take time to ponder July 31, 2010

i was watching a Hindustani movie entitled Main Aisa Hi Hoon. click here to read the synopsis of the movie. towards the end of the movie, one of the characters, a lady lawyer said something that struck me. i can’t remember the exact words but it goes something along this line: “We have lost our child-like innocence when we become caught up in working hard to get more money. We have forgotten what is most important to a child… parental love.”

are we guilty about not spending more time with our children? are we replacing our love by giving them the latest gadgets that money can buy? do we blame ourselves or do we point fingers at others when our child turns out rebellious?

don’t get caught up in the paper chase and rat race. make it a habit not to bring work home. when at home, spend time with the children. children don’t need the latest gadget. they need you to show them that you love them… not with material gifts but with your actions and words. never be afraid to show your love.

saving gaia June 5, 2010

our planet as we know it is dying. we are using its resources faster than they can be replenished. since it is the June school holiday here in sunny island SG, why not teach your children to be green and do their part to save the Earth. the tagline by MediaCorp, “If we save our planet we save ourselves” is a reminder to us that without Earth, we will also cease to exist. so here are some websites that you might want to check out for green activities to do during the holiday (actually you can do these activities even if it is not the holiday):

- 5 eco-friendly kids’ activities
- earth day crafts and activities for kids
- go green: recycling ideas for eco friendly homes

if you have any other websites, you can share the link in the comments. let’s do our part to save the Earth.
p.s. watch HOME, an enviromental docu-feature on Okto at 9pm tonight. if you can’t tune in to Okto, then watch the video on youtube.

animated aesop’s fables May 13, 2010

when i was younger, mom used to bring my brothers and i to the library to borrow books. i love reading and Aesop’s Fables had a collection of stories that i like. i like them because of all the animal characters in the various fables. now i like them because of the morals they carry in every story. here’s a website link to an animated version of 4 Aesop’s Fables: http://us.penguingroup.com/static/packages/us/yreaders/aesop/index.html

the site has the following titles from Aesop’s Fables:
1. the tortoise and the hare
2. a lesson for a foolish crow
3. the lion and the mouse
4. a fox and his shadow

i really find the animation interesting and cute. =) suitable for young children… and anyone who’s young at heart.

Happy Mother’s Day May 9, 2010

to all mothers out there… here’s wishing you a very Happy Mother’s Day! =)

here’s a poem i found on the web dedicated to all mothers out there.

Everything Mom

How did you find the energy, Mom
To do all the things you did,
To be teacher, nurse and counselor
To me, when I was a kid.

How did you do it all, Mom,
Be a chauffeur, cook and friend,
Yet find time to be a playmate,
I just can’t comprehend.

I see now it was love, Mom
That made you come whenever I’d call,
Your inexhaustible love, Mom
And I thank you for it all.

By Joanna Fuchs

i quote April 2, 2010

The most important thing we’ve learned,
So far as children are concerned,
Is never, NEVER, NEVER let
Them near your television set -
Or better still, just don’t install
The idiotic thing at all.
In almost every house we’ve been,
We’ve watched them gaping at the screen.
They loll and slop and lounge about,
And stare until their eyes pop out.
They sit and stare and stare and sit
Until they’re hypnotized by it,
Until they’re absolutely drunk
With all that shocking ghastly junk.
Oh yes, we know it keeps them still,
They don’t climb out the window sill,
They never fight or kick or punch,
They leave you free to cook the lunch
And wash the dishes in the sink -
But did you ever stop to think,
To wonder just exactly what
This does to your beloved tot?
~ Oompa-Loompas

2009 school holiday events November 5, 2009

the school holidays are here again (well… almost here)! it’s a time for you to bond with them. to see what they are capable of doing and to express your love and give them the attention that they want. here are some things you can do with your children.

Asian Children’s Festival 2009
@The Plaza, National Library Building, 21-22 November 2009, 10.30am to 6.00pm
Admission is free!
There are 4 zones: Kids play (games galore!), Kids create (get creative!), Kids groove (show your talent!) and Kids chill & read (storytelling sessions).

Asian Children’s Festival 2009 Fringe Programmes
Sign up at http://golibrary.nlb.gov.sg and surf on to BOUNCE. Places are limited.
Let’s build a fortune cat @Woodlands Regional Library, 25 November 2009, 7.00pm to 8.00pm
Create your own lantern @Tampines Regional Library, 26 November 2009, 3.00pm to 5.00pm
Asian art attack @Tampines Regional Library, 28 November 2009, 1.00pm to 2.00pm

Let’s Explore and Have Fun!
$30 per child  (parents can make additional contributions for themselves)
@Aranda Country Club, Pasir Ris, 2 December 2009, 2.00pm to 6.00pm
Call Noormah@96343897 or Siti@90704615 or email mineegiant@yahoo.com.sg to register
Bond with your child as you explore the wonders of nature this holiday!

i quote November 4, 2009

“Parents must get across the idea that I love you always, but sometimes I do not love your behavior”
~Amy Vanderbilt

choose your words with care August 8, 2009

preschool children are capable of understanding or at least interpreting what adults say. what may seem as a harmless comment made by an adult may result in undesirable consequences. for example, at a birthday party, a lady gushed,”Gosh! Your daughter is so pretty! Can I take a picture with her?” when she saw her friend’s 4-year old daughter with long curly hair, dressed in a frilly pink dress. the girl looked pretty much like a doll… very adorable. the comment was made in front of other children about the same age as the girl. some of them will probably come to think,”Why doesn’t she say that to me? She didn’t offer to take a picture with me. It must be important to be pretty.” so a harmless remark might actually affect a child’s self-esteem. it also teaches the child the values held important by society. from the example above, it seems that society gives great importance to some people but not others because of physical appearance.

i remember a dialogue said by one of the characters in the manga Fruits Basket:
They figured she was a child and that she wouldn’t understand what the adults were saying. How foolish! In actual fact, children are well aware of what adults say. At the very least, they can tell if those words were kind or malicious.
i believe there’s a truth in there. children are better at reading body language than we give them credit for. they know when their mom or dad is angry just by the looking at the adult’s actions. this is because children learn a lot through observing and imitating adults.

i’ve had incidences in class whereby children say things they don’t fully understand the meaning of. they just parrot them back after hearing an adult say it (the parroting may not be immediate). there were also times when these children get really upset when their peer mention that their drawing is not nice. experts even say that it is best not to hold any argument in front of the children as this will bring a negative impact in their lives. the child that sees his/her parents argue all the time will think that he/she is the cause of the arguments. all these show how words have to be chosen with care when talking in the presence of children.

online game for charity July 27, 2009

i read this article in today’s edition of Today newspaper. it mentioned a new initiative launched by the South West CDC in collaboration with POSB that allows online players to do their bit for charity while trying to beat the highest score. the money will be used to help needy children – about 1000 new Primary One students next year.

so do your bit for charity and play the online games at clicktoaid.sg. there are four games to choose from:
- word whiz: match words with their meanings or with its synonym.
- spot the difference: spot five differences in two given pictures within a time limit.
- POSB smart saver quiz: questions are related to saving and spending.
- save with smiley: help smiley collect acorns. at the same time, make sure he eats, sleep, learn and play.
after playing a game, you have the option to recommend your friends to this website.

i quote July 2, 2009

“One of the joys of being a kid is that experiences are new and therefore more intense.”
~ Calvin & Hobbes