A few days ago, I wrote a post about encouraging and building the self-confidence of your children. Below is one way we build the confidence one another at home.
Once a year, we have our family year-end retreat, when we take stock of the year, review our goals for the year past, reflect on what we did well and what we can improve. We tell each other what we notice that person has achieved and what can be improved. After all, everyone needs encouragement once in a while. Even Daddy FECS will ask me, "Honey, tell me a list of things you like about me :-)... (this is especially so after episodes when I have listed a list of complaints about him, such as about him falling asleep, when reading to the kids... oops, I am still learning :-P)"
Then we tally up the number of achievements, and the one with the highest number of achievements will be awarded the Trophy, which we called the "Family FECS Star Award".
For the year past 2018, Mommy FECS has made 8 achievements, Daddy FECS has made 9 achievements and our Little FECS has made 15 achievements. So the "Family FECS Star Award" trophy went to our Little FECS. The Man of Honor , aka. Daddy FECS, was invited to give the award to our Little FECS.
We listed down the achievements of our Little FECS for 2018 and shared it with him:
1. A very loving and caring brother to Baby FECS. For example, play with her, cooking with her, bathing with her, he is a treasure to Baby FECS.
2. He has been very responsible with the house key, that he is now allowed to carry with him. For example, he haven't lose the keys.
3. He has been wise with his pocket-money. For example, he doesn't spend all the pocket money in school, and told us that he doesn't have to buy the tidbits every single day, as it is not very healthy and he would spend all his money, if he done so. Thus, although we didn't expect it, when I ask him if he needs more pocket money, he said to me that he still has sufficient money.
4. Completed the highest number of rounds (7 rounds) during the school Sport's Day among the lower primary classes.
5. He has been responsible for crossing the road. For example, he is walking to school every day and crossing the road. We commended him for being careful at crossing the road and taking our advice on road safety seriously.
6. His enthusiasm at Scouts. For example, we told him that we are truly amazed how he can be so enthusiastic at all his scouting activities, week-after-week and keeping up such a good mood. That's something Daddy FECS and Mommy FECS are not so good at... and can learn from him. We are well known party poopers...
7. His self-discipline after school. For example, we commended him for his impressive self-discipline. Because I work full-time, I am not there to monitor him at home, when he comes home from school. He will come home from school alone. He would eat the leftover in his lunch box, bath, rest, watch the Danish' news for kids DR-Ultralyd, play the piano and do his Chinese homework (he usually would have finished his Danish homework in school already.) Quite often, when I come home, he would be sitting doing his homework. Most kids his age would probably be playing computer games.
8. Good cook. For example, he is good at making breakfast i.e. pancakes, oatmeal, etc. and he is good at helping mommy to cook, i.e. peeling and cutting carrots and potatoes, etc.
9. He is good at playing with his cousins.
10. Practiced well for piano and played for his classmates in school.
11. He has improved a lot in his swimming and actually said he looks forward to the weekly swimming lessons, which is a complete change from a few years ago.
12. Attained a very high standard of Danish short essay-writing in 2018. I don't expect him to be able to repeat this in 2019, but this was a bonus in 2018.
13. Selected to be the first person to make a presentation for everyone in his class.
14. Positive feedback from yearly parents' teacher meeting.
15. Excellent grade in his school yearly report card both academically and in the area of character development.
We listed his achievements down in writing, so that one day, when the going gets tough, if our kids feel down against the hard knocks of life, he can go back to this list and be encouraged. But we are also careful to stress that we will love him regardless, even if he hasn't achieved all the 15 things we observed.
We didn't set out this Star Award Night with our Little FECS in mind. He won it out of his own merits. 2018 is an exceptional year of achievements for him. We hope he can maintain it, but we don't expect him to be able to repeat the same sterling performance in 2019.
We close with a word of prayer to thank God for his blessings in our lives in 2018.
Dadddy FECS' giving out the award to our Little FECS
Our Little FECS making the signature scout sign, when receiving his trophy
Our Little FECS, the recipient of Family FECS Star Award 2018 :-)
P.S. He is wearing the scout scarf for a year, as he is working on getting a stamp for it.
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