“Ma I need to wear North Sumatra traditional attire for tomorrow's festival”

“Mom, do we have a golden turtle inherited from the Kingdom of Kutai? Need one for a school project tomorrow”

 

Reflecting on our school days, kids were often tasked with bringing craft materials to school, typically involving items that were not only intricate but also hard to find. Have you ever found yourself remembering such tasks late at night, just as the stores were about to close?

 

Family expert Ronit Baras sheds light on this phenomenon, noting that children often overlook tasks that are not immediately appealing or prioritized by them. “Kids forget things if remembering them may be painful. They will forget to unload the dishwasher every time because they do not like to do it. On the other hand, they remember easy, fun things. Tell them you will bring them a present and they will remind you every day until you bring it," Baras shared.

 

While homework is often forgotten, promises of outings or toys are always remembered and constantly demanded. Parents can help remind their children of assignments by replacing “don’t forget” with “remember, okay?” and give praise every time they remember their assignments.

 

Forgetting to mention an assignment often leads to a dilemma. If they say it now, they fear being scolded by parents, but if they don't say anything, they fear being scolded by the teacher. They're already bracing for parents to yell, "Why didn't you say anything earlier?!"

 

Here are some experiences from former kids who've been there:

 

“I only remembered at midnight that I needed to bring caterpillars for a biology class on butterfly metamorphosis the next day. My parents took me to a fishing gear shop, but we bought the wrong thing, I ended up with moths :) At first, my parents were angry, but since it happened so often, they just let out a frustrated 'GAAHHH'"

Daniel, whose butterfly project took an unexpected turn

“I had an art assignment to make a vegetable cone hat. Told my mom on Sunday at 5 p.m. that it had to be brought in by Monday morning. Mom dragged me to the Bayoran market while ranting all night long.”

Nawfal, dragged for the sake of a vegetable hat

 

“I need to bring 2007 green beans for a project. My mom thought it was nonsensical to count them one by one. To avoid the hassle, my mom bought a bag of green beans and wrote ‘This contains 2007 beans’. Turns out it meant Rp2000 and 7 green beans.”

Surya, caught in a comical mix-up

 

“Was asked to make a parallel electric circuit in elementary school, but my parents didn't comply because it was last minute and they said it was my responsibility, I ended up being punished by the teacher for not submitting and had to run 10 laps around the school field while crying.”

Isha, poor thing.

 

"My sibling and I often made things tough for our mom with late-night project needs. I feel bad about it. But even now, neighbors often knock on our door late at night needing plants or medicinal leaves, and mom has them all. She's become the neighborhood's go-to for odd requests."

Dicky, has a cool mom

 

Have you ever experienced this too?