Exploring Our Children’s Potentials

Vai turned 25 months last week, and I just thought I better pen down a few updates on his developments before my memory goes really rusty. So here goes …

Potty Training
I’ve started toilet training him since he’s about 23 months, ie. he’s off his diapers when he’s awake at home. We still get ‘accidents‘ (of course) but it’s always encouraging when he does tell me when he wants to do number one and two.

He’s tried the potty, but sitting on our toilet (with no ‘padded seat’ that goes on top of it) works best for him somehow. And since he can stay dry for 1-2 hours at times, I still need to be the one who periodically takes him to the toilet.

Afternoon Nap
Lately it’s been tough getting him to nap in the afternoon (he naps once a day). He’d prefer to jump on the bed or do silly things like putting a blanket over his head and running around saying ‘Lion dance! Lion dance!’.

And since letting him go without an afternoon nap is nearly impossible (because I know he NEEDS that rest, else he’d get easily cranky towards the evening), getting him to finally sleep can take ages (like, close to an hour!). And usually it’d involve a lot of warnings, nagging and serious scolding. I talk and raise my voice so often that many times I just feel ‘verbally and mentally drained’ afterwards.

On average, he sleeps a total of about 11 – 12 hours a day.

Love for Scribbles
Vai knows he’s not supposed draw on things other than paper. When he sees graffiti or markings on public walls, he’d go ‘Coret-coret … no no no! Coret di kertas!’ (Coret-coret is Indonesian for ‘scribble’, and ‘coret di kertas’ means ‘scribble on paper’)

However, despite him ‘knowing’ how he’s supposed to draw on paper, being the 2yo that he is, time and again I may get an unwanted ‘crayon surprise’ on our walls, our bedsheet, sofa, door, table, TV, desks. Even on our laptop monitor!

There was once a time when he somehow managed to get his hands on a permanent marker and drew on his bedroom walls! I was so shocked by the sight that invisible steams probably puffed out of my ears. Went to close our main door and windows before I gave him one of my utmost thunderous scoldings. He scrubbed the walls with me afterwards. The marks are still there till today, only 30% fainter.

And I kind of lost my voice for two days after that incident.

Vai and his sister
Vai likes to bug his sister. When Anya’s ready for bed, he’d pull her pillow. When Anya’s about to put on her shirt, he snatches it and plays with it instead. When Anya draws on a paper, he wants that paper too.

When he asks for item B but sees Anya goes to choose item A, sometimes he immediately says, ‘Vai mau A juga!’ (Indo for: ‘Vai wants A too!’). I guess this ‘competition’ between siblings is just impossible to avoid (despite our attempts to keep things neutral, fair and ‘non-competitive’ between them two)

Other than that, I know he loves his sister. They both can make each other giggle and laugh so hard. He can give her the biggest hugs and kisses too (hugging and kissing her on the cheek before and after Anya’s school is a routine we practice from day one).

Other Random Stuff
Vai is one who automatically says hi and bye to people he sees. We want our kids to be friendly to people of all levels (from our friends to bus drivers and cleaners at food courts) and so yes, it’s a habit that we encourage since they’re young.

He likes to do silly things. Things that can put a smile even to strangers. He’d do silly moves and make silly faces and weird noises.

He’s 15.1 kg.

He drinks between 650ml – 800ml of formula a day.

His vocabulary has grown a lot over the past 2 months. He can roughly tell me what he wants, and explains to me what he sees in sentences. Say for example :

(upon seeing birds) ‘Mommy, liat, ada bird!’ (Indo for : ‘Mommy, see, there’s a bird!’)

‘Ada bird? Mana, Vai?’ (Indo for:  ‘Bird?’ Where is it, Vai?’)

‘Tuh, bird terbang. Disitu mungkin. Mommy liat ga?’ (Indo for : ‘There! The bird flew away. Over there, may be. Did you see it, Mommy?’)

…

Just like any other parents, raising our little Vai has its ups and downs. But really, however tough things sometimes get, we realise how we’re in fact privileged to be entrusted with this little guy.

We’re thankful to God for watching over him. And as much as we try our best to be his ‘teacher’, interestingly, at times we’re the ones who learn about life from him.

May God give us the needed strength and wisdom to be better parents for him and Anya everyday.