Q : Your friend has just started studying at a boarding school.

She has written to you for your advice on coping with the sudden change.

88, Jalan Bahagia, Taman Bahagia Permai, 83000 Batu Pahat, Johor. 2nd August 2011. Dear Nicky, Thank you for your letter. I am sorry for not being able to reply your letter earlier. I was busy studying preparing for my mid-year examination. I can understand your feelings about staying on your own in the boarding school. When I first entered a boarding school, I felt the pang of loneliness and homesickness too. Once you get through the period of adjustment, you will relish your newfound freedom and independence. Life in a boarding school is entirely different from a non-residential school and home. The most important thing you must get used to is adhering to the strict schedules. You must attend classes, have your meals, exercise, study and sleep at fixed times. Although this arrangement may seem rigid, you will come to appreciate it in future. You will find that studying or taking break in a group gives you the feeling of togetherness. Futhermore, all this strict rules will help you to instill self-dicipline. In addition, you should utilise all the facilities that are available in your school. Use the library and computer labs during your free time. Contact your family members via e-mail to keep them informed about your activities. In this way they will not be worried about you. You must not forget to familiarize yourself with the school and hostel rules and regulations. You will have to face a penalty, if you are caught breaking any of the rules. Remember that, the wardens in charge of a boarding school are always strict in enforcing discipline for they are responsible for the safety of all students round the clock. I hope that you will find these advise helpful to you. I wish you all the best in your new school. Yours sincerely,

Are Parents the Best Teachers? It is not persuasive to state that parents are best teachers. In fact, most of them are not specialized in teaching. However, after considering different angles, one soon perceives and admits it. Parents help children to learn basic things. They teach their children to become a good person. They spiritually and/or materially guide children surmount difficulties. Firstly, people learn basic things from parents. It is parents who hold childrens hands to keep them stand. After children can stand stiffly, they are led to walk some steps with hands being hold. Even the first word babbled out is an imitation of parents. Admittedly, children are always curious about anything surrounding them. Parents tenderly explain them from most simple things. Parents are patient teacher to meet all silly questions from children. Secondly, parents teach children the way to become a good person. Every parent reminds children of saying thank you when they receive a candy from elders. It is common that a parent is explaining that boy is a bad child or that another is a good one. This gives children an evaluation their friends. As a result, children have good friends to play with. Children are shown how to have good behaviors with others. Last but not least, parents help children surmount their difficulties. Parents are ones who love us most and always take care of us. There is no doubt that parents easily and quickly find we are in poor state although we are not a child at all. Love of parents for their children is too deep for them to feel unrelieved. Every parent wishes happiness to their children. For this reason, they are always ready to be with their children to help them to overcome hardship by their strong love and even by all their fortunes. In summary, with the three hereinbefore reasons, parents are considered best teachers who are always with children whenever children are in need. They share everything they have experienced to their beloved sons and daughters. Because of parents great love, it is said that there is no place like home.

Parents and children Are there ways to improve understanding? In our modernized world today, we tend to take for granted others opinions and feelings. What matters most is our own opinions and ideas. Parents and their children are not excluded from this category. Parents expect their children to think and behave like they do. Their children on the other hand expect them to understand and respect their feelings. This, I feel is the root of all parent-child problems. In my opinion, it is perfectly normal for parents to want to protect their children. However, this natural instinct should not be overdone or the consequences would be most undesirable. Youngsters of over-protective parents tend to exhibit rebellious tendencies. Behind their parents backs they exhibit all kinds of bad behavior and some even find themselves involved with bad company. Worst still, some youngsters deliberately do things forbidden by their parents right under their parents noses. This will inevitably result in parent-child quarrels and misunderstandings. Youngsters on the other hand, in spite of having the right of freedom of speech, thought and action should not be over-demanding. They must realize that parents most often know what is best for them. Thus, advice and, less often, scoldings, should be taken constructively and in a humble manner. They should not regard these as obstacles and hindrances but rather as care and prevention for them to face the world. After all, these parents have tasted more of the spices of life. Thus, looking at there two points, it is important for parents and their children to strike a balance. Parents must allow freedom but there must be a limit to it. Youngsters must be satisfied with their freedom and respect their parents wishes. They must take their parents protectiveness as a sign of concern and love and not of selfishness and possessiveness. In obtaining freedom of speech, youngsters must know the difference between standing up for a point and being merely rude and stubborn. Freedom of thought must be guided so as not to lead one astray. Freedom of action does not mean that one can do anything regardless of other peoples wishes and desires. These are the techniques that parents wish to impart to their children and should therefore be accepted gratefully. Apart from these factors, youngsters, at the age of adolescence are prone to imitating others. They get easily influenced by others, especially by the media. They become impressed by the western idea of freedom and independence. The youngsters who try to adhere religiously to these western norms often abandon the ever-essential virtue, that is, filial piety. The enormous generation gap between parents and their offspring is the only unavoidable factor giving rise to the parent-child problems. Parents fall to realize

the needs of the child because they have never felt these needs during their times. On the other hand, their youngsters fail to realize their parents needs as they have not reached that age of wisdom yet. Thus, in my opinion, the only way one (either parent or child) can overcome this problem is by being tolerant. As Harper Lee wrote in the book To Kill A Mockingbird, one can only understand others when one jumps in their shoes and walks around in them!