Since Monday evening I have told Tara that she will be a kindergarten student soon, which means she has to learn to wake up earlier and take her bath right after waking up – believe me it is a challenge. She can spend one hour playing before taking her bath, and imagine doing that when she needs to be in the kindergarten which has ‘stricter’ school time than a playgroup.
And to create the excitement, I showed her what she could learn in the kindergarten – and she was very excited with the look of the school, the fact that she will wear different uniform each other day, and the new friends that she will make.
Yesterday, she surprised me. She woke up one hour earlier than she used to do – and upon opening her eyes she said, “Can I take my bath before you do?”. I was shocked! – to me who is quite tense thinking of how we can get her do that every morning, that was such a nice surprise.
This morning, she did the same thing, because she knew she would go to her ‘new school’. By 8.20 we were already at the school, class started at 8.30. I took her to the front door of her ‘new class’ where she was greeted by the teachers, she walked confidently into the classroom, and there I was standing from afar watching her and feeling a lump on my throat, sighing to myself, “She did not even bother looking and waving at me….my, she is no longer a baby!”.
Don’t get me wrong – I felt fine with that. Knowing how ‘slow’ she could connect to new people and situation sometimes, what I saw today was so encouraging.
Anyway, after she disappeared behind the door, I went away to a café and worked. I thought I would feel tense and worried, but I felt just fine knowing that she would enjoy herself in her class. At 12, I picked her up, and she greeted me with such a big smile on her face, both her hands were red because of paints, her t-shirt was all stained, but what a beam, what a light on her face. And I knew, instantly, that it was the right school for her.
In the car she went on and on about what she learned today, about her new friends, about her computer lesson, about her finger painting. And I asked her, “So darling, are you happy?” (she has begun to understand simple English sentences – so I ask her simple ones once in a while so that she gets used to hearing and answering them). And she said, with her big eyes twinkling, “Yes mommy!”.
That was it. That very moment I knew we were right, for not getting her into the kindergarten last year in July when she was only 3 years and 10 months, when I thought she was still too small for that, and emotionally she would not be ready to face the new situation and people. Seeing her so happy, free of worries of being in a classroom, and could actually enjoy the experience and ‘bathe’ herself in it, I knew that she will learn much more than she would be if we were to start too early last year.
Of course I had my doubts before – education in Indonesia is getting crazier and crazier. Competition is getting fiercer and fiercer. But I still have my belief – let kids be kids. Why bother about them reading and counting at the age of 5 if at the end of the day they can only use their brain and not the heart?. So I have my faith in letting my Tara ‘grow with time’ – let her learn and play, and play and learn…for a little while longer.
And, I still do not really care if the school teaches them to write and read English or not, or if they teach the kids to be able to browse the internet. To me those are secondary, they are kindergarten students anyway!. Why should we burden these kids with too much at such an early age? – do we want them to get aged too soon?. As long as Tara can learn how to use her heart more, as long as the school believes in humanity, I am fine.
And I somehow get a good feeling about this school. I always trust my gut feel – and this time, my gut feel tells me that I am right.
(RIRI)
Time really flies very fast...
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