I feel the pressure. Duh!

Recently, I was browsing at Popular when I decided to take a look at the chinese assessment books used for K1 and K2 level. I wanted to have a feel of the level of difficulty that so many parents have been complaining about since I have never looked at one before. 

A quick look and I must admit, my heart pounded quite fast for a few seconds as I flipped those pages. Then I had to pause and catch a quick breath before calming myself. I was utterly shocked! Next I hunted high and low for a few Nursery level books to see how much work I must do at home with my boys to get them to 'that' level. The books didn't disappoint me! I realised I have underestimated the standard expected of a 4 y.o. So it is now confirmed that we, or rather I, have slacked enough and hence have much grounds to cover with Marcus now. And since E doesn't speak nor read Mandarin, that responsibility naturally falls on me. Hmm..  

I felt the pressure instantly and guess what I did the very moment I put those books back on the shelf? Yes, I made a quick plan in my head, dashed to the stationery aisle and picked up a few things and rushed home to make a giant poster which is now stuck to my study door. I stayed up past midnight that night and planned a programme to kick-start some intensive learning. Oops... I feel awful though as I was making the plan on paper, that if I feel the pressure, it is very likely that I will indirectly exert pressure on the young ones. While I am confident that Marcus will learn speedily, the initial inertia is to be expected. I am not the most patient person on Earth to begin with and it gets worse when I am under pressure. So for now, I have to find within me a large dosage of patience and restraint, in order to make the learning process fun and productive, without passing on unnecessary tension. 

I have sort of test-start the programme a couple of days ago, albeit half-heartedly. Well, when we get back from the holiday, it shall go on full steam.