Yesterday, I bet most of you heard a piece of sad news where this UPSR gal hangs herself because she could not achieve excellent results. Hey her results were better than mine. What is going on with the education system or was it the parent’s high expectation on their children? I must say that a lot of parents are pushing their children too hard. I am always very worried when I hear parents sending children to tuition at a young age like 6 or 7 years old. Isn’t that a bit too much? :wall:

Let me tell you, I never get great results during my school day, not that I cannot. I am those who score enough to get to the next stage. However I had lots of fun during my school days participating in other sports or recreation activities, knowing lots of friends from other schools. At the end of the day, when someone comes out to work, does anyone care what your good results were?

I hope I am able to control myself from pressuring my children and let them have a happy life instead. I wished they can do well to proceed to the next stage and spend precious time in exploring God’s creation.

Stroller is a greatest invention for parents, if not at least for me. I trained my children from baby to sit in a stroller. In most case, they will sit in the stroller for a short period of time and later they will want to come up. The trick is when they want to get up, I will attract them with stuff like food or toys to keep them for another 30 minutes or so. After a while, they sit in the stroller throughout. I got to a point where Tim and Emily fight for the stroller.

With stroller, I can take 2 children to shopping on my own. Tim usually walks and Emily sits on the stroller. I don’t have a maid to escort me to shopping. If I carry Emily, I can only walk for 10 minutes and I feel tired. I rather not shop.

I feel more secure with Emily on the stroller. I am always afraid of children running around the crowded mall. They may bump into something or get lost. If they want to run, best to do it in the park.

By the way, with stroller I can shop with Emily for hours and hours. If she gets tired, she sleeps in it.

As I passed through toys stores, this generation children have good life or pampered should I say? They are so many different types of toys out there for them to choose from. Often I am asked, hey you got two children, do you buy 2 of the same toys? I used to do that but it is better for me to teach my children to share.

Yeah it is a challenge because I have tough children. Each child has this illusion thinking that all toys that mummy buys belongs to him or her. Try and break the illusion, you will be faced with a scream or a loud cried.

I used the 5 minutes rule. Each gets to play 5 minutes of the toy and pass to the other person. He plays 5 minutes and she plays 5 minutes. Each takes his or her 5 minutes turn. If they fight for the same toy, often I will take the toy away.

I am glad I have 2, if I have 5 or more, I cannot be buying 5 of the same toy. Best way is to teach your children to share.

This tip mainly for new parents.

I often hear of children crying in shopping mall because they want to get the toys they want but the parents would not buy it for them. How many times you refuse to buy the toy your child wants and he/she cries or screams in public?

It is very important that when you go shopping with your child as early as few months old to a year plus, your first few shopping trips, you have to refrain from buying any toys for them while shopping with them. If you want to buy a toy, you can do it while they are not with you. It will become easier for you as your child learn that it is not the norm for you to buy toys for them during shopping.

If you have started to buy from the beginning, it will be harder to say “NO” later. It is always easier to start with No, No, No and then a Yes. For my children, they can play with any toys in the shop but they understand that they cannot bring it pass the check out counter. Another word they have picked up from me is “Expensive”. Only a few occasions where mummy rewarded them or during their birthday, they can go and choose a toy of their likings. New parents watch out for this.

My children are old enough to make simple choices. To make them feel great and happy, I will involve them in the small decision making. The common question I often ask them, what do you want to eat, rice or noodles? Funny thing is that if Tim says rice, Emily will say noodles. This will lead them to eat what they have selected. You can start letting them make simple choices by giving them 2 options.

It is not just helping my children but also helping me as a parent to allow my children to make wise decision. It will train me in the long run to involve them in decision making because making choices will be part of their lives as they grow up. As they grow up, the decisions they make will be tougher. Example a 17 year old decision is harder than a 3 year old decision.

Making choices is simple but facing the consequence of the choice may not be. Children will learn the consequences if they make the wrong choices. It will help them learn from their mistake. If parents always make decision for the child, the child will never mature to make his/her own decision. As the saying goes “It is better to teach someone how to fish than to give them a fish”

My hubby is very good at controlling my children, either that or my children are very compliant. My children love drinking milk with added milo. However it is not very good for them to drink it everyday because it is heaty and can cause constipation.

He set a rule saying “Only Wednesday can have milo milk”. At first, they find it difficult to follow but later they got use to it. The best thing with this rule, when it comes to Wednesday, they are happy.

Yes, you can allow your children to have things like sweets, choc, ice-cream..etc that may not benefit them but always add control to it.

Children taste buds are developing. They may reject some food now but it doesn’t mean they will reject it forever. They need time to acquire some food. I would say be persistent in asking them to try out new food or vegetables.

Most children will not like to eat vegetables especially those with leaves. My children reject them at times but will eat them occasionally. Sometimes I will cut them up very small and mix it with their rice. If they don’t notice, it will go down to their tummy.

I remembered Emily doesn’t like broccoli. She will just take potato and carrots. Now she takes broccoli, cauliflower, potato and carrots. She loves ketchup too. Occasionally she will eat leafy vegetables. Similarly with Timothy. I think both of my children are fussy eaters.

It’s hard to say I am sorry. Well you know the famous song. Parents must remember that parents are human and do make mistakes. If we are in the wrong, we must be ready to say “SORRY”. Saying sorry does not loose your authority but gain respect from your child. Your child will learn that it is ok to say sorry.

Today daddy asked Timothy to change his pajamas while he is in the kitchen making his milk. Daddy gave specific instruction that after both of them change, they can watch cartoon for a little while. Emily came into the kitchen and ask daddy to switch on the cartoon.

Daddy and I assumed that Timothy who was not changing his pajamas. He is always taking his sweet time to do things when instructed. Both daddy and I told Emily that if kor kor didn’t change his pajamas, there is no cartoon. Timothy was very sensitive and he was actually in the midst of changing. He came right into the kitchen naked and cried “You cannot say I am not changing my pajamas”. Opps.

Later daddy and I apologized to him and gave him big hugs & kisses. Of coz, we did switch on the cartoon for both of them.

Finally Emily learns how to spell her name. It is not that I want to teach her spelling so early but she constantly asked me how to spell her name. After repeating many times, I decided to teach her. I did the first 2 letters with her but my hubby beats me to it.

Hubby thought her mind mapping, something he picked up during his training to improve his memory. Mind mapping is a technique very good for students studying for exams. It uses key words and images on paper to help one remember. You can add colors to it to enhance memory. How does Emily mind map look like, here ya go.

Bottom line she is able to spell her name now. Bravo to papa! :clap:

My hubby started to teach the children about Law & Punishment. Reward alone doesn’t work as children are still prone to do naughty things like fighting. I guess fighting or toys snatching are part of growing up but children need to learn to behave.

Previously my hubby set some simple rules and whoever breaks it will receive punishment. There are light punishments like apologizing, stand in a corner or sit on a “goodie” chair to severe punishment no sweets for a week, no TV or even caning.

However with caning, please do not do it out of anger and stress. When you are angry and stress up, it is better for you to cool down first, taking deep breath or count 1-10. Take your child aside, you can tell him what he did wrong and that you are going to give him his punishment. This is to prevent you from abusing your child.

It is always best to communicate to the child what he did wrong and why is he getting his punishment. That way he can learn to correct himself. Do not always associate pain with punishment. Try to be creative in giving out punishment.

Amazingly Tim and Em understands what punishment is when daddy introduced it to them. They had no sweets for 1 week as their punishment. Grandpa offers Emily a sweet when she went to visit him. Daddy reminded Emily of her punishment and Emily gave the sweet back to grandpa. Now every time they start to misbehave, we asked them whether they want to receive punishment. Both will say “NO”, shaking their heads and hands.