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I’m glad to have had adopted this habit as it allows us a little bonding time every night and more importantly, nurtures En Xi’s interest in reading. As a matter of fact, she has enjoyed bedtime stories so much that she looks forward to bringing back new books from the library. Sometimes, En Xi will read to us, albeit with the occasional prompting. Once done reading, she looks up and the sparkle from her eyes and warmth smile instantaneously energise us.
With En Xi’s affection for reading and her showing symptoms of bad mannerism, such as snatching and gobbling down her favourite snacks. We came up with a brilliant plan to cultivate her values by reading cautionary tales. Our first book was “Say please, Louise!” by Roxbee Cox??? A large text graphical book with emphasis on the phrase “Say please, Louise! A please and thank you is all that’s needed.” At the start, we were taken by surprise with her ease of reciting ‘Please’ and ‘Thank you’ as we flip through the pages. But I guess we did not explain when and how to apply the appropriate mannerism nor did we allow her to practise enough. It all seems confusing for her in the beginning. At times, she said ‘Thank you’ before asking for things and often hurries off without saying ‘Thank you’ when she gets her stuff. Eventually, our constant reminders and patience paid off. Finally, En Xi was able to communicate ‘Please’ and ‘Thank you’ in the right situations.
Delighted and encouraged by En Xi’s progress, we decided to introduce more cautionary tales by the same author, such as “Don’t be Greedy, Graham!” and “Don’t be a Bully, Billy!” But it seems tougher than before, now when we ask “Can we be Greedy or Bully?” She would spontaneous reply “Yes!” much to our dismay. But I’m sure she’ll be on the right track in no time, all we need is a little more patience.
