Not fair!

Zern has been using this phrase "Not fair!" quite often recently.

He would utter "Not fair!" because some other year groups got a new playground at school, when the brother gets to do less homework, even when Girl Scouts Club started before the Boy Scouts Club.

You get the picture...life was just "not fair" to this boy.

Yesterday, I thought it was getting way too much when again he said "Not fair" over something very trivial. I couldn't remember what it was about but I just had to tell him off.

I had just visited a migrant school in the morning as part of the school community work. To give the brothers an idea how the other half of the world lives, I showed them photos taken during the visit.

I then went on to describe the stark differences between this school catering to children of migrant workers and their own international school, Dulwich:

- Over 50 students squeezed into a classroom versus 22 max in Dulwich

- Kids had to share benches, tables, maybe even textbooks, yet Keane & Zern had the chance to rotate rooms for Art, IT, PE etc etc

- Forget about heater/airconditioning of any sort at the migrant school...international school: the full works: water dispensers, warm water for handwashing

- PE at the migrant school: just stretch and move; at Dulwich: astroturf field, gym, swimming, a new sport every term

- Parents work long long hours at the farm/factory versus me as full-time mother taking care of them at home

To my question, "What is 'not fair'?", Zern just gave me this blank look, whilst Keane responded with a rather strange statement: "Oh, they look quite "normal" yeah?" Oh my gosh. Being poor doesn't mean not normal! Another lesson here.

Indeed, life is not fair. We are living such great lives that we forget to give thanks for what we have. Yet, the kids at the migrant school have such ready smiles for us. Perhaps we should practise self-deprivation to truly understand the value of things.

This morning before school, Zern was again saying "Not fair!" but he stopped himself and said,"Nope, I shouldn't say that." I don't know how long this will last but I sincerely wish for my boys that they know and appreciate what they have. I wish that for myself too!