What influences have you had in your life that you have transferred to the life of your children and their education?
My love of books, reading, languages and knowledge. I was influenced by a reading and culture-loving family and I feel like I have passed that on. The common interests make for interesting conversations in cars or over dinner, and quality time is generally spent doing something we all love!
With high importance placed on literacy for a child’s educational development, what aspects of reading to a child do you think is most important?
I think that combining reading to a child with intimate moments, such as cuddling, or bedtime, and not making reading a forced task are both highly important. I also try to animate every story and make them fun. Also, sometimes, when reading, a child gets tired, and asks mummy to continue…
I feel that it’s very important to oblige, so that the child associates reading with positive, loving, and safe moments rather than ones where they are forced to read at all costs.
What particular book genre do you believe are lacking in the 5-10y year-old age bracket?
I feel we could do with more biographies, history, and books about diverse cultures for those ages.
As a mother and professional, how do you find the time to ensure that your child gets some reading time in?
We save reading for bedtime, but always ensure we each have a book wherever we go. That way, waiting times, and journey times, can be turned to reading opportunities.
How did motherhood change the way you viewed the importance of education?
I don’t think it changed how important I think education is, but I think as a student and while I was aiming for my career I was very academically driven, whereas since becoming a mother, I prioritise other aspects of education, such as children’s mental health, their self image, their social skills, and
so on.
What is the one thing you would like to see implemented in schools today?
More physical and mental health and social education, and more classes that are pertinent to life’s soft skills. I feel that the PSCD, Physical Education, and Ethics classes are extremely important and should be increased and attributed more resources.
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