Crying Is Not A Good Strategy

And continuing on the topic of Ace being disturbed by his friend..

Ace told me that D is a good friend of his already... Just that he cannot stand how annoying D is... i notice Ace is always attracted to "annoying" people... hahahaha..

Yesterday, I asked Ace if he would like me to drop a note to his teacher to let him change seats if D keeps disturbing him and he said dun need because his  monitor said he will help him tell the teacher.

Today, we were chatting about this incident again and Ace gave me more info. Apparently, his monitor said he will help him because our good friend was mighty upset that he cannot finish the math homework because he did not know how to do the last sum..

So by the next period.. he started crying during chinese class to his monitor... "And I remembered that when I cried, I kept saying I am so useless... I am so useless..."

I told Ace what is so useless about not being able to do a homework. That is how we learn.. more important to learn how to do it than say you are useless and then give up thinking that you are useless..cos tat is the least helpful thing you can do in that situation...

Then I also told him.. "Ace, you are going to be 10 soon.. do you really think crying is still the best way to resolve things?"

To my surprise, his dad also chipped in and said, "Yeah, there is nothing wrong with crying of course... but it is really not a good strategy when you are 10 years old..."

And to appeal to Ace's sense of "gor gor ness",  I told Ace that since he is coming 10, there are better, more mature strategies he can implement.. cos crying for something or crying to get help is more of a toddler strategy used by toddlers like his cousin C:) Wahahahaha..

Anyway, I asked him how things are today and if D still disturbed him. He said it is ok. His teacher finally realised that Ace finds it hard to concentrate and got him to sit in the front of the class on the floor.

Initially me and Max raised our eyebrows when he said that cos to our minds, it seemed like Ace is being punished... so max asked Ace if he was the only one seated in front... And Ace said yes because there are no tables there..

I did not want Ace to think that is bad and said to Ace, "It is great your teacher is helping you to concentrate..."

And then Ace started telling us about why other people are  not seated in front "because they kenna punished and were made to sit in front.. so now they scared... And you know hor, today D also got into trouble for not paying attention... And cos I was in front, I can pay attention."

"So u were being punished? And the person who is not paying attention is not?" His dad asked him.

"No, I am not. My teacher says she ask me to sit in front to help me concentrate. She says it is not a punishment. It is for my own good."

Ok, glad to know Ace just accept it as it is and never think too much:) hahaha... Cos I really did think under normal circumstance, the teacher will punish the one making trouble or ask the person making trouble to sit in front...

PS:  Ace was telling me about his best friends in school.. i am glad he is keeping good company. His best friends are... the prefect, the class monitor and his chinese class monitor.. hahaha, Hopefully they will also inspire him to become a better leader and a better student.

PPS: He is now good friends with the boy who sits beside him. In addition, he has a new math teacher and seem to be doing well in math lessons as he told me is is being placed in the high ability group.

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