except for class trips, the girl has never gone on vacation without us & neither have we gone away without the kids.
so, it was a totally new experience that she went on an overseas trip with her schoolmates today. i posted on this earlier this year. (read here)
as concerned parents, it's difficult to let the young ones go but we consoled ourselves that this would put her in good stead when she eventually leaves for varsity in 3 years' time. moving around with her group of schoolmates, i know she will not be alone & more importantly, she's God's child & will be under His care.
what did get me worried (a bit) was that when i tried to call the hotel reception in siem reap, the guy could hardly understand me & i don't think i speak bad english either. this is supposedly a 4* international hotel in the town centre.
we do really look forward to her return next week.
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24 comments:
like you, i will have mixed feelings if my girl goes outstation by herself.. i mean without me tagging.. so far, either she stays at home while i travel or i take her with me but never she alone with her frens.. i think i will worry much if she does. Now she is 16.. in another 2 years or less, she will be on her own too.. wonder whether i should opt out and stay with her or near her college :)
Nice to read a dad's perspective. I am all grown up, but my mum still worry abt my food, my drink, my friends, my work place etc etc etc. I make it a point to call my mum if i travel over a long period.
Reminds me of my first trip to L.A. alone in 2004. My mom must have been worried sick but she did not let it show. On my last trip to NIH in October, I made sure I SMSed her whenever I could - on my stopover at Taipei, upon arriving at Bethesda, upon checking-in at the hotel, upon checking-in at NIH, and almost everyday thereafter. Because my dad had just passed away so other than the pets and household concerns, she had a lot of free time to worry about my safety. Does your sweetheart have a cellphone with roaming facility? Why not ask her to text you?
Claire,
you know, sooner or later, the kids will leave home & it's natural to want to hold on to them for as long as possible.
by 18, your daughter would have matured another 2 years & most parents would have accepted the fact that they need to study away from home.
whether you want to move with them, well, only you know what you'll do in the end. there's really no right answer to that.
Hello Kitty,
mothers, God bless them, for looking after the family, esp the kids! it's really wonderful to have parents who worry, care & are concerned for you.
their love truly knows no bounds! you reciprocate well when you call home on your travels.
Yvonne,
she has roaming on her plan but we are prudent to use it only when absolutely necessary. otherwise, she'll use phonecards & i'll call the hotel.
that was the way i was brought up & that's the way she has observed what i do.
Letting go will help people grow (and learn) :) Not just in the home. But in the workplace as well.
hahaha. before i went overseas, my mom went all hoohah asking around how could we keep in touch, all those long distance call and what nots. :P
Mei Teng,
that's true & it's probably harder to let go of daughters than sons.
Medie,
i guess that's why mothers were create - to fuss over the kids.
i'm sure deep in your heart, you appreciate all that.
don't worry doc . I'm pretty sure that a smart lass like her knows how to take care of herself and like what you - a child of God - there's Someone greater keeping an eye on her - so cheer up my fren :) !
I think you are a great dad, to trust your girl and allow her the freedom to travel overseas with her schoolmates. I'm not even sure if I could trust so abundantly like that. :)
Even your girl has her own family, she is still your girl. Kinda understand that.
P.S. No. I'm not a parent.
It's good to let her go off on her own cos she would learn to be independent.
Haha!! Yeah I've been to Siem Reap and not everyone speaks English there, not even in hotels.
UG,
thanks for your kind concern.
managed to talk to her twice on the phone & she's having a good time with the community work as well as shopping.
can't wait to see her next week.
Jo,
thanks for your kind words.
the whole form has to do this overseas stint for their extra-curricular marks. those who are not able to travel will have to get attached to an office/corporation for work experience.
Birthmark,
thanks for your comment.
i can see you already have parental instinct!
Foongpc,
yeah, it's a good time to let her travel with her own group of friends. i remember i was her age when i had to go with my school team for competition in another state.
i also would like to see angkor wat myself, especially now that everyone can fly!
I'm way far to go.
A cousin sister is living with us since a newborn. She's like a part of the family. Like a real daughter and sister to us. Seeing her grow up, getting intro troubles and stuffs. What more can I say?
After experiencing all that, I kinda understand the things my parents went through bringing me up then.
Birthmark,
see...that's how we are learn to be parents - by experiencing & watching what our own parents go through, & then we try to improve on the good & discard the bad.
I only use my roadming facility to SMS mom and update her. Because I can't speak to her over the phone anyway. So sending her tezt messages means a lot to her. I wonder if SMS is cheaper than using calling cards for international calls. I think in my case, sms is cheaper. Everyday one SMS on average. On some days, none. I imaagine if it's my daughter or significant other travelling abroad or away from me, all I need is just a message from them. No need to yap over the phone.
Yvonne,
sms is definitely cheaper than voice calls by any means, but it's just that i'm so used to talking to the girl, even if it's just a few short sentences, than just messaging.
but i agree with you - keeping in contact by whatever means possible, is how we build bridges.
Doc, you sound so romantic. Must hear her voice. :P If she ever reads this, she will be so touched.
Yvonne,
the irony is that she doesn't read this blog!!
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