music please
Friday, December 19, 2008
Day Five with Dad
Thursday, December 18, 2008
1 Utama with Nicole
I took Nic to 1 Utama today and first stop was to my favorite noodle stall in Jusco's food court. The place is always packed after 12 noon so we got our bowl of "pan mee" and again Nic had a good appetite and ate quite a bit.
Next we went to the DIY store to get a spare part for the water dispenser at home. That done we it was straight to Jusco as I'd wanted to get Nic a pair of shoes for the Chinese New Year next month. That did not work out as she did not find anything she liked and trooped off to the toys section (as always). After about an hour she asked to buy a bottle of bubbles to which I agreed. By now she was hungry and asked to have a snack.
We went to Nyonya Colours and were lining up when I noticed a crumpled RM5 (USD1.45) bill on the floor and our snack (pic; note RM5 note in foreground) is paid for! I asked Nic to grab a seat while I waited for my turn to order. She did just that but two female senior citizens (probably short-sighted or something to that extent) casually eased their butts onto two of the remaining three stools. Nic showed her disgust and walk towards me grumbling about what the ladies did. Even the cashier who had seen what happened took some pity on my little girl and pointed her to another table. For the record we had white coffee, roti kahwin and cokodok , yummy! The cost? RM5.90 (USD1.71).
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
On the job training
Nic was in foul mood and refused to say hi to my client but eventually warmed up and yakked away. My client signed the docs and handed over a check as earnest deposit for a condo in Kelana Jaya. Nic and I shared a bowl of "yee mein" and glad she had a good appetite.
That done we headed to Ikano Power Centre and Nic had fun playing with other kids there. As usual she pored over the toys and after an hour or so we went over to the Ikea store. Nic played at the kids "demo" area and again had fun. You could hear her extreme laughter when other kids were rather subdued.
Last stop was to xerox the check and pass it (including docs) to my colleague (Mdm Khor) as she represented the owner.
Got her cleaned up and into bed for her nap at 4.30pm. It's 7pm now and she is still asleep!
Monday, December 15, 2008
Kindy year-end Break
We had lunch at the cafeteria at our condo and then headed to my office as I had to submit some docs. Nic met my principal, Roger and for the next hour made herself at home playing with the swivel chairs and cutting paper with a pair of scissors. She is quite dexterous for one so young so I have no qualms about leaving her with a sharp object. She has also been clipping her own finger nails since age two. I just supervised her the first few times and explained the dangers, et cetera and off she goes.
Before going home we stopped by my favorite coffee shop Sun Yin Loong for a cuppa Ipoh White Coffee and toast bread aka roti kahwin. Nicole ate most of the toast mimicking me dunkin' it into the brew. I taught her the meaning of dunkin' and she learned a new word today.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Let Children be Themselves
Author: Sudha Gupta
If not all, but most of the parents find it ‘too much to handle’ when their child jumps on the sofa or makes noise at home. Parents are often heard making comments like how they had to swallow humiliation when their son made a pile of all the cushions at their relative’s place and sat on it. If the child eats in a little messy way, it invites a stern stare from the mother. And if the child comes home with mud all over, he is told how ‘dirty he is’. Even warned that he’ll fall ill and given strict instructions that this should not be repeated. Parents, on seeing such behavior, start thinking how rowdy, indisciplined and 'out of control' their child is becoming. They begin to feel that this way he'll forget his manners or etiquettes that will become a cause of embarrassment in front of others.
Are you one of those parents who think the similar way about your child’s behavior ?
Parents quite often forget after all he is just a child. Remember, you can clean mud stains on your child but not wipe out the impressions on his mind. Your restrictions would curtail his movement, confine his natural expression and limit his growth. There is no fixed formula to be an ideal parent and to raise children perfectly. But you can work towards becoming a good parent and see that your child blossoms.
Children cannot be expected to sit in a corner quietly or assess the outcome of a certain thing and then act. Their young minds are too naïve for that. They are filled up with so much of energy that they need to stay busy doing one thing or the other. Hence, making noises, hopping around doesn't mean your child lacks manners. He is just acting natural.
Children have inherent curiosity to explore and experiment. They want to indulge in every activity and find out what is what. Thus, fidgetting around with things of the house comes naturally to them. Don't put taboos on his expedition to discover. Because discovering things is play for them and in this play, they learn all the lessons of early years. This way a child's imagination widens, his desire to explore strengthens, and his confidence to find out and seek increases manifold.
Most important, you need to understand that these magic years of childhood will never return. Let him enjoy and treasure some golden memories. Give your child full freedom and opportunity to enjoy this golden period of his life. How he spends these formative years will decide the very basis of his personality. An atmosphere full of freedom would make him bubble with enthusiasm and develop positive attitude that'll last throughout his life.
How often do we, as adults, recall our childhood days and compare that those tender years were the best part of life? So, why take away this chance from our little ones. After all, we may not be able to keep our children as 'children' forever, but we can keep the 'child' in them alive always.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/parenting-articles/let-children-be-themselves-582021.html
About the Author:
Mother’s Pride is headed by the renowned educationist and sought after parenting expert Mrs. Sudha Gupta. Her vision encompasses not only children but parents, teachers and the society on the whole.
As an educationist, she has single-handedly revolutionized pre-school education. Her thoughts have inspired parents and teachers to look at early childhood education from a new perspective. Her emphasis on overall development of child and not just academics has opened new window for tiny tots to blossom into extraordinary beings. Now this visionary has set her eyes to transform formal education system through Presidium, a proposed senior secondary school.
As an expert on parenting, she has given parenting its due importance and popularity. She conducts seminars and orientations regularly to guide parents about positive parenting. Her mission to transform parenting does not limit to a few thousand parents whose children pass out of various branches of Mother’s Pride but millions of parents across the country through her publications in leading newspapers and magazines.
As a social activist, Sudha Gupta’s concern for the society and country is evident not only in her writing, but takes practical shape in the form of a NGO called Sparsh.
Sparsh has so far reached out to millions of poor, needy, mentally and physically challenged children as well as generous contributions have been made as aid to families of Kargil martyrs and Tsunami victims.
In just a few years, Mrs. Gupta has achieved more than what would ordinarily take a lifetime.