What an amazing day and a day filled with gratefulness as I got to watch and observe first hand leadership by example and learning to serve with a cheerful heart.
I got to see first hand how the Danes tackle the rain.
It’s daunting and especially parenting our own kids, but God just sent people into my path, helping me to learn, teaching me in this journey of parenting and leadership for our kids.
We must not spoil our kids, and must not use the “teenager” label to excuse our kids too.
Lesson learned today:
1. Count the kids once in the train.
2. A stop before getting off, walk to each kid and tell them to get ready.
3. Each kid is expected to carry her own back pack. Parents aren’t supposed to carry for them (this is the same principle in C’s school. Parents are not supposed to carry their school bag no matter how heavy).
4. Each kid learns responsibility by carrying something of the supplies.
5. Each kid is briefed to walk within the range of distance from the group.
6. Upon arrival, tell the kids the sequence of the event:
- Find stick each in the forest.
- Sharpen the stick with a knife.
- Saw wood 🪵 and encourage them to try, but they don’t have to finish.
- Start fire 🔥 with the woods.
- Find 5 leaves but within sight.
- Free-time, play with ball etc.
- Sanitize hands.
- Prepare food together.
- Clean up together.
6. When picking leaves and sticks, the kids were briefed to go where they wished, but within sight.
7. Everyone worked to enjoy the fruit of the labor - help to find sticks, chop the woods, start the fire, etc.
8. Sanitise hands before preparing food, even n the forest.
9. Sequence of food presented, carrots, fruits, pizza, bread rolls. Only these are eaten, then each kid is allowed to grill max 2 mashmellows.
10. Each kid is allowed one cookie.
As I followed the scouts today, I have been reminded once again that the Singapore’s government leadership during the nation building years (and even now perhaps) were made up with an overwhelming majority from the Singapore’s scouting background.
Mr. Lee Kuan Yew, our founding Prime Minister, once said that scouting is one of the best way to learn leadership.
Scouting is a Christian organisation, and thus the majority of the Singapore leadership are Christians.
J added that team sports is another excellent way for the kids to learn leadership, and he has learned much of it through basketball 🏀
What a privilege we have to join these activities in Denmark 🇩🇰
For those who are interested to reach your kids leadership, below is the website to the scouting organization we belong to:
References:
From Skodsborg station,
take the direction towards Skodsborg Børnehave kindergarten to reach the forest nature playground.
You can also take bus 194 from Lyngby train station and it is about 21 minutes ride.
There is parking available near the entrance of the forest.
You will pass by Naturlegeplads Kronhjorten nature playground on your way to Bøllemosen.
The first thing we did was to find a long branch for the bonfire.
Arrived at Bøllemosen.
These twits are good for starting fire.
Sawing the branch into fire woods.
Sharpening the sticks
The length of the saw compared with the bench.
Finding 5 leaves.
Playing balls.
Sanitizing hands before food preparation.
The happy girls assembling their pizza.