Exploring Our Children’s Potentials

The other day, on our way back from school, Anya said to me:

“Mommy, when I grow up I want to be a teacher”

“Oh wow okay”

“I want teach at my kindy … so that I can teach Jason, Justus, Cassandra … ”

“Errr … aren’t they your classmates?’

“Yes”

“Then won’t they be as grown-up as you are by the time you become a teacher?”

“No”

… let’s give big sister’s school shoes a good brush together!

(read : waterplay fun and helping out around the house at the same time!)

Just one day before Vai turned 21 months, he apparently found the ‘key’ to moving forward while still ON the bike.

Though right now he’s yet to master the art of pushing the pedal ‘in full circle’, I’m happy to see how he’s discovered his own way of steering and moving about.

Anyway, click HERE to view the video clip that marks the beginning of his ‘biking’ days.

Enjoy!

He likes the outdoors. He’d ask for his hat as soon as he’s under the sun.

He likes to jump, tumble down, climb and half-run while wiggling his hips, head and arms like a silly monkey.

He knows a few alphabets by now (A, B, C, E, M, O, S, T, U).

He drinks between 550ml – 650ml of formula a day. He’s still spoonfed, and somehow his tummy can’t take more than 210ml of milk in one go (read: he’d spew).

Other than being able to doze off by himself at home (afternoon and night), he now can fall asleep on his own while sitting upright on his stroller too! *YES!*

You see, for his standard, this is considered an amazing progress knowing how difficult it was to get him to sleep before (read: he had to either be breastfed or carried in a sling). I’ve got to say, picking Anya up at 2pm daily has a lot to do with this.

And just so happened, today for the very first time in 21 months, Vai was successfully not breastfed for ONE whole day!

I’ve been trying to wean him off breastfeeding since he turned 13 months, but it apparently was difficult. He simply wasn’t ready to let go, and I too wasn’t that keen on forcing it on him.

For the past one month, he’s nursed only in the early morning. That’s when he’d walk into our bedroom, still half-asleep, climb onto my side of the bed and say ‘milk … milk’!

Weaning him off this early morning feed means I’ve been accompanying him back to him room at 5am, and sleeping while leaning my back against Anya’s bed. You see, if I lie down on his bed, he’d immediately ask for ‘milk’ again. And if I left for my bedroom, he’d wake up and follow! So yes, I’ve been losing sleep, but thankfully I’m seeing results! I’m just glad he’s now more ‘receptive’ towards the ‘weaning’ idea (and I hope it continues to get better).

When it comes to his sister, he can ‘play well with’ her as well as refuse to co-operate and share what he has with her. And lately, he’d say ‘HEY!’ and frown if for example, Anya touches the bike he’s about to mount.

Teaching him (and Anya) how to share and play together without screaming, crying and pulling each other’s toy apparently needs quite a lot of energy, patience and persistence on the mom’s part. It hasn’t been easy.

He’s 14.4kg.

Thanks be to God who watches over him day in day out.

On this ‘Mother’s Day’ month edition, Mother and Baby Indonesia magazine features a nice write-up, by Becky, on tips and tricks Moms can consider when faced with challenging situations.

And err, yes that’s Vai half-asleep in my oh-so-helpful blue sling (though he sort of looked a bit ‘drowned’ in it, hehe), pouting Anya and the kids having a little playtime with each other while we’re out and about.

[Will post the scanned article pages when I get hold of the magazine copy soon]

If you can read and understand Indonesian, you may want to check out their website too. It’s got useful articles and tips on parenting, motherhood, and lots of other related topics.

Happy reading!

Vai and I have been sending Anya to school (and picking her up) since she started nursery early this year.

It’s a 7-minute walk to the bus stop, 7-10 minute bus ride, and another 7-minute walk to school from the bus stop. And the timing is pretty much the same for our going-back home trip (oh, plus the time spent waiting for the bus to come, of course).

So, Vai and I are basically under the scorching sun (or rain) between 11am – 12pm, and 2pm – 3pm every day (and yes, we’re ‘more tanned’ now than before Anya started school, hehe).

Now, one common question I get from people is : why I don’t just let Anya take the school bus. It’s easier and more convenient for me, and the overall cost is more or less similar (compared to me personally sending and picking her up every day).

And here are my reasons :

> I know Anya will definitely take the school bus one day (perhaps soon, even), but when I can still personally take her to school, I’d want to enjoy that privilege and daily moments of sending her to class, giving her a hug and a kiss goodbye and seeing her walk into her classroom

> I get to meet her classmates and and chat with her teachers (on top of making friends with other parents and maids who make daily trips to school too)

> During our daily trips to and from school, we get to spend time and chat about things. About school, her friends and teachers, what she did and learned, what so and so did, etc. And if say, her teacher reported to me how she did something that she shouldn’t have done earlier that day (upon picking her up from class), I can immediately talk to her and ask her about it too.

The thing is, this approach will no longer be there when she starts taking the school bus later.

I mean, by the time she gets home from school, the level of seriousness of what she did wrong earlier is automatically reduced, especially if she happily laughs and plays with her friends on her way home (ie. less ‘impact’ by the time we have our ‘why did you do what you did’ talk, because it doesn’t take place right after she leaves class)

> Personally picking her up from school allows us to eat out together immediately after class too once in a while (which can be a special treat for all three of us)

And because of all those reasons, somehow I don’t feel ‘burdened’ by this daily routine (ie. every day, for the past five and a half months so far).

Yes it may sound a bit silly, but when every time I think about it, I really just don’t mind.

[Yes I do get physically tired at times though, eg. from carrying the stroller with Vai on it up and down the bus and stairs, from carrying Vai in a sling, when it rains]

But you know, one day, years from today, if Anya happens to say, ‘Hey Mom, remember that one time when we all got drenched from the sudden rain on our way home from school?’

I would be happy if I could reply, ‘Yes I still remember. I was the one who held your hand.’

We reap what we sow, hence if we want a better future, then we need to start working on it TODAY.

The same goes with raising our kids.

If we want our little ones to grow and be young men and women who live out their faith and life principles faithfully, and who aren’t easily discouraged by life’s struggles and difficulties, then the way we bring them up TODAY, the kind of teachings they receive, and the kind of living examples we parents show every day will play a significant part in their life in the latter years.

Now that we have two kids in the house, it’s nearly impossible for us to keep the house nice and tidy.

Look under the sofa, and you’ll find a crayon, a piece of paper or a toy car. Storybooks can sometimes be found in the kitchen, or under the kids’ beds too!

As much as possible though, when it comes to helping out, we always try to get the kids involved around the house.

And some of our reasons for doing so :
> it makes the kids feel involved, recognised and appreciated within the family
> it gives them opportunities to complete a task and enjoy a sense of accomplishment afterwards
> it teaches them to be responsible persons
> it can help us keep our home a little more tidy too

Some of the kids’ contribution so far :
> help clean up the mess and put their toys back after playtime
> help in the making of their snacks (eg. stirring and pouring into jelly molds)
> help in meal preparation (stir the chicken marinade, put pumpkin pieces to a big bowl after they’re cut)
> return her mug and plastic plate to the kitchen after mealtime (Anya)
> prepare her school bag and open the padlock of our gate, as I get ready to send her off to school (Anya)
> wash their bike

They’re of course not always into cleaning up after their mess. They can casually go off after playtime and many times I need to repeat myself in order to get them to do something for me.

Vai for instance, sometimes drops his toy to the floor and casually walks off. When asked to pick it up and put it back properly, he’d run and giggle away. So I’d have to go over to him, talk to him while holding his hand and accompany him to the toy before he actually picks it up and puts it back.

Getting my kids involved sometimes means ‘double-work’ for me too.

I mean, pretty often it’d be faster if I’d just complete the task myself (like when I let them wash my rice grains, most likely they’ll spill some water to the floor too).

But I know I need to learn to be casual about these things and focus more on guiding them and appreciating the actual efforts our little ones are trying to put in.

After all, kids love to be involved and our challenge I guess is in finding age-appropriate tasks where they can contribute, learn along the way and feel our genuine appreciation.

…

Here’re some useful links:
>> Involving kids in tasks and chores
>> Chores for kids
>> How to involve the kids in daily household chores