PPBC#2 Thinking Ahead

Note: I use the word education loosely here, even classifying Kindermusik as education.

I’ve always valued the importance of education, so much so, that I even took up some MA units of Education after I got my MBA. I seriously considered teaching part-time since I feel that the quality of education has declined. Teaching is a noble profession and I wanted to give back to society. But then I got engaged, got married, got pregnant and became a Mom. My noble plans have been shelved indefinitely and so I focus my attention now to my little girl.

So anyway, the hubby and I have pretty much decided on which way to go. Of course, we have had numerous discussions and debates on this already. To think that our daughter is only 15 months old. It’s never too early to start thinking of our kids’ schooling and preparing ourselves for it. Our daughter’s education is the best investment we can make given what resources we have.

This early, we’ve planned out our daughter’s education already. Although much of this has been my own doing. Right now, she’s enrolled in Kindermusik. Although I realize that the activities in Kindermusik are what I do with Tina in the comfort of our bed at home, Kindermusik is good for us because it gives us bonding moments (without interruptions), reinforces how I play with her and gives me ideas on how to stimulate her. While it is still too early to know (we’ve only had 1 class so far), I am hoping that by being exposed to other kids her age, Tina’s social skills will somewhat expand. The class allows me to interact with fellow mommies as well, which is always a good thing.

Sometime this year, we plan to enroll her in playschool. This will be strictly play and nothing like a traditional school and not on a regular basis. I don’t want Tina to get burned out even before she sets foot in a real school. Why am I going to do this? The whole day, Tina is at home with helpers, although she gets to play with my mom too, but not as often as I would want. I want Tina to be around kids her age and realize that the world doesn’t revolve around her. Naturally, since she’s the only “baby’ at home (including my parents’ home) everyone dotes on her. I just want her to play with kids her age, socialize and interact with them. Probably next year, we’ll enroll her in Toddler school, still the focus will be on play. Our aim is still for socialization. The development of new skills is just secondary. By enrolling Tina in schools within our community, she will make friends with kids who live near us. This early, I’ve scouted for play/toddler schools in our area. I’ve narrowed down my search and decided on schools already. It’s all a matter of timing now. Of course, teaching her how to speak, manners and some simple counting can all be done by the hubby and me. It’s what we’ve been doing at home, anyway.
As for ‘big’ schools, while each type of school (coed, traditiona/progressive, public/private) has its own pros and cons, we’ve decided on the safer and tried and tested route. If Tina can pass, we would like for her to go to an exclusive (doesn't necessarily translate to expensive) and traditional school. I’m not too sold yet on progressive methods. Call me old fashioned or I just adhere to the adage “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Anyhow, many teaching methods have been updated already even for traditional schools. They provide a holistic and balanced education and that’s what’s important to me and the hubby. School should not just be about the reading, writing and arithmetic. And education is not all about grades.

And if we could have our way, we would like Tina to go to one of the more well- known girl schools. Sad to say, in this society of ours, colleges would prefer the known secondary schools. More so big companies, they specify what colleges or universities they want when they hire new grads, which is unfair, but it is the society we live in. If I just had the resources, I would willingly teach Tina myself. But I might shortchange her if I myself am not fully equipped. I can only guide her but I may not be able to handle all her questions.

When all has been said and done, I still see it as my duty as a parent to teach Tina manners, proper values and the right study habits. No matter how busy and tired I am, the little girl will always come first. It is not the school’s sole responsibility to equip our kids with all the right knowledge and skills, I firmly believe that it lies with the parents.