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Exploring Our Children’s Potentials

14 July 2022 – 3:34 pm |

“Thanks” to today’s gadgets, more and more kids tend to say, “I don’t know what I’m good at. I don’t know what I like. I’m not interested in anything actually.” (But somehow they are interested …

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Giving up her naps

8 April 2008 | Posted in: Crafts & Activity Ideas for Kids, Daily | No Comment

Anya somehow hasn’t been interested in her usual after-school naps these past few ten days or so.

[In the past, she gets pretty tired and cranky by around seven or so if she fails to nap. But now, she’s all okay though WITHOUT her afternoon rest!]

While this means we both have more time with each other, which is a nice thing to have of course, it usually means shorter afternoon nap time for Vai (he gets woken up by the noise his sister’s making, however soft)

And, if he wakes, he tends to refuse going back to sleep! And this literally means I get close to no break from the moment we all wake up – at around nine, till the time the kids close their eyes at around ten]

You see, when they both nap, I get a bit of time alone, doing some work, catching a quick nap myself at times, reading the newspaper, even clearing whatever chores WITHOUT the presence of these two little ones.

Oh well. Anyway.

When they both are awake later in the afternoon, these are some of the stuff we do:

– playing with each other

– helping me prepare their snacks or dinner

– eating snacks and drinking their milk

– going to the nearby market (Vai in his stroller, Anya on her bicycle – still with training wheels)

– paying a visit to the playground

Today, they had a watercolour-drawing session together.

Anya put on her arts and crafts apron, drew apartments, streets, cars and people on a piece of paper with markers and used a paint brush to add colours to it.

As for Vai, he used a toothbrush to make all sorts of lines and squiggles. On his paper, his feet, hands and at times … on Anya’s drawing paper too!

And so yes, I got to hear Anya’s ‘Vai!!!!’ and ‘Mommyyyyyy!!’ pretty often today.

Oh btw, our drawing sessions are almost always followed by water play sessions in the bathroom (read: getting themselves busy with water, little buckets, spoons, plastic bowls, funnels, etc).

The kids get to enjoy a little more playtime prior to their shower, and Mommy gets a little extra time doing whatever things she needs to do around the house!

Works well for everyone so far!

Click here to read more about ‘how much sleep does your child need!’

Playground!

7 April 2008 | Posted in: Crafts & Activity Ideas for Kids | No Comment

One of those places that will always put a big smile on Vai’s face!

To read more about playtime for todders, here are some insighful links!

>> Play : Why it’s so important

>> Let’s play! Games for toddlers

>> Physical play

>> Toddler play and learning : in a nutshell

Sunday’s Food for Thought – Not always smooth sailing

6 April 2008 | Posted in: Inspirational | No Comment

The fact that we believe in God as the Lord of our life does not mean our life will therefore be smooth sailing always, and exempted from life’s difficulties.

[Because it’s when we struggle through life’s problems and troubles that we learn and grow even more as a person]

In God, we receive strengths and blessings. Yes. But it is possible too that life’s struggles are ‘allowed’ to take place in our lives simply because of our faith in Jesus Christ.

Now the question is, what’s our real motivation when we come to God?

Do we ask HIM to fulfill all our wants and needs, and to give us our regular requests of good health and material blessings?

Do we ‘command’ God to listen to us, obey our demands and serve our needs?

Do we pray and come to him only when we NEED something from Him?

Let’s look within ourselves, our motivation, and see how we’ve been approaching God so far. And whether we’ve in fact been trying to ‘manipulate’ the Creator Himself, for our own benefits.

Now that I have my own children, I often can see their needs even before they tell me about them (of course, it’s still within my limited knowledge and capability, being a human and all, and not THE all-knowing God)

And I sure want my kids to come to us and have a close relationship with us, not because they just WANT something from us parents.

But, because they truly love us and trust that as their parents we will surely give to them what they need, and what’s good for them.

What man among you would give his son a stone
if he should ask for bread?
Or if he asks for a fish, would he give him a snake?
You are bad and you know how to give good things to your children.
How much more will your Father in heaven …

Matthew 7:9-11

Our day out by the sea

5 April 2008 | Posted in: Crafts & Activity Ideas for Kids | No Comment

East Coast Park.

Kids. Parents. Grandparents.

Kids went around barefooted and the little one jumped on rainwater puddles.

Sands. Sands. Lots of sands.

Seafood dinner.

It was a tiring yet enjoyable family day out.

A simple yet nice break from our usual week-day routine.

Something we all need to bond with each other and freshen up.

,

Video : Anya – practice makes perfect

4 April 2008 | Posted in: Daily, Video | No Comment

I personally am amazed every time I see how our little ones learn new things so fast.

Anya, for instance, started learning chinese only in January this year, ie. when she started going to nursery school. And she already knows quite a bit of mandarin by now.

As a parent who tries to learn the language with SO much difficulty, it’s all a nice surprise for us.

[Yes, it’s true … it’s hard to teach new tricks to an old dog, huh!]

Anyway, this is a video clip of her reading one of her chinese books to her grandparents!

Click here to view.

[Added]

Btw, the book is from Anya’s school (they let the kids take it home after they’ve learned the characters), and it’s published by pelangi books.

Treasuring the moments

4 April 2008 | Posted in: Daily | No Comment

It’s not everyday that my grandpa can send me to school!

Anya’s private chinese tutors

4 April 2008 | Posted in: Daily | No Comment

My parents are in town for a few days! And the kids have been enjoying their stay here!

Other than having them around to entertain and play with, my parents have sort of become Anya’s private mandarin teachers too! It’s great!

(Unlike me, my parents can write and speak mandarin real well!)

They occasionally spoke to her in mandarin, teaching her new sentences and words. She practised reading her Chinese characters from her school books too while they listened and told her the correct way to read them if she ever got them wrong.

AND.

Apparently, Anya actually knows A LOT of chinese! I mean, she recognises the chinese characters in her books and reads them pretty well!

My parents were surprised at how much she’s learned over such a short period of time.

And so were WE!

You see, so far we’ve heard Anya sing and say words in chinese. And although I think it’s great that she slowly is learning the language, I often (in the inside) question her knowledge when she tells me something in mandarin that I don’t know.

The thing is, I myself know VERY little of mandarin! And chinese characters look like unknown intermingled lines to me!

It was only when my parents saw how she recognised the chinese characters well that I realised how I’ve actually underestimated her.

And I felt so ashamed for not believing in her.

Anyway.

So this is what I’ve discovered and learned this week. To not underestimate my own child’s capability, simply because I myself am not ‘better’ at it.

Ah. I’m really glad though that I found out about this (ie. my tendency to not believe in my own kid’s capability) NOW, not later.

Because my sceptical attitude (which may come through the comments I make or even my facial expression) may dampen Anya’s spirit to learn new stuff in the long run.

And THAT is surely something I’d want to avoid!

Yes, Mommy needs to learn to change too.

Mother & Baby Indonesia – April 2008 : Ready for school!

3 April 2008 | Posted in: In the Media | No Comment

That’s “I’m ready for school!’ in Indonesian on Anya’s doodle board!

The article – nicely written by Becky – shares some useful tips on how parents can help in better preparing their kids for school.

You see, when it’s time for our little ones to start their formal education, where they’ll be ON THEIR OWN for a few hours, they themselves may not be that keen on the idea. Especially in the first few days!

This naturally makes it less easy for the parents.

Anyway, click HERE to check out the article.

Btw, yes, that’s what Anya does every morning from Monday to Friday.

Getting herself ready for school, leaving home together with me and Vai, and going to class (after all the kisses, hugs and good-byes) *smile*

PS: Feeling blessed too for the opportunity to contribute my photo works to the magazine!

Three Good Reasons Why a Book can be Better than TV

18 July 2012 | Posted in: Parenting, Photography | 4 Comments

… It allows the older siblings play the ‘siblings role’ to the little one, allowing them to interact with one another too
… Books let the reader wind down, imagine, think and process what they’re reading …

Going Out as a Family: Making it a Habit

6 May 2016 | Posted in: Inspirational, Parenting | 2 Comments

 
One of the things that my husband and I try to do often is to go out as a family.
All five of us together, with or without our friends and their children, or with our …

Parents, the First THREE Years Are Crucial!

23 October 2020 | Posted in: Parenting | No Comment

 
“Babies don’t understand anything!”
“What toddlers need is physical care mostly. Someone to feed, bathe and play together with them. That’s all.”
“What can they understand anyway? They can’t even speak much.”

Adults often assume the first 3 …

Baby no. 3 : “What Husbands Do to Make Pregnancy More Enjoyable”

5 November 2010 | Posted in: Marriage & Relationships, Pregnancy & Babyhood | 2 Comments

[At 9.5 weeks pregnant]

The other day I had a message from a male reader, and this was what he wrote:
I really am happy that men are unable to ‘give birth’ =)

Having said that the …

Habits that Potentially Create Gaps in Marriage

14 December 2017 | Posted in: Inspirational, Marriage & Relationships | No Comment

 
Parents,
Let’s remember how we are ‘husband and wife’, too, not just ‘Daddy and Mommy’.
Too often, we unintentionally create habits at home where we do our ‘Daddy-Mommy’ duties well, but they are in fact ‘unhealthy’ …

The Reality of Marriage

10 July 2008 | Posted in: Marriage & Relationships | 6 Comments

We had our seventh wedding anniversary three days ago. Right on the seventh of the seventh month!
To some, seven years of marriage may seem like a long time. To some others on the other hand, …

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