A Lesson From Mountain Climbing on Teaching Children
Conrad Ho
It was a cold winter morning in late December 2005. The sun was out, keeping hikers warm in the midst of chilly wind. My kids, Yat of six and Sum of four, were going to have a practice session on “mountain climbing?near a cliff on the Saddle Mountain with Conrad, another kid of nine and his parents.
From the barbecue area of Ma On Shan Country Park, we walked up a steep stairway for 15 minutes, turned to a sandy and rugged hiking trail for 10 minutes and we were there, a slope at 80 degrees gradient. At the top of the slope hanged a 30 ft. rope nailed into a huge rock for hikers to climb up.
Yat just could not wait. He took off his jacket and jumped right on it on all fours. After climbing upto about 15 ft., Yat was stuck and soon began to panick. Conrad yelled from below to tell him where to find the next footing and on what to grab. Slowly he descended to about 8 ft. and he could bear the fear no more. Strength drained dry but eyes became watery. Conrad had to climb up to lower him to safely.
Sum was the next to go while Conrad backed up from behind. He was the youngest; his legs the shortest; and the arms the weakest among the three kids. Still, he managed to climb upto about 20 ft. in extremely small and cautious steps. In front of him was a 6-foot 90 degrees wall of rocks and mud. He just could not find a secure footing so he had to turn back. At the 5-foot point, he slipped and slided.
The kid was last to go. Anxious to show off his muscular strength and maneuverability, he dashed up like a snake after its prey. His mother right at this moment shouted, “It’s dangerous! Don’t try too hard!?He slowed down only when he reached where Yat was defeated. As he was figuring how to go over it, his father advised, “Come down! It’s slippery!?amp;nbsp; He was also stuck where Sum was. After he slipped, the parents commanded, “It’s enough! Just come down!?The boy was very determined. He bit on his lips while he moved on. Finally, he made it to the top of the slope. Hands on his waist and a big smile on his face, he looked around like a king greeting his subjects. Amidst the sounds of Yat and Sum clapping came the murmuring remarks of his parents, “This is him, always wanting to boast of himself in every opportunity!?His eyes dimmed at once.
Yat was excited about the kid’s success. After hearing some advices from Conrad, he launched his second attempt. After some hard work and some falls, shedding off some pieces of skin from scratches, and getting some strength from encouragements from Sum and Conrad, Yat was able to reach the top, too. How satisfied his look was! His eyebrows and corners of his mouth raised high, he was a star at the moment, enjoying the clappings from Sum and Conrad.
Sum was also keen to be at the top. He went again and Conrad also followed. After reaching that 6-foot wall, Sum leaned the whole body onto it. His hands pulled hard and his feet pushed relentlessly. He went up several more feet. When Yat and the boy were able to reach for his hands, they pulled him to the top in one piece. Not even a little piece of skin was lost but tons of dirt was gained. There Sum was, jumping wildly in excitement and giving out loud laughters. He clapped his hands, too, when he heard congratulatory applause from his brother and father.
The way up was not easy and the way down was even more difficult. Yat had to slide on his bottom from the midway, with hands and feet guiding and steadying the speed. Sum was exhausted towards the end. He slided down the last several feet on his belly. While we were busy teasing each other on the dirt we collected, the boy came down, elegantly and dirtlessly. The remark from his parents? “You think you’re good, huh? Not next time!?amp;nbsp;
When we departed that afternoon, the boy’s mother gave Conrad a casual remark that sent him in deep thoughts: “Your kids have the motivation to implement their own decisions. Their laughters are so unrestrained and infectious!?“Really? What have I done to facilitate that??lt;/FONT>
After careful evaluations, Conrad might have got the answer. Whenever he receives a request from his children, his response is always to focus their thoughts on how to accomplish it on their own and what they will feel after doing it. He will ask if they are serious about the idea. If positive, he will ask how they can accomplish it. Do they want any help or any advice from anyone? What to be careful in the process. After the doings, do they feel good about it? Seems like the strategy is working.
