S'pore DJ enrols K1 daughter in 5 enrichment classes, seeks advice from internet: 'Am I crazy?'
Is five enrichment classes too much for a five-year-old child?
Singaporean radio personality Gerald Koh took to social media with this question on March 13, sharing that he had enrolled his daughter in English, Chinese and brain exercise classes, as well as swimming and art lessons.
In his TikTok post, Mr Koh said that his five-year-old daughter, Gemma, could not string together sentences, although some of her peers could already read and write.
"I'm worried because in a year and a half, we're gonna start going to primary school. If I start then, will it be too late? If I start now, am I too early?" he asked.
Mr Koh said his daughter was enrolled at English tuition centre I Can Read, adding that she enjoyed the lessons there as the teachers were friendly. They often read to students and encourage them to form words using different consonants.
"What's important for these supplementary classes, for me, is that I don't know how to do these things at home," Mr Koh added.
As he "can't really speak Mandarin", Mr Koh said he enrolled his daughter in Chinese lessons in hopes she would develop a love for the language.
In addition to academic lessons, Gemma is enrolled in Heguru Education Singapore, which offers right-brain training aimed at improving a child's memory, processing ability, and analytical thinking.
"There's also swimming and art class. That's five. Am I crazy?" Mr Koh said, asking netizens for their advice.
"And now Gemma is asking for music and ballet," he concluded.
'Treasure the time with her at home': Netizens
The post received over 33,100 views, as netizens chimed in with their responses.
"If she's enjoying the classes, then there's nothing to worry about. The fact that she can even ask you for more classes goes to show she has the capacity to take up more," one netizen pointed out.
Others, however, had a different take, suggesting that five classes was "a bit much".
"Instead of sending her for so many classes, you should treasure the time with her at home right now. Play, bond. This period of her childhood will not come back," one user commented.
Mr Koh responded by saying he spends time with his daughter at home or at the park, with classes taking up about an hour of her day. Cutting down on classes was also an option, he added in another comment.
"I think you are really stressing her out," another TikToker commented, while a user who identified themselves as a preschool teacher said it was normal for a five-year-old not to know how to write sentences.
"You wonder how kids in the generations before them learnt and developed without these enrichment classes," another netizen mused.
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