleric Hasya for you.

As for Hilman, now...he's one very phlegmatic boy. He does his own thing, and most of the time, he would be oblivious of what's happening around him. And most of the times, he doesn't even know that a test or an exam is around the corner, or even what subjects he would be tested on the next day, etc! But, despite all that, last year he got No. 12 for his Mid-year, and for his Final Exams he got No.5 (and he was the best student for Science for his class).

Knowing our kids' traits and personality, we tend to treat them differently in terms of pushing them to their own limits. And we know what would work for each of them based on their characters and personality. And it is difficult to balance when we have 3 kids with 3 different personalities - one choleric, one phlegmatic and one sanguine (I wrote about this here)

So, for Hilman we didn't really push him that hard, but we know that he's a very smart boy. What works for Hasya may not necessarily work for Hilman. Yes, we prepare them the same way - no discrimination whatsoever in that department. Ayah would come up with the mock papers for Science and Maths for both of them before the exams, and I would come up with the mock papers for BM and English for the both of them. We would give them the same encouragement and love and hugs and kisses and good luck wishes every single day. But, we would push Hasya a bit more, as we know that she thrives on pressure and challenges. For Hilman, we would just ask him to do his very best, and avoid making careless mistakes, and check his work thoroughly. And there was no point to ask him to keep record of his "competition" in class, as he wouldn't even know who they are! That's phlegmatic Hilman for you.

But, we had some ideas as to who MIGHT be his competition when he would come back telling us what his friends got for their exams. Different names for different subjects - so it was difficult to assess from a variable of samples. But, we had some ideas. The first few days after getting some of his marks, Ayah and I had a feeling that he could be in the Top 5. And when he got all his marks, we thought that he could be in the Top 3. And Hilman, knowing that the standard question I would ask him EVERYDAY would be, "Have you got your position in class yet?", he would be asking his teacher the same question, "Cikgu, saya dapat nombor berapa, cikgu?", and the teacher would reply, "Tunggu lah... surprise..."

And it was indeed a pleasant surprise for us, when we went to see his teacher last Thursday, and we got to know that Hilman got No. 1, too!

Hilman's teacher told us that Hilman takes his own sweet time to finish his work. When the rest of his classmates have finished 3 pages of work, Hilman would still be working on his first page. And he's forever sharpening his pencils and/or looking for his lost stationeries in class! And he's always dreaming! Otherwise, he's a very good student. In fact, his teacher told us that she was surprised with Hilman's results, too, given his laid-back nature and attitude! (And he got highest for Science and Maths, too :))

And Ayah and I felt quite bad - for not having high expectations of Hilman, or rather, for under-estimating his capabilities. We KNOW he's one of the smarter ones at school, but we were prepared if he didn't get No. 1. But, for Hasya - because SHE wants to be No. 1, we make sure she gets the push that she needs to get it. THAT's the only way we know how to treat the two of them when it comes to pushing to the limits. THEIR limits. THEIR own expectations. Are we being unfair? Ayah and I kept on going and going about this for a few days last week. And it wasn't a nice feeling to have. Sigh...

And as for Hanna, we know from her UPSR and monthly tests results, that insya Allah, we don't really have to worry about her. And she would come back from school and tell us her results without us asking her. She would normally get second to fourth highest in class for her subjects, and given that she's in one of the better/cluster schools around, we think she's doing quite well, indeed. But, being a sanguine that she is, she would blab non-stop (in a good way) as to how close she was to beating XYZ or ABC in this subject, or that subject, and how unfair it is that they take Pengetahuan Agama Islam and Moral into account to determine their position in class (as the Moral students rata-rata dapat A, while the Agama students rata-rata dapat B, etc.), yadda, yadda, yadda...

Hanna has her own way of studying, and it seems to be working with her, and I don't want to change that. She studies with her WalkMan glued to her ears (and she would do some head-banging every now and then while studying!), and she does her homework and assignment, etc in her own time (sometimes after midnight as THAT's the ONLY time she has the mood to do them!) without having me to remind her. And I have to say, she follows her Ayah - she's very good in Maths and Science, but she's struggling a bit with her reading subjects. All in all, even though she's a sanguine, she's a responsible girl when it comes to her studies. And unlike with Hasya and Hilman, I would just monitor Hanna - without pushing, without reminding, without cautioning.

And I was pleased when I went to Hanna's Open Day yesterday, when I got to know that she got No.6! But, according to her, if Agama and Moral were not included, she would have gotten No.4! But, I just want her to realize that the girls who got Top 3 in her class are those who sat for the SAME Agama paper as her. So, I think that is not an issue here? Anyway, it's just a position in your class. Mommy and Ayah are very proud with all the A's (and couple of B's) that you got, okay? You should know which subjects you need to stress on more by now, right?

And maybe, slightly less head-banging would also do the trick? ;)

Syukur Alhamdulillah. Ayah and Mommy are VERY PROUD of you all - Hanna, Hasya and Hilman. Keep up the excellent work, darlings.

We just hope we're using the right (different) approaches to each and every one of you in pushing you all to the limits when it comes to your studies/exams, etc....

37 comments:

MrsNordin said...

Well done to your kids! This proves that parental attention and monitoring are crucial in determining your kids' success in school.

Looks like your Hasya is just like my No. 2 and Hilman is just like my anak teruna (but mine still hasn't got that No. 1 yet). I told myself I'd monitor his studies more diligently from now on to make sure he improves. Competition is really tough, if they don't buck up now, it's gonna be harder next time.

Give yourself a pat on the back for a job well done in raising the kids! :)

IBU said...

Hiya Shana,

Congrats to all 3! Mana lah tumpah kuah kalau tak ke nasi kannnnnnn?

I left a comment in BJ's blog re the report card day for me too. Idin still can't get A for BM. Cam mana nak UPSR nih?

Hafiz passed. hehehe.... Remember the 2 months torture? So I am simply pleased that he had progressed.

Ameer? Perfect scores.

So my kind of kuah ni pulak, ada yg tumpah ke nasi, ada yg tumpah ke atas meja sikit. Hehehe....

Madam Tai Tai Again said...

Hi Shana,

Congrats to you and Ayah for raising anak2 yg pandai!

Love your usage of adjectives to describe your children.

wanshana said...

mrsnordin,

Thank you :), and you're absolutely right about the parental attention and monitoring tu. And, I must say you're doing an excellent job with your kids as well. Congratulations!

Competition is really tough alright. So many budak-budak yang "terror" nowadays, and whether we like it or not, we have to prepare our kids early in their lives to rise up to the challenge and face the competition full on.

(But, I still don't believe in sending them for tuition at such a young age, though!)

Cheers!

wanshana said...

Ibu,

Thanks!

Aiyaaaa...anak-anak gua semua tertumpah kuah masak lemak chili padi Negeri Sembilan, ikut their Ayah - terror Maths and Science.

So far, tak de le pulak yang terkena kuah gulai tempoyak Perak ikut their Mommy pulak...(which is a good thing as I don't really excel in anything particular. Just a slightly above average Jane generally. Hehehe!)

Good to know that Hafiz has somewhat settled down in school. Just give him some time. It won't be long before he would get into the groove.

And don't worry about Idin's BM. With a little bit more practice, he'll be fine for his Penulisan paper. Penulisan has always been a problem for most kids, but when the real exam comes out nanti, insya Allah he can do it.

And Ameer - wa chaya lu!!! :)

P/S : I think you should travel overseas more often - we get to see you updating and bloghopping more when you're not in the country! Hahaha!

wanshana said...

Madam Tai Tai,

Thank you, but I don't think we should get all the credits! The kids worked hard (in their own ways), and they earned their marks definitely.

If you haven't read Personality Plus by Florence Litteur, I recommend you go get a copy, and you'll get to know which personality/character your Alya and Haris, yourself and MrS fall under.

Once you understand their/your personality, insya Allah, you'll know which psychological methods would work for each of them, and you'll know and appreciate their antics more.

Cheers!

Kerp (Ph.D) said...

I’d expected that coming from the 2 girls but having said that, I think Hilman is one cool dude. I think he is intelligent in his own way, and with a little advice he’ll do exceptionally well. he reminds me so much of me, only he’s smarter. Mom used to tell if I had put a little bit more of an effort, I would have gotten grade 1 for my spm exam. i got 2 for the record.

Amy said...

Congrats for their results. Both you and hubby mmg parents contoh la. Siap buat mock papers? Memang salute!

wanshana said...

Kerp,

Thanks. So we've been told - about him being a very smart boy. Amin :)

Hilman had problems reading a few years back. He was already 6+ then, and still could not read properly, and we were worried, as both his sisters could read effortlessly at the age of 5.

His teachers at kindy gave up on him, and we sent him to Victoria Readers, and within 2 months, he was sailing smoothly :)!

His Victoria Readers' teacher adores him, and said Hilman is one of her smartest and sweetest pupils (he's a very soft-hearted boy and pandai ambik hati!) and she just could not understand why his kindy teacher could not teach him to read!

We later found out, his kindy teacher pun hampeh - she pronounced B-O-X as "B-O-K"... Sigh... Mana la anak I tak confuse?

Anyway, Grade 1, Grade 2 - no big deal... Some very successful individuals didn't get through SPM pun! :)

Cheers, Kerp!

wanshana said...

Amy,

Thanks :)

Mock papers tu, memang we all buat sendiri since our eldest was in Std. 1 lagi. Ayah will prepare the Maths and Science papers, while I'm in charge of BM and English - and the kids would always wait eagerly to attempt to answer them. And they love it when we have to draw diagrams, or animals, or plants as part of the questions, as Ayah is really good at drawing :) Hehehe...

It is a bit remeh, as we would have to go through their Text, exercise, and activity books to get some ideas as to the probable questions. And that would be the time when we would find out, kekadang their teachers pakai mark aje their work without really reading it. Yang jawapan salah pun, they would mark as correct... Sigh.

And that would also be the time when we would find out that some of the teachers tak mark pun their work, or worse - tak pernah give them exercises to do. But, of course, I would counter-check with the other kids' books. Mana lah tau kalau anak-anak I yang tak salin the questions, etc!

It's fun actually - preparing the mock papers :)

MHB said...

Hi there!

Congratulations to everyone in the family! You guys are soooooo great together!

Lee said...

Hi Wanshana, wow! I bacha you had nasi lemak kerang, I sure now yearning for it!
Haven't had kerang many, many years too, and nasi lemak kerang...itu la best.
There was a makcik in Alor Star selling this nasi lemak...whenever I go to AS, pagi drop by the kedai, "macik, tiga bungkus".
She always laugh, as others makan at most dua packet, saya sekali kerjahkan tiga, ha ha.
Hey! I am 6', so eat more, ha ha.
By the way, how much one packet this nasi lemak kerang you had? Rgt 1?
Ada senang drop by, you keep well, Lee.

Dalam Dakapan Ibu said...

Shana,
Alhamdulillah... as always, they made it! It's true when you said different strategy should be given to each child.

If you've read my posting earlier reg my Hasya, she didn't get good marks in her Math...again. And that brought her overall marks to an average. As for my Hanna who's always an average student, it was unbelievable! She got #2 in both her Sekolah Kebangsaan and Sekolah Agama... That was TOTALLY unexpected! So, as promised, we bought her the things that she wanted... another BabyG watch and a denim jacket.

Hasya said she was jealous... so I said to her to compete harder and get the 1st to 3rd position in class if she wanted us to buy her desired things. Hope the bribe works in her finals...he..he..

wanshana said...

Myheartbleeds,

Thank you. And if I may add - you're doing an excellent job with your two princesses, too!

Take care :)

P/S : Thanks for the permission -I've linked my blog to yours ;). Cheers!

wanshana said...

Hi Uncle Lee,

Nasi lemak with kerang has become my regular breakfast for the past 2months or so (2-3 times a week). Just discovered this lady who sells it in Section 17 PJ. "Free-cholesterol" maaa...(instead of cholesterol-free!) Hahaha!

RM1?!!! Aiyooo...nowadays, with RM1 you can't even get setengah bungkus nasi lemak biasa, la Uncle Lee! It's RM2.30 satu bungkus - but, it's really nice, and have sambal kerang, sambal biasa, ikan bilis, kacang, timun and 1/4 eggs! She's quite generous with the portions, too. (Some places put 1/8 telur, you know?!!! So kedekut one!)

Anyway, I can guarantee you - this Nasi Lemak, you can makan 5 bungkus at one time :)

I always buy for my clerks at the office, and all of them say it's one of the nicest Nasi Lemak they've tasted. So, it's not just me!

You keep well, too, Uncle Lee ;)

wanshana said...

Dalam dakapan ibu,

Yes, Syukur Alhamdulillah. Thank you :)

And well done to your Hanna and Hasya, too! (For those who didn't know, DDI's daughters are called Hanna and Hasya, too!)

I think your Hasya is just like my Hasya! I'm sure on a better day, she could have done much better. But, her results were not that bad, kan?

We also offer our kids incentives every time they want to sit for exams. They're free to ask for whatever they want (reasonably priced, of course!) provided they achieve the results we set for them.

But, with them, it's quite easy. Most of the time, they would ask for extra books to buy when we go to MPH or Borders. Every week we would get each of them 1-3 books each, so, with good results, they'll get to double that on one of the weeks.

At least, for Hasya that's the normal deal. Hilman sometimes would ask for Hot Wheels stuff, and Hanna - for CDs... (Typical...Hehehe!)

I'm sure the "bribe" will work very well with your Hasya :)

Cheers!

Kmar said...

Shana,

Congratulations with your kids!!! Bertuah dapat anak-anak berjaya. Rezeki both parents.

I bet it won´t come so easy.. mesti habis pulun both of you trying the very best to make them realise education tu penting.

Tak nak buat buku only on Parenting aje ke? ... eem.. I think I will be the first buyer!!:))

wanshana said...

Kmar,

Thanks! :)

Alhamdulillah - so far, so good. I pray that they maintain the discipline and whatever positive attitudes thay have now, and continue to develop their strength until they all besar, insya Allah.

Nak buat buku "Parenting"?!!! Good idea...BUT, for somebody else, that is. Hahaha!

No laaah... I truly believe Parenting ni is a very subjective thing, as every child is unique AND every parent is different, too! At the end of the day, only the parents themselves would know the best way to tackle/handle their kids, insya Allah.

Cheers, Kmar ;)

MamaEta said...

Shana,

Nasi lemak kerang tu..aduhai best!!!and why do some of the kedekut ones hanya letak 1/8 telur eh?..berapa mau jimat daa...agaknya..as the kerang dah kolesterol..so depa ingat boh sket telur kot ..to balance....hehehe!

And Shana, di sini banyak minat dengan di sinun punya usaha...untuk anak-anak...rajin maa...I had once tried to flip over my kids book..kunun nak cuba fahamkan..ape lah syllabusnya and mana-mana aspek yang boleh ..tapi sekejap..instead...pi kedai and cari yang 'mungkin' sesuai...tak larat nak tengokkan 4 orang punya cerita...

Anyway yours truly motivates me..hahaha...and kalu kita jadi you...dapat tahu anak score..dah meleleh dah air mato den..lidah kelu tak terkata depan cikgu..

Again..tahniah untuk anakandanya...
Berkat Usaha, doa dan tawakkal...and bukan sehari dua tanam ubi baru dapat hasilnya...
alhamdulillah!!

So..anak-anak mau di belanja ape ya?

wanshana said...

Eta,

Thanks :)!

Tu lah...I ngan Haizal menggeleng kepala with disbelief when we saw the 1/8 egg in the nasi lemak bungkus. Usaha makcik tu terkial-kial nak potong telur sampai 8!! Punya lah kedekut. That was the LAST time we bought NL from her!

I read your blog - all your Ms are doing well what? You're doing a great job with them, too! It is somewhat susah sikit for you to monitor your two older girls as they're in boarding schools, kan? But, I'm sure bila cuti, you pun pulun with them :)

Sapa kata air mata I tak bergenang when we got to know results anak-anak?! I ni kan boleh tahan cememeh. Was trying very hard not cry (especially when we got Hilman's results! Hehehe!)

Cheers, Eta. Take care! :)

Lee said...

Hi Wanshana, alamak! Rgt 2.30 satu bungkus? Wow! And to think back in the 70's I used to pay 30 cents or 50 cents, ha ha.
You are a very good boss, buy for your staff. Long time ago had a boss, never seen his wallet, kedukut betul dia!
Have a good weekend, Lee.

Amy said...

Which part of Seksyen 17? Bagi landmark sket. Teringin gak nak try :)

Amy said...

BTW, I'm linking your blog at mine, bleh ye?

Anonymous said...

Tee hee,
you and ayah were so jahat to hilman you knowwww ;p
haha, typical hasya la like that -__-
AND typical me too!
and I do not bang my head every now and again..
haha, that's not the word to describe it okayyy :D

I WILL GET NO. 1 IN THE UPCOMING EXAM!
:)

-hannasuhailahaizal-

wanshana said...

Hi Uncle Lee,

Yup! RM2.30 satu bungkus. Now if you pay 30 - 50 sen, can get daun pisang only...Hehehe!

And about me belanja my clerks, sometimes they also belanja me :) Normally we don't really plan, so sometimes a few of us at the office would get something for the others on the same day, and we'd have a feast at the office! :)

You have a good weekend, too, Uncle Lee!

wanshana said...

Hi Amy,

Do you know the Flats at Tapak Pasar Tani and Pasar Malam at Section 17, beside UM's Section 17 College? (Now it's called the International House)

The stall is operated by the lady outside of her Ground Floor Flat, near the Gerai Makan, under an orange umbrella. She's there every day, except on Thursdays and Saturdays. She also sells, Kuey Teow/Bihun/Mee Goreng and kueh-mueh.

Selamat Mencuba. :)

And oh yes...of course you can link my blog to yours :)

Have a great weekend!

wanshana said...

Hanna dear,

Don't just SAY IT. JUST DO IT! ;) Mommy and Ayah know YOU CAN DO IT!

You go, girl!!!

We're very proud of you and adek-adek (but there's always ample room for us to feel prouder :))

And about Hilman - you know Mommy and Ayah - we were just pulling his legs and nak mengusik laaa...Hehehe!

For the rest of the readers, Hanna's referring to the day we got Hilman's results -

He didn't follow us to school that day, and when we went back with his Report Card, Ayah and I pretended to be upset and cross with him.

I was putting on my very sedih and upset look, and was going on and on, "Hilman, you didn't tell me you got this kind of results... We didn't expect this you know? How do you explain this? You've never got this kind of results, you know?!"

And Hilman was just looking at me, and with his woeful eyes, he asked me "Did I get a bad results?

I put the Report Card in his hands, flicked it to the Std. 2 results page and asked him to look at his results, and said, "I want you to explain this to Mommy".

He just looked at his Report Card and then looked at me (obviously he was NOT really looking as he continued looking at me, expecting me to continue scolding him...)

And then I said to him - "Hilman, just look at your Report Card (still sounding upset!) and explain to Mommy - you got No. 1, okay?!" (Still with a stern look on my face) and he looked so confused for a good 20 seconds, when I kept on repeating that he got No. 1 (he's a phlegmatic boy, remember?!) And all those time Hasya, who already knew Hilman's results was trying really hard NOT to burst out laughing!

When Hilman realized that he heard me right when I said he got No. 1, his face just lit up and he was beaming, and laughing, and said, "Aaawwwwwhhhh!!! Mommy!!! I got No. 1?!! I got No. 1?!! Why did you trick me?!!"

And by that time, Ayah, Hasya, Hilman and myself were huddling together and jumping up and down in my MIL's living room, screaming and laughing...and I had tears in my eyes...

I know, I know... some of you might say, "Teruknya Mommy and Ayah Hilman ni...", but, you all should have seen Hilman's face when he realized we were just pulling his legs that day...I wished I could frame it...

To my three kids -

Mmmmmuuuuaaaahhh!!!

Anonymous said...

Hanna...

Mommy & Ayah had very different upbringing -it was more of the stick rather than the carrot that drove Ayah then! However, I am forever thankful for the way my parents brought me up....and Hanna, your Mommy & Ayah are not even half as strict as your Wan tau...

Looking back, I realised that I was even treated differently than Pak Long & Aunty Lynn. I knew this then but I have never asked Wan why she was so so strict with me especially. Maybe one day I will.

Whatever it is, Wan & Arwah Tuk were acting as what good parents normally do and brought the best out of us by pushing each one to the limits...according to our different personalities - just like what Mommy & Ayah are doing to you, Hasya & Hilman.

You are all different in your own special way...but we love you all just the same.

So Hanna...you CAN, and you WILL get no. 1!

:)

Mior Azhar said...

Shana,

whatever it is,, sejuk perut ibu mengandung kan? Congrats to the three kids.... we can't help being kiasu when it comes to our kids kan kan kan

jabishah said...

Hello Kak Shana,
Well done to all your little Hs. I enjoyed reading about them.
I hv to agree each child is unique in their own way. They need great parents like you to help them reaching for the stars.
I couldn't help frm smiling reading about your kids being too anxious of getting to school early. HB & I love to observe the girls after we drop them to school. Yasmin once she bangs the car door (dah slalu kena tegur pun.. kesian pintu tu), starts to sprint. Awal ke lambat ke mesti lari. On the other hand, Wardah does her catwalk to school. Doesn't bang the door, walks with grace & stops occasionally to wave at us... hehehe.
Take care now.

MAMAMIA said...

Nak tiru line Ibu; ke mana tumpahnya kuah kalau tak ke nasi?...

Well done to your kids, & of couse to you & Ayah too.

Hanna sama macam my Farah, typical teenage girl. Bila buat homework, must have the background sound fr TV, or Ipod. (But she'll scold the adik2s, bila they all buat bising). Reading subjects are her weak area.

Like U, I used to prepare mock quetions for the kids. But these time around, I slacked a bit, tu sebab the kids' results dropped.
Lepas baca N3 ni, I'm motivated to work harder . Hopefully, bukan hangat2 tahi ayam..

wanshana said...

Ayah,

I second every single word you wrote here :)

I think you were very much like Hasya back then - that was why Mak pushed you a bit more than she did your siblings.

(And evidently she chose the right method to push you! :))

So, Hanna - No choice but to get No. 1 for your finals, okay?

Mommy and Ayah will always do'akan Hanna and adek-adek...

We love all of you so very much!

wanshana said...

Mior,

Thanks!(Any colder, my perut will freeze...Hahaha!)

Nothing wrong being kiasu parents, kan kan kan? We try to make sure our kids will be well-prepared when reality of life sets in, kan kan kan?

We cannot and we will not be there for them all the time, so, masa kecik-kecik ni lah we have to make sure they have a strong foundation - academically and spiritually, insya Allah.

Cheers!

P/S : Is it true that you all will be moving to Sarawak?

wanshana said...

Jabishah,

Thanks :)

Tu lah tu...Anak teruna I, selagi I tak bukak the car door, selagi tu he will not unfasten his belt, or get out of the car. After that he would walk up the stairs slowly and would make a point to turn and wave me goodbye even if he's VERY late for school!

Hasya pulak would call me every 2 minutes (from 12:00pm) to remind me to come back early to fetch and send her and her brother to school when it's my turn to send them. She would ask me what the time is throughout the 5-7 minutes car ride to school, and she would rush up the stairs as soon as she gets out of the car!

Hanna pulak - monyok panjang all the way to school if her Ayah sets out from home after 6:45a.m padahal most of the time she'll reach there around 7:10a.m pun! (She's not a "morning person" by the way... )Sigh...

Take care, Jabishah. Have a good week ahead! :)

wanshana said...

Mamamia,

Thanks :)

As I wrote earlier, anak-anak I ni dapat kuah masak lemak chili padi their Ayah. Hehehe!

Ha-ah! Hanna is exactly like Farah. Bunyi bising TV or songs, etc., tak aper, but bila adek-adek bising sikit, asyik kena marah ajer by her! Sungguh tidak faham...

We still buat mock papers for the younger two. Untuk Hanna - dah lama pencen. Sejak we hantar her for tuition - all responsibilities have been transferred to her tuition teachers! I don't think we could come up with decent mock papers for Std. 5 onwards maaa...
(I think if I were to sit for UPSR, mustahil dan musykil untuk dapat 5A's! Hehehe!)

Take care, Mamamia.

Have a good week ahead :)

Helena said...

hi there.... hey you buat mock papers too?? Hey sama la kita. I hate it so much...... but I forced myself to do it... lucky you, you have hubby assisting..... my hubby taknak tolongla.... dia kata i ni over..... hehe....

Reading your entry ni macam i baca my entry pulak haha..... with the mock papers.... (and subcon to tuition teachers bila dah besar) with hasya who is determined for no1, just like my Pu3..... Hanna the head banger (haha) just like my Anastassia..... and hilman.... just like my playful zaryff... who suprised us with his n04 in the midterms (walaupun tak seriously prepared for teh exam)..... hehe

The conversation in the car, comparing marks with their rivals.... OMG Shana..... kiasu kita sama!! hehe

take care dearie....

wanshana said...

Dear Helena,

It's good to know that I'm not alone. Sometimes I would say to myself, "Biar betul?!!" Hahaha!

And I sort of knew anak-anak kita punya characters ni lebihkurang sama when I read your blog :)

But, bila fikirkan balik, I'm sure there are so many parents out there yang sama waktu dengan kita, kan? Well, it's not a bad thing if we know limits anak-anak kita to cope with our "kiasu-ness". Hehehe!

Good luck to us..(and our kids!) ;)

Take care!