Le weekend

It's Saturday and what am I doing? I'm seated at a desk for 6 hours coaching a niece in her SAT prep. She's studying while I sit next to her, making sure. Kids, today, do not have all the tools for studying. They go to classes, they do their homework. They know they need to study and do extra work to prepare for SAT and PSAT and all the other prep classes. Most don't because they don't know how. They need an example, someone (a parent) needs to sit and study with them. There's no secret about it, it's just sitting down at a desk and study and do practice courses from the myriad of prep books available.

It's all very well to tell the kid to study and all very well for them to concur. But they don't do it. Someone (best be a parent) must sit with them and study with them. Growing up, I had an aunt who sewed for a living, so she worked at home, our home for a few years. She would quiz me on my homework and I would study while she sewed. I'm eternally grateful to my aunt Monica. Today I'm returning this favor, by doing the same for a niece.

I noticed my niece's desire to study and her inability to do so because there was no example. Her parents, like all parents, work non stop. So I decided, this Saturday, and many more to come, she and I will sit down from 8am to 3pm and do nothing but study.

I bought a bunch of books on SAT prep for her and is making her work on them from cover to cover.

What was I doing? I'm working on continuing education for my licence renewal. Being a pharmacist I need 30 units of continuing ed every 2 years. I've been quite undisciplined. So today I cracked the books, made myself work on a few courses.

My sister has 2 boys, they bring their homework when they travel, when they come to visit during holidays. Her husband is very hands on when it comes to their kids' education. He sits with them and makes sure they study. Her oldest is now attending Dartmouth.

My niece was asked what reading material she's bringing on our upcoming trip to Italy. I said, 'her SAT prep books!'

I hope to one day take my sister's 2 boys to Europe.