First up, you have to understand that at the moment I wrote this on a notebook, it was still 2009. My daughter was still a junior in High School and I had more than a year to prepare for our separation. That is no longer the case. As of today I have 6months 25days 23 hours and 45minutes until the end of my world. But back in 2009 I was much, much, much calmer.
At the present it is January 6, 2011. Back then it was September 13, 2009. So let us go back.
So now we wait for deadlines to come, and for time to pass. Now the real game begins, all that came before was training, time to put that training to the test (literally). First up, the PSAT. In this corner the PSAT weighing 3 oz. In this corner my daughter, weighing 120 pounts. The PSAT with thousands of fights under its belt, my daughter with none. Who will emerge victorious. The date October 17, 2009 at 8:00 am stay tuned for the results.
We have, yes we have, she has to study and I have to bite my nails in anticipation. Again, we have, 25 days and 5 hours and 32 minutes to prepares. She has to study, study, study. Totally nerve raking, especially because there is no way in the world that I can help.
The test consist of, critical reading skills, math solving problem skills and writing skills. I could help with reading and writing, but she gets annoyed with me. But with math, if I helped she would get a grand total of (drum roll please) 0, well maybe she could get 10 points. I do know how to add and subtract, I think.
But yesterday, she finally let me take a look at the study guide. I thought I was good in reading and writing but, gosh, that thin scared me. There are things in there I don't understand. So even in the language section I couldn't help her. Not because I didn't understand, but because the things they required I never studied in school. Of course I didn't finish high school the right way, and before that I wasn't a very good student. But I didn't even take it in college.
And don't get me started about the math section. It's a completely different language for me. To you, reader maybe the following practice problem is simple but for me its worst than trying to understand Chinese of Japanese. This was taken from the online practice test for 2009. The problem was from the 1997 test:
At the present it is January 6, 2011. Back then it was September 13, 2009. So let us go back.
So now we wait for deadlines to come, and for time to pass. Now the real game begins, all that came before was training, time to put that training to the test (literally). First up, the PSAT. In this corner the PSAT weighing 3 oz. In this corner my daughter, weighing 120 pounts. The PSAT with thousands of fights under its belt, my daughter with none. Who will emerge victorious. The date October 17, 2009 at 8:00 am stay tuned for the results.
We have, yes we have, she has to study and I have to bite my nails in anticipation. Again, we have, 25 days and 5 hours and 32 minutes to prepares. She has to study, study, study. Totally nerve raking, especially because there is no way in the world that I can help.
The test consist of, critical reading skills, math solving problem skills and writing skills. I could help with reading and writing, but she gets annoyed with me. But with math, if I helped she would get a grand total of (drum roll please) 0, well maybe she could get 10 points. I do know how to add and subtract, I think.
But yesterday, she finally let me take a look at the study guide. I thought I was good in reading and writing but, gosh, that thin scared me. There are things in there I don't understand. So even in the language section I couldn't help her. Not because I didn't understand, but because the things they required I never studied in school. Of course I didn't finish high school the right way, and before that I wasn't a very good student. But I didn't even take it in college.
And don't get me started about the math section. It's a completely different language for me. To you, reader maybe the following practice problem is simple but for me its worst than trying to understand Chinese of Japanese. This was taken from the online practice test for 2009. The problem was from the 1997 test:
"If S = a/b + c/d + 1/e the greates increas in S would result from adding 1 to the value of which variable?
See with this problem I understand what is asking. As you can very well see I understand English. So I know what each individual word means, I can even gander at the meaning of the whole. I know that the symbol "<" means larger than the previous. I can even understand the equation a little bit. But when you put it all together, it goes completely over my head. In the Bible, it speaks of angelic tongues. If I heard that I think I would understand it better than mathematical language. So what do I do you ask? I take on the cheerleading approach. I listen to her trying; very passionately try to explain why she gets these results. I even pretend to finally get it. Then I go, "good sweetie, I knew you would get it". I become super-motivator, the alter ego I have used every time there appears to be even the slightest doubt in her performance. That se starts to feel overwhelmed, out comes "Super-Motivator", fighting off self doubt, fear, apprehension, and panic. Fighting off evil with phrases like, "you can do it", "that's easy", "you know it, you just have to relax", "baby you are smart, you can do anything". And the ever efficient "you can do anything, and face anything and do anything you set your mind to". Finally, the "I'm proud of you no matter what happens". All those things are true, and our children have to hear it from us. Because if we are the very ones that put them down, how do we expect them to believe in themselves. So go get your own cape, and become "Super-Motivator". So that even if, like me, you can't help your child prepare for the test, you can at least help them feel like you are on their corner, believing in them and supporting all their efforts. Only asking of them to do their best. So that is what I do. I cheer, I motivate, I make snacks or at least buy them. And help with a little comic relief. Because I'm sure, that the faces I make while she tries to explain math to me are funny enough to break any tension or stress she might be feeling at that moment. Specially the week before the test. And most of all, do try to keep your own anxiety in check. It does no one any good to have you sweating like a pig in the roasting pit, when you are trying to keep your child calm. So, as your child prepares fro the test your should also prepare yourself. As I write this there are only 3days and 14hours with 22 minutes left for the test. So make a mental not about keepint the environment around your chil calm and relaxing. Help whenever possible, even if its just listening or making snacks.
Keep yourself in check, even when every day tht passes makes you, if you are like me, mor and more neurotic. If you feel like you are too nervous; just find something to do. Just ask my dog, I think he wanted that day to come mor thatn any of us. It it had been another few days or even a week I would have ended up shaving his skin. He didn't have hair up til the end of December. and the next test was around the corner. Before the test day I had a hairy Cotton de Tulear, after the test, I ended up with a sor of Chinese Crested. So the key for every one is relax, relax, relax. My test chant "be cool, calm, collected, cool, calm, collected, cool, calm, collected, cool, calm, collected". Hurry Saturday, get here, before I lose my cool,calm and collected.
