JS’s school started offering extra classes 3 months ago. After much thought and weighing on the pros and cons I signed her up for Mental Maths, Mandarin and Art. I wouldn’t have rushed her into these lessons if I were to make extra effort to chauffer her to this extra lessons center. It’s not only hectic for her to cope, but for me to arrange my time to send her here and there too. We are already sort of time, if she were to attend these lessons separately, I think she would have no life and all too stress out.

The classes offered by her school is just nice. It continue after the normal school hours. Monday and Wednesday, she has maths from 12pm – 1pm, follow by mandarin till 2pm. Tuesday is art from 12pm to 1.30pm. The only day she comes home early is Thursday & Friday where classes finishes at 11.30a.m.

I’m not so emphasized on how much she would learn during these lessons. No doubt eventhough she could only paid like 5 minutes attention, she learns something. But the very main reason of putting her in school for longer hours is for my own very selfish reason. The reason being that I can have a longer morning.

Her school is 25 minutes away from home. I spent like almost 2 hours in the morning on the road just to fetch and bring her from home to school and school to home. Which mean I have only 1 to 2 hours left in the morning only, sometimes shorter if I were to go do grocerry shopping. It’s so rush that I can even write a paid post and filler post before I’m rushing out from home again. The morning is so short that I basically can’t do anything. That’s why this arrangement of leaving her in school for longer hours suits me perfectly well.

3 days a week, she had lunch in school. That’s from 11.30pm to 12 p.m. Since we are staying so far, it’s not possible or even pratical for me to sent her food or bring her back for lunch. So I paid the school RM2 per day for providing JS’s lunch. (The school have after school care as well to cater for working parents)

The great improvement after JS attending these classes is unexpected. In fact I never thought about it. It’s not something academic, but more on self care and moving towards independence.

JS’s has been a very/extremely fussy eater. She took hours to finish her meals and she’s so picky she doesn’t eat this , doesn’t eat that and certainly doesn’t like greens. Even at age 4, most time she still want me to feed her though she’s capable of feeding herself. We also have a very bad habit of eating in front of the TV, because I started this bad habit and thought it’s an easier way to distract/attract her to eat.

Just after a month of attending these classes, her eating habit changed. Surprisingly she’s eating more , feeding herself and finishes the meal fast. I see more empty plates rather than much left over like last time on the children’s plates. She’s less picky and she even started eating greens/vege. And we have rid of the “eating in front of TV” habit. Now we have meal together as a family at the dining table involving hubby as much as possible (that’s why we have late dinner, we wait for hubby to come home and dine together)

She started appreciate the food, especially MY COOKING. She kept telling me school food is not nice etc etc and now I often heard her said ” mummy, your cooking so nice” “mummy, thanks for cooking these for me”. hehehe… I’m now a good cook…but my girl started to appreciate my effort. Even MIL and SILs notice this encouraging chance/improvement.

JS’s also influencing WH on this healthy eating habit since my boy loves to copy his sister. When comes to meal time, it’s a bliss now.