Thank you, Ah Pa

My father volunteered to help take care of Coco when school starts! I'm very grateful that he offers his help although it was evident that he went through some struggles before he decided to help. That would mean that he would be stuck at my place for the whole of afternoon to evening from Monday to Friday when school opens. William suggested yesterday that we go look for a mattress and set up the bedframe we had bought for Coco so that my father can rest or nap in the blue room if he wants.

We had enquired about a few possibilities:

1) Coco continues to live in Woodlands. She sets off from Woodlands to school and comes home to Woodlands: $135.

Verdict: We'll do this if worst comes to worst.

2) Coco go live with William's parents at CCK. She takes the same bus to school and goes home at CCK: $60 - $100 (we hadn't enquired about this)

Verdict: Not really plausible. We don't have the money to pay for William's mother to substitute her original income.

3) Coco takes different buses to and from school so that she sets off from Sembawang to school and alights at Woodlands after school: $100 (Sembawang) + $85 (Woodlands) = $185.

Verdict: A slightly better option than (1), but the fee is exorbitant.

4) Coco lives in Sembawang. She takes the same bus to school and back here: $130. But we'll need someone to help pick her up from the alighting point and take her home.

Verdict: Best arrangement, but will impose on my parents.

We knew it's going to be expensive if Coco takes different buses to and from school but we didn't expect it to be sooooo expensive. And after work, one of us would have to go Woodlands to pick her up. It's a lot of hassle and not cost-effective. Besides, my mother's place is not exactly conducive for studying - something my father agrees. There isn't an extra room to act as a study. And Coco would probably end up watching tv the whole day, if not playing with Xavy and Ash. We are sending her to 'one of the best schools in Singapore' (as said by my Significant Other). We can't afford to have her starting off on the wrong foot.

Above all, the last reason is the one I'm most concerned about. Kids are kids. They are not going to think, "I've had too much TV and play today."

For just to and from Sembawang, it'll be $130, including the CCA trips. Hmm ... I hope the driver won't start to charge me extra when Coco decides to join 3 or more enrichment programmes. As it is, I find it unreasonable, or should I say 'dishonest', that he should charge us $100 for just single trips. I can't help but feel that he's opportunistic. Parents from Coco's would-be school are usually rich and so he's charging at this ridiculous rate.