Concentrate!

So I’ve been trying to get Anthony who’s in K1 into some regular routine of writing daily (I hope my experience with this 4yo isn’t anything too different from most other parents with 4yos!). Anyway, there are good days when he cooperates with me willingly and then there are those ‘other days’ when the only things that seem to work are threats and more threats…

I had one of the best days yesterday – at least from a laugh-o-meter perspective…

Me: (The usual prelude to “time to sit down now”) Anthony, you’re a big boy now. All big boys must learn to read… Must practice writing so you can write neatly…

Anthony: OK, Mommy… (sits down, chooses his favourite coloured pencil, starts putting pen to paper, erases something, writes/scrawls/scribble, occasionally asks for something to eat/drink, writes/scribbles/erases some more, stands up & walk arounds, ... repeat…)

When he was finally done, he brought his book to show me.

Me: This is good. Well some good, some you need to try and do more neatly?

Anthony: OK, Mommy. You know I *always* *really* try (SIGH)… I’m really very concentrated you know.

Concentrated. Wow. Nevermind that he didn’t use the work quite correctly, the thing is I didn’t even know he had an inkling what “concentrate” means. He must’ve been listening in and concentrating quietly during my conversations about focus & concentration with his big sister.

Alright, very concentrated accepted. You are learning lots at your own pace. Keep at it, you’ll master lots soon enough. Especially if you concentrate. Mommy loves every little concentrated bit of you! 

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