Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Kindi Orientation and Tantrum Day

We attended Lunz's kindi orientation day last Friday on the 2nd January 2009. There were many other parents and kids hanging around. Chairs were being arranged in rows for the briefing session and several tables were piled up with books. All neatly arranged on each table with labels of the kids' age group. Lunz really enjoyed himself during the orientation time. But from what I can observed, the orientation was mainly for parents. I thought that it was for the kids earlier. Parents were briefed by the principle on their education system and the rules and regulations that parents should obeyed.

Before the briefing started, Lunz was having a fun time at the play area. He was playing with the slides and the balls that he found inside a nearby basket. I told myself, doesn't this kid get tired? This was because he did not nap in the afternoon and he still had loads of energy jumping and running around. Daddy was with him outside while I took a seat inside and wait till the briefing starts. Then, I saw Lunz walking into the briefing area, bypassed me and simply went inside one of the classroom as if he owns the place. He even took some toys out from the classroom. Selamba saje la, this boy. I told him to put the toys back and he did. Then another second, he was half way climbing up the stairs. I had to stopped him before he really went upstairs when everyone else were supposed to be downstairs. Finally, he went back outside to the play area cheerfully and continued playing.

Soon, everyone were inside and I ushered my 2 boys in as well. That was before we had any idea that the briefing can be so boring. As it goes on, more and more children were getting impatient and can't sit still which includes the little monster. Few times he called his daddy loudly until the whole kindi also can hear, "DDDDDAAAARRRRLLLIIINNNNGGGGGG!!"

I even saw the little boy who sat in front of me started to play by himself, crawling under the chairs and the parents just let him do it! Me, on the other hand had to sing songs to him to make him listened and sat still. Finally, I asked daddy to bring him to the play area while I listened to the briefing. When the briefing was over, we had to collect his uniforms, sportswear, apron and books. I tried L size for the uniform on him and it fits! Then for the rest, I took all L size regardless. So, it was 9.30pm by the time we left the kindi after collecting the books.

The new rule on the road for 2009 is that you have to buckle up when you are sitting on the back seat. So, when I tried to fasten the seat belt, Lunz won't let me to do so. To him, this was not the normal practice, why was mummy doing it? But it was his stubbornness, unwilling to give in and rebellious behavior due to lack of sleep that irritates me. I tried explaining to him that it was necessary to buckle up because seriously we wouldn't wanna be caught by some cops and received summons later. We had a tough time in the car until me and daddy had to switch the seat. I drove the car all the way back while daddy talked to him. Daddy told him that there will be no ice-cream and no TV when we get back if he continues to be naughty. Straight go to take bath and sleep.

But him throwing a tantrum doesn't ended there. When daddy refused to let him switched on the lighting's of the Christmas tree once we got home, he whined and cried again. Kept on crying for me. He just wanted to bully me because he knew I'm soft hearted and will give in to him but not his daddy. When we reached our room, as expected, he refused to take bath. Cried and cried non-stopped. I nearly wanted to give in to him and let him do whatever he wants because I was afraid that if he continues crying like this, he will get an asthma attack. But on the other hand, if now is not a good time to teach him what is right and wrong, when will be the time? He understoods everything already and should be taught the rights and wrongs at this age so that he will grow up to be a better person. Not a spoilt brat.

Although in the bathroom, he was still reluctant to take his bath. He was crying badly for me until daddy shooed me out from the bathroom. Within minutes without me at the scene, I heard him stopped crying and then finally daddy opened the bathroom door. He asked me to go inside and take bath for him. I reckoned that his bargain and negotiation with the little one was successful because he stopped crying. I think daddy played stubborn along with him, kept on asking him to take bath and ignored everything else. Lunz had no choice later but to give in because I was not there and he knew that daddy will not give in to his tantrums. Daddy bargained with him that he gotta stop crying and takes his bath and in return mummy will bath him instead. After his bath, he was extremely tired from his own cryings. He rested on daddy's chest to finish his bottle of milk and later dozed off.

We both were shaking our head. Daddy told me he was really running out of idea on what to do just now. I knew he had heartaches also hearing his son cry but he knew he must teach him now or be spoilt brat later and sometimes on such situation, he told me he really ran out of ideas on how to teach. I told him, raising a child is not so easy. It involves a lot of love and teachings in the many aspects of life. But I trust that we will progress well.

That's the worst tantrum I ever experienced on Lunz since he was born.

Then, the following morning when we headed out for breakfast, I was so surprised to hear Lunz told me to buckle up even before I remembered I had to do so!

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