This is not another article on PSLE as there are many many articles written on it with basically saying PSLE is one of the many many milestones in life, and that it does not decide your future – I think you don’t need another crusader on this. 

My own perspective, like anything in life, be it sports competition, examination, music grading, all must be done in all seriousness to the best of one’s ability. If you have a piano grading, don’t you practise non-stop to perfect an exam piece, so PSLE is no different if you put it into the same context. 

As my first child enters the examination hall today, what have I learned from my experience thus far as we ending out almost 1 year of hard work. 

1. For FTWM, do not burn your leave or take any sabbatical leave – the kid was hardly at home , for mine he had 3 days of supplementary classes in term 3 and some day in between he has tuition after school, even if he is home at the regular times, I bet he has tonnes of homework that he need to complete (most time he tells me teacher say to do it on his own without parental help)
2. Start early (but some say P3 but I think that is a bit too extreme)  – I started during the P5 school holiday last year trying to familiarise him with P6 syllabus as school teachers have to finish the entire P6 syllable in half a year which is quite a task (of course, if your child is attending tuition, most tuition would also start P6 syllabus once the year end exam has ended (end of P5). This also stemmed from my first time doing the MOE primary school syllable I wanted to be on top of it before P6 academic year starts
3. Set realistic expectations so that both child and parents are not disappointed, as much as every parents’ dream of a perfect AL4 result (new PSLE scoring system) I know very well, this is an impossible target for my child , I set believable targets for him and true story, when he exceeded my target for his prelim in 2 subjects, I was over the moon  (this was a great confidence booster for both himself and me going into the final papers) – I have actually done up a goal sheet of the target for each 4 subject of course with “alignment” and agreement from the ultimate stakeholder ie my child 
4. For cooking mama, fuel them with nutritious food and lots of fluid consumption, as I am no cooking mama  (i left this task to #mypreciouzkidsdaddycooks and I do believe in the power of chicken essence ( that is what I consumed during my exam days too) so I ensure that he takes this regularly and on exam days,  be it placebo or truly does its job , I think chicken essence does no harm and nothing beats outdoor time , break and rest! 
5. The hardest of them all – which I have failed many times – not to show negative emotions/disappointments to the child, easier said than done but I did pass my final “test” when my youngest child was given a QO 10 days before PSLE (we have exited luckily), I was so anxious and worried as my P6 will be implicated and worst , missed the entire exam but I kept my emotions under wrapped as he prepares for his final revision. With all the COVID disruptions, parents need to be level-headed more now than ever. I know it is easy to complain and rant but it will not help at all mentally to both parents and the child

Hope this has been helpful to next year new #PSLEmum and also as a reminder to me as I have my other 3 more runs. The only silver lining probably would be I get the graduated kid/s teach the younger ones instead of taking it all on my own like this year. Then again I do hear secondary school life is even more busy with many many more subjects so probably it will only be my wishful thinking. I guess in 2 years time  I am more prepared in supporting my no 2 more than I have this year. 

For all #pslemum and #pslekids, the end is near, enjoy the “bonfire”!

Whatever the results will be ultimately, we have no regrets as we have put in out best efforts!