Too much of school - After School Activities
When my mom finally decided to - take that plum posting as a Divisional Head, I knew I was in trouble. Her office hours stretched way beyond my school hours. And anyway, I was privy to the many discussions my parents had about 'Honey, what do we do with the kids?' ... Well, finally they struck gold - an educational after school program.
Won't that be
just grand?... Kids are learning new things while parents are happily minting
greenbacks! And so, we went directly to another class after our school. The
brochure said that they would be 'using fun activities and innovative teaching
methods to - fill the gap in your child's understanding'. I suppose they meant
that the teacher would write down the homework and we were to copy it.
At
least, this is what happened most of the time. Of course, we didn't tell our
parents. How would that help? ... They'd simply get smart and shift us to a class
that would actually make us solve our homework. I hated the classes. Mostly, I
was bored to tears or - falling asleep.
After so many hours at school who'd want to spend the entire afternoon
with the same books? ... But, as a child, one had little choice in these matters.
Especially when one's parents were cleverly telling one that mommy's salary
will help get us that spanking new TV - or that video game. Lose some, win some! Then,
one day, my sister decided to rock the proverbial boat. She decided she had
enough of - studying and refused to go to the after school program.
That's when
my parents began to smell something stale. Shortly after that, they put us in a
better program -(o, yes, another educational one)-. This was bigger, brighter and
somehow more fun. We had some
interesting games, and a COMPUTER too. Each of us got a chance to do something
on the PC -(this, when PCs were just beginning to make their presence felt)-.
We
somehow managed to blaze through our homework, most of which had to be done by
us. Then it was time to have fun. We had a little bit of everything. Acting
classes, speech, games and of - course painting. Those hours we spent splashing
color on pages and laughing at silly jokes were really the highlight of - an
otherwise boring day.
Ironically, I began looking forward to my after school
program. Now, so many years afterward, when I need - to take up - a job and leave my
own child alone till I get back, I know how important these after school
programs have become. Talk about history repeating itself! I just hope I'd get
her into a good one, and yes, it's going to be educational too.
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After-School Activities
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