Keep it simple

While there is lots going on in our lives that I could talk about I much prefer to talk child education because a couple of weeks ago I read The Battle Hymn of a Tiger Mother. If anyone’s ever read this book you will know that it is a book that forces readers to re-evaluate their parenting in light of the successes of Chinese parenting. This was a very interesting book to read in Australia where parenting is the polar opposite of the Chinese model. I think there are good parts to both philosophies but I am always a little shocked when parents complain of work load here. My fourth grader does about an half an hour of homework a week - it is pretty hard to feel bad for her and I am sometimes left wondering whether Australian children are much weaker at math for lack of practice. The novel left me feeling like we should push our children more because it is true that the key to most successes is practice. And I encourage you to read the book and discuss this further with me (and Aurora who decided she she is interested in a book about strict parenting). But then Tova made me rethink all my thinking.

Tova has really wanted to learn to ride a two wheel bicycle like her sisters. Experience has taught me that this is a slightly arduous and back bending task for parents. Nonetheless, a couple months ago I started dong that slow going hold the back of the bike and let go sort of thing. We did it quite a few times with very little progress. Meanwhile Tova has been riding her balance bike. Last week Tova came home for a friends house and informed me that she could now ride a two wheeler. I was slightly disbelieving and asked how she learned. My friend taught me. Oh yeah how exactly did she teach you? She told me I had to push off with my feet and then pedal. Oh that’s it? Yeah. Hmmm. And then she hopped on Sophia’s bicycle and rode around smiling victoriously. But it doesn’t end there. She then let me know she was going to go teach her neighbor friend and ran off. Literally 10 minutes later she ran back in the house to let me know her friend could now ride a two wheeler. Sure enough they were both giddy in the sunset riding circles around the courtyard. But what about practice and hard work and smart adults who know best? Sadly for us our neighbors just moved to China. The only upside of their move is that we can now test out the Chinese vs Australian education model by pretending the two girls are twins separated (shortly after) birth. Except one will be going to a British school in China and one is going to a French school in Australia so I may have to revise the study question. 

A witch and little red riding hood (no photos available of the monkey and the bunny)

Rainbow and sunlight on the starkly modern foreshore