Blog Train: If I Were a Time Traveller...

Ever watched Back to the Future, where Michael J Fox was still a handsome young lad, and we were in our childhood, and travelling back in time or travelling forward in time seems like the coolest thing to wish for? Yeah, me to, as much as a lot of us do. Wouldn't it be lovely to travel back in time, or maybe even if we don't, just dreaming of travelling back in time.

What would I change, 

what would I do different?

Let's throwback to when I was a teen, many years back. I had the time of my life in secondary school, college, and even polytechnic. I went through each learning journey trying to find my niche. I did very well for my O'Levels so I did not have trouble choosing where I wanted to go to study next. I was hasty enough to choose a Chinese-ed college just because it sounded nice, and it was cool to be studying at the so-said school. After year 1, I did not like it one bit because well, let's face it, Mandarin had never been my thing to ace, and being surrounded with Chinese A-star students was a little intimidating. Furthermore, I did not quite like taking the science route even though I did very well in my math and sciences because it just did not suit the personality that I am.

So I left, and enrolled into a polytechnic instead. Well, studying in a polytechnic was vibrant enough for me, it was totally fun to be walking in school, hanging out in home clothes and carrying my laptop from lecture hall to lecture hall. There was so much freedom, I absolutely loved school. However, I chose the wrong course. Once again, I thought why not go back to my comfort zone, THE SCIENCES. I took a diploma in Biomedical Science and went on to not working in that industry at all. It just did not fit in with my personality, again. 

I am one to move about, to talk very loudly, to want to meet new people all the time. You can say, I am quite the social butterfly. Staying in the lab, wearing a lab coat, and trying out experiments was just not my cup of tea. It was way too boring for my very energetic pair of legs and my fidgety bum. I was left lost for quite a while and didn't know what career path to take thereafter. 

It was only after I became a mother, that I started sending my child to Julia Gabriel for their playgroup sessions that I saw what I liked. It was also then that I found my Eureka moment!

I love kids.

I love movement.

I love being up and about.

I love chatting, and talking, and chatting.

I love being playful.

All that just pretty much sums up an early childhood teacher in her daily job scope. Making sure children grow up loving their childhood, and learning in the process of it all. I wanted to be that person, who contributed to their fun, and joy, and be part of the wonderment of growing up. 

My second son was but a month old when I enrolled myself into school again. Since then I have not looked back, and I have graduated from my course. I am now a licensed teacher, and I am very happy with my career. The only regret I have was, finding out too late, what my niche was. If only I had known back then, I could have probably advanced in my career quicker than I can now. 

If I could travel back in time to the day I took my O'level results and searched for my career path, I would have chosen Early Childhood in a heartbeat. But you know what, perhaps also, being a mother made me a better decision maker and a more mature learner. So even if I could travel back in time, and turn the clock around, things wouldn't have happened the way I think it would have. Like they say, everything happens for a reason!

What would you change if you could travel back in time? Don't say I didn't warn you, but the thinking could set you back for a lot of thinking once you embark on it! :)

Next up on the Time Travelling Blog train is:

Jennifer or DinoMama as she is fondly known as to some, is a full time working mum who believes home cooked meals are the best and tries to cook healthy meals for her family as often as possible. When she has done coaching DinoBoy with his school work or not playing & bonding with him, she will be sitting at a comfy corner in the house busy working on something on her crochet hook. One day she hopes she will be able to be a full time stay at home mum where she can fuss over her family 24/7.

"Every Child is A Genius, all you gotta do is awake the genius in him!" A sharing session with Dr Thomas Armstrong.

As part of a Rise and Shine blogger, I was privileged enough to be invited to a Hi-Tea Session with Dr Thomas Armstrong during the SmartKids Asia Event at the Singapore Expo, Hall 5. This event was kindly brought together by S26, a milk formula brand that highly promotes nutritional values for a growing child.

Being in the early childhood field, I was very excited to meet and share with someone who had strong perspectives on multiple intelligences in Children. Multiple Intelligence is a theory brought about by Howard Gardner, an American developmental psychologist who believes very strongly that every child has eight intelligences that he is born to be equipped with. I personally am an advocate for every child being naturally smart in his own way, hence I was nodding in agreement to everything Dr Thomas Armstrong mentioned in his seminar yesterday.

Picture extracted from: http://www.getadministrate.com/blog/easily-assess-learning-styles-for-better-student-outcomes/

As you can see, children are born an all-rounder. They may excel in one area, but it is never exclusive to just one area of learning for them. "Every child is born a genius, but as he grows, this genius in him may be shut off due to many factors". - Dr Armstrong said at the seminar yesterday. How and why are children born a genius? Because all of them have the innate ability to learn without conforming, to explore and observe freely, and to express creatively. Think about it, each time a parent learns of a baby's milestone, we celebrate it yet when they reach a certain age, all this celebrating just ceases.

Each time a baby flips or rolls over, we celebrate it because he demonstrates physical ability! Now that's Body Smart (Kinethetic), yet when our child is older, we don't even batt an eyelid when he dances to music or learns certain physical moves from a book or the television on his own. Why? 

Each time a baby demonstrates being word smart and holds a book , we celebrate his eagerness to read. Yet as he grows older, we shove aside this WANT to read and drastically changes it into a NEED to read instead. And we do not even celebrate this moment, because it is "required" of him, a growing preschooler. Why?

Each time during meal time, we would gladly allow our baby to feel textures around us and eagerly share  the experience with him, "How does the grass feel?" We would even allow them to splash during their bath in the tub and gladly add bubbles to it. We would let them crawl under tables, and climb the table legs while we dine. But as he grows, we would scream at them to get off the mud, as their shoes will get dirty. Don't even dream of stepping on those rain puddles! No climbing that tree! Why?

Most parents should really dig deep down our conscience, as we start to see that the genius in our child is really shut off by our expectations of a child. How a preschooler should conform to behavioral and societal expectations, and ultimately ditch his desiring need to observe, explore and learn at his own capability.

Shared during Dr Armstrong's seminar session, he mentioned a couple of points that naturally kills the genius in our children, and possibly in ourselves during our growing years too.

• Home Miliation: Children born to this unfortunate circumstance are naturally born to stress, and vices that they may be exposed to (like drugs, alcohol etc). Also, included are children born with poverty. These creates a negative impact to their growing, and may hinder their learning purposes as they grow.
• Dystechia (School): You know how the world is fast growing into one that is competitive and academically inclined. You need to be book smart to survive kind of thing? Yeah, all that kills the genius in the child. How the child is brought up with the pressure to learn, provided with worksheets and tests at even a young age of five/six in Singapore! If a child is slower at grasping the idea of something and cannot catch up with his peers, then he shall be labelled as one with special needs when really, he is just learning at HIS own pace. 
• Medio-crity: Technology. That about sums up how children conform to things they are exposed to on the media - violence, stereotypical images, insipid language. Technology kills the creativity that children are born with. The media feeds them with idealogies that they should not be exposed to. Technology hinders children from being in a naturalistic environment, which leads to the underdevelopment of certain skills required of a growing child. 

While most Singaporeans generally do not fall into the Home miliation category, we should be most ashamed that  a high percentage of our children do fall into the harmfulness of dystechia and medio-crity. A typical Singaporean child enters school at 3, starts doing worksheets by 4 (some even at 3!), and gets tested by 6 just as they enter primary school. I am in the field, I know that this is still happening in preschools around us and I will not deny that some parents are fond of it. In fact, there are children being sent for tuition at six years old just so that they can secure a good place in a good primary school. 

These grading and testings, this need to comply to educational needs in Singapore has got to stop. Because it is slowly and surely killing the child in being the child that he is born to be. I feel very strongly about this because without the understanding of parents, and the society, there is just so much that a preschool educator can do to help maintain a child's right to live in a free and expressive environment. Yes, a child does have his rights, just as all of us adults do. Give them their childhood back, it is irreversible this thing called time. How do we do we present our children with this immeasurable gift of growing? Dr Thomas Armstrong shares some very valid and easy ways to do our part:

Let Them Play!

• Let children have the freedom to choose. Grant them choices, and let them make decisions. 
• Provide for open-ended exploration. We should all increase the guiding, and lessen the instructing. 
• Let children be free from judgement. 
• Honoring every child's experiences and abilities.
• Believing in every child's genius. 
• Supporting children's nutrition.

That sounds relatively easy, yes? I am sure, as parents, all we want is for the best outcome for our children. And while this may not produce genius instincts instantly, we may just see how our child will grow up to be an individual that is confident, respectful and intellectual with years of encouragement and support coming from us. Every child is a genius, believe that and Believe in your child!

All this was shared in a very interesting and insightful sharing session with Dr Thomas Armstrong over at Table Manners, where bloggers were invited to have discussions and questions over a casual Hi-Tea. The place was cozy and casual enough for us to open up to Dr Armstrong our concerns over our children's learning requirements in a hurried city like Singapore and we definitely were reassured that letting our children purposefully play through their childhood is the right thing to do.

This event was very kindly brought together by S-26, which is a leading milk formula brand in Singapore. It contains up to 5 times more DHA, 40% more Lutein and 20% more Choline.

*Based on S-26 Promise GOLD and compared to previous formula. Children learn in multiple ways – seeing, thinking and doing and good nutrition helps support overall growth and development in these 3 key areas. Nutrition plays a huge role in our young children's development, even more so when we advocate higher thinking skills and multiple intelligence learning.

Dr Thomas Armstrong, Ph.D. is the Executive Director of the American Institute for Learning and Human Development, and an award-winning author and speaker who has been an educator for the past forty years. He is the author of fifteen books including Multiple Intelligences in the Classroom, In Their Own Way, Awakening Your Child’s Natural Genius, 7 Kinds of Smart,The Myth of the A.D.D. Child and Awakening Genius in the Classroom. He has appeared on several national and international television and radio programs, including NBC’s ”The Today Show”, “CBS This Morning”, “CNN”, the “BBC” and “The Voice of America”. Articles featuring his work have appeared in The New York Times, the Washington Post, USA Today, Investor’s Business Daily, Good Housekeeping, and hundreds of other newspapers and magazines around the country.Dr. Armstrong has given over 800 keynotes, workshop presentations, and lectures in 43 states in US and 20 countries in the past 26 years.

A look at... two tables I frequently use and share... with both pets and kids.

Our home used to have just a coffee table, and a dining table when it was just the husband and I. Then the kids came along, and just as we added two more to our family line, the number of tables at home expanded too. We now have a kids craft table, a versatile all-in-one table step2 table, and a lego table we made from Ikea's popular lack tables.

All that in a tiny 90sqm house!

Today I am going to share two tables that I use daily, one at home, and one in school. Both of which is relatively small, both of which is very very messy.

The many papers on both desks is evidence that I am working on my endless school assignments. My kids love to join me while I do my work, and we pretend to be busy at work together. They leave many scraps of drawings behind that remind me how colorful the world is because they are in in. And do say Hello to our new terrapins which occasionally share my desk too! The coffee on my school desk is... do I even need to elaborate on how many hours of sleep I get daily?

I know I said, two tables was all I would share. But a peek into a third table won't hurt right? Here's a peek at our all-purpose Step 2 table that the kids use to play, doodle, read, climb... the list is pretty endless!

I hope I did not give you a heart attack!

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A Sunday morning, in all it's glory.

It is a Sunday morning. 

I am up before anyone else, because it is the only way I get to enjoy some me-time that way. 

I saw sun rays forming a lovely hue of orange on my walls.

I took a peek off my big front door.

That was when I saw the perfect morning sun,

rising bright and strong.

I take comfort in good weather on weekends. 

There is so much we could do,

with the sun so fine.

But first, the work of a housewife beckons loud and clear in the morning.

I always take a peek at my motivation and also the "source" of my never-ending housework.

There they were, all limbs spread out like a crab,

sleeping so snugly like newborn babies. 

The laundry was screaming "sort, wash, hand, fold ME"

All two loads of them.

I pressed the buttons of a quick rinse and wash and let it run in the background.

I picked up a couple of toys streamed on the floor from the kitchen to the playroom,
Some days I am lucky not to sleep with toys under my pillow.
Into the toys trays they go for just a short while,
and out they come out again when the boys awake.

Ah, some me-time for an hour or so,
before the laundry is done and needs to be hung,
before the boys are awake and breakfast needs to be made,
before the boys scream my attention every half a minute.

That is just about how, my Sunday morning went. 

Keep Calm and Breathe: How to stay calm amidst the haze.

The haze has been the talk of the town for the past week, as Singaporeans go through a roller-coaster ride of PSI figures. I remember the last time I was this "excited" about the haze was when I was in school, and every classmate of mine was looking at the daily PSI in hopes for school closure. Well, that clearly never happened.

On Monday when the haze started becoming really apparent and looking like it is here to stay for awhile, my mind started being filled up with a couple of worries.

"Dear me, my whole family is asthmatic! How now brown cow?"
That was my biggest concern when reading endless news about the imminent haze. My husband, myself and my two boys are asthmatic and among us all, I am the worst when it comes to keeping my asthma conditions under control. In fact, just as the haze hit us, I was already having an asthma attack and had to go for a nebulizer session at the clinic to clear up the airways. The other three boys are doing fairly well, although the younger ones are coupled with a bad cough the past few days as well.

So how do we minimize falling ill, and getting asthma attacks during this season of bad air?

+ We stay indoors and avoid bringing the children out unnecessarily.
+ We minimize strenuous activities even when indoors so that these children need not huff and puff all the bad quality air at double the speed.
+ Keep the children fully occupied with activities and play that are not exhausting.
+ Increase our immune system with anti-oxidant fruits like blueberries, strawberries, kiwis and grapes.
+ Keep ourselves well hydrated with water and fruits.
+ Practice good hygiene, by washing our hands and feet when we come indoors and after play and dining.
+ Regular vacuuming and mopping of the home will clear the house of rampant dust particles.
+ Have an air purifier to keep air quality clean and safe.

"It's the June holidays! What are we going to do indoors with the children?"
Fret not, for there are always plenty of fun things to do at home with your children! It only takes a little bit of spontaneity and a whole lot of patience, but it beats boring the children silly when keeping them indoors.

+ Build an indoor tent with gala poles and a bed sheet!
+ Play indoor hopscotch with scraps of paper!
+ Open the kitchen and let the kids show off their masterchef skills!
+ Indoor water play in the bathroom with pails and scoops!
+ Bang and Clang away with pots and pans, make a musical festival with the different sounds they make!

"I am having a panic attack, why is the haze so bad?"
Breatheeeeeee. I do find myself in such situations sometimes, when I worry too much about my health and my family's too. But then I realize there really is not much that we can do except make the best of such situations. Avoid going onto NEA to find out the hourly PSI, or Facebook to read about what those SGAG or TOC pages have to say. More often than not, the situations are exaggerated and people tend to stray away from the real situation. I am not saying that haze is good, but neither am I saying we need to panic, and start pointing fingers over whose fault it is. I'd like to think everybody plays a part in making mother earth this unhealthy and unpleasant sometimes. So stay positive, and we shall all hope this is but a phase that will go away quicker than we get to say shooooooo. :)

A mother's day tribute to the one and only who showed me how a mother should be.

It is said that a mother-daughter bond is something that is so sacred it is the treasure of her life. I am living testament to that. I am the only child, and of course only daughter my mother has. We have been through the ups and downs of life, in all twenty-eight years since I have been born. She was a mother, a father and everything in between that a child needed.

Since I was born, my father had been non-existent. Fast-forward six years, he finally left us without a word, leaving my mother to single-handedly bring me up with no wealth to her name, but only a roof over our head. There were times, we would walk to the shop to buy a loaf of bread with the only two dollar note she had left. Even then, she gave me the entire loaf so that I did not have to go hungry. There were nights we had our electricity cut off because my non-existent dad left us with nothing but a mountain high of debts. I remember my mother cuddling me in her arms, with only a candle lighting the dark room telling me that as long as we had each other, there was no darkness we could not live in. When she finally sorted herself out from the pain and misery of having lost a husband, she worked so hard to give me the wonderful life that she said I deserved. Gone were the days we had no money, no food, and no light. She made everything happen only because she was a mother. A mother who loved her child more than anything in the world.

To date, I would always credit my resilience, independence, warmth and optimism to my mother. The only woman in my life that has taught me the very meaning of life, and being a family. It is amazing how a mother would go through hell and back only to bring meaning and joy to a child, asking for absolutely nothing in return.

It is very cliche, but really, I am literally nothing without my mother. At this moment, all I ask for is for many more healthy years to spend with my mother. Because if I am a wonderful mother myself, it is all thanks to this woman who showed me exactly how to be one by being the best role model there is. 

Thank you mom. 

I love you endlessly.

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The What's in my bag series, that is if I even have a bag to list!

Adeline mentioned that some men just don't get why women carry bags, some so big it can fit in a giraffe, others so small it can only fit in a piece of emergency sanitary pad. I am one of the rare women who carry none of those. I hardly carry bags, and more often than not, I squeeze in my Ezlink card into my husband's wallet while my hand phone is tucked into the back pocket of my jeans when we are out. I personally think it is rather convenient to be bag-free when I am out with the kids, or by myself. So when this What's in my bag linky was initiated, the husband took a laugh and said, "now that's one linky you can't participate in!"

I was determined to prove him wrong, and to some extend prove that I do have some female hormones within my body. Hence, I ransacked my bedroom for my schoolbag, of which I carry to school on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. These three days are days I carry a bag because of my solo bus journey, and I really need most essentials found in it. By the way, this pink striped bag was brought for $5 at Chatuchak, Bangkok. No reason why I should spend tens or even hundreds of dollars for a bag I hardly use. :)

1. Water Bottle
Long dreary classes are often saved by my water bottle. It keeps my hydrated and fresh through the hours and hours of lecture. Love that it says PLAY UNTIL THE SUN GOES DOWN too. An apt reminder that I must play hard while studying and parenting hard!

2. iPad
I love how technology has such a huge role to play in today's learning, working, and playing environment. My iPad serves as a great tool for school, as well as my trip to school. In the bus, I'd either read the latest news, check my mail, play temple run. And in school, I would write notes, take down project details, and erm squeeze in a bit of facebook while I am at it.

3. iPhone
Okay okay, I am an Apple person if you don't already notice. I love my apples, both the fruit and the gadgets. And yes it comes it a smiggle casing, which you may have already noticed too. I love how my iGadgets are constantly synced and my life is so much more convenient that way.

4. Current Read
This is probably the only thing in my bag that changes each time. My current read, The Wrong Way Home (no pun intended!). And because this is a travelogue, my mind is often switched to wanderlust mode while I am reading it. Pretty good read on a rainy day, in a freezing cold bus.

5. Wet Wipes
Proof that I am a mother to messy toddlers, yes! I don't know why I bring them with me to school, but I do. Okay fine, I admit I am as messy as my boys when I am munching in class.

6. Pocket Perfume
I love nice scents, and I am pretty anal about smelling good all the time. This JPG pocket perfume is a great buy because it actually comes with refills too!

7. Lumix handheld camera
I don't always carry my bulky canon dslr wherever I go, but having a camera with me is a must at all times. Being a mother, I am always on standby mode for funny moments, memorable times and milestones achieved with my two sons. It is an absolute must to have a handheld camera that's decent enough to chuck into the bag, and durable enough for the boys to tug at it. Lumix has been my chosen camera since 2006, and it has never failed me. I recently changed my old LX-1 to a waterproof TS-3, and still the best handheld camera I have had so far.

8. Extra SD Card
I love snapping, need I say more?

9. Smiggle Notebook
Don't ask me why I need a writing notebook when I have a handphone and an iPad. I love notebooks, notepads, stick-on notes. I sometimes use my notepad to doodle and journal my thoughts when I am feeling lonesome on the bus.

10. Smiggle Pens
Smiggle has the best rollerball pens. It is smooth to write, and looks pretty to hold. Comes in many colors too, and I make it a point to bring at least three in my bag at all times, for doodling purposes.

11. Sistic ticket stubs
I often bring my kids to plays at SRT, and I also often forget to take these stubs out of my bag. Sometimes, I use them as bookmarks. Other times, it serves as a good reminder of the good fun times I have had with my babies.

12. Tangled up earphones
I have no idea why earphones tend to tangle up within seconds of dumping them into the bag. I really should get those detangler things. My earphones are crucial to watching movies and serials on the bus with my iPad, and also for bopping my head to One Direction tunes and feeling sixteen again.

13. Wallet with attached House Keys
This wallet is held together by a rubbery band and was bought when I was a teen, at Topshop. Believe it or not, I am still using it and it looks as new as ever. Again, proof that I keep my wallet at home most times, and squeeze my Ezlink into the husbands wallet when we are out. In it consists of my IC, student matric card (great for lunch discounts by the way!), an ATM card, a library card, and a wedding photo. I am probably the only woman in the world who does not carry a long wallet full of debit and credit cards and all the different types of department VIP cards.

14. Snacks!
Very crucial indeed. These ranges from sweets, to chocolates, to biscuits as well as an occasional muffin. I need to munch to keep myself alert in class, you know?

There you go, my not so girly version of what's in my bag. No cosmetic pouches, nor long wallets. Just the bare essentials for a techy and nerdy woman like me.

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