Teaching Vs Nurturing

I find that when I start to "teach", the kids will run away from me... So I have to change my approach. The first step is to get their attention. Yes, it is not easy when there is TV, toys, video games in the house. Getting their attention by talking about things that would interest them and make them pause from whatever they are doing and respond to my questions, either by answering me, showing me, demostrating (action).

Some good questions to ask:
1. Remember what we did yesterday?
2. Where is that drawing that you made yesterday?

Once I get their attention, the nurturing process can start. Nurturing is to instill interest to learn. It is not easy but it is less painful than trying to teach a kid that don't want to sit and do their lesson. It is time consuming but it's worth all your time. Sooner or later, once the interest starts growing, they can teach themselves many things on their own.

"Education is about teaching a person so that he can learn and teach himself"     

I like to relate yesterday's activities with what I want him to do today, such as...
1. Do you want to do it again today?
2. Let me show you something different today.

Kids also love to write or draw something that is very close to them. Instead of writing a blunt ABC, make them learn the letters by their name. My Lil' Prince likes to feel "big" and do difficult stuffs like getting a worksheet printed from mummy's computer. My Lil' Princess wants to do her big brother's Math workbook rather than 6 years old stuff.

Nurturing MUST start as early as possible. I'd say not more than 3 years old. 1 hr a day is all that it needs. The activities varies according the age and kid's personal interest. Once the interest to learn is there, it will help when they go to primary school, where they need to spend 1 to 2 hrs a day to do homework or workbook or study for exam.

I think I have done nurturing well on  Lil Princess. The result is she's more independent when it comes to study. Whereas I'm still struggling with her Big Sista and Big Bro as I failed to start this in their early age. Trying to make up for the time lost in the past is very painful. So teh key word for today is start early, start nurturing not teaching.