我要当学长

First few weeks Xuan started P1 at the school, he came home to tell us that he wanted to be a 学长. Something like prefect, but I guess since there is no prefect for P1 and P2 which are the afternoon session, so 学长’s job is almost the same as prefect where those selected will have their roles to play, mostly to look after the students and most importantly, 学长 can summon students (抄名）. The school will pick 学长 among the P1 students before the beginning of second term. He was influenced by a P2 girl who shares the same daycare and transport with him. For the first few weeks, he was bullied by the girl in the bus who pinched and threatened him. Xuan was (probably still is) timid, he confessed that, “usually only good students will be selected to be 学长, I don’t know why JJ was chosen, she is naughty and she bullies me.” “I have to practice my spellings, 听写 and ejaan. I can’t score 0 or else I won’t be selected by the teachers to be 学长.” “Mummy, it’s ok not to score full marks in spellings, 听写 or ejaan. I still have the chance to be 学长.” Now Xuan and the girl are friends who always play together on the way to school or home. And he learns a lot from the peers, both the goods and bads.

Last week was parents-teachers day, so before we went to school, Xuan told me that he was chosen by the teachers to be 学长. He was beaming and if he performs well, he will continue the job next year. While hubby and I feel relieved that Xuan begins to have targets in his life, we also feel that mainly because he wants to enjoy the privilege to summon. He was threatened by the friends who wanted to submit his name to the teachers. So he asked if the teachers would punish him. He is usually tame but quite a bully at home too. The journey ahead is long, it’s inspiring to see how a kid, growing up from a baby to school-going boy who begins to face life lessons, outside the family. Both positive and negative ones. He will learn to be happy and upset and many more things in life that he has no control of. Parenthood has never been easy, we wish everyone well.