Happiness Snapshot
I was reading the Primary 6A Chinese textbook when my 4-year-old suddenly pointed to a character and read it: 我.
I could not believe my ears, but a hint of a smile began to creep onto my face.
大。She read another character. A broad smile spread across my face.
She struck again. 小。 By then, I realised a truth previously unknown to me. My girl could read!
Elated, I grinned from ear to ear. Joy surged through me. I flashed an effusive smile, thrilled by the tremendous effort she had showcased. / Elated, I grinned from ear to ear. An exhilarating mix of joy and pride surged through me. I flashed an effusive smile, thrilled at her immense effort.
Congratulations—these are the moments that make life worth living. I still remember when my youngest daughter showed she knew how to read. We were walking through the streets of Lima, Peru.
when suddenly she said to me, "Dad... does that say 'Pachacutec'?"
I felt a fantastic surge of emotion and was truly surprised by the word she chose to prove to her mother and me that she could read! There was so much laughter and a deep sense of satisfaction in that exact moment.
such a cool story! thanks for sharing.
are the varieties of Spanish in Peru and Cuba similar? or sufficiently different that your daughter must go through a tedious process again when acquiring the Spanish language spoken in Peru?
That's awesome. Reading is something we're struggling with, right now. I could probably use some of Sensei's tricks for kids with an extreme aversion to trying unfamiliar words.
Similar to your daughter's story, we were in Costco a few years ago and my daughter pointed at a box of snacks and said "Bobo's!" We had never bought those or discussed them in front of her, so it seemed like she must have read the box. They know way more than we, or even they, realize.
my seven-year-old boy still wears diapers to bed. I guess there is the pressure of ensuring that our child lags behind his/her peers, which is reason enough for us to take a deep breath and remember “all in good time”.
Is she a fan of Bobo’s? That’s why she knew how to read it?
No, she didn't even want to try them.
a wild idea from someone who doesn’t know the full situation. something that may nudge the needle
maybe watching movie adaptations of books on her favourite topics (books with dogs as the central character?) together. then leave the books lying around and see if she will be piqued
I like that
Lihai!
It's a beautiful thing. I had a similar experience with my kids.
thanks!
did you learn lihai from Duolingo? nice application. very apt
I used to live in China. I don't have Chinese characters set up on this phone
woah
maybe your Chinese is better than mine.
do you miss living there?
I miss some things like how convenient everything is. But after having kids moving back to Australia was the right move.
I studied some Mandarin for the first few years living in China. Might have reached an intermediate level, but since I haven't used it for a few years now probably a lot has been forgotten.
That's great. Many years of reading ahead for her.
Thanks!
Do you sometimes read the same books with your children?
thanks. here’s hoping that she develops critical thinking skills to not be easily swayed by what she reads
congratulations!
thanks mate
The passage effectively captures the narrator’s growing surprise and excitement as she realises that her four-year-old daughter can read. The progression from a small smile to a broad grin helps show how her emotions build naturally.
However, the final section feels slightly over-written because it uses several expressions that convey almost the same emotion, such as “Elated,” “grinned from ear to ear,” “Joy surged through me,” and “effusive smile.” Using too many strong expressions together makes the emotion feel less natural.
I would recommend keeping the emotional progression but simplifying the final sentence. The alternative version, “An exhilarating mix of joy and pride surged through me,” is more specific because it shows both happiness and parental pride. I would also change “thrilled at her immense effort” to “thrilled by her immense effort” or simply “thrilled by how hard she had worked.”
Overall, the piece has a warm and genuine emotional core, but the ending would be stronger with slightly more restraint and fewer overlapping descriptions of happiness.