Tuesday, August 09, 2005

Communication?

Today is the last day of work before holiday!!!
YAAAA!!!!
My brain has already slipped into holiday mode and I am having a hard time even thinking about working. Later later later.

Last night was a normal night. Nothing special, nothing happening. Hell we ate left-overs for dinner.
Then at around 8 the door bell rang.
???? WHO?
Li was sitting there in his boxers, so I had to answer. It was some guy selling something to do with kids. I was a tad confused as my Japanese sucks beyond the very basics of a conversation. I told him to wait and I made Li get his ass off the couch and talk to this guy.
Turns out he was selling something to do with testing your kid. 'Communication' was his catch phrase. They were offering a way to tell how well you are communicating with your kid and how well your kid is developing.
We were not overly interested in this so called test. My eyebrows raised a few notches when he asked how many YEARS old JiXiang was. Didn't think we would get a very accurate result if they couldn't tell that she was still a baby.
There was something desperate about him, though. There was something in his voice that was making it really hard for Li and I to say no to him. Silently (we never discussed it after) I think Li and I were both thinking that this guy had the worst paying job around. His clothes were clean but he needed new shoes.
We decided to oblige him and do the stupid test. It was only 10 bucks.
Li put his kanji reading skills to good use and we answered three pamphlet booklets of questions - everything from 'do you place your kids toys behind them and they turn to reach for them', to 'do you use flash cards with your kid'. Yes and helllll no!
FLASH CARDS!?!?
It is sad but I know that there are a lot of parents out there that do the flash card thing. I read an article quite a few months ago that turned me off the flash card idea. It said that today's children were dangerously stressed, causing acting out aggression and kids to turn in upon themselves. Parents are so worried about having a 'smart' kid that they are forgetting to worry about their kid being a kid. We are sending them to piano lessons, all types of tutors and language classes, all before they turn 12 and the kids are getting stressed. They have forgotten how to play, relax and have fun. I am not doing that to my kid.
Li is totally with me on this note. If you think Japan's school system is stressful, stay far away from the Chinese system. It puts our North American system to shame. Problem is, those kids are stressed. Li said that you see kids with backpacks so heavy they cant walk straight and glasses so thick they are blind with out them, all before they turn 14. When Li was around 12 his hair started falling out from school work stress. His mother freaked, chucked the books across the room and told him to go out and play.
So no flash cards for my kid.
The only things that we might be a bit crazy about is, math done by Li and spelling done by me. I cant spell worth shite.
So we answered the questions, filled out the papers and paid the 10 bucks. We will get something in the mail in a week or two.
I told JiXiang after he left that she didnt have to worry because I already knew that she was the smartest most amazing kid in all the land.
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Posted by (Top)Andrea::8/09/2005 :: 2 Comments:

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