2: What I learnt from my childhood

TRANSCRIPT OF EP 2
Welcome to Woman Leadership show. I'm Janet and in this episode, I will be talking about my childhood and what I have learnt. 
What I learnt from my childhood.
1) I spent a number of significant years of my childhood helping out at my grandparents provision shop where my aunty family was helping to tend the shop. Since the age of 6, I had to wake up at 6am and opened the shop brought out all the shelves getting ready for customers to purchase groceries. I would go to school after that and upon returning, I would continue to help in washing dishes and laundry before I start doing my homework. I would help in to attend to customers after completed my homework and revision and would only get to sleep at 10am. 
2) On weekends and school holidays, I would have to deliver groceries to customers at hawker centers or customers houses, imagine I was only weighing less than 30kg and have to carry 5 – 10kg of rice and groceries. 
3) There would be times I made mistakes or mischievous, I would be scolded, beaten or asked to slap myself in front of the customers. I wished that I would grow up quickly so I can get out of the situations I was in. I could not understand why I was treated this way just like a child labour doing all the work but not appreciated and cared for like any other child with parents to protect and care for them. 
4) Luckily, I enjoyed school lessons and activities that I joined which kept me occupied and limit my negative thinking. 
I did not do well in school during lower primary, it could be due to long hours I have to cope at the shop and studies or there was no motivation for me to do well or there was no one to guide me in my studies and homework. I thought I would not be able to do well and progress in upper primary looking at my results and teachers comment was I was talkative in class so not able to focus. 

Things start to change when I had a new form teacher in upper primary and he had made an impact in my life especially in my school grades. He would check on me every other day if I have any difficulty in my homework and studies and encouraged me to ask questions coupled with more practice if I do not understand or did not do well in the tests. With his guidance and encouragement, I came in top in my class during upper primary and participated in Mathematics competition with his recommendation. It has boosted my confidence and reignite my interest in my studies to do well in PSLE. As a results, I scored A* and 3As. His belief in me has spurred me on to continue to excel in studies and sports. 

Never give up because you see I never give up though I worked long hours at the shop and have to manage my school hours and school work. I had to endure the hardship with no one to support me emotionally but it has helped me now to be 
Look for someone who can guide you help be it mentor or coach for example my primary school Mathematics teacher who believed in me and encouraged me to work towards excellence in the subject. 
Be patient, though I failed P1 – P3 maths but it improved significantly when I was in upper primary. Though I felt stuck working in the shop for long hours on top of school and school work, I waited patiently that I would be able to grow up and be independent. Those experiences have helped me to be more resilient today when I face difficulties, I would be patient when things are not going well and find ways to improve my situation. 
I hope that through my sharing , it draws inspiration for you. 
I look forward to seeing you in my next episode where I will be sharing with you tips and ways to realize your full potential as a leader on Woman Leadership.