My Son Is A Genius!

I was listening to my regular favourite radio station on the way to work this morning. There was this call in discussion going on about parents who force their kids for tuition and whether it was good or bad or whatever. Some of the response were pretty thought provoking which in turn got me thinking (which doesn't happen very much, mind you ... LOL!).

Why do we really send our children for tuition? Is it because they really need it? Is it because they want to go? Or is it because WE don't want them to embarrass us? There was this one caller who called in and I totally agree with what he had to say. People these days are so obsessed with keeping up with the Joneses that they force a lot of things upon their children. They don't want to be embarrassed if they're kids are not up to par with others.

I know of people who send their kids for all kinds of tuition classes and then force them to attend all kinds of courses even during the school holidays and all because they don't want to be embarrassed cos their kids are not straight 'A' students. I'm not generalizing anyone but I'm speaking from my own personal experience here and if I offend anyone, my apologies.

That caller was right, these days people are so obsessed with academic qualifications that no one works on the life aspect of things. If my child doesn't at least get 7 straight A's then it's time to force the useless bum to attend tuition classes so he can start getting straight A's and not embarrass me when my friends talk about how smart their child is. Well, I'm not like that and I never will be.

My kids don't go for tuition not because I can't afford it but simply because the decision will be up to them. If they feel they want to go for tuition after school to better themselves, then by all mean, I'll send them but I won't force it upon them. They're children for goodness sake. They need to play, get into trouble, cause mischief and stuff like that.

My younger boy badly needs to work on his mathematics and English (yes, English!) and I could just force him to go for tuition after school and even during the holidays but then when does he get to be a kid? I want him to experience life and learn things the hard way to prepare him for the real world out there. As long as he can read, write and understand what he is thought at in school, I think he'll do fine. Doing well in ones studies is a good thing but doing well in life is way more important.

These days people make it sound like not going to tuition or even not oing to university after you finish school would turn you into a failure later in life. I know of some people who frown on me when I say that I don't send my kids for tuition. They look at me with a shocked look and say things like,

'What? How is your son going to learn like that?'

or

'Aiyoo cannot, you must send your son for tuition, if not he cannot succeed!'

or

'You must make sure your son goes off to University after he finishes school.'

Well, I've got news for you. I've seen your kids and while they may be a heck of a lot smarter than my boys academically but I'll bet you every cent I have that my kids will be more resourceful out there in the real world than your kids ever will. That's why we get so many people these days who can't think outside the box. It's parents with attitude like these are the cause. There has to be a balance.

Of course I would love for my kids to be geniuses and become some rocket scientist with a computer memory like mind or something but they have to want to do it for themselves and not because I want them to and especially not because I want to keep up with the Joneses!

I'll be happy if they just grew up to be respectful and decent adults and not some pampered little twerp who couldn't fend for him/herself out there in the real world. I never went or was even forced to go for tuition classes when I was a child and I'm not really the brightest person on the block but I think I turned out alright :D Anyway, that's my two cents on what I think about parents who force their children to attend tuition classes. I do apologize if I've offended anyone though.
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