I'm getting more and more frustrated with my adopted daughter Kristy. This child, not even six years old, often gives me the chills.
Kristy is only three months younger than my daughter Sheree. She's a child from my husband Lance's distant relatives. Lance said that Kristy had no relatives left, and if we didn't adopt her, she would have to go to an orphanage.
To be fair, Kristy is quite cute with her round face, big eyes, and sweet smile. She's a real beauty in the making.
When we first adopted her, I was moved by her pretty and clever appearance.
At first, I really liked Kristy and treated her very well.
New clothes, new toys, you name it. Any expensive interest class, as long as Kristy said she wanted to learn, I never hesitated. A $500 piano lesson per hour? I didn't even blink before paying and enrolling her.
The first time I felt disappointed with Kristy was because of her piano lessons.
Sheree was also learning piano, practicing every day. Sheree could sit obediently on the piano bench for an hour, but Kristy couldn't even last 10 minutes.
She would ask for water, then go to the bathroom. After finally settling down, she would practice for a few minutes before complaining about being tired, her fingers were tired, her sitting was tired, her whole body was tired everywhere.
After a month of piano lessons, the teacher came to advise me to withdraw her, saying Kristy was obviously not interested in piano and suggesting I find out if she had any other instruments she might be interested in.
Okay, since piano wasn't working out, let's try other instruments. I discussed with Kristy, planning to have her try violin or guzheng
Chinese zither
lessons.
But Kristy disagreed. She told me she only wanted to learn piano, not other instruments. Huh, what's the logic? She clearly had no interest in piano at all.
After a lot of persuasion until my mouth was dry, I finally got the truth out of Kristy: she actually didn't like piano, but she wanted to be like Sheree. Sheree was learning piano, so she wanted to as well. Whatever Sheree had, she wanted too.
I was speechless. Well, it turned out to be sibling rivalry. A five-year-old kid, yet with such a strong desire to compete.
After finally persuading Kristy to give up piano lessons, and consulting her opinion, I enrolled her in a dance class, choosing the best institution nearby, hoping she could stick with it and learn properly this time.
Frustratingly, Kristy completely repeated her piano journey in her dance classes. The first lesson, full of interest. The second lesson, able to persevere through it. By the fifth lesson, the teacher came to talk to me again.
This child wasn't very cooperative in class. The teacher sighed heavily, implying that Kristy might have something like ADHD, and suggested I pay close attention to her mental health.
I even took her to the hospital for a check-up. The doctor said Kristy had no issues, she just had trouble focusing and hadn't developed good habits.
Okay, let's work on cultivating good habits then. This child needs strict discipline, otherwise she'll be a lost cause.
I had the nanny Ryana attend classes with Kristy and keep an eye on her. After a few lessons, Ryana reported back to me, telling me not to waste money on Kristy anymore.
"This child can't learn. During class, her eyes wander everywhere and she doesn't pay attention to the teacher at all. She's also oversensitive. When other children keep silent during leg exercises, she's the only one whining and crying."
I didn't listen to Ryana. I felt that I couldn't easily give up on Kristy like that, abandoning everything halfway through learning would only make Kristy's willpower even weaker.
What kind of accomplishments could a person who can't endure hardships, can't bear hardwork, and can't persevere in anything achieve as they grow up?
The dance teacher required half an hour of practice at home every day. I personally watched over Kristy's practice every day, ensuring she strictly completed all the required movements. She wasn't allowed to sleep until her practice was done.
I thought such strict discipline would provoke strong resistance from Kristy, but unexpectedly, she was obedient. Although she often had tears in her eyes, she still persisted and completed all the required movements.
I was very relieved. I felt that Ryana and the teachers had exaggerated. Kristy was actually quite obedient. As long as the right approach was used, this child could learn things diligently.
I was too naive. A few days later, reality gave me a harsh slap in the face, making me begin to doubt human nature.
A child not even six years old could do such a thing. If I hadn't experienced it myself, I wouldn't have dared to imagine it.
