What Would You Do When You Are Lost?

Mum: Jackie, what would you do if mummy lost you in the crowd on the streets?
Jackie: I will stand there and wait for you to come back.
Mum: Oh actually I mean, what else would you do besides waiting for me? (Thinking she might suggest asking strangers for help, etc...)
Jackie: I will sit down and wait.

No Email

Mum: Jackie, do you have an email account?
Jackie: No.....  I only have a Gmail account.

Expected

After attending Jackie's school prize giving day, I sent a picture of her receiving prize via Whatsapp message. She received a prize for being the first in class last year.

After waiting for a long time, Jackie finally responded : Okay

Me: What do you mean?

Jackie: It is expected.

Big Mouth

Mom: Do you know this person (XXX) in your school, a lady with a very big mouth (not trying to be mean here...)

Jackie: I know her, but I don't know if she has a big mouth.

Mom: You have seen her before right?

Jackie: Yes, but I have never seen her open her mouth before.

Swim Freestyle

Jackie just got her certificate for successfully completing a basic swimming course from her school. She is P3 this year. When I found out that she was still unable to swim, I started asking what she had been learning.

Me: What strokes were you taught?

Jackie: Freestyle.

Me. Oh, then show me now how you do the strokes for Freestyle.

Jackie started swinging her arms in all directions.

Me: That is not Freestyle!

I then showed her the strokes for Freestyle.

Jackie: Oh, I thought Freestyle means swim anyway you like?

What Kids Worry

Jackie: Mum, what if a pregnant woman is about to give birth but cannot rush to the hospital in time? How? What if she gives birth at home?

Mum: Oh, she will then have to give birth at home.

Jackie: Oh, the baby will not get a health booklet. How?

Some Scientists are Mean!

I don't know about other kids, but my eight-year old surprised me again with her understanding of this world.

Jackie and Mum are talking about her cousin's dog, Koda.

Mum: Do you know that Koda cannot see as many colors like us. Dogs' world is rather grey and has limited shades of colors.

Jackie: Really, so sad, Koda is colorblind. Scientists are so bad.

Mum: Why do you say that?

Jackie: Why can't scientists invent dogs that see colors like us.

Mum: You think scientists make dogs?

Jackie: Yes, don't scientists make dogs, cats, and other small animals?

Mum: ??????

XM

Jackie is telling Mum that she needs some new school socks...

Jackie: Mom, how come there is no XM?

Mom: What XM?

Jackie: There are XL, XS socks, but why are there no XM socks?

Marking Compositions

For the second time, I had to mark Jackie's composition homework so that she could show my markings and her corrections to the teacher.

Puzzled why the students 'compositions were corrected by parents and not the teacher, I remarked jokingly, "I think your teacher should give me part of her salary."

Upon receiving no reactions from Jackie, I added, in case she innocently rattled the wrong thing in school, "Don't tell your teacher what I just said, understand?"

Jackie: I know.

Me: You know why you shouldn't say these things to your teacher, right?

Jackie: Yes.

Me: Why?

Jackie: Because she won't give you part of her salary.

  

Shalom!

(Jackie is P2 this year...)

On a thunderstorm morning...Jackie walked into my room.

Jackie: Mummy, will the plants die? The rain is beating so hard on their leaves.
Mummy: I don't know, may be.... are you worried?
Jackie: Yah.... (And she walked out of my room.)

After 10 minutes...she walked into my room again.
Jackie: I said "solemn" to the rain and the rain stopped.
Mummy: What do you mean?
Jackie: My Sunday school teacher told us his story. One day he wanted to go out of the house but it was raining too heavily. He said "solemn" to the rain and it stopped. Just now, I said "solemn" and the rain really stopped.
Mummy: Oh, you mean "Shalom"?
Jackie (sheepishly): Oh, yes, it is "Shalom".....say wrongly also can?

A few days later...on our way to the Sunday School class room...
The teachers were seen greeting to the parents: Good morning, Shalom!" "Shalom!"
Jackie (to herself, looking puzzled): But there is no rain...

Telling Races

Hari Raya is around the corner...

Mum: Jackie, do you have any Malay friends in your class?
Jackie: Yes.
Mum: How many?
Jackie: Three!
Mum: Actually how do you tell if they are Malay or Indian?
Jackie: They all go to Malay class for Mother Tongue.

Learning about Rights

A church pastor shared about her experience as a child when she found out that the new set of compass that she bought from school was rusty. She was too afraid to tell her mother about it for the fear of getting scolded for buying a bad set. After hearing that, I decided to enquire into the mind of my 6 year-old using the same scenario.


Mum: Jackie, so what would you do in that situation if the compass set you just bought from the school bookstore turns out to be rusty?

Jackie: I would wash and clean it.

4D Movie

A snaking queue was forming from the booth selling 4D (4-Digit) in the NTUC Supermarket. It was probably about 50 metre or even longer (not exaggerating)...

Jackie: Wow, what are they queueing for?
Mum: They are buying 4D.
Jackie: 4D? 4D movie tickets?

Good Words

I gave Jackie a composition assignment on "A Nightmare". She returned with a 2-page answer.

Mum: Jackie, your introduction is one page long, it is too long. And where are the good words you are supposed to use? I don't see any good words.

Jackie: Yes, I did use good words.

Mum: Really, where? Show me.

Jackie: Here...nightmare.

What is the difference?

Mom just got Jackie an email account.
Jackie: What is this "@" in my email address?
Mom: Oh, it's @. It's a short form for "at".
Jackie: Huh? But "at" is already so short.
Mom (Quiet, and in her mind: She is right...)

Played to Tears

After Jackie's Piano Class Concert...
Mum: Jackie, you played extremely well just now, well done!
Jackie (grinning): And I played confidently.
Mum: Yah, the pieces were perfect, they were so much better than when you played them at home.
Jackie: And I even almost teared.
Mum: Oh, you were moved by your music?
Jackie: No, everytime, I feel very sleepy, I cannot control my tears.
Mum: ?????

A Table

Jackie: This is how my friend draw a table.

What Slimming is All About

In the morning, Jackie saw our neighbour running on the track mill in the house as we were getting out of the house to go to her childcare. As I shut and lock the door...

Jackie: Every morning, the man will be running. And at night, it will be the woman. Everyday it's the same.
Mum: Really, I don't even notice that.
Jackie: I also know what they are doing. They are trying to take out their muscles so that they can become thin.
Mum: What???

Mum, Don't Talk So Much!

Jackie: Mummy, Jie Jie (sister) has so many children celebrations in school. It's so unfair!
Mum: You will be going to the same primary school next year, and you will have the same celebrations. It may seem to be unfair now, but it's actually fair because your turn will come. You recognise that?
Jackie: Yes.
Mum: So if you recognise that, stop feeling bad about it, just accept it okay.
Jackie: Okay.
About 10 seconds later...
Jackie: Actually I don't understand what you are talking about.

Her Stomach Burst!

Jackie: Jia Yi (childcare friend) is not afraid of lizards.
Mum: Really?
Jackie: Yah, she said she once saw a lizard and stepped on it.
Mum: What! That will burst the stomach! I saw that happened when my sister sat on a lizard accidentally when we were very young.
Jackie: What! Really, Jia Yi's stomach really burst when she stepped on the lizard?