A Child Cried

This week, I made a child cry. I take a one credit class which is called Disadvantaged Children Tutoring. The attendees are required to tutor children in their homework as well as playing with them until their parents take them home or out of attendees’ due time. My time is scheduled at every Wednesday, and one of the kids whom I am mainly in charge of is a boy, Jian-an, which means constructing and smooth, safe, and peace. Jian-an is a kid who is prone to whine. Sometimes he is whining for adults’ consciousness and attention. Sometimes he asks me for doing his homework since he thinks he can’t do it, and I help him drawing with my childlike sketches on occasion.

This Wednesday he asked me for drawing, and I drew two pieces of silly overlapping soda cookies, a helmet, and a constructing building and a crane for him. He was satisfied, which I thought that day would go smoothly. However, when he started doing a Chinese words practicing homework, he was tired. He was doing it reluctantly, with continuous whines, and begging for my help. He wanted me doing those stuffs for him. But I refused to satisfy his desire. I said I couldn’t do the homework for him, I could demonstrate how to do it but I couldn’t benefit him in that way, there was no benefit to him. Then he in turn began crying, complaining, and whining. He said he’s tired, he’s sick of this. I said he could relax, eat something, or go playing. But he just still sat in his chair, and cried occasionally. I told him that’s okay, I would accompany him with his homework until he finished it, took it easy. And he continued his homework, and whined occasionally. Finally, he cried again, and drew some attention from others. And the chief tutor came to take care of him. He seemed happier, and writing those characters and words faster. When he finished his homework, I said good-bye to him and left.

I told this to one of my classmates, he said I could tell him I wasn’t able to do it, or I could’ve told him I wrote first character, and he must finish the rest, that would not work like a cheat. Well, I may have to try it next time.