Children's future, Parenting teenagers: Ninta does only three things - eat, sleep and study -

The best seller "Laskar Pelangi" (laskar=soldier, pelangi=rainbow) is one of my favorite novels. It's non-fiction, full with humor and adventures, shows good moral lessons as well as interesting detailed description of Melayu (=Malay) traditions. As widely known, parenting children could often be a stressful job too, so I need to read good novels like this one to keep my mental healthy. I need inspirations. I need to laugh.
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The other day, Ninta was reading a novel as well. However it's a wrong book at a wrong time.
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I encourage my children to read books. We have many novels, all kind of books, also children story books in English as well as Indonesian. All are good books. The one that Ninta was reading, borrowed from her class mate, did not fall into those category. The timing wasn't right either.
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"Focus on your study," that's what I told Ninta two weeks ago as she had just recovered from a terrible flu and had limited time to prepare for extremely important things:

1. Her school semester exam
2. Another test to get a full scholarship offered by one of the most prestigious and expensive private schools in Jakarta

I told her to study thoroughly, sleep whenever she needed to rest, and don't do anything else besides those two activities. I cooked special menu for her healthiness, and told her to focus on her study over and over again. It's only for two weeks after all.

The novel she was reading for two hours was an Indonesian novel about love. I felt betrayed. Was I too hard on my daughter? Certainly not. I became this fussy just recently.

"Lintang hanya dapat belajar setelah agak larut karena rumahnya gaduh, sulit menemukan tempat kosong, dan karena harus berebut lampu minyak. Namun sekali ia memegang buku, terbanglah ia meninggalkan gubuk. Belajar adalah hiburan yang membuatnya lupa pada seluruh penat dan kesulitan hidup" (from the novel Laskar Pelangi)

"Lintang could begin to study after a bit late at night. His home was noisy. It's difficult to find an empty space and have the candle lamp for him to study. However, once he held his book in his arms, his mind would fly away. Studying was his way to entertain himself, a way for him to forget all his weariness and burden in life." (from the novel Laskar Pelangi)

As opposed to Lintang, Ninta has all the convenience that she requires: AC, computer, internet connection, warm bed and good meals.

"Bukan baru sekali itu ia dihadang buaya dalam perjalanan ke sekolah. Dapat dikatakan tak jarang Lintang mempertaruhkan nyawa demi menempuh pendidikan, namun tak sehari pun is pernah bolos. Delapan puluh kilometer pulang pergi ditempuhnya dengan sepeda setiap hari. Tak pernah mengeluh.....Jika tiba di rumah ia tak langsung beristirahat melainkan segera bergabung dengan anak-anak seusia di kampungnya untuk bekerja sebagai kuli kopra. Itulah penghasilan sampingan keluarganya." (from the novel Laskar Pelangi)

"It was not the only time a crocodile blocked his way to school. He often risked his life in order to have education. Nevertheless, he never skipped school. He went on bike from and to school, an eighty kilometer journey, every day. He never complained. Once he got home, he would not rest either. He joined other kids in the village to work in a coconut factory. His wages was his family's other income." (from the novel Laskar Pelangi)

My daughter has the luxury of doing only three things: study, eat and sleep.

Therefore, I said firmly to Ninta:"I have to take your novel away. Get focused and study hard. The two week time will be over soon. You can enjoy doing whatever you wanna do afterwards."