MY DAUGHTERS HAVE A GOOD LIFE

Learning is all in the mind

My daughters have a rich life. They have a far more interesting life than I had on a dairy farm. But I learned a different range of skills. I did not use a computer until I was 43 years old. They started at 6 years old.

Their latest enrichment activity is operating a mobile phone.  They are both skilled with their phones.

I do not see this negatively. Both seem to have grown since their daily access to Facebook. They stay home and spend time answering replies.  And they are starting to see their dad as their good friend.

It is a new adventure. My younger daughter has responded well to her phone. Last month only her sister had an internet phone.

They have contacts from all over the world. Lisa has a friend from Spain. It is time to get out the atlas and find out about Spain.

Their world view is spreading out. America and Australia are just over the top of their mobile phone. Hi there to a young girl in Minneapolis. To exploit them, the person has to live in Port Moresby. Exploiters from San Francisco are not a worry.

Where is Minneapolis, Dad?  I need large maps of America and Australia to put on the wall. They can place pins in the various locations.

It can be turned into an educational experience. At the same time, their father is quietly monitoring their incoming calls.

Both girls have friendly responses with polite communication. They are confident in themselves. They communicate on Facebook with friends at school. No invitations have yet come to loot Port Moresby. Looting Philadelphia is not a problem.

Both girls mix with several adult women from the neighborhood. These women support the girls who have no mother with them.

They play bingo. This game may seem to be mindless but it teaches them to think and organize themselves under pressure.

They also play bomb with the women under a local tree. This is similar to poker. They have developed many personal skills with bomb. They gamble and learn to handle money. Not too much.

I was not happy at the start. But I know that bomb is part of PNG culture and a social skill for women. This does not mean they are off on a loose life. It is within the neighborhood. All the women who play go to church, including my daughters.

They became skilled at bomb at least 3 years ago. They make decisions under pressure in handling cards and winning. They lose graciously. Good skills.

But then they do their homework and read books. My youngest reads the newspaper. They are becoming well adjusted young women. The next three years will see them succeeding or failing at high school.

I may well send them to business college. They may go to Australia to continue their studies. There is a saying that we use it or lose it. They are developing strong language and communication skills.

My daughters are using several skills on a daily basis. They are good girls, hopeless at house work but sharp in their dealings. The house work skill will improve in a year or two. Wait until they see themselves as women not just young chicks.

Then I think of kids in villages. They have limited educational experience. There are no books at home. No library at school. No TV nor newspapers.

Parents do not speak English and the teacher is not much better. Their chances in life are quite limited.