My son is growing up!!!

Chicken Soup for the Preteen Soul :)

Guess what? I'm currently reading that book despite that I am not a preteen at all hehehe… ;)

As I mentioned before, I bought that book for my son so that he could read it during his school holiday (since there wasn’t any plan to go anywhere). Previously, he only loved reading comics or books with more pictures than wordings. I introduced him this book as I thought that, well, why didn’t let him find out some self-improvement book that was much more suitable for his age? This book was the right one for him. Preteen here was meant for kids ages 9 – 13.

After reading the first chapter, he started drawing greater interest reading into the next following chapters. In less than a week, he finished reading it. He was even asking me to read that book as he found it so interesting. Well, it would be his first time recommending a book for me to read and it was also his first time founding such a book that he loved reading, especially those with wordings only.

When my sister-in-law finished reading the Live Well, Love Much, Laugh Often book of mine written by Apelles Poh, he was asking me if he too, could borrow that book for him to read. Wow!!! I was impressed! It seemed like he started growing up interest on reading the self-improvement kind of book. And when I wanted to go for a Popular Book Sale in Expo last Thursday, I was asking him if there was any book that he wanted me to buy. Guess what he said?? He wanted other Chicken Soup for the soul books that were suitable for him. Hohoho… :D

Too bad, there wasn’t any suitable Chicken Soup for the soul books sold in the Book Sale. However, when we browsed around in the Popular book store in Bishan during weekend, we found few other Chicken Soup for the soul books for Preteen. He bought two, and my niece bought two. When they finished reading it, they could make an exchange and read all of them.

As an adult, we were on their ages before, many years back. But lots of us didn’t have a privilege to read the Chicken Soup for the soul book. We might not ever hear about the book before too as in our generation time, many book were not translated into our own mother tongue language and I didn’t even know much about the English language.

So mostly, we grew based on what we encountered in our life: from what we’d seen, and also from what other people encountered in their lives. Our motivation toward life wasn’t that great, if I might say. It would be just a simple life like what our parents, siblings, and friends were doing. Most of us got inspiration from our own parents, as our role model in life. Unlike the current generation of children who were exposed to outta world through media like Television and Internet. They’d seen more, much more that what we’d seen during our time.

Although the book was based on preteen experience in US, their stories could relate and inspire other preteen in many other parts of the world too. At this age, it was a crucial time for their development in life since they were too old to be called kids, and too young to be called teenager. They got stuck in between.

“When I try to be grown-up, people tell me I’m too young. When I do something wrong, people tell me to grow up. I don’t understand. I guess we’re always going to be too big for some things, and too young for others.” – Michelle Richard

At this age, they were going through puberty too and had to face with series of mood swings, hormone surges, and growing interest toward the opposite gender. They had to face with emotional changes too.

I was grown up in a family with mostly females occupying the house. So, as a mother of a young boy, I think I had to learn more about the changes that he was experiencing so that I could understand him better. Lots of time I asked my hubby to handle the matter directly to my son. However, I couldn’t just throw the responsibility all to him. I too, wanted to share the responsibility’s pie as his mom.

Time really flies dude! My son, who used to sit on a bicycle pushed from behind, has ridden the bicycle on his own now. He could cook now (instant noodle mostly haha..), help up washing dishes, sweeping and mopping the floor, tidying up his own table (once in a blue moon), etc. He proudly showed me his first pimple during weekend. It was so small but yet, so big matter for him. Haha.. I think he couldn’t wait for his voice to change, for his Adam’s apple to appear, for the moustache to grow, and so on.

Soon, my baobei son will change. Nothing stays permanent though. The baby will grow as a toddler. The toddler will grow as a kid. Kid will grow as preteen, teenager, and eventually become an adult one day. I just want to treasure each moment that he passes by and cherish all the changes that he goes through. I just need to learn to become a better mother for him, especially as a soul provider in times when he needs. At the mean time I need to read all the Chicken Soup for preteen books that he has, to have a grasp on which stage he is in right now, what things he’s learnt, what challenges he’ll face, and so on. Wish me all the best!!! :)