American humorist Dave Barry once said, “Most married couples, even though they love each other very much in theory, tend to view each other in practice as large teeming flaw colonies, the result of being that they get on each other’s nerves and regularly erupt into vicious emotional shouting”.
Never goes a day when wife Annette does not pick on husband, Jerry’s, untidiness. “She never lets it rest. There is always something to complain about. The mug I wash, my clothes hamper, my study corner – the grumbling and nitpicking never end,” sighs Jerry. Scratching an old scab to make it bleed seems to bring about a sort of contentment for certain people.
Couples, who run ship without problems and sail smoothly at home, not only have our respect but deserve a standing ovation as well. One such couple is William Choo and wife, Chua Joo Lin, and it extends to beyond the home.
Twinkle Star Montessori
The husband-wife team set up Twinkle Star Montessori in 2005. The preschool is home in the day to children from 2 to 6 years of age. The full range of the Montessori approach is applied.
Although William is not with the children from morning till evening, he pops by in the evenings and occasionally stands in for the teachers. As soon as the children spy William in the room, they welcome him with hugs and thus begins intellectual games which he makes it a point to ‘fun it up’ for the children.
Pull-E
With a strong engineering background in both of them, the Choos have come up with the programme ‘Little Engineers’ which introduces the children to simplistic physics.
In one lesson, gears were taught and the children became excited when they figured gears were linked to bicycles. Before you throw the idea that only boys would love this programme, you’re wrong. The Choos have observed that both girls and boys get into the programme and wholeheartedly experiment with pulleys, etc.
Who says learning physics and having fun is a boys thing?
Thinking Time
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Twinkle Star Montessori Classroom
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When the kids misbehave, instead of doling out unreasonable punishment or lashing out at them, Twinkle Star Montessori follows a method similar to nanny Jo Frost in the programme ‘Supernanny’.
A chair, known as the ‘Thinking Chair’ is set aside and the misbehaved child is set on it for the duration equivalent to his age as in a 3 year old child gets 3 minutes. The teacher gives an explanation to the child for his sitting in the chair and after the time is up, an apology is given by the child to the hurt party.
At the same time, a star chart is put up for good manner, helpfulness, etc and star stickers are awarded in the form of encouragement.
With a curriculum that taps on Edvox Music School and MyGym to provide a fulfilling experience for the children, the children anticipate excitedly about each school day. The Choos, parents to two sons, extend their parenting skills to the children at the centre as well. Treating each child as their own, the Choos establish a good rapport with each individual child enrolled at the centre.
Understanding the playtime valued at a young age, homework is only given to K2 students to prepare them for the following year of homework and also teaches them a peg or two about responsibility over work that requires to be taken home. The Choos work together to ensure the children are in a loving and safe environment.
Arguments between couples get nowhere
Squabbling over minor, unimportant things would get no couple anywhere. Like American rock guitarist, Sammy Hagar, once said, “I see couples fighting about the stupidest things. You just have to rise above everything”. And when rise you have, things will begin looking clearer and even running businesses together would be something to look forward to, not dread.
To find out more information visit Twinkle Star Montessori!
