Mum's gems of wisdom

Halimahton Yusof, the mother of wayward Mathematics genius Sufiah Yusof will be offering her advice to the Permata Negara and Permata Pintar programmes to help guide gifted children along the right path in life.
She said parents of gifted children should teach them basic values and not concentrate only on academic performance. Among the values she stressed was having respects for others, especially their parents.
[Extracted from The Star dated 25-08-09 written by Yuen MeiKeng]

Dr Alex Tang, a paediatrician in private practice offer the following suggestions for raising a GENIUS child :-
G is for Growing normally
Parents must ensure that their children are healthy and growing well.
E is for Emotional quotient (EQ)
EQ is the ability to know how to distinguish healthy from unhealthy emotions and how to turn negative emotions into positive ones. Emotionally healthy children are generally better learners with fewer behavioural problems, able to resist peer presure while resolving conflicts and building relationship with others. Children's EQ can be improved by bonding and building good relationships with them.
N is for Nutrition
Balanced and sensible diets is important for children.
I is for Intelligent quotient (IQ)
To enhance children IQ, we should expose them to challenging games, hobbies or art.
U is for Utmost potential
Children must be allowed opportunities to develop their gifting and areas of interest to the utmost potential [not utmost expectation].
S is for Spiritual quotient (SQ)
As with EQ, SQ can be developed and improved. As parents, we are to teach our children to read God's Word, how to pray and love other people. We are also to be role model for our children as our children's concept of God comes from their perception of us, especially the fathers.

Psalm 127 : 3-6 Sons are a heritage from the LORD, children a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one's youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their enemies in the gate.

Out of Teenagers

For more than 20 years, our home was blessed by the presence of teenagers. But now that our youngest is in her late teens, my wife and I are all out of teenagers.
Those years were full of challenges and demands that sometimes zapped our strength and took all our mental and emotional reserves. We rejoiced the trills of success and struggled through their grieved. As I look back on our experiment in parenting, we noticed some valuable lessons :-

1) Some teens follow life in a straight line, while others zig-zag along life's pathway. It's best to 'zig' with them in love and with courage.
2) Teenagers need unconditional love because they live in a conditional world.

Romans 5 : 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
3) A love of God's Word is vital to successfully transfer faith from one generation to the next.

4) Teens need to develop a relationship with Christ that is based not on rules but on a deep love of Jesus.

John 15:5 "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
Proverbs 22 : 6
Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.
Psalm 128 : 3
Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your sons will be like olive shoots around your table.

DON'T MERELY SPEND TIME WITH YOUR CHILDREN - INVEST IN IT.