This is the fourth summer vacation for my son since he entered elementary school, and I'm finally getting used to the Japanese schoolyear and the amount of "support" - i.e. Tutoring - the school expects the parents to part take in the Japanese public elementary schools! I could not understand why the teachers expect the parents to do the marking of all homework.
It was a long struggle, but now that I do not have to travel long distance to a very demanding full time job in Tokyo, I could take the time half of the month to look through the homework and tutor whenever necessary in the nights after giving dinner and bathing the children.
However, there was one subject I was not able to follow up at all during the period before the summervacation - it's his music lessons'learning to play the school anthom on the recorder.
No matter how kind we try to be, the noise my son managed to produce from his recorder sounded more like malfunctioning bagpipe sadly squeezing out its last notes.
For the sanity of our neighbours, we could not have the heart to let my son practice the school anthom at night. I'm determined, however, to take the time during the day every day to make sure he is able to play the school anthom without the listeners developing stomach ulcers!
No, I cannot quite picture my son at this stage of his live to be blooming in the future in the music industry. However, music is, after all a universal means of communication. It would be a shame to not to master it, when he has the chance to learn.
I just want him to build up his confidence, as he, at this stage, has totally given up on playing his recorder. I want him to experience that if he tries just a little bit harder it's actually not so difficult. He'll be a new young man by the end of his summer vacation!!! (Wishful Thinking!!!)
通勤2時間!愛する子供たちのためなれない環境でいかにGENKIにFAMILY LIFEをENJOYするかで悪あがき中ののワーキングママです。Growing and struggling with my loving kids,a long-distance working bilingual mom's seek for sanity in life in a bedtown...