KUALA LUMPUR: Astronaut and TV producer Datuk Dr Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor Sheikh Mustapha calls on parents to not expect all their children to be equally fast-learners.
He believes each child is different and has his or her own God-given talents and skills.
In an Instagram post featuring a brief video of his 6-year-old daughter Sophea Natasha Sheikh Muszaphar which he uploaded last Sunday, he said: “I have always expected Tasha to be better than Bella (Sophea Isabella) in every aspect. Because she was exposed to activities earlier than Bella from a very young age. Kumon, taekwondo, mengaji and Chinese kindergarten at 4 years old. Swimming classes, horse-riding and Safari International School at 3 years old.
“And all the teachers say she’s a bright student. But I’m having trouble teaching Tasha at home. She’s hyperactive, always bullying Bella and the twins; and can’t sit still. Ha ha!
“I just need to find a different approach to mellow her down. Every child is different. You need to find a way to tackle them based on their personalities.
“And never compare your child to the other siblings, expecting the same outcome. Some need more effort than others. Some are born studious, some are playful, some are shy. You need to understand their strengths and weaknesses and work it out from there.”
More than 100 Netizens thanked Dr Sheikh Muszaphar for sharing his words of wisdom on good parenting.
Hamsiah said: “Good to send children to learn mental arithmetic, makes them fast in calculating.”
Husna said: “When we give our kids early exposure, some say let kids be kids. But then, to each his or her own, some learn fast, some learn slow.”
“My first kid is also hyperactive. Even when he's doing homework he's dancing all the way." said Suhada.
Dr Sheikh Muszapahar and his wife Datin Dr Halina Mohd Yunos have four children, Sophea Isabella, 8, Sophea Natasha, 6, and twin sons Sheikh Adam and Sheikh Noah, 2.
Sheikh Muszaphar’s video