Thursday, May 19, 2016

47


I wasn't really good with kids/babies/toddlers/anybody under the age of 20 before. Being a short-tempered person, they got on my nerves all the time and I couldn't scold them because they were much younger than I was. I didn't have many nephews or nieces for me to even play with. Things went pretty well until I was placed in a primary school for my very first internship.

Imagine being surrounded by 6 years-olds every day. First of all, face it. You can't simply scream or touch somebody else's kids. They can sue you even if you do it for a legit reason! Secondly, something had to be done in order to stop their constant naggings. Imagine being called "cikgu" 20 times in a minute. They won't stop until you respond to them. So, I gave in. Okay, kids! You win.

This went on for months and years, and now, I can proudly say that I'm getting better with kids. In fact, I prefer talking to them now rather than engaging in serious conversations with people my age. (How very mature, Fatin). I could see pure innocence in their eyes. Instead of thinking of them as annoying, I'd like to think that they are at the age where they are very curious and developing. I'd play along. The experience of handling kids actually helped me in nurturing my patience, to understand that every individual, young or old, have their own pace. So I'm learning to embrace the pace and enjoy the process, instead of rushing into it.

The Malaysian kids here in York are so well-behaved, masha Allah. They are so lucky to have the privilege to grow up in a foreign country. I feel so happy whenever I hear them calling me "Aunty Facin" in their thick British accent.

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