Occasion: PTA Meeting
Day: Second Saturday of the month
Venue: ABC School of Intellectuals!
I enter the room with the usual cool and bored looks. I am not one of the paranoid mums who are after their child, squeezing 100% out of them in exams ... but sometimes I wonder why I am not? Maybe I should push more. My elder one is all serious about her marks and studies. In fact, I remember working with/on her for quite sometime. But poor younger one is just growing on her own. And I see this happening with a lot of my friends. The amount of time and effort spent on the nth child is inversely proportional to n!
I am blabbering again? Forget it. So, after sometime when I finish appreciating the efforts of other parents on the numerous charts on display, I am summoned by the teacher. She smiles, I smile. I almost know whats coming.
Teacher: “Your child is very smart, very intelligent. She is so caring and has helping tendencies. Very active in class and otherwise… but…..”
Me: “But?”
Teacher: “Her handwriting is well… a little short of neat. You know what I mean. She needs to improve upon it. I think you should make her practice more at home…..” and so she went on.
In short, I had to teach my child something which I was never good at! Now where do I start? How do you teach something which you yourself are not sure about?
What if she turns to me and says "Mumma, your writing is no better" :(
And it has happened many a times when I conduct some written mock test for her, she comes back asking me "Mumma, what HAVE you written? "
ME, MY PEN, MY PAPER!
I go back to my childhood. Inspite of being good academically, I always had this problem. BAD HANDWRITING!!!
"e" resembled "l", "c" resembled "a" and yet I managed to survive.
6 became 0, 4 looked like 9 and still I thrived
And now its even worse. I was wondering how often do I really write? The Reynolds Gel pen in my drawer has lasted me more than a year now. I write only
~ when I am in meetings and I doodle.
~ or when I have to discuss something on white board!
~or when I sign on cheque book hoping there is a miracle and bank balance never replenishes.
~ also to sign on insipid official papers.
~ or when I am giving my kids some written work.
For everything other than these – whatever comes from my mind through my fingers lands on the keyboard and directly goes to the hard disk of my PC! Letters have been replaced with e-mails. Even accounting is done on Excel or some such tool.
So, why do I bother about handwriting?
I bother because
1) Good handwriting can create a good impression and good impression is the foundation for good relationship professionally or personally.
2) If I get delighted to read a well written hand note, why should I note give the same pleasure to those who read mine.
3) Good handwriting shows the care, the feelings with which you write.
4) I want to set a good example to my kids.
PAANCH POINT’s for Good Handwriting
So, I search for good advice and I am advised the following PAANCH POINT’s for best results.
1) PROMISE - Promise yourself to keep on writing because that’s the key. I am told I need to take up writing more seriously.
2) PEN – Ball pens need to be avoided. Pencils are good to start for kids. Ink pens are the best. But gone are the days of filling ink in pens with love. I remember it as an everyday ritual. Its add-gels which rule now!
3) POSITION - The pen should be held between the thumb and index finger. The barrel should rest on the middle finger. Don’t strangle your pen by squeezing it to death. Sit up straight, but not stiffly; don’t sit hunched over or slumped. Don’t worry too much about this position stuff; the important thing is what makes you feel relaxed and comfortable. Your fingers should move very little and your wrist even less. Your forearm does most of the guiding, while your shoulder provides the power. “If only I can remember what I am preaching”
4) PRACTICE – Practice writing. Write more. Practice making "air letters." Yes, just form the letters in the air in front of you. By making them big this way, you start getting the feel of using the bigger muscles in your arm and shoulder that you should use when writing. In any case, practice makes anything perfect!
5) PATIENCE – Be patient. Don’t just write unconsciously. Remember that you are writing. Don’t scribble away to glory. Don’t rush. It doesn’t help even when you write, or even when you drive!
For more information take a look at
https://paperpenalia.com/handwriting.html
Additional Tips
Utilize downtime during boring meetings, seminars, lectures, doctor’s office visits and so on to practice your handwriting. This will be far more useful in the long run than your usual doodles. :)
OK This review has done me good. Its time for introspection. I guess its time to sharpen my pencil and grab that paper! I think I need to start from LKG again!