AUG 23 — My mum observed that today’s children are learning at a much faster pace. They begin to read earlier, do things for themselves sooner, she said, watching my son Ishan switch on the television and pop his Barney DVD into the player when he was only 15 months old.
It’s no wonder. Parents are better-educated and well-travelled. Cable television has arguably opened more eyes than books have, with the less-inclined to read more willing to flip channels than pages.
I remember “reading” aloud in kindergarten, at age five. Only I wasn’t reading; I had memorised most of the text.
My friend’s son on the other hand started reading at 20 months. Not an entire book, but simple sentences. I was blown away when he excitedly read out the brand of toothpaste I held up before the webcam one night.
My son’s best bud, Kai, is now 18 months old can recognise the alphabet and numbers one to 10. When we popped over for a visit two weeks ago, he took my hand and proudly introduced me to the wall, floor, sofa and invited me to “s*it (sit)”.
Should I be worried that Ishan doesn’t know the alphabet nor speak yet? Unlike his two friends, for Ishan books exist for the twin pleasure of being stomped on and slapped shut.
Things can get pretty crazy in Hong Kong when it comes to child education. Other mums started asking me what school/ playgroup/ language class I would be signing Ishan up for when he was only five months old.
Are we holding Ishan back from his full potential by letting him develop at his own pace instead of signing him up for all sorts of lessons at 19 months?
There was an article in this week’s local papers about a 17-month girl with a vocabulary of 600 English words and 100 Chinese characters. She reads music scores too. Her dad invested in flashcards, CDs and online tutorials costing between HK$10,000 and HK$70,000 (RM4,600 to RM32,200) to aid her mental development when she was still a baby.
It’s all a little overwhelming at this point. Instead we pride ourselves in exposing Ishan to a range of “survival skills” involving daily experiences with safety lessons attached: like letting him handle his own butter knife and fork, watching him climb onto the sofa to reach for a book, negotiate staircases and escalators and other similar danger-prone acts that toddlers seem to have an affinity for. There is no doubt these exercises were accompanied by shouts of “Be careful!” as well as minor accidents but he has learnt them well.
There are also the usual courtesy drills. He greets familiar faces with a wave and occasionally a nod (wonder where he got that from) and hugs his friends goodbye when it’s time to leave.
He enjoys “helping” us carry out chores such as loading the washing machine and switching it on. The phrase “Can you help mummy (insert activity) please” transforms Ishan into an eager assistant.
This is all amazing stuff to me. Up to three years ago I had never carried a baby or even wanted to know much about one. Meanwhile I watch in amazement as my son morphs into a little person in his own right.
I don’t know what I was doing at Ishan’s age. My husband is convinced that he wasn’t the brightest bulb, preferring to sit quietly on the potty while playing his toy farm animals.
I think it boils down to the environment and opportunities we are exposed to today. Parents seem to be more aware that children are able to process information from a very young age. Or could it be just like what they say, children today are smarter?
More resources are also at our disposal now with the emergence of websites and blogs that dispense advice and information from shared experiences. I for one read every one of the newsletters from babycentre.com that pops into my inbox daily. Who knows when I’ll need that article on teaching a fearless toddler to be safe?
For now, watching my energetic son push his tricycle around and climb up and down the play set with his friends in the playground gives me much pleasure.
I want to hear Ishan laugh deliriously with joy. I want him to enjoy every new experience. Because I believe that is when he learns the best — happily.
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