Ji Hin ~ Our precious gift from God

This was last trial day on 'montessori' school. We went at around 9.00am, a bit late on that day. As usual, when we arrived. Ji Hin rushed to look for the toys on the shelf. He was quite familiar with the environment. Still like to explore everywhere by himself. All others children from all age were gathered in living room. There were communication between principal and children once a week. Principal made some announcement and asked the children passed the messages to their parents. Ji Hin was roaming around the living room made the children couldn't pay attention to principal. Haha!

 

This is one of the materials Ji Hin likes to play.

 

After the communication, all the children back to their own classroom. Ji Hin able to spend longer time in the classroom that day. The attendance on that day was the highest among these 3 days. There were total 6 of them including Ji Hin. But let me clarify first, 3 arrived before 9am, 2 arrived around 10am and the last one only arrived at 11.30am! So enjoy their life huh! Hahah!

 

Those inside the cups are rice. A scoop was used to transfer the rice from one cup to another cup. Ji Hin was able to transfer the rice for a while then prefer to use his hands to play on it. This was the only chance he can play/touch rice in school. I don't think parents out there willing to let their child to do this in their home. Haha..a big 'no no' from me. Why? Because if I do that in home, I will be the maid to clean it. Let me show you what's the end after he playing...

 

Forgive me if you heard me said " Ohhh Shit!"

I felt so sorry to the teacher but she kept saying "It's okey"

 

As I said before, Ji Hin could eat anything. This was his 1st time to eat 'cucur', Malay food. He could sit quitely until finished it. Good boy!

 

After the trial class. I didn't enroll the nursery for Ji Hin. Why? Hubby said Ji Hin was still small and a bit worried. Actually I'm ok to get him start early at this age. Hmmm....a hard decision to make la...so may be wait until next year.

 

The end of the trial class. I guess both Ji Hin and I learned a lot because sometimes if we never try we never know.

 

For day 2, we just spent around 2.5 hours in kindergarden because the principal talked to me for trial, no need to spend too long hours for young kid likes Ji Hin. We arrived at 8.30am. All the kiddos are queuing up to get ready to play at playground. There are slide, tricycle, rubber rabbit/goat for hopping (don't know what it's called), teacher blow the bubbles and a corner where they can play sands too. Ji Hin hold me in 'koala bear' style and he had totally no mood to get on the grass. However he laughed out loud when saw the kiddos hopping with the rubber rabbit/goat. Ji Hin 1st time saw this kind of toys. In about 20min times, he still refused to play on anything at playground. Then I walked out from playground. Outside the playground, he recognized the entrance and then pulling me to the house. Starting from that seconds, only he walked here and there, started looking for his toys...

 

Some of the time I didn't follow him. If he found the toys he wanted to play, he would take it and hold it in his hands. Some of the toys are kept in bottle, he would take that and looked for me to open it. He likes to explore everywhere by himself. Really cannot sat quietly just for a second!

 

One accident happen on Ji Hin that day. He fall down from chair and his head knocked on the floor. Of course he cried. But just after a while, he stopped crying. Luckily those chairs are children chair, not that high. After that accident, I was thinking, how many accidents will be happen again if I sent him to kindergarden later.

 

Actually there is one thing Ji Hin can sit quitely. That is during snack time. Ji Hin can eat anything so far and he likes to eat. The snack for that day was pan cake. He ate 3 pieces! I made the pan cake into smaller portions and Ji Hin ate by him own. He still has a very bad habit which is, he likes to put all food in his mouth until full then only chew. Sometimes he get choked because of this.

 

No photos for that day.

Sending Ji Hin to montessori school is one of my wish. Already heard about 'montessori' method when we relocated in US last time. This early child education method is common in western country especially US and UK. I'm quite interested on how this method helps children during their development contray with the traditional pre-school in Msia. So last Saturday I decided to pay a visit to montessori method kindergarden to learn more since it's an open day.

 

After the day, I would like to get him 3 days trial first. Due to I'll be off for whole week (company shutdown week) I wish to take this opportunity to accompany him to the school because I really want to know more during school normal day and at the same time, I'm still a new mother and learning now.

 

Today morning, I woke up Ji Hin from bed (around 7.45am). Poor little Ji Hin had to wake up early because I had confirmed with the teachers I would be there about 8.30am. Once Ji Hin finished his milk and changed his clothes, we rushed to the car and drove to the kindergarden. We were still on time. Phew!

 

 

Ji Hin's 1st day to school with his spiderman bag. Cute my baby!

 

Some of the students already arrived and gathered somewhere at a corner of the kindergarden. They were doing self activities on materials provided. All the materials are reachable by them in the shelves. This is what 'montessori' method emphasising. Children picked material by their own and on part of the child, the director or so called teacher will guide them. Ji Hin didn't cry when we are there. He liked to walk around and explored everywhere. After a while, he sat on chair and started to play on one material. It's called 'transferring beans with spoon'. I believed this was his first time playing with beans so it might get his attraction. (I never let him play with beans at home due to it might hazard him at this age) The material is so simple, 2 bowls, 1 spoon and beans. The director showed him few times to transfer beans from a bowl to another bowl. He noticed that and hold the spoon to repeat that skill. I just standing somewhere at his back. After a while, I saw him still playing so I walked round the class and checking out the materials. Quite a long time, when I back to look at him, he was still sitting on chair with director sitting beside. Wow...quite surprisingly!

 

Ji Hin was transferring beans. His "kor-kor" and "Jie Jie" are playing with others materials. They chose the materials by themself. 

 

Then, Ji Hin and his classmates (haha..so young got classmates) went back to their own classroom. Ji Hin is the youngest among the 2-3 years old class. There were only 3 of them including Ji Hin. Based on director, there are total of 8 in that class but 2 are overseas (back Arab for holiday) and some are late comers. Hahaha. May be today is Monday they reluctant to come to school. Their daily activities just simple, doing some coloring, writing, singing, reading...but all those activities are chosen by the children themself. For example, there are many books in a basket, the director will ask which books they want to read then the children will pick one. After that, director will read for them. This is the environment I like because children can learn in a minimum stress environment and boast up their self independent.

 

All the montessori materials are reachable by children.

 

When around 10.30am, it's snack break. Ji Hin had some mee-hoon.

 

After the snack break, they continued on the singing, reading...Ji Hin still couldn't pay too much attention to the director and liked to walk around in the classroom. Then he saw one material which is beans again and started to play on it.

 

 

Time flies when staying in the class. The class is finished at 11.45am.

 

We still have 2 more trial days to go on. Let's see what's happen...stay tuned.

 

This dish is just like durian or petai...either you like it or hate it! Of course hubby and I like it so much. NO FAT NO TASTE!

 

 

Had lunch with big group of colleague today at Mak Loong (Malay style economy rice). There are so packed with people in that stall and sooo many peoples queuing  up to take foods and paying money. Some of the colleagues asked me and another girl to booked the empty table 1st next 2 tables from them. So that girl and me straight sitting there and the rest went to take foods 1st. Once they back, our turn to go take the foods and we did ask them to reserved seats for us. When we back to the seat with foods, no more seats for us! There are already occupied by 4 or 5 peoples that we didn't know. We reserved the seats for so called colleagues but ended up they never care about us but willing to sit with strangers in one table! (That big long tables can sit up to 8 peoples I guess) After the lunch, he asked why we sat so far away? What the h*ll?? Such a stupid question he asked "why we sat so far away"? There are no more seats thats why we hadto sit at another table la!!! Then I was so fed up and asked him why didnt' reserve seats for us and he couldn't answer the question. He just kept quite. What a 'gentleman' in my office.