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12 singapore’s child | may 2014
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Ready Steady Slow
PHOTO GETTY IMAGES
In today’s fast-paced and modern world, keeping our children to be ‘children’ can be a hard task. But it is necessary. Here’s why. By Shaistah Munawar
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develop
A
re our kids growing up too fast? Some would say that they are, as compared to previous times. Childhood has always been fleeting, but it seems that it has become arguably shorter in the past few years. These days, children have access to so much more information and exposure to what you and I had in our era. Having loads of knowledge at your fingertips (literally) may be a good thing, but to what extent? Are we jeopardising our children’s growth and development by hurrying them to become premature adults? The hurried child syndrome Simply put, the hurried syndrome is a condition in which parents overschedule their children’s lives, push them hard for academic success, and expect them to behave and react as miniature adults. In the overly-competitive society we live in today, pressure is mounting everywhere, especially in schools for some children. “To be honest, I find it hard sometimes to help my son out in his homework, as the syllabus and what they’re currently learning is vastly different from what I learned back then. Maybe this is the newer way to teach kids, but I don’t remember having to learn algebra until I was in secondary school,” says Judy Tan, mother of two. According to Dr. David Elkind, psychologist and renowned book author, parents should let children be children. In fact, his research suggests that students are more likely to have academic success if they are not hurried through their early childhood by parents who overestimate their competence and overexpose them to academic pressures. “When my son took his PSLE last year, I felt that my husband and I did put him through a lot of stress, which he couldn’t handle. Although he was an above-average student, I
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placed him in many different tuition groups as I myself was feeling the stress. This wasn’t the best idea as my son suffered a mental breakdown – something he shouldn’t be facing at age 12,” recalls Nora, mother of one. Besides academics, the other factor which (most) parents are guilty of is their unrealistic expectations. Let’s face it, kids are kids and it is hard, if not impossible, for them to live up to sky-high expectations. Hence, when they are unable to perform, children then have to deal with a heavy burden that they may be letting their parents down. These feelings may even carry into their adult careers, which isn’t a good skill to hone. Why children shouldn’t be rushed Children are only children once. No matter how hard we try to rewind time, those precious years won’t
come back. While it is completely alright for parents to teach kids to be matured (in the correct sense), responsible and independent, their childhood shouldn’t be taken away from them, as doing so can cause them to lose out on important developments. Stop and smell the roses Life is a constant race and it’ll only get faster in time. However, the key is to not get too trapped in it till we lose out on the other things in life that matter the most, such as watching your child grow and become the person they’re born to be. “Taking the child’s point of view demands goodwill, time, and effort on the part of parents. The child is the clear beneficiary. Parents who make the effort to understand their children’s point of view are likely to treat children fairly and in an
Kids shouldn’t be rushed as: They need time to learn to do things on their own Parents need to accept the fact that some kids need to be given the opportunity to try and fail at new challenging activities, until they can master them.
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You might curb their curiosity and keep them from discovering their interests and passions If we keep rushing our kids from things as insignificant as noticing a beautiful stone on the pavement, or stopping to pet a puppy passing by, we are slowly numbing them to their inherent curiosity and their authentic interest in what is happening around them.
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They will find it hard to connect with their emotions When we constantly rush our kids from one activity to the next, we might not be allowing them enough time to process how they feel in response to whatever is happening in their day. Therefore, this absence can often create an emotional build-up; one that they might or might not be able to manage and deal with.
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It prevents you from being the parent you want to be By constantly rushing our kids through life, usually to keep up with planned activities or your own schedules, you are making things harder for yourselves. This is because when things don’t go your way, you will have less patience to nurture the kiddos and to listen and see them for who they are: their needs, their uniqueness, their character and their beautiful golden hearts.
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With fun educational activities for boys & girls KIDS
z o n d i e K & BELO 12 W
MAY 2014 ISSUE 150
! N I W
e tyl MyS y d a Bea erpl on Int – Ne s t f t Cra y se ller e w Je
Learn
about
Africa
HIS GREATEST BATTLE BEGINS
more The
n Wild D og
t
e Explor zy he cra
of world nauts astro
Stor
ies behin d perso nal memo rabil ia
INSIDE
INSIG HT
I
t's great to be SpiderMan! For Peter Parker, there's no feeling quite like swinging between skyscrapers, embracing being the hero, and spending time with Gwen Stacy. But being Spider-Man comes at a price: only Spider-Man can protect his fellow New Yorkers from the formidable villains that threaten the city. With the emergence of Electro, Peter must confront a foe far more powerful than him. And as his old friend, Harry Osborn returns, Peter comes to realise that all of his enemies have one thing in common: Oscorp.
IN CINEMAS MAY 1
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Ab ou tt he ch ar ac te rs
Get ready for some intense web-slinging action with The Amazing Spider-Man 2™ !
Peter Parker/ Spider-Man
Spider-Man is capable of so much that Peter Parker couldn't do, but the heart of the character is always Peter. Spider-Man is the ultimate protector of the underdog. He has an overdeveloped sense of responsibility and heroic impulse, but he also has this deeply felt sense of justice. Still, even as Spider-Man has to face the prospect of multiple villains uniting against him, Peter is sorting out what he's going to do about the most important part of his life, Gwen Stacy.
Peter hasn't forgotten the promise he made to Captain Stacy, but that's a promise he just can't keep. It's hard for him to live with himself by breaking that promise, but impossible for him to live without her. He's a torn, confused young man trying to figure out the best thing to do.
Max Dillon/ Electro
Max Dillon is an underdog, not a villain – you want to feel badly for him. He's a man who has been ignored his whole life. But when he becomes Electro, he wants recognition, at all costs. Electro, the villain, is taking out his frustration and anger on humanity, specifically targeting Spider-Man.
Max was once Spider-Man's greatest fan, but, as Electro, he becomes his greatest foe. He has one role model, one friend in his mind, and it's SpiderMan. But when he misinterprets one of Spider-Man's actions, he feels betrayed. Max is also an extremely smart guy, who should be celebrated for building big things for Oscorp. He should be getting a company car and an expense account – and instead, he gets nothing. Eventually, Max finds a way to lash out – against the very person who was once his idol…
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STORY
ez L o w -J im en ez & F el ic ia en m Ji n g B y A da M ab el L en Il lu st ra ti o ns
“Purramid!” he shouted. “Purramid, where are you, you insipid cat!” “Señor Straw! Keep it down, por favor. We're having our siesta!” Dr. Bartholomew Straw cackled gleefully as the electricity arced over the table in the centre of his lab. The draped form on the table, which was vaguely bunch-of-grapes-shaped, jiggled slightly as more electricity coursed through it. Dr. Straw was attempting to revive jam and make it do his bidding, and his experiment showed promise. Unfortunately for him, he did not possess enough power in his lab. “Confound it!” Dr. Straw shouted, throwing the switch into the off-position and putting his glasses back on. “An army of undead jambies would make the world tremble at my feet, but I need more power!” Dr. Straw paced in circles around the draped table. His lab coat fluttered as he furiously attempted to solve his power shortage problem. He finally put on his utility belt and threw open the doors of his lab and stepped out onto the kitchen counter, shielding his eyes from the sudden light.
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Dr. Straw looked up to the top of the fruit basket to see his neighbours Ernesto Platano, a banana, and Louis L'Orange, an orange. “Your mid-afternoon nap will be the first thing I outlaw when I rule this world!” Dr. Straw shouted. He rather enjoyed shouting. It made him feel important. “Oui, Monsieur Straw, but in the meantime, less shouting s'il vous plait,” Louis said, settling back into a reclining position. “It's Doctor, you useless layabouts!” Dr. Straw shouted. “I didn't go to eight years of strawberry medical school so I could be called 'Mister Straw' in various languages!” Ernesto and Louis ignored Dr. Straw as they attempted to nap. Dr. Straw, in turn, ignored
them and stalked across the kitchen counter. “Purramid!” he shouted again.
“Ow,” Purramid said. “Also, I'm pretty sure that crumb was kitty litter.”
“I'm down here, Barry!”
Dr. Straw rubbed his eyes under his glasses.
Dr. Straw looked over the edge of the counter and saw the enormously fat cat that was Purramid staring at a crumb on the floor. Legend had it that Purramid was so named because he was the size of an Egyptian pyramid. He slightly resembled one as well, with his small head and gigantic butt, all covered in yellow fur. Dr. Straw didn't usually believe in legends, but this one, he had no problem assuming was true.
“Let me try that again on the other stool,” Purramid said. He disentangled himself from the stool he had brought down, and lumbered over to the other stool. He stared at the seat and got ready to jump up, giving his giant butt a good shake. He pounced and landed safely on the stool with only a little wobbling.
“What do you think this is, Barry?” Purramid asked.
“No, you may not take a nap!” Dr. Straw shouted. “Now bend down so I can get on!”
“I've told you many times, you insensate bag of fur, my name is Bartholomew!”
Purramid sighed and lowered his head. Dr. Straw got on and shouted, “To the refrigerator!”
“What does 'insensate' mean?” Purramid asked, looking up at Dr. Straw. “Also, you know I can't say your full name.”
“Yes, please take him away!” Ernesto yelled from the fruit basket. “I cannot take his screaming any longer!”
“It means 'foolish'! And call me Dr. Straw if you cannot pronounce my proper given name!” Dr. Straw shouted. “Now come up here! I require a ride to the refrigerator!”
Dr. Straw looked back to see Louis nod in agreement.
“Oooh! Are we getting more salmon?” Purramid asked. He stared at the crumb again. “Seriously though, what is this?” “How should I know? You've been staring at it this whole time, while I have just arrived!” Dr. Straw looked at the clock on the wall. The humans would be home soon. “Do you think I can eat it?” Purramid asked. “Yes, eat it, for the love of Science! Just get up here!” Purramid picked up the crumb with his tongue and tried to jump up to the stool next to the counter. He misjudged how close he was, and Purramid came crashing back down to the floor, bringing the stool with him.
“Whew! That was tiring,” Purramid said. “Can I take a nap now?”
“Bah!” Dr. Straw shouted. “Those simpletons know nothing!” Purramid walked to the edge of the counter and looked down.
“This seems high…” he said. “You make this jump all the time!” Dr. Straw shouted. “And it always seems high…” Purramid gave his butt a good shake, and then another shake for luck, and jumped down, landing not as nimbly as he had hoped, but nimbly enough that Dr. Straw didn't fall off with the thud of Purramid's generous hindquarters on the floor. He scampered to the refrigerator as Dr. Straw looked at the clock again. He only had a half hour before the first human would be home. Purramid had wasted precious time, so he would have to move fast. When they reached the refrigerator, Dr. Straw pulled out his patented Strawpling Hook (basically
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a grappling hook in the shape of a strawberry) from his utility belt. He shot it upwards and hooked onto the refrigerator handle. He tied the other end to Purramid's collar and shouted, “Now, open the door!” Purramid scampered away from the refrigerator and threw his entire weight (which was considerable) to open the door. “Excellent!” Dr. Straw shouted. He began climbing the shelves until he got to the very top shelf, where he could access the light bulb. He had to crawl over some leftovers and squeeze around a jar of mayonnaise, but he got there. When he reached the light bulb, he unscrewed it. He took his power converter out of his utility belt and screwed into
What do with What starts ‘P’, ends with ‘E’, and has millions of letters?
lawyers
H G LAU
wear to court?
Funny Bone
Answer: Lawsuits.
Your
Answer: So he could loaf around.
Tickle
When does a
Why does it take pirates so long to learn the alphabet?
doctor get mad?
Answer: When he runs out of patients.
'S T LE
Why did the lazy man apply for the job at the bakery?
What did the
dentist receive for an award?
Answer: Because they spend years at C.
Where do astronauts keep their
sandwich es?
Answer: A little plaque.
Answer: In their launch box.
th under and
lightning
Answer: A helicopper.
Why was there
What do you call a flying police officer?
in the lab?
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Answer: The scientists were brainstorming.