Some tips to deal with exam terrors

There is an article in Dads For Life site on "Tips, Tricks and Treats for Beating Exam Terrors". There are really some useful hints and pointers there. Guess what? They reference my book. Do read the article and my book.

Interview with Young Parents for Dec 2011 Issue

Here is an excerpt from the interview Young Parents magazine have with a number of people:

Exams do not cause stress, says Adam Khoo. Rather, it is your child’s response to the exam that causes stress. A kid with a positive attitude is likely to cope better and achieve higher grades in the exams than a child who thinks: “I can’t do it.”
Look for signs that he is not coping well, says Dr Ng Pan Wei (That's me). Don’t brush off any behaviour that’s out of character. Your alarm bells should start ringing if he is sleeping more than usual, becomes very irritable, throws tantrums or asks questions that seek reassurance, such as “Can I get this score?” or “What if I do not do well?”
Adam suggests encouraging your child to use positive self-talk that will lead to an optimistic attitude. Get him to say “I’ll do it” instead of “I’ll try”, and “I plan” instead of “I hope”.
Do some soul searching yourself, too. Are you the cause of his stress? Don’t give him the impression that exam results are the be all and end all. Focus more on his behaviour and not the results, and assure him that he is a success as long as he tries his best. Make sure he knows that you love him no matter how well he does.
(to be continued…)

Of course you need to get a copy of Young Parents. 8-)

Falling victim to exam fever

Today Online has an excellent article on succumbing to exam fever. It is a good reminder for all those who are overly stressed out. It is always good to bring out the best in people - even our children, but sometimes, our efforts may bring out their worsts. We can blame them for their rebelliousness, for their not listening to us, but  perhaps we also need to listen to them. After all, we were once children too.

Without a plan, a Dream is just a Dream

At KiaSu Parents, AgDearie says ,"Without a plan, a Dream is just a Dream"

I am glad that children find the book funny. Hopefully, the funny part can generate some motivation to take PSLE a little more seriously, which would certainly reduce parent's stress.

Are all sons alike when it comes to PSLE?

Fifiyeo@KiaSuParents just bought a copy and tried to get her DS to read the book. She found that her DS so alike Joey in the book. Are all sons so alike? Or are mischievous sons all so alike? Are the experiences of stressed parents so alike?

I believe her DS will certainly make it and do well!

Interview with Child Magazine Sep 2011

I was interviewed by the Child Magazine about the perils of preparing children for PSLE. I was really humbled. Writing about my son's case does not make me an expert. I certainly do not claim to be one. Yet, I do recognize that there is no one-size fits all. Our experience is just one amongst many. We can all learn from one another.

Another Positive Review

There is yet another positive review of the book at Kiasu parents.

I am really glad that people like the book.

Book Mentioned in Sunday Times 31 July 2011

I got a request from Straits Times for a brief interview. They were doing a feature on PSLE and wanted some inputs from me. The interview was short and conducted mostly via email. The feature is out today on Sunday Times.

The excerpt from the article goes like this in italics:

The PSLE experience left such a deep impression on software consultant Ng Pan Wei, 42, that he decided to write a book about it after his son's examination last year. Titled The PSLE Survival Guide For The Family, it is a tongue-in-cheek look at how the experience affected his family, including his eight-year-old daughter. His main tip on coping with the PSLE: Start early.

Dr Ng says: 'I would say PSLE stands for Procrastinate Sure Liao (die) Examination. My wife would say, Please Start Learning Early and Parents Should Learn Everything. The PSLE today and what we took back when we were young are two different animals. Get involved early. Don't get just the child to do assessments. Try to do them yourselves.'

Certainly, there are more practical tips in the book from the perspective of the mother, the father, the child,  and several others. Certainly more fun reading the book that just the excerpt above. Newspapers are after all not meant to be humorous, and certainly not a PSLE Guide for the Family.

Kiasu Parents and Children Reading My Book

I am delighted to see parents and children reading my book, even if they are kiasu. 8-).

Below is a screenshot of a posting in kiasu parents on 25 July 2011.

This is followed by yet another posting on 29 July 2011.

Apparently, the child finds it amusing. This is certainly a book not just for parents. It is a book for parents and children. It is a book for the family!

The Book Was Rated Best Seller for Category in Kinokuniya in July 2011

The book is rated as top best seller for the category for several weeks and in the month of June and some weeks in July in Kinokuniya.I was quite surprised because Kinokuniya in my mind is not the place for the PSLE target group.

Book available in the National Library

The book is available in the National Library. There are about 3 copies in each branch library. You can easily make reservations.

Positive Review for My Book

It is a pleasant surprise to read a very positive review of my book by Simply Yin. Her son is taking his PSLE this year and they are reading the book as a family, at least mother and son. This is precisely how I intended the book to be read. I am greatly encouraged. I hope the tips would be useful for you just as they are for Simply Yin.

The Book is Available @ Popular Bookstore

The book is finally available at tthe Popular Bookstore when I checked on 7 June 2011.  It has been a long wat for me. You can also find the book online from the publisher.

I really hope that the book will be an interesting read for parents and children. The use of English in this book is deliberately simple. So, it would be an easy read.

This is my first book in this area. So please don't flame me. 8-).

The book is finally printed!

The book is finally printed. This has come a long way. I had spent about 3 weeks to write this book, beginning with two articles written by Joey, and expanding it. I tried one style which did not work quite well and then re-wrote with another style, which flowed well. The writing was painful for Mama who need to recall all the stressful events, re-living it yet again, but nevertheless she persevered through it all. All in all, it takes three weeks to get the main text out. I got some friends to review the text and the responses were positive. This gave me much encouragement. I made some amendments based on the feedback before sending it to several candidate publisher.

My publisher was eager to respond. We met and discussed how to position the book. Thereafter we worked together on the text, the artworks, and the like. It was a rather pleasant experience. Mama and I commented on the avatars used in the book as well as the front and back covers. We also had to review the text several times.

On Monday, I finally received word from the publisher that the book was ready for collection. Today, I visited the publisher to receive the author's copies. I got all 15 of them. The publisher asked if I was open to holding talks for the book. Well, certainly. My full-time job has very much to do with giving trainings and seminars anyway. I will have to see how the market and readers respond. This is my first attempt at writing such a book for such an audience. It is all new to me. I eagerly wait for the responses.

Coming Soon

I finally got to create this site. The book is in the final stages of editing and will be sent to the printer soon, soon meaning within this week. Hope that readers will support this work.