Exploring Our Children’s Potentials

If you plan to visit Perth and are ready to explore its beautiful beaches, here are three places I’d personally recommend!

We went to these places and we loved each and every one.

[Note: If you’re there in summer, be prepared to get a good sun tan because it IS warm and glary. Do bring along your sunnies, hats, sun block cream, etc. As for us, we’re out and about under the sun a lot during our trip there, which explains why we are a few shades darker now!]

Scarborough Beach

We were there at 5pm on a weekday. The weather was really good, but it was really windy.

We fell in love with the white sand beach. Vai kept sinking his toes deep into the sand before he found a good spot, sat down and played with his cars. His sister got herself busy collecting seashells (for our fish tank!)

There were quite a few activities going on at the beach. Some kind of group practices, I think.

Anyway, we loved this place. Breathtaking.

[Photos by Wilson]

For more info on Scarborough Beach, click here.
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Sorrento Quay (Hillarys Boat Harbour)

Another favourite. Love the view, the boats, the big blue sky, the white sand beach.

Compared to the other two beaches, there are heaps of eating places and attractions for everyone at Hillarys Boat Harbour!

For more info on its facilities and attractions, click here.

We were there at 12pm on a weekend. It was crowded, and VERY glary and warm. Once we’re under the shade, it’s cool and quite breezy though! Anyway, the kids had a great time playing in the sand, and we had yummy fish and chips for lunch with our friends.

[Vai : showing off his huge deep-fried squid]

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Cottesloe Beach

Another beautiful beach we love.

[Photo by Wilson]

Our trip coincided with their annual ‘Sculpture by the Sea‘ (5 – 24 March), where over 60 artists displayed their works of art along the beach! It was nice! A refreshing break for us all.

For more info on Cottesloe Beach, click here.

One of the things I love most about our recent trip is how this time round we brought along two little ones to places that Wilson and I used to visit more than ten years ago.

This is East Perth at 5.30pm.

I love how the kids ran freely across the big field while we casually strolled along.

I love the big blue sky.

I love how we all squatted and checked out the countless jellyfish, big and small, in the waters underneath.

One relaxing afternoon we all enjoyed.

[Wilson and the kids were going over a little hill. I was still way behind and when I looked up, I could not NOT take this shot!]

PS: See if you can spot my husband and I too! *smile*

Yes, we’re all back from a really nice break in Perth. I love every single day we spent there!

We took tonnes of photos, and I’ve got SO much to share!

For now, I need to get our bags, laundry and everything else around our home tidied up first.

Will write again soon!

When it comes to my children’s concentration levels, I must say they’re rather different.

Anya is pretty good when it comes to doing things by herself for a long time. Since young, she can sit alone and read books, make crafty stuff. draw, etc.

Vai doesn’t quite share his sister’s love for reading, drawing or making crafty stuff ALONE though. He can play alone for a very long time when it comes to his cars and trucks (and oh, I must say he loves cutting up paper! Give him a stack of old newspaper and scrap paper, and he’d be at it for a long time!)

For other activities (like drawing, arts and crafts, and reading) he can do one activity at a time for a relatively longer time IF he does it with someone else.

Anyway.

Today I’d like to share with you some of the things that we can do to help and improve our kids’ concentration level. Hope it can be an insightful read to you all.

Happy reading!

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Source : Family Education

– Your child’s interest
Children usually stay focused longer on things that truly interest them, so you will want to pick activities that appeal to your child to improve his concentration.

– Board and Card Games
If you haven’t been playing board and card games with your child, start now. Begin with games that are easy to play before moving on to those with more complicated rules. Not only do games require concentration, but they’re also fun.

– Read and Read
Read to your child. Start asking him questions before you read to focus his attention on a story. Then have him let you know when you read the answer to the question. What you are doing is helping your child become an active listener.

– Reduce computer and TV time
Does your child play any computer games? Have him avoid those that just require mindless responses. Also, cut his TV viewing time. While it may appear that he is concentrating on a program, television does not require children to focus for more than a few seconds on an image.

– Other activity ideas
Other activities that build concentration include: doing puzzles, drawing pictures, making models, and helping with family chores.

I was in front of a mirror lifting bits of my hair and telling Wilson how I seem to have even MORE grey hair these days.

Then, upon hearing our conversation, my 5-year-old girl Anya said to me:

Anya : Mommy, I don’t want you to grow old

Me : (turning my head and looking at her) Why don’t you want me to grow old?

Anya : Because if you’re old, you can no longer carry me, Mommy.

Me : By the time I’m much older, you’d be bigger too and you won’t need me to carry you, Anya …

Anya : But Mommy, … what if by then I still can’t see over the counter?

It’s interesting to see how one usually starts to feel ‘discontent’ or ‘dissatisfied’ about his own situation (eg. materially, financially) when he starts to ‘compare’ himself with others.

He’d start wishing for ‘more’, and forgetting what he ‘already’ has.

I, for one, need to learn to always be thankful for everything too.

And I love how this song reminds us all of the importance of counting our blessings.

Because really, it’s when we start counting all the things that we already have that we’ll start to realise how we indeed already have SO MUCH.

God is good.

And let’s learn be grateful. All the time.

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COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS

When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

Refrain
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God hath done!
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

Are you ever burdened with a load of care?
Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?
Count your many blessings, every doubt will fly,
And you will keep singing as the days go by.

When you look at others with their lands and gold,
Think that Christ has promised you His wealth untold;
Count your many blessings. Wealth can never buy
Your reward in heaven, nor your home on high.

So, amid the conflict whether great or small,
Do not be disheartened, God is over all;
Count your many blessings, angels will attend,
Help and comfort give you to your journey’s end.

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Words: Johnson Oatman, Jr.
Music: Edwin O. Excell

I think it’s when we start comparing photos of how our kids look like today and how they looked like before that we’d feel amazed at how fast they’ve grown!

This photo was taken last week, just before Anya had her birthday at Sunday School.

Click HERE to see how they all looked like in July 2007, when they were barely one year old!

Vai, Caden and Nate will all turn three years old this year!