How to make your kid CLEAN UP after play...

After leaving comments in this post, reached home I get this…

When is time to clear up, I gave them a plastic bag each and told them “Let’s have some fun! Let’s see today who can keep more Alphas & numbers in her plastic bag.”
Without screaming, they started to clear the mess.

Within few seconds….tada…All Done!

Try turn the clean up session into a competition and you will be surprise to see the pride on your kid when he/she keep more than his/her counterpart! Look at my 2 girls and you will know what I mean.

Sometimes, we sing Barney’s Clean-Up song while we clean up. It goes like this…
Clean Up, Clean Up, Everybody Everywhere;
Clean Up, Clean Up, Everybody Do Your Share!
I will lead the song in progressive mode, start with slow tempo, then medium, then fast! Is fun!! Also within minutes, the space is cleared!

Sometimes, after much coax & nagging, if my 2 girls still don’t clean up. Then I will start picking up the toys & put in the storage box. After picking up few pieces, I will pretend I strain my back & start moaning: ouch here ouch there… (drama a bit lah). Then I will ask for help from my 2 darling! And they will do the rest. Little trick for great success!

Hope the above give you some idea dealing with your little ones when they refuse to clean up after the play session. Let me know whether it works for you!

Another Price Hike!

This morning, on my way to work…turned on the radio… “Another price hike!!!” This time round is the price increase for biscuits. Don’t really pay attention on the increment percentage, in short there’s a price hike. If I heard correctly, Milo’s price also will be up don’t know how many % this coming June! Really cheesed off with all these price increment news!

Not long ago is flour, then rice/grains, now biscuits!! For those low income earner like me, susah betul!!! Everything seems so expensive but not our pay! Arh!!! Tonight must go stock up the biscuits & Milo!!

I know I know...the photo has nothing to do with the price increase, just upload it to cool me down after looking at this 2 Minies!!

Do U Shout at Ur Spouse?

I came across an article about Do you shout at Your spouse in front of Your kids this afternoon. I feel so bad after reading the post. Guess you should know the reason. Yes, I admit, I do it at times when my dearly husband just couldn't be bothered with my words. I know deep inside my heart that as a wife, we should honour our husband but sometimes I just can't keep cool when we are of different views over certain issues.

I don't really mean "shout" as the real shout but I do raise my voice. This is certainly bad. What have I done?? I am sending an indirect message to my kids to disrespect their father! There are times that my 2 girls blaming their daddy for things that happens. For instance, there are times they just leave their toys in a mess after playing it. When I asked them why they don't keep their toys after playing, they will point to the father and raise their voice to blame "Daddy lah". In my heart, I was like - What is it got to do with daddy?? Anyway, I will just turn to them & insisted that they should keep it clean. Sometimes when they are in the mood to clean, then they will do it, else they will just leave the mess for me & daddy to clean, you know things just happen....

I personally feel that we as parents shouldn't raise our voice in front of our kids at all times if we don't want our kids to do the same. After being a mum, I admitted I do change a lot. I am more organized & tidy as compared to when I was single (even thought there’s still lots of improvement room). I have more patience than ever. Most of the times I will think twice before a word come out from my mouth since this experience.

Good luck & Lets work hard together to make our parenting experience a terrific one!

To my beloved Lou Kong,

I would like to take this opportunity to apologize to you for raising my voice towards you at times. I sincerely seek forgiveness from you. I’m sorry & I love you. *Looking into your eyes*
I hope you will have time to read this post soon !

Am I pushing too hard?

Wah! Is like a knock on my head after reading this post... perhaps this is written for me... ;) Anyway, thanks for your sharing. This mummy is terrific/marvelous. I learn a lot from her without her knowing. Thanks & many thanks. You are just like my sifu (guru) in parenting. I am trying hard to turn my house to a Montessori home tooo…. But guess there’s still a long way to go!

Xuan just turn 4 last March. I don't know since when she can write, she can imitate quite well, I think she can imitate 70% of the Alpha both capital & small. Actually I don't know which alpha she can write as I don't track but my feeling is like she can write quite a lot. Xuan Xuan also can write from 0-7 of the numeric of cause sometimes she does mix it up, like 'b' write as 'd' for the numeric (the mirror effect kind of error) this happen to number 3 & 5. She picks up writing all by herself. I don't really sit down with her teaching her how to write, I don't have the patience, sadly to say!

I started her with writing her name (Xuan) only, when she was 3.5yo (I think) and that also upon her request. She always wants to write her name on whatever scribbles that are done by her. To me, Xuan's progress is terrific as she's only 4 & she can do so much. That is the main reason why I don't do serious homework with her. No question, me too is for kid learn best through play... tapi recently, I found Xuan is very lacking, she always want me to do craft with her. I hardly see her scribbles on alpha or numbers, but more on Monster drawing, will blog abt it soon. Worse is when I asked her whether is there any homework, she will straight away say “No” or “Can you please check on my beg?”. I was like “HAR???” *scratching on my head*

I started her with the 'homework concept' because I want to plant the seed of 'homework=her own responsibility' in her. I don't want to be like my own mom, every time has to take the rotan out to discipline her child for homework (that’s me), that one can really vomit blood, mannnn....

Xuan preschool is one of those ‘relax’ type. Even after 4 months of schooling, she only has 1 or most 2 pages of homework to do over the weekend. During weekday, no homework at all. I started Xuan with 'homework’ in the hope that she can be more responsible on her own work, of cause I don't expect perfect writing over the homework, but sometimes I purposely erase some of her work & make her redo.. Be it in school life, work life, we can't escape from rework/redo. That's the fact of life. This is because I want her to be ready with the ‘redo’ situation. If you have to rework, you have to rework, and please do to it with an open heart, and don’t blame. If you really don't want to redo, just do it right the first time, is just that simple.

To me, Parenting is the most difficult subject in my entire 32 years of life. Parenting is not all about growing an academic excellence child but is about growing a child who is equipped with good etiquette/moral/personality and whatever surviving skills that you can think of in order to survive in this increasingly challenging world. I would believe that you have the same thought as mine??

A wonderful evening...

Wondering why my evening so special??

1. For the first time ever, my 2 girls are serious in doing their so called ‘homework’.

This is the 4th month going to 5th month since my Xuan Xuan first joining pre-school. Every time when I asked her what she learnt from school, she always told me that she can’t remember or she will give me a blank look. Maybe she is too young to describe the happening in school or simply there isn’t any things learn or she already knows / advance on what the teacher taught her. For the best of a mother’s wish, I just hope that it is the last reason that she already knows the subject well and that’s why there isn’t any new thing learnt from school.

After reading some of your posts, I strongly feel that informal education from home is much more important in developing my children. Even though I’m late in starting my girls with formal A, B, C but I think is better than never, right?

All Work and No Play Makes Jack a Dull Boy, in my case is like All play and too little work make Xuan & Wen a lazy girl. I’m not exaggerating. It has been many many times I try to start Xuan Xuan with some simple writing, she always has excuses, “I’m tired”, “Tomorrow lah”, “ I want to do something else” etc etc ….
Now you know why yesterday is so special to me, because she managed to finish the whole page.

Have a look!

You may think is simple but to me, is already a great achievement! Sometimes I wonder and I worry that I might have set an expectation which is below average and this in turn might indirectly slow down Xuan’s learning curve (Because too lay back). I don’t know, perhaps you might want to share with me, what should a 4yo kid mastering at. Reading simple words instead of A-Z? Writing A-Z capital and small letters? Number from 1-10 & able to master the writing as well?

This is how my Xuan Xuan serious about doing her 'home work'.

2. I’m very, extremely, exceptionally, remarkably, amazingly (or any other words that you can think of) proud of my Wen Wen’s masterpiece.
Not to say this is the first time she’s holding color pencils but this is the first time ever she’s able to color so much of a picture. Normally she will only color a small patch and that’s consider done to her, as she always complaint that she’s tire. Maybe she is not ready to hold pencil? I don’t know. Wen Wen is almost 2 1/2 yo.
Have a look at how serious she is creating her masterpiece…

A closer look perhaps…


This is the final version
that makes me feel like I’m floating in the air flapping my wings and flying like an angel. (Please allow me to dream & drunk with my Wen Wen’s achievement.) Am I tooo easy to be happy?

When Xuan Xuan was 3 years old she produced
I was already like WAO!!! Wen Wen is only 2 1/2, of cause I feel like I can fly without wings lah!

3. I love to see intimate and attached relationship between daddy & the girls.
After hard work (even though is nothing hard to us), my 2 girls are now having some fun with their daddy…
Guess what there are doing??
Yup! Yup! Yup! They are playing computer games! How serious they were playing the games!
This definitely is not my idea as I don’t really like to expose my girls to electronic screen too frequent as I don’t wanna see my girls with spec. You won’t believe that almost everyday they will have at least an hour on TV with their favorite VCDs. Anyway, just open 1 eye close 1 eye lor... then I will be happier!!!

What a wonderful evening!!

A dedication to my dear friend...

A dedication to my friend:

I don’t have any heart to work after reading her post. Don’t know what to say, just hope that she’s doing fine and also she has all the strength to hold it till the end!

Message to my dearest friend:
1. Be strong
2. Be brave
3. Be patient

My wish to you:
1. I hope, I wish and I pray that your daughter’s eye examination report is not right and not accurate.
2. I hope, I wish and I pray that whatever that happens to your girl is nothing to do with genetic disease or disorder.
3. I hope, I wish and I pray that your twins will be healthy and strong.

Best & Warmest regards
Kelly

I'm on duty again tomorrow

Is fast, Is quick, my turn again on duty this Saturday for the craft session. I have prepared something simple for the kids to have fun this coming Saturday. I have cut some alphabets and some shapes out using color paper. Each kid will be given the alphabets that will make up their name. Our kids need to glue those alphabets on a black construction paper. Then they will glue on some nice shapes & is done! Have a look…


Material


Constructing their names using Alphabets


Decorating the craft by sticking some shapes onto the black construction paper.


And is Done!

I would believe this is another fun way introducing younger toddlers A,B,C…
You can only cut an alphabet but many pieces in different colors for toddlers to stick so that they can recognize the alpha while sticking it…

Side track…


Showing Wen Wen how the glue flowing down.


This is how my Wen Wen exploring the glue, when the glue is not coming out


Xuan Xuan is on her own completely for this simple craft.


Xuan Xuan is using White crayon to draw some circles on her masterpiece.


Wen Wen with her satisfying look.

Current Issue - 16/4/08

Normally I only joint down my feeling, my stories, my family’s stories…. I believe I need to write some post on current issues for my 2 girls to know what’s going on…during their mummy’s time… If our current issues are not resolved, I’m sure it will imply on our next generation’s life in the future.

I can’t really remember exactly since when I pay attention to food crisis that is worsening nowadays… It all started with a news reported that there are shortage in supply for milk powder in China & Hong Kong not long ago, probably last month? That time, I was like – nothing to do with me cause my 2 girls can still live without milk. Recently I heard news over the radio saying that there is insufficient rice/padi storage in Philipines, Thailand, Vietnam etc (mostly those padi exporting countries) mainly due to climate change. Aha…this is more relevant to me, how do we Asian live without rice?

Yesterday, there was also news from UN Secretary-General Mr Ban Ki Moon, seeking ways to raise fund in order to help the poorest countries. If I understand correctly, it sounds like even though the gap between the rich and the poor have been minimize, it doesn’t mean that the poor is getting any better. This is due to the recent steep rise in food prices. My thought was: What? Again about food shortage!!!

The above news really knock me on my head yesterday, is all related to insufficient of food supply & lead to food price increase over the past few years. The main reason is all back to the climate change. Now we not only need to deal with increase price in petrol, we need to also face the problem of food crisis. Maybe we are lucky to live in Malaysia, because we do not expose to major climate change. Even though we are not badly affected by the reduction of crops, but I’m sure thousands of million out there are starving & struggling to get the basic food to survive each day. (Thanks God, that we are being blessed with sufficient food and please help those who need Your help too!)

There was this Chinese Saying “Shui Zhi Pan Zong Can, Li Li Jie Xin Ku” – meaning, who will appreciate the effort that have put in in each & everyone of the rice that served on your plate
This is to remind that we shouldn’t waste any of the food. So the next round when you are ordering fried rice or chicken rice or mixed rice, try to request for a reduce potion (if you are a small eater) so that there wouldn’t be anything left behind…
Please also do our little part to conserve the world. I’m sure you know what I mean – those recycling, reduce air-con usage and blah blah blah….

When I was still a fetus...

Normally after I send my Wen Wen to my parents’ house, I will go back to my bedroom to attend to my growing Xuan Xuan. No exception this morning. I still enjoy a lot cradling my Xuan Xuan even though she’s already 4yo. Our conversation begins…

Mummy: "Mummy must carry you in my arms before you grow too big for me to carry" (I carry Xuan Xuan while sitting on the bed. Her ears are very close to my heart and she feels my heart beat.)
Xuan Xuan: "Mummy, why I hear the ‘dup dup dup dup’ one??"
Mummy: "That’s mummy’s heart beat ma… everyone will have to have the heart beat unless the person die. So heart beat is very important, one can’t live without it. Last time when you were still in mummy’s tummy, you hear it day & night…do you still remember? And you love it!"
(Xuan Xuan getting very excited & asked further.)
Xuan Xuan: "Really? Then, mummy,how I sleep inside your tummy har?"
Mummy: "Oooo… Let mummy show you. Off mummy lap first."
Mummy: "When mummy sleep on my right, you also sleep on your right and curl like this."
(I lie down and sleep on my right side then I curl my body,especially my legs. Then I change my position to sleeping on my left, and curl my body.)Mummy: "When mummy sleep like this, you also sleep like this. Sometimes when mummy stand and sit and walk you will sleep like this." (Showing her the upright position with eyes close.)
Xuan Xuan: "Then what toys was I playing when I’m in your tummy?"
Mummy: "Hah! You always love playing mummy’s stomach, mummy’s heart, mummy’s lap, mummy’s lung and sometimes you suck your fingers. Your most favorite toy was the ‘rope’ that link your belly button to my belly button."
Xuan Xuan: "Har… how I play?"
Mummy: "Is time to brush you teeth now, else we will be late, I will tell you more when I’m back from work, ok?"

I quickly drag her out from the bed and we both started our routine for the day!!!
:0) :0) :0)

Ting! Ting! Craft Time

30/3/08 (Sunday – Late late evening)

I thought I could have some rest after clearing up, no, no, no, I’m absolutely wrong!
My 2 girls started to chant again “mummy, mummy, mummy, mummy”. The only way to stop the chanting is to make them busy…So we ended up this way…

I drew a simple house, trees & train on an A4 paper. Then I cut some rectangles, triangles & circles from color paper. Xuan Xuan & Wen Wen’s job is to stick those shapes on the A4 paper in order to construct the house, trees & train. Yes, is that simple!

That’s how Wen Wen glues those shapes on the A4 paper.


Then she started to draw the trunk.


I drew the railway for her, and noticed that the wheel missing… and I started to cut some circles for the wheel and she’s now glue the wheel on…


And then noticed there aren’t any windows and doors in the house, and I cut some more…

Ops… how can I do without my birthday girl… These are the photos…


After the sticking all shapes, she drew a smiley sun & herself in the picture.


Look! How satisfy she is with her artwork!!!


I bet you will know which artwork belongs to Xuan and which belongs to Wen!



Absolutely right, the one with smiley sun & an alien girl belongs to Xuan Xuan.

What's next after the birthday celebration??

30/3/2008 (Sunday-Late evening)

What’s Xuan Xuan up to after her simple but warmth birthday celebration??

While I’m busy clearing up the mess, daddy manage to capture this without Xuan Xuan’s realizing it!
She is decorating herself with all her soul...
She is checking on her effort...
The minute she aware that daddy is snapping her photo...
That's a closeup on her...
Lovely! Lovely... *Rolling eyes*

Xuan Xuan is officially 4!!!!

30/3/08 (Sunday)

Wow! Xuan Xuan is officially 4 today! 4 years back, she’s still a baby and now she’s already a pretty toddler! Sometimes she makes me laugh and of course other time she upset me. I choose not to remember those sickly moments and opt to only remember those happy moments with her. I still remember how happy I was when I first become a mother. When I first hold her in my arms…When I first fed her, when I first saw her smiled, babbled, crawled, sit, walked, talked, her first tooth grew! All first! How wonderful for being a mother…

On this day, I remember my mother too! I finally have a taste of sweet and bitter of motherhood. I finally able to feel how much effort that my parents had put in, in raising me up! Even though I know I couldn’t say enough ‘thank you’ to them, I still want to say “Thank you, daddy & mummy & I love both of you very much.”

We don’t have a great & fabulous birthday party, but we had a warmth & lovely celebration. I always believe, a picture says a thousand words.
A birthday cake that can’t do without…of Xuan’s choice!

My 2 happy girls who are excited about the cake!


I wish my Xuan Xuan growing healthily & happily.
May she have all the strength to deal with the challenges.
Last but not least, May she have all the blessings!!

They are having some fun after the birthday song.


That’s my chicky Xuan Xuan!

Hard Resignation

7/4/08 (Monday) Sunny Morning

Today is a hard day for me… as I need to tender my resignation. This is the hardest resignation ever! Why??? That’s because I don’t really have a strong reason to resign. All these while when I opt to resign, I always have a very strong reason behind it. Is either for better career opportunity or the working place sucks!!! This time round is really different. My current company is a heavenly working place that I have longed dreamt of! So there isn’t any push factor that leads me to the decision (of cause, sometimes there are still nuts here and there which I need to swallow, but I think is still bearable!).

I’m soon going back to call centre environment that I am so used to as before, but there isn’t really a fantastic package to pull me over to working with this new company without thinking. That is why until now, even I have tender my resignation, I still ask myself whether this is the right decision that I have made. I don’t know. I really don’t have an answer for it. One thing for sure, I can only pray to Almighty God that only He can lead me to the right and best direction.

Oh... My Xuan Xuan (Part 3)

4/4/08 (Friday) (Rain in the evening)

Went back home, Xuan didn’t have homework this weekend so… have to wait a little longer to see whether she can really manage the homework by herself before I reach home… *mummy, be patient*

Oh yes, about the ‘very pretty thing’ that Xuan wanted to show me. Is just a simple craft using paper plate… Forget to bring my camera… will upload the photo tomorrow. Kids are kids, very easy to satisfy! How I wish I could still have that young little innocent heart to be happy with whatever I am having!!!

As promised... this is the 'nice thing' that Xuan wanted to show me...

Oh... My Xuan Xuan (Part 2)

4/4/08 (Friday) (Still Sunny Day up to 12noon)

Hah! Guess what! Yesterday went back, my Xuan really didn’t finish her homework and waiting for me… After giving her the bible talk… she said she will finish her homework in the future and when I am back from work, we have craft session during the night…. Wahhhhh… seems like busier preparing craft than just accompany Xuan doing her peanut homework!

Just now, I called her to check whether she got homework or not, she said ‘No’ but she said she will check again and finish it before I go home. She also told me that she has something very nice for me to see. Can’t wait to go back home!!!

Stay tune for tonight's craft...

Oh... My Xuan Xuan

3/4/08 (Thursday) Sunny but not a hot day (morning+afternoon)

This week seems soooo fast… wondering why??? Because my bosses not around… the whole week I’m able to logon to internet, to update my blog, to read your interesting post, to read some news, to chat…etc… so much fun! So much freedom!

Normally I will call Xuan Xuan from office to check out how’s her day in school. There isn’t any exception this afternoon. Below is our telephone conversation:-

Mummy: Xuan Xuan, how’s your school today?
Xuan: Great! I finished my water today.
Mummy: Good! So, today got homework or not?
Xuan: Got, got two.
Mummy: What is it?
Xuan: One is to write capital ‘D’ and the other is small ‘j’.
Mummy: Ok, please do your homework now.
Xuan: No lah, I wait till you come back only I do.
Mummy: Har?? Why??
Xuan: Because I want mummy sit besides me then only I do.
Mummy: ….. (Slap head)

Normally there isn’t any homework from this pre-school. So I also don’t really bother about her homework…coz the main reason I send Xuan to preschool is to let her mix around so that she is more sociable. Until this morning, I read on a mother’s blog… I got freak-out! So much homework from pre-school… Not that I’m kiasu but if I don’t train Xuan from now, she might not be able to finish off her homework when she goes to primary school!! If I ever work late, how on earth I can have enough time to finish off the homework with her??

I explained the above to Xuan… Will see whether she has finished off her homework or still waiting for me to guide her to do her homework this late evening…. Will see! Will see!

I treasure all these moments...

2/4/08 (Wednesday) Heavy rain in the evening

After a long hectic traffic jam from office back to home, finally I’m in my home sweet home again at around 7pm. This evening, I don’t have to feed my 2 girls as I usually do since they have been fed. I am so thankful to my sister (Fen). That is not all, the best thing come later which I get to know that my sis is going to bring my 2 girls to Carrefour. Yo Yo Yo!!! That means I can have some private time without my girls around!! (Even though is only 2-3 hours, I am more than happy)

My husband reached home around 8pm. After dinner & shower, at about 9pm, we both finally able to sit down & watch TV without any interruption! Wow!! Such a normal routine for you currently become a special event for us. What a joke! Frankly, I feel like it has been ages that I don’t have private time with my husb watching any of the TV show. No special show on TV this evening. Somehow or rather is like so warmth & romantic that me & husband can hug each other again even watching this boring show….Really funny!!

That was the first event that warmth me so much. This is the second one:-
My 2 girls reached home about 9.45pm. I cleaned them up a bit, put on pajamas for them and we were ready to bed. Daddy made 2 bottles of milk for the girls. Normally Wen Wen finish faster than Xuan Xuan and I have to help Wen Wen put her bottle on the dressing table for daddy to wash. Not that I want to spoil Wen Wen, just that she is too scare to walk alone to the dressing table since CNY (been scared very frequently by those stupid loud ‘bomb’ from fire crackers). Plus these days, lots of thunders rumble… needless to say, whenever rainy day, she will curl herself up like a prawn and want people to hug/carry her, she feels more secure that way. Sometimes, Wen Wen will wait till Xuan Xuan put her bottle on the dressing table then Wen Wen will tag along & hold Xuan Xuan’s hand.

Ok, back to the story. Tonight, Xuan Xuan finished her milk first, and she put her bottle on the dressing table. Then, she stands besides the dressing table for quite a while.

Mummy: Why are you standing there (near the dressing table)?
Xuan Xuan: I wait for Wen Wen ma… Later she will say she scare thunder rumble!
Mummy: Wen Wen, you see lah, you always bully Jie Jie, and Jie Jie still love you so much and take good care of you, so please please please don’t bully jie jie anymore, can or not?
Wen Wen: O (meaning ok - that’s what she normally answer)
Mummy: Xuan Xuan is good girl, Xuan Xuan know how to take care of Mei Mei, mummy very happy!

I give Xuan Xuan a good night kiss. Xuan Xuan is extremely pleased with the compliment. Of course how can my Wen Wen have no kiss!

I’m sure every mother will be happy and please to see her children love & take good care of each others!! What a treasure in motherhood!