A case of ''tough Love'' in Thailand and I believe it works!

[ppmacready]

Pom my girlfriend at 15 moved to Koh Samet and worked in the evenings and weekends in a restaurant.

She would get her board and lodgings and 3,000 baht a month which Pom gave to her mum.

She would get up at 5am to go to school.

Walk from Saikaew beach to the ferry to save the fare, arrive back on the island around 5pm after school and work in the restaurant until 11pm.

Pom did this for 3 and a half years.

I thought Jasmine my daughter then 9, could learn some thing from this.

So I arranged for Jazz to join Spy, Poms son, on the very same journey because she was struggling to get out of bed for School at 8am!

Jazz in shock, got up at 5am, had a very cold shower, helped Spy do his chores and then accompanied him and a boat load of other kids on the ferry.

On the way back, Jazz was sea sick.

So on her arrival back at the hotel Jazz looked at little worse for wear!

I asked, how was it?

Jazz didn't moan or gripe,simply stated, I just cant do 5am in the morning daddy and I was seasick!

I hid my smile.

Well all the kids on the boat have to, and thats for the next 10 years, not just 1 day!

I asked next if she had learnt anything today so far?

Life for us is very easy and we are very, very lucky, Jazz replied, without any prompting at all.

I instructed her to write down what she had learnt about Poms story and about her own experience today.

Jazz wasn't keen to go back at 2pm to pick Spy up from school at 3pm but I ''persuaded'' her to go, so she really got a feel for what other kids have to go through, before they even get to school.

Jazz has also been learning how teachers and kids in some arab country's have to be prepared to die just to go to school.

Only this week another teacher in the ''restive'' south of Thailand was shot in front of his pupils.

That girls have acid thrown in there faces, for just attending a school in some country's.

So being able to go to school is a privilege and laying in bed until 8am was more than reasonable.

I hope Jazz really did learn something and isn't just paying me lip service, in the hope of avoiding more of my ''real life lessons.''

Since the 5am school start over a year ago now, Jazz hop skips and jumps out of bed every day bright eyed and bushy tailed!

Neil Sedaka - The Father Of Girls

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzZnXwUfZBA

[Lantern]

Nice story. Does it need a comma , after the third word?

[Neeranam]

Seems like this forum has become somewhere for people to write a journal.

I have 2 girls and certainly wouldn't put them through that.

[JLCrab]

If Jazz is a smart girl she'll say: I'll ride the ferry as long as I don't have to ride in the car with you.

[ppmacready]

Seems like this forum has become somewhere for people to write a journal.

I have 2 girls and certainly wouldn't put them through that.

Sorry.

I thought my point was more obvious.

I've lived here 18 years and employed the ''tough love '' approach to women and dogs as well..

And I've never had to put one down.

Lets hope both our approaches to bringing up our girls work.

[ppmacready]

If Jazz is a smart girl she'll say: I'll ride the ferry as long as I don't have to ride in the car with you.

Fortunately Jazz has my passion for adventure and speed.

My direction to her tutors, is only that Jazz is happy all through her education and is not to be groomed for a life in the rat race.

[Costas2008]

OP, which novel did you copy the above from?

[zeichen]

• Great parenting. Teach a 9 year old about how people throw acid in the face of little girls.

I think the lesson about how tough others have it is alright but if you were a real parent, you would have made the trip with her. A good teacher is one that suffers the same lessons they are trying to instil.

[JLCrab]

If Jazz is a smart girl she'll say: I'll ride the ferry as long as I don't have to ride in the car with you.

Fortunately Jazz has my passion for adventure and speed.

My direction to her tutors, is only that Jazz is happy all through her education and is not to be groomed for a life in the rat race.

I prefaced my remark.

[ppmacready]

• Great parenting. Teach a 9 year old about how people throw acid in the face of little girls.
• I think the lesson about how tough others have it is alright but if you were a real parent, you would have made the trip with her. A good teacher is one that suffers the same lessons they are trying to instil.

She was taught why, not how!

Jazz has worked in the slums with me.

Assisted handicapped kids.

Helped deliver and assembled clean water filters to a remote village in Thailand.

Helped me raise 200,000 baht for the flood relief in Bangkok.

Helped raise other funds since then.

Life isn't fair and its not like the movies.

Having a privileged life style, I feel its important for her development, to not be wrapped in cotton wool.

You will have to take my word, that I'm a dedicated ''firm'' hands on parent.

Being unemployable gives me this luxury.

But I've never advertised my self as a good teacher, only a ''Despicable Daddy''.

[marko kok prong]

Good story,i wish i could get my stepson to cure some of his lazy ways but i have given up,of course it seems Thai boys can do no wrong in their Mothers eyes,maybe this explains the attitude of some Thai males,i am not saying this is a purely Thai thing,but it does seem more prevalent here..