家庭主妇

柔：妈咪，你到底是家庭主妇吗？家庭主妇是不是都是在家的，没有出去的？
不知一次被她这样问，尤其是在填写学校的妈妈的职业一栏时，为了方便，也为了很难找到一个圆满的答案。而她总是要一个肯定的答案。可是我的多重角色，交替的半职业，我实在不懂要如何才能说出我的职业。有点像WAHM，可是有时又是SAHM。

On teaching maths to young kids

One of the useful method that i have used to teach addition is:
1. teach her playing 3 cards三张牌
2. then ask her to count the total of car plate numbers while travelling to/back from school.(eg: car plate no.: 3346 = 3+3+4+6 = 13， then slowly progress to choose more complicated numbers like 8896 = 8+8+9+6=31, teach her to take out numbers that can form 10) .

Playing cards will do wonders coz u can pick card 8 and card9, use card 9 to cover 1 point of card 8, then u can easily spot 10+7, which then forms 17. 

All the best!

My rambling thoughts on education......again.

As an ex Maths teacher i hv nvr expected my kids to be excellent in Maths, they dont hv too, coz they are not me. my elder daughter since std 1 she didnt know how to do increment and decrement 逆序顺序，my std answer was: dont worry, this year u dont how to do, next yr u will know. now at std 6 she can comprehend questions like 13,19,x,31,37. i am repeating this to my 2nd daughter who is now in std 3 coz i know questions like this may not be quite suitable for 9 yr old. although i know there is education system to put blame on, but in front of them, i wont blame the system, i will only tell them this is just a challenge, there are many things in life that we may not be ready to take up but we can always get ready and observe.. my elder daughter since std 1 she didnt know how to do increment and decrement 逆序顺序，my std answer was: dont worry, this year u dont how to do, next yr u will know. now at std 6 she can comprehend questions like 13,19,x,31,37. i am repeating this to my 2nd daughter who is now in std 3 coz i know questions like this may not be quite suitable for 9 yr old. although i know there is education system to put blame on, but in front of them, i wont blame the system, i will only tell them this is just a challenge, there are many things in life that we may not be ready to take up but we can always get ready and observe. 把一个教育制度的盲点变成我们作为老师父母的生命和生活教育，这是我们可以给孩子最好的礼物。

我们很多时候喜欢断章取义，我们是可以向犹太人芬兰人美国人等等吸取宝贵的经验，但是there is also a reason why we are born chinese and bred in a multi racial/culture community，有原因的，凡事都有因有缘呵。we may be adapting sth but we have stayed dogmatic and we always thought 'this is good n that is bad'. 每个族群有自己的进行方式，诚如每个家庭都有自己的家风，我们不能说什么是好什么不好，只有最适合的。考试制度也一样，有些人因为没有考试而怠惰，所以重点不在考试本身，而是方式。但是方式也因人而异。有些人因为老师的谩骂而进步回来感激万分，所以重点又不一定是方式，而是这个人的福报到哪里。有些人因为老师一句话的而跳楼了，可是我们要看到的是，这句话只是一个triggering point， 不是主因，如果要追究为什么我们不说如果早知道我就好好装备一个孩子的耐力，如果早知道我们就让孩子在小时候累积多多的福报，让他以后的生命旅程中，有更多的善知识来引导他。每个时代都有每个时代的挑战,我常常记起一个西藏上师在讲解心经时这么说:dont get fantasy by the idea of 'the good old days', there has never been. 

假钱

19年才一次的元宵节撞情人节。
载了从美国回来的心亿一起去观音寺和开宝师父拜年。
是元宵，当然小孩还有机会收红包啦。
心亿踏了junior David的车回去。
回家路上，小瓜拆了红包封，两个都嚷着，妈咪你的朋友给我们一张假钱。
不是吧？难道我的朋友是有印刷机？
拿了过来看，才知道原来那是美金1元。
唉，有了金，还以为是草。
后来，9岁那个还问，妈咪你的朋友去那里买哪个钱？

小孩对钱的概念，原来就是这样单纯。