Written by: Mr. Chiu Wing Tak, Senior Education Specialist

When parents take their children to an interview, the most nerve-wracking moment is when the teacher asks the child a question, and the child sits there speechless, like a wooden dummy. When parents ask me afterward why such an embarrassing scene occurred, my answer is four words: “Not enough preparation!”

“Really? It’s just a kindergarten interview, why prepare?”

To this “modern” parent, I smiled and explained in detail: “Generally, children feel anxious and nervous when meeting strangers for the first time. If parents do not explain the reason for the school interview at home and just say they are going to play at school or chat with an auntie, the child will feel uneasy. This so-called auntie is clearly asking some ‘private’ questions, such as ‘What is your name?’, ‘How old are you?’, ‘Who brought you here?’, ‘What vehicle did you take?’, ‘Who usually takes you to and from school?’. Therefore, the child will panic and may even remain silent! So, isn’t it normal for the child not to speak?”

“I understand. So, Mr. Zhao, how should we prepare the child?”

Why is politeness so important? Because it shows whether the child has been well-taught at home.

“I will teach you in two parts. This time, we will talk about ‘psychological preparation,’ and next time, we will discuss practical preparation. There are four aspects to psychological preparation:

1.Dress Appropriately

What counts as dressing appropriately? Boys should wear collared shirts, and girls should wear dresses. A collar indicates refinement, and a dress is generally accepted attire by principals and teachers. As long as the colors are not too flashy and the clothes are clean and neat, it shows appropriateness. Clothing affects the teacher’s impression, so be careful with what the child wears!

2.Politeness and Good Manners

Why is politeness so important? Because it reflects whether a child has been well-taught at home. How do you train a child to be polite? The methods are: (1) Parents themselves must be polite first; (2) Practice daily, consistently greeting people with “Good morning!” and saying “Bye-bye!” when leaving, greeting with “Hello!” when meeting someone, saying “Thank you!” when receiving a gift, and saying “Please” when asking for help. Over time, these habits will become second nature, and your child will become a polite person.

3.Confidence

The training method is to encourage the child to take action. If the child wants to take a photo with the mascot at Ocean Park, encourage them to ask for it themselves. If they need the minibus to stop at the street corner, encourage them to loudly say, “Please stop at the corner!” With regular practice, the child will naturally become confident.

4.Answering Questions

Tell your child that they must answer the questions posed by the teacher, as it is a sign of politeness. As for how to answer, we will discuss that next time.