Being shown my daughter’s test paper result for Computer subject, I am reminded much of an IT-driven generations we are.

Do you know that Primary 1 students are expected to know – storage media such as hard disk and pen drive or input device such as light pen or video cards?

Imagine, expecting 6-year-olds to know what the output is when you press “Shift” key and “?/” key!

Back in the nineties, I had to join a private computer class because there was none offered in school. Unlike now which is part of their syllabus.

Not that I am complaining as this is the technology that they will have be comfortable with from now on.

It’s just a little scary sometimes that we are giving these small kids lessons to be familiar with a technology that we know is not only helpful and educational but also addictive, distracting and potentially a health-hazard.

Left at home with only one child to mind, it was easy to be the “perfect” mother.

My child was smiled at more. She got tickled and chased around the room to her delight. She drenched herself, made huge puddles on the floor and received no rebuke. She was indulged in orgies of nonsense chatter.

It thrilled her to no end to feel that her mother has all the time in the world for her. I want to be this kind of mother all the time.

But dividing my attention to 3 demanding kids is strenuous – physically, mentally and emotionally. It’s a huge feat trying to explain coherently to an inquisitive 6 years old while trying to get a squirmy 4 year old to sit properly when an impatient 1 year old made it known to everyone that she wants to be fed NOW!

Going crazy is easy – had it not been for one person in our lives.

My children are lucky to have a father who is involved in their everyday lives. I am lucky that he can take them off my hand once in a while to let me enjoy hobbies like photography. While not exactly postcard printing quality, they are satisfying as a light “escape”.

Then I can happily go back to dividing myself to 3 demanding kids without going crazy.

*Picture : Mahua river, Tambunan

A fellow stay at home mother recently shared with me a typical parental concern : child who is not interested in schoolwork.

Her reasons were also typical : TV and electronic games.

But if she could not control this distracting and addictive activities NOW – what hope does she have when her child is older and more independent a.k.a rebellious.

How is she going to tell her child to switch the TV off or stop that game and pick up a book or do schoolwork – after letting him have free access all these while.

Imagine, the said child is ONLY 7 years old right now!

Other will say, it’s different raising boys and girls. But surely if they had been trained right from the start that TV or electronic games is a privilege, they will get used to it – as mine have.

But easy availability of entertainment tools is one thing.

The worst is the way some parents let their kids be exposed to all kinds of shows and expect them NOT pick up anything. Yes, it is good sometimes to let them know the realities of life.

But what kind of “truth” is, say, a 6 years old who (in jest) points a finger on his father’s forehead and demand for money threatening “Or I will kill you!” – learning, exactly?