To all would be teachers

It is not uncommon to find parents trying to play the role of teachers trying to " teach" the toddlers .I sometimes watch in horror when I see the way they "teach".Not a bit of understanding of the readiness of the child to learn , yelling and scolding the child after only a couple of minutes.Do they realize the psychological damage they can do to the child.? You not only scare him off studies but you create in him an aversion to studies. We teachers are TRAINED in child psychology, teaching methods,teaching objectives and teaching strategies before we are allowed into the classroom.Children must love to learn, you must create in them the desire for knowledge of which there are many ways to acquire .Teachers know this and more important they know how to make the child interested to learn.Learning must be fun , it must be stimulated ,it must be delicately handled or the child could become a problem later on. Parents today have the kiasu attitude ,they want their child to be top of the class and try all sorts of ways to achieve this.To the child this becomes a big put off because parents will push and pressure him to do well.Imagine kids before school age having to do homework, preparing for tests and being pressed to do so by parents.You are a child only once and childhood should be enjoyed and children should be left to taste the joys of discovery .Knowledge cannot be forced down a child's throat by parents who want to do it to satisfy their own egoes not realizing the damage they can do to the child. A person grows up physically and mentally.Teachers understand the type of input which should be given commensurate with the mental development of the child.You do not ask a child of 6 to write essays or learn mathematical designs.That is why a proper school curriculum is designed to expose the child to various stages of knowledge acquisition so that at the end of his school term he is armed with basic knowledge in terms of language ,arts and science which would then take him to a higher level of knowledge seeking. We should not take it upon ourselves to "Teach " our children if we are qualified to do so just as we would not think of treating a sick person if we are not doctors.Leave teaching to the teachers .Parents can contribute to education by teaching the child values through example and supervise their studies and only offer advice when the child needs it.A lot of damage can be done if we attempt to "teach' our children especially at an early age.You will take the fun out of learning and turn your child against all formal learning and turn him against the whole school system. Can you live with that ???