(Care about the feelings of family members) Life Event Exemplar A “Full-time Dad” Key Stage 1

Do you still remember your first day to school? Who takes you there?

How do you feel? interested? excited? strange? scared?

See, how “Mom and Dad” care about Ming ！ Story Ming’s dad Today is my first day to school. When I go in, I am frightened. When I find my way to my class, no one seems to notice me. At night, my Mom and Dad ask me how the day is. I tell them there’s nothing special. Then they read me a story before I sleep. The next day, I don’t have any reply slips to hand to the teacher! Oh! I forget to give them to my parents. When I tell my parents about it, they look more upset than I am.

Later, they tell me that Dad will take care of me “round the clock” and everything at school will be fine. When Dad doesn’t go to work anymore, we play and chat every day. Read and write together too. I love going to school and I love even more seeing Dad waiting for me after school. One day, a classmate asks curiously, “Doesn’t your Dad go to work ？ ” “Right, my Dad takes care of me round the clock!” say I, proudly. Why is the classmate curious about “Dad” picking Ming up every day?

At that moment, Dad takes me away suddenly and looks strange. He doesn’t chat with me on the way home and doesn’t read me a story that night too. I ask Mom and she says, “Dad loves his job very much. He is willing to quit just because of you. What’s more, some people are not friendly to those who don’t go to work as they think they are lazy.” “Sze’s mother doesn’t go to work too. Why can she chat very happily with others?” Why aren’t the classmates curious about moms who do not go to work?

Have you ever been misunderstood? How do you feel? “You know what? Some people think it is okay if women don’t go to work. But they don’t look at men in the same way!” “I am an experienced registered doctor. Unfortunately there’re patients who trust men doctors more. How annoying!”

If you were Ming, how would you feel when someone says your dad is lazy and doesn’t give anything good to society? Some people look at men who don’t go to work in an unfair manner. Do you think “Mom and Dad” know about it before making the decision? Why is “Dad” still willing to quit his job?

If your classmate’s dad is a “full-time dad”, how will you think of him? Some people think men are not good at taking care of children and “full- time moms” must be better than “full-time dads”. Some people think female doctors and drivers are not as good as male ones. Do you think agree with them?

No matter your parents and elders take care of you all day or not, they love you so much. Can you share with us some examples? What do your parents or elders give you? Do they give up anything for you? Do you treat them well too? They are willing to give you so much, how do you feel about them?