Had a chat with a friend of mine, who unlike me, had her children a little later in life.
She was building a business to ensure that her children would be catered for.
Now that's smart.
I had never counted the cost of raising children. Didn't think it could be this expensive in Singapore!
Boy were we in for a shock!
From the baby package on (prenatal check ups, type of delivery, which Doctor), There's really no stopping. Tuition, Enrichment, Sports like swimming and tennis Music lessons, not just piano lessons, but like drums, flutes, guitar, pop piano.... you name it.
The bills grow fast and furious.
My friend is quite well off now, having laboured hard, to build up a comfortable home for her family.
The children? Well, they get to have many things my children didn't get till about a year ago. Mind you, her children had to 'earn' it by studying hard, my friend didn't spoil them just because she had them late.
This is something I do with my children too. Work for the cell phone Earn it. They earned a TV from their grandmother. They earned a trip to US - Long anticipated trip, but nonetheless, The girls did wonderfully well that year!
We may not have new laptops new MP3s at the drop of the hat But I still reward them for their efforts I can hear some parents say.... The children are supposed to Study hard To do well To score high marks
Well, they are supposed to Do the best they could it doesn't hurt though, to Give a little incentive a little tangible encouragement.
We appreciate an extra pat on the back a thicker wage packet at the end of the year, So why shouldn't we Reward our children?
Then what if the children didn't do well?
In the commercial world, We don't get promoted, We might get fired, but...
In parenting It's not conditional
Because even if the children did badly, We don't withdraw our love for them. We try ways of helping them Achieve their full potential We fund their activities and hobbies We try to encourage them to Realise their dreams. We hope with them the same hope they nurse.
And hide the concerns we have or try to steer them from the pitfalls we see coming or simply cushion their falls.
And we will always be there to lift them up to wipe away a little tear to share a hot mug of cocoa or a glass of wine.....
Name: charisMA Home: Singapore About Me: Mom of 2 amazing n different girls. Love to sing, act n help people, even if it's just with a smile. See my complete profile Earworm:
