Experience Gained..

I have to jot this down as it marks yet another milestone for my 9 year old.

 

The boy did not win in the his first ever participated English storytelling contest held at his school end of last month.  As expected, he forgot some of the lines and wasn't experienced enough to cover it.  He paused for like "forever" before he regathered his thought and continued on to finish the story.  I am proud he did.  He said he could feel the killing stares coming from the judges for pausing like "forever" (in his own words). LOL..

According to him, he and another girl who participated in the contest did quite well during a rehearsal in the class.  Their English teacher even rewarded them with some biscuits after the rehearsal. 

 

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Boy: Mommy, I know why my brain went blank for a while when on-stage while I could do so well in the class. It's because I had to face only 49 audience in the class but on the stage, HUNDREDS!!!..

Mom: LOL... That's stage fright, boy.  You had butterflies in your tummy.

Boy: No! Not only butterflies.  I felt like my lungs in my mouth!

 

Mom: Hahaha...(and he laughs along) Something that you really need to experience yourself. 

 

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He then asked me how those winners could win and not skipped a line unlike him.... I am not a good public speaker myself but I tried my best to answer his doubts.

 

I told the boy "Practice does make perfect" citing some examples:

 

SZ (the girl in his class) got 4th place (consolation prize)", the boy told me.  SZ's mother is a teacher in the school and is a familiar face in all competitions held by the school.  Practice makes perfect.

 

The champion, AZ, also a girl, is an all-time champion in the school's storytelling contests.  She told my boy she also forgot some lines, she just skipped and carried on with the rest of the story confidently without a hint of her forgetting the lines. To sum up, in this case, confidence and experience come hand in hand and they can only be achieved through experience.  To experience it yourself by joining as many of competitions as you can.

 

I think my explanations did make some impact on him as he came home two days ago asking me to make him an Iron Man suit out of recycling materials as he wanted to participate in the coming fashion show held on Children's Day at his school.  He even said he wanted to participate in other contests like singing and dancing too.  This boy really gives me the "WOW" effect.  I still remember he refused when he was chosen to participate in the English storytelling contest last year.  I am proud that he finally did it this year and there'll be more coming!  I thought I had killed his confidence by sending him to a SJKC.  Read here if you missed it.   Lots of love, hugs and kisses, reasoning and encouragement do make wonders on the boy.   

 

On another note, the boy felt bad for not inviting me to his storytelling contest.  He didn't know parents were allowed until he saw some parents lingering around in front of the stage.  He wrote me this when he got home, an invitation that came 3 hours' late. :)

 

He is sweet, ain't he?