Kai's first Chinese enrichment class

Kai went to a trial Chinese enrichment class today. He was reluctant, seeing that Yang would be going over to Ah Ma 家 so Sito had to dangle the ice cream carrot. They left at 10 am for the 10.30 am class while I stayed home with a sleeping Yu and a sticky Yang. But Yu woke soon so we left for Mum's place via the traffic light vs. jay walking :p

Then Sito texted me at 11.30 saying that Kai didn't look happy, having red eyes, like first day of school. I was so sad. The class ended at noon and I anxiously waited for their return. At one point, Mum was tapping the cabinet while playing with Yu and I thought it was Kai. I stood up to go to the door and realised it was not. I teared a little :(

When they finally came back, Kai looked kind of down. After their lunch, I learnt that Kai was not joining in the class of six children who were happy in the class. He sat at one side with an assistant teacher, looking forlorn. When asked, he said that he didn't like the class though he liked the teacher, who spoke with him separately and praised him for writing his Chinese name.

Check out his Chinese name at the top, a little wrong but I think it's very good already

Sito said when the assistant teacher came out a few times, he thought for a moment that it was Kai. But it was not. If Kai came out, Sito would have just taken him home. But our Kai is a brave boy!

Last Saturday, he dropped his half-eaten ice cream while trying to share a spoonful with Sito. I told him I was so sorry he dropped it. He looked like me like he didn't care, but his lips were stretched and I knew it was a matter of time before the dam broke. He was bravely holding back his tears. I told him he was very brave already and shared my own ice cream story with him - I was about this age when I dropped a barely eaten scoop of corn ice cream next to the TPY fountain and was left with a kosong cone coz the ice cream had not even melted.

So Sito gave him an ice cream cone from Macs and promised ice cream every week if he agreed to go with Yang *.* I'm not sure about the ice cream but yes, we do have to bite the bullet and send him for the class with Yang, although they will be in different classes. Hopefully, Yang would be less resistant given his younger age.

I realised from this experience that trial class is more for parents than for the kids, to assess the class and how the kids respond to it. Although Kai didn't respond well to it, it was more because he couldn't understand it - yes, his Chinese is that bad! At least he likes the teacher. The teacher said it would take two to three classes for a new kid to warm up.

Sito will sign the two boys up and they will start next week. Will update!