Woot! Woot! I’m one proud daddy. My eldest daughter, Lynn not only passed the EEE (Erdkinder Entrance Exam, required to gain entry into the high school I work for, a top high school in CDO and the high school program of the elementary school she currently goes to) she actually topped the exam, along with her best friend Raine Radke and fellow grade 6 student Anya Santos (3-way tie for the top score). Congratulations, girls…and see you next school year (*evil teacher laugh*).Wow, God provides exceedingly abundantly beyond what we ask or think (Eph. 3:20). We were all praying…hard, and Lynn was so nervous that she prayed three times before the exam started.
I just prayed that she’d do well. But topping the exam…that took the cake.
Like a true daddy’s girl, Lynn’s top result was English, then followed by (surprisingly) Filipino, then math. I don’t remember what her weakest subject was. I better find out so that I can enhance it. I honestly thought it was Filipino.
Anyway, I was about to end this celebratory blog entry right here, but then again, a voice inside of me (is that You, Lord?) reminded me that “Lynn is not a grade!”
Yeah, our love or our treatment of our kids should not be based on their achievements or failures. Of course, I’m proud of her for topping the exam, but that will not make me love her more. Neither will any of her failures make me love her less. She knows that.
We need to watch how we act in this area, folks, as some kids may grow up thinking that we will love them only if they excel. Let them feel that our acceptance of them is unconditional, no matter if we are elated or disappointed. It doesn’t mean we don’t show disappointment or elation, but they should see that they’re secure in our love for them no matter what.
Another thought crossed my mind: that wifey and I should continue to expect the best not only in the academics side, but in other areas of life as well.
I call this the Luke 2:52 principle. What’s this verse? It’s the last verse that is said about Jesus’ childhood, and it simply states this:
“And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.”
Think of the four legs of a chair: if we just strengthen or focus on only one leg, the chair will not be able to do its job well. Same with people. Focusing on just intellectual/academic development alone while barely acknowledging the others (especially the spiritual) is asking for a flawed individual at best and a wreck in extreme cases (some of the smartest people I know have become mistresses, womanizers, druggies, I can go on and on…)
So, do you want some quickie tips on how to enhance each of the legs? Here you go…
In wisdom – "Intellectually"
Actually, for us Asian parents, this is by far the one we focus on the most, so I’m sure you’ve heard them before: “get them the best education you can afford,” “help them with their homework,” “enhance their academics with tutors or training centers,” “minimize the TV,” blah, blah.So for this one, I’m gonna tell you a Montessori secret: when they ask questions (and elem age kids tend to ask a lot of “why” questions) try not to give them the answers. That’s right, don’t give them the answers right away.
Instead, allow them access to how they can dig up that information. Kids have an insatiable appetite for information (as a kid, I knew the names of every dinosaur there was, and every fighter jet there was, and...), so if you just answer their question right away, the appetite has been killed and no exploration has been made.
Let them explore…and learning will skyrocket. That means you allow them to hit the info websites and the books. Get them to search for the answers, and before you know it, you'll find yourself surrounded by very intelligent, curious, and industrious kids.
Speaking of books, here's another tip that I notice is not being practiced much today: raise your kids to become readers. As a teacher, I notice that the students who have the hardest time in school, the ones who frustrate parents and teachers alike, are usually the ones who have not picked up the habit of reading. Likewise, the best students are readers by habit, and learning comes so, so easy for them.
Reading: it's more fun with dad
My kids love to read. Often times I have to tell them to stop reading (especially while in the car). How did they become so? Well, when they were babies, we showed them books of colors and shapes. As toddlers, we often read to them before they slept. Now, they read all the time…and so they become natural learners and do well in exams.Remember Proverbs 22:6, "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it."
Oh, if you're looking for good books for your teen daughter to read, you can check out my blog entry about "Books for Christian teen girls." I also made a blog post about "Books to give Christian fathers" and if you are one of those guys, feel free to take a look.
Okay, if I cover the rest of what I do based on Luke 2:52 here, this article would be way too long. I’m going to end at this point for now, and I will make a second part of this article.
Again, congratulations to my daughter, Lynn (and two other girls) for topping the Erdkinder Entrance Exam (at least for the CDO group). Keep up the excellent work!
