Scissor Cutting @ almost 35 months

On and off, IZ would ask to "play" with a pair of scissors. Well, I do let him "play" with them, but I watched him really closely and have been telling him consistently that playing with scissors are dangerous and that he can only use it to cut papers.

For months, he has been using both hands to open and close the scissors to cut. He refused guidance, so I would tell him how to cut properly and then let him be. He would ask me to hold the piece of paper or dough strip he wanted to cut and then cut roughly.



Using both hands to cut

 Just 2 weeks ago, he was still struggling with 2 hands.. this week, he surprised me.

He changed to holding it inward. He still refused help. But when my helper corrected him that he should hold it properly, he insisted I taught him this way.

Holding inward

 This week, he finally got it. I believe he learnt a fair bit in school, it looks easy on him.



Cutting it almost properly - well done son!

The whole night he played cutting and pasting.

Now, I read the following, that proper scissors cutting is good..

Why?


Because, correctly done, it provides the child with lots of practice in using the tripod fingers together – ie the thumb, forefinger and middle finger. Have a look at this pic of a mature pencil grip and you can see how these tripod fingers are working well together to control the pencil.
Scissor cutting, with a proper scissor grasp, will give these fingers lots of practice in working together, and will strengthen your child’s hand muscles. This will help to improve fine motor skills and to develop the correct pencil grasp for good handwriting.

I shall wait for the day he's willing to change his pencil grasp..

Meanwhile, I'm going to print some cutting skills print for him to polish his new found skill!

DEATH

When I was younger, I felt death is such a far thing..

Now, I feel death is coming really near.

I am scared of death.

Heart of gold? Maybe not...

Sometimes, I thought I have a heart of gold.

That's when I am always full of dreams to help people who are in need. Sick, poor, you name it. There is a desire to help out, to volunteer. But it's not easy.

I've tried searching for opportunities within organisations to 'offer myself" to be replied by "we have enough volunteers for now", "we'll keep you in view when we have event", "we do not have any event now" or "we need working hours volunteers". And so, each time, the fire would burn out. Till the next ripple.

It didn't come easy. For me to offer to commit. I have commitment issues.

In 2004, I committed to a programme called Meals on Wheels. But I was such a workaholic at that time that I had to change my mind at the very last minute due to work commitment. Someone from the programme called me, and he gave me an upside down lecture.

"Do you know that it is ok for you to just say you can't come?"

"But what would happen to the old folks that are waiting for the food? They still need to eat!"

I felt like shit.

From then on, I've never tried to go close to committing myself to charity. Except for donations in the temple, that is.

More than 10 years on, I picked myself up again.

Maybe, just maybe, I am not destined to do good.

I do not believe in monetary donations. Call me skeptical, call me anything you like. There are just too many cases where the people in-charge of the charity organisations misused the fund. And I'm really very skeptical of the kids doing fund raising at MRT stations for example. I really wonder where the money would all go to or whether they are really fund raising for real. Ya, not that I'm going to donate a million dollars to care, but I do care. I do not want to condone misdeeds, nor I want to check their license to confirm if they are for real before I donate a few dollars the most.

Lately I found out that I can make donations in kind to charitable organisations. I went into a few old folks home and check on what they need on regular basis.

And then I found out something interesting.

On NTUC Fairprice website, there's a link for Donation to VWOs, it has a whole list of VWOs that you can make donation to. If you click on any of the VWO, you'll be shown what are the items they use regularly and the brands they preferred.

There you go.. alternative to my skeptical mind about donation.

On the other hand, I believe I have an evil heart too.

I was on the MRT to make my way to a sale. The guy beside me gave the seat to a woman in her 60s or 70s. She spoke in a strongly accented Chinese. No doubt where she came from. She asked me the name of 2 stations away. I told her I would alight with her as I would be going the same way. Then when the train stopped at the first station, she panicked and said something along the line that she went the wrong way and then she alighted at the station. I was still glued to my seat.

Just when the train doors closed, I felt really bad. I regretted not helping her find her way and make sure she knows her way before leaving her like that. I prayed that someone else would be able to help her.

I was angry at myself, why can't I just sacrifice a little of time to help her? I have no other answer than I was selfish and self-centred.

So you see? I have a very confused personality.

I'm good, or I'm actually not good afterall.

Train in a flower