Someone said the other day:

You have your Christian faith, so that means you raise your kids to be morally good kids, right?

(If you are a person of faith too, what’d be your response?)

…

To me, I feel the above sentence is … incomplete. I mean, … there’s more to that, isn’t there?.

If we are healthy, if we are smart at school, if we are safe and sound, if we manage to make good and right choices at school and at home, it is all only because of God’s grace. You see, I happened to read an article the other day on this topic, and in many ways, I felt … rebuked.

I was reminded that if our kids are morally good, but they don’t feel the need for Christ, then … they’re no different to others who place no faith in Christ.

Okay I’ll try to elaborate and explain it a little more, by sharing with you these thoughts below.

…

You see, I do hope the three children we raise become good-hearted people, adults who continually learn from life, and develop good characters too. 

Children who are polite and good to others. Appreciative and thankful for what they have. Children who tell the truth, and speak words that are not hurtful nor destructive. And so on.

I’m sure that’s the hope of all parents?

But now, the question is, should THAT be the goal of Christian families?

Well, it should NOT.

The article reminded me of exactly that.

That, raising morally good children must NOT be our goal, if we are Christian parents.
…

To add to the above, here are some thoughts that we do share with our kids from time to time:

> To be morally good people must NOT be your aim in life!

Because simply, no one can be good. 

The Bible clearly said in Romans 3:23 that no one can be right in God’s eyes, because we are sinful people, with sinful hearts, ie. Even our ‘best intentions’ tend to come with selfish motivations and thoughts.

> Mommy and Daddy are sinners too, and just like you, we struggle to do what we know is right, everyday. 

Yes, we try our best to teach you God’s ways, things that are right and good, but it does not mean Mommy and Daddy are all holy.

Mommy and Daddy depend on God’s mercy, grace and strength too, everyday. We make mistakes too, and we too seek others and God’s forgiveness.

> Right now, you need to learn to obey Mommy and Daddy, … while Mommy and Daddy learn to obey God.

It’s not easy for you and it’s not easy for us too. But one day when all of you are adults, together we all learn to obey God and seek to do God’s will everyday.

Doing what’s right and what’s moral is THE RESULT of a grateful life to God.
> We hope you always remember how you are DEPENDENT on God’s mercy everyday. 

If we are healthy, if we are smart, if we are safe and sound, if we manage to make good and right choices at school and at home, it is only because of God’s grace.

Jesus Christ had died on the cross, and because of what HE did, those who truly believe in Him are made possible to do what’s good and right in God’s eyes.

(Having said that though, of course as long as we’re still alive, it will be a continuous life struggle. It’s not easy to do what’s right, especially when so many people around us seem to go the opposite direction)

> Wanting to do what’s right and what’s moral is THE RESULT of a grateful life to God.

It’s like, we must learn to LOVE and care for others, because we have firstly received LOVE and CARE from God.
…


Errr … not easy, is it?

(well, at least I think so. Being the kind of parent God wants me to be is TOUGH)

But then I tell myself : However hard it is, it is not impossible, if God is the One who strengthens and enables me.

So.

Here’s to all parents of faith out there : May God help and strengthen us everyday, to carry out our parenting responsibilities, and to strive to be the kind of parents God wants us to be.

JIA YO! =)

Have a wonderful and blessed week ahead, everyone!

This is something that our 9.5yo Anya, in particular, enjoys doing.

I’d draw different shapes, at random, on a piece of paper.

And she’ll then create a drawing, any drawing, based on the shapes.

Like for example, see the shapes in the picture above?

This is the drawing she came up with a few minutes later =)

One nice idea that can keep your kids (and adults?) engaged, I reckon!

Oh … plus, it challenges their thinking, imagination and creativity too, yes? =)

Have you tried something like this before with the kiddos? 

Here’s an activity idea to share with you.

(Btw, feel free to copy the idea if you like it, and use it to spend time with your little ones =)
For this one, you’d need:

1. Drawing paper (I just tore a page from an A4 drawing book)

2. Some paper to use as ‘leaves’ (I used brown paper and left over wrapping paper)

3. Glue stick, scissors, black marker, pencil

4. Watercolour (green), brush and palette

What we did :

1. I cut out many ‘leaf-shapes’ using the brown paper and wrapping paper (and one bird shape!)

2. Using a pencil, I drew (thin lines) leaves on branches on the white drawing paper

3. Using the glue stick, Brie stuck the leaves on the ‘leaves drawings’ (I helped her get the positioning right)

4. Using a big brush, Brie would cover the whole ‘white surface’ with green watercolor.

5. Oh, and don’t forget to use a black marker to emphasize the branches

That is it! =D

(and I’m keeping this artwork in Brie’s personal folder =)

Hope you have fun creating and making stuff with your kiddos too!

…

PS: This activity is inspired by the idea shared at CRAFT TIME at Reformed 21 TV. One episode is aired each week, at 18.30 Jakarta Time (19.30 SG time).

Here’s the link to watch it online : http://www.reformed21.tv/tvstreaming

I admit.

Despite telling my kids to NOT write on their clothes, this is what I’ve done to my children’s clothes.

Marking their school clothes with their initials or full names. Using black permanent markers.

(Wave your hands if you’ve done the same)

I know. It’s ugly, but it’s just necessary, because :

> I have two school-going kids and they do change uniforms at school (eg. To their sports uniform). Now, when you are in a room full of boys / girls wearing exactly the same thing, you’re just bound to get your clothes mixed up with someone else.

> Kids are kids, and when they’re in a hurry, they are bound to drop / misplace / lose things (eg. Pencil cases, school hats, water bottles, even shoes!)

My point is : Marking our belongings with the kids’  names is just plain necessary.

But then, lo and behold …

I recently found out about this super good solution : Cute labels by StickerKid!

When Josephine from StickerKid contacted me about the kinds of labels they make (and ship worldwide!), I just thought THIS IS FANTASTIC!

And as a mom of three, I especially appreciate the facts that the stickers:

– are water resistant and washing machine safe!
– can be ironed on the clothes too!

[Stickers for Vai’s shoes. Identification made easy, and cute]

I’ve come across water-resistant stickers before, but I haven’t found ironed-on stickers and for shoes too!

So I tested these stickers out first, for TWO MONTHS, before sharing it with you all today. 

Verdict : Yep, they’re good!

Now.

Giveaway time!!

*YAY!*

Here’s what you can get for FREE from StickerKid: 

>> My First Pack (Pack of 156 stickers) 

Worth S$55, including shipping costs!

(Read more about what you’ll get HERE)

How to enter the Giveaway:

1. Leave a comment and share with me how you’ll benefit from these stickers

2. Show support to StickerKid, by liking their Facebook Page > Click HERE!

3. LIKE my Our Everyday Things Facebook Page too please? (if you haven’t already =)

4. Simply SHARE about this giveaway on your Facebook / Twitter, etc.

…

NOTE:

– Giveaway contest is open to everyone WORLDWIDE

– Contest ends : Monday, 25 November 2013 (at 23.59 Jakarta Time)

– One winner will be randomly picked from the comments section, and notified by email. The winner’s name will be stated here too, so be sure to come back and check it out yeah! (also because you’d want to read our other blog posts, I hope =)

…

DISCOUNT CODE:

Simply enter “Oureverydaythings2013” (with a capital ‘O’) when you check out to enjoy some 10% off all products at stickerkid.sg
Discount code is valid until 31 December 2013.

…

Hope you enjoy this giveaway, everyone!

…

WINNER OF GIVEAWAY:

Yen (comment no. 5 from the top)

Congrats, Yen! Hope you love the prize! (Do get in touch with me soonest, ie. Reply my email =)

Thanks StickerKid for sponsoring, and thanks to EVERYONE who participated! =D

Someone once shared with me this thought:

Playing, holding and placing actual 3D puzzle pieces stimulates a child cognitively and mentally, which unfortunately CANNOT be done through playing puzzles across the flat screen of a gadget.

And you know what?

I agree.

Totally.

Handing over a gadget like an iPad to a child would just be, convenient.

The child is kept occupied for minutes and even hours.

And we parents are ‘left in peace’ to do whatever other things that need to be done.

(and we all know, our ‘to do list’ is endless!)

Again, as I shared in my previous posts on this topic, I personally don’t think it’s ‘wrong’ when a child is allowed to play with gadgets (though Wilson and I personally choose to NOT yet introduce our 2yo Brie to any electronic games, however educational they claim to be).

…

When it comes to young children and gadget play, I think it starts to become a worrying issue when parents:

> assume that exposing little children to gadgets is BETTER than exposing them to ‘real playtime’ with ‘real things’ with ‘real people’, because the apps are ‘educational’ anyway

> assume that ‘engaged children’ means they’re learning good stuff

> simply wish to not be ‘hassled’ by little children, and the fastest way to get them to “leave us alone” is to hand over the gadget to them

…
Having to deal with little children – and all the bittersweet moments – day in and day out is part and parcel of being parents I admit, toddlers can be noisy and whiny.

They can be demanding, and they can cry (and scream) at times when you wish everything is quiet and settled.

But I guess with this post, I’d like to remind myself – and hopefully other parents too – that :

> we are the ones who’ve been blessed with children, aren’t we? Having to deal with little children – and all the bittersweet moments – day in and day out is part and parcel of being parents

> today’s technology may not always be beneficial to us, especially to little children. They need our time and real people around them more, not flat screens.

…

May God give us the strength and wisdom to be better parents everyday.

Have a blessed week, everyone.

We’ve been exceptionally busy in the past two weeks.

There are big events coming up.

As well as Wilson’s mission trip to Borneo.

Then (kind of expected) all the three kids for some reasons take their turns in falling sick.

Either one or two of them will be down with fever.

So, I thought I should drop a quick note right here to say, no … I haven’t stopped blogging =)

I just need that little extra sleep time these days.

Will post something up again, soon.

In the mean time, do explore my ARCHIVES page, may be? =)

Thanks for the support, everyone.

Back soon.

When children are busy with school and its work (not to mention, their other list of extra-curricular activities), they naturally have LESS TIME interacting with the family, especially with their siblings.

The thing is, I know of some parents who actually prefer to keep all their kids ‘engaged’ in separate activities, so they have less interactions with each other.

“The lesser they are together, the less we need to deal with quarrels and bickering between them!”, they say.

…

Of course, I too am not fond of dealing with siblings who annoy each other.

No sane moms LOVE dealing with squabbles.

(I’d get a headache if it goes on for too long, and I’d then need my sugar boost to keep my battery going! =)

BUT, having said that, I must say that siblings do not ALWAYS annoy each other.

They do giggle and get all silly. All three of them.

There are times when play well together.

(Even when they sit and read their books quietly side by side, to me … that’s also something that siblings get to do together)

If the kids have so little opportunities to interact with each other, how then can they nurture their relationship as siblings? In our family, we do let the kids have their own ‘alone time’ when they want to (eg. Reading a book alone in their room, playing with LEGO brick undisturbed). I guess, everyone of us needs that.

But.

Most other times, we are all in each other’s presence.

(I know, I’m taking risks here)

And my reason for this?

If the kids have so little opportunities to interact with each other (because they’re always so busy with their daily personal activities/internet games, etc), how then can they nurture their relationship as siblings?

…

Yes, I still truly believe that it is when we actually SPEND TIME with each other, that we learn what it is to share and care, to listen and to communicate in a friendly tone, to be patient and forgiving, to respect and to love.

Such training must and should start from home.

From the family.

 
Here’s one activity Brie and I did the other day!

Glue-ing. Pasting. Painting.

Simple and fun for toddlers! =)
 

Here’s what we did :

> I cut out the heart shapes and Brie glued them onto a piece of drawing paper

Tips:
– Brie is now 2 years and 5 months, and using a glue-stick helps to reduce ‘mess’! =)
– There’s no need to ‘thoroughly’ stick the paper, because we’d need to pull them out afterwards

> I prepared one colour at a time (watercolour on a palette), and with a brush, she covered as much surface as possible. I told her to cover all the ‘whites’ on the paper.

In her attempt to cover all of the paper surface, she used her palm and even her feet! Haha, well sure, I let her do it =)

Tips:
I did this painting and potentially messy activity BEFORE her shower time. Less stress for me, as when the activity is done, I simply lifted her up, and went straight to the bathroom
 

The result! (the heart-shaped cut-outs were still intact)
 

 
Last step : Brie pulled out the heart-shaped cut-outs, all by herself!

And, VOILA!

A special artwork, done by the happy toddler herself! =D

 
Hope you have fun experimenting and exploring this  ‘Paint – Heart – Stencil’ activity idea with your little kiddos!

Have a nice weekend, everyone!!