Exploring Our Children’s Potentials

We all live in an increasingly individualistic society. A society where people show care towards those who’re directly related to them, those who’re loving towards them, those who can be ‘beneficial’ to them.

Our children too live in such a society, and if we as parents unconsciously take such an individualistic approach towards other people, our children will very most likely grow and develop such a character too. They’ll grow up thinking hardly about anyone else but themselves.

Before we can teach our children any lessons on life, we first need to look within ourselves and regularly ‘review’ ourselves.

Do we show compassion towards others? Do we proactively show our care and help others, even if we don’t personally know them, and even if we’d need to sacrifice a little of our time, energy or money?

Our children read between the lines. They observe and learn from what we do, not really from what we verbally say to them. They listen when we criticise, comment or praise others. They ‘read’ our body language.

So the question is, how have we been so far as a parent?

No one is a perfect parent, and I don’t think we can ever be.

But we all can learn to be a responsible and faithful parent. One who continually grows in faith in Jesus Christ and develops her talents and good characters. One who grows in her devotion and knowledge of God’s love, and compassion for others.

Yes we all can learn to be a parent who’s ready to learn, change and make a positive impact. Wherever we are.

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“What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone?”
James 1:14

I must say, if you’d like to get a good sun tan, then visit the Marina Barrage in the middle of the day. We all went home a few shades darker having spent some two good hours there last week.

Anyway. Despite the hot afternoon sun, there were quite a few kids who still went and had fun at the waterplay area.

And this is one of the many Wilson happened to capture that day.

I like the shot.

On the very last day of 2008, we went to check out the ‘Carnival and Countdown Festival‘ at the Marina Barrage, Singapore’s latest reservoir!

By the time we got there it was already 3pm. It was a bit cloudy but somehow it was really glary and warm! Vai’s napped away on his pram, and so Anya and Daddy went to check out the reservoir together. They walked barefeet hand in hand around the waterplay area too!

[During the two-day Carnival, apparently there’re FREE water activities at the Jetty for those above 12 years old! Really really too bad no one else was with us at the time to help babysit the kids, because otherwise Wilson and I would love to try out kayaking there!]

Anyway, we took heaps of photos and here’s how the day went for us, in pictures.

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Once we entered the area we could see a bridge that twirls around the main courtyard.

I guess the view from up there would be nice and all, but I simply wasn’t interested in walking up the bridge under the bright warm sun while pushing a pram with Vai still sleeping on it. So Wilson went up by himself while we waited under the shade on courtyard.

[Photo was taken by Wilson using his fish-eye lens]

As soon as Vai woke up from his nap, the kids tried out a paddle boat ride, where they basically hand-pedalled a little boat to get it moving about [It was $3 per child per 5-min ride]

And judging from Anya’s reaction after the ride (read: she cried and cried asking for a much longer session!), I assumed the kids did find the ride really really fun!

We were there for a good two hours or so, and before we left (crowds started coming in big groups towards the end of the day to watch the midnight fireworks!), we checked out the Green Roof too – It’s where the Countdown Party and stage performances were to be held!

[Spot the Singapore Flyer in the background?]

AND, I heard the view from the Green Roof is really really nice at night.

May be next time then.

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How to get there: Free shuttle bus from the Marina Bay MRT to Marina Barrage

Someone shared this thought and I’d like to share it with you on the first day of the year.

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In life there are things that we can and cannot choose.

We can’t choose when we’d want to be born.

We can’t choose our race.

We can’t choose our parents.

There are many things in our lives that are simply be ‘beyond’ our control. And we simply can’t choose.

However.

There are countless other things in our lives that we CAN choose.

We can choose to forgive and not hate.

We can choose to be more of a giver and not just a receiver.

We can choose to be more grateful and not complain.

We can choose to be more loving in our words and actions towards our family and everyone else.

We can choose to see life in a more positive light and not be ever pessimistic.

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As I step into a new year, I know I have countless choices to make. And I pray I can learn to make as many right ones as possible. With God’s help.

[Photo taken by Wilson using iphone]

Life with children is full of ups and downs. I think all parents will totally agree with me on this one.

And now that we’re finally on the very last day of the year 2008, I hope we can all find a moment to re-discover and refresh our appreciation of life with children.

To not expect them to be ‘adult-like’ and ever-understanding towards OUR needs and situations.

To keep quiet for a moment and get ourselves together as best as we can when we’re really mad at them. Rather than choosing to immediately snap back and vent out our frustrations verbally.

To listen to them more. So we can understand them better.

To refresh our love for them and be all the more loving in our approaches towards them.

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Here’s to a new year filled with more patience, love and appreciation of life with children.

[me asking for favours from you]

I hope to inspire and reach out to a whole lot more people, more families, in the coming year.

And so if you find my site useful and have been inspired by it in one way or another, I hope you can take some time to share my site with your friends.

And to those who’ve been reading Our Everyday Things regularly, I’d like to thank you too for your continual support.

Do drop me an email or leave a comment on any of the posts to say HI anytime! I’d love to hear from you!

I don’t know if you feel it too, but I feel this year has gone real fast!

I feel it’s not really that long ago when Anya went all emotional as she started going to nursery school. AND now, she’ll be in Kindergarten (and so looking forward to starting school!) in two weeks time!

Anyway, now that we’re at the end of yet another year, I’d like to share with you something which I recently heard at a fellowship, as shared by Ev. Maria Mazo. Such a timely reminder to me personally.

It’s about us and how we view our time and our life.

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In Ancient Greek, two words are used to describe time: Chronos and Kairos.

I quite like the definition given in wikipedia.org for these two words, which says:

While the former (ie. chronos) refers to chronological or sequential time, the latter (ie. kairos) signifies a time in between, a moment of undetermined period of time in which something special happens.

While chronos is quantitative, kairos has a qualitative nature.

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Every one of us goes through the same cycle in life. One gets to be born into this world, grows up, grows old and dies.

Or, perhaps to some people, it’d be: One gets to enter this world, grows up, goes to school, graduates, works, gets married, has children, grows old and dies.

That pretty much sums up everyone’s life, if listed ‘chronologically’.

If one is to see life only in ‘chronos’, then he/she will most likely have a philosophy of ‘When ELSE can I do this and that? I should try and do what I wish WHILE I STILL CAN!’

The thing is, with this kind of life philosophy and understanding, people may end up trying out drugs, extra-marital affairs, or whatever things that they feel they should do (regardless of whether it is right or wrong, good for others or self, etc) because it is a ‘once in a lifetime opportunity’.

In contrast, when one realises that there’s ‘Kairos’ in ‘Chronos’, he/she will see life as NOT just about going about doing our daily routine, because there’s something more important to life, and even more importantly, there’s an eternal value that’s tied to life. And upon such an understanding, that person can start living a life that’s of a ‘different quality’.

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We live in a temporary world, and one day we all will need to be accountable for the kind of life we’ve been living.

What kind of a life have we been living so far, or more specifically, this year?

Do we see our life as more than mere ‘chronos’? Do we hope to find more ‘kairos’ and important moments in life that are linked to eternity?

One thing is for sure, Christ has come to earth, suffered and died, and those who believe in Him can have the hope and strength they need to live a life that’s more fruitful.

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As I’m nearing the end of yet another year, I know I have lots to reflect upon for I do not wish to see my life passes by like a meaningless routine.

And for that to happen, I know I need to pray and ask for God to teach me so I can carefully see and continually appreciate things that are of eternal value in life.

Some three months ago we had a nice little contest on this site. We gave out twenty pairs of Polliwalks shoes for kids to TWENTY lucky winners, for free! And all they had to do to be in the running was to leave a comment.

If you haven’t checked it out, click HERE to read some (or ALL) of them. We had awesome entries!

By now all twenty winners (from Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia and Australia!) have received their prizes!

AND, some of them have emailed me photos of their kids and their Polliwalks shoes!

*Thanks guys!*

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Anyway, I hope to hear from the rest of the winners.

Do email me your photos yeah … and I’d be more than happy to feature them here!