(2001) calling all 2001 babies

hey spanielpups: mine is exactly the same! but today he's pretty good. maybe cos the babies r fretful so he knows he's got to do stuff by himself.

fion: mine hates ppl sitting next to him in fact. but he is v 'gey kiang'. always thinks he knows the answer when actually he's often wrong.
 


Hi Olwen, not only fidgeting part, he does crazy things while he is supposed to do his homework and that really freaks me out, example:

Senario 1:
ds cuts up new eraser into 4 parts and his reasoning is if he lost 1, he still have 3 left.

Senario 2:
His pencil always roll off the table and despite me telling him to put it at an area where it is less likely to roll off, he refuses to heed my advice. He arrange 25 erasers in a u shape formation on his writing table and I ask him what on earth is he trying doing and he got the cheek to tell me : "Oh, to stop the pencil from rolling off the table, otherwise you will be nagging at me again". (incase you are wondering why there are 25 erasers, these are actually flags erasers, I got it as a reward for him, but it is meant for collection purpose).
 
Dear Spanielpups,

In case, you feel that you are the only one vomitting blood. I can tell you that you are not alone. My boy has 2 type of handwriting, the perfect one and the ghostly type. He chooses any one at his fancy. He also insist to write 4 like 9, and he said he like. I guess I am maintaining my wonderful weight because I always vomit blood.
 
Dear Babywuv,

Are you also looking for a martial arts class for your boy ? I saw a demonstration by J H KIM TAEKWONDO INSTITUTE, they have several locations but I hope to compare a few others. Any idea?
 
hi hi biyan & spanielpups: your kids r so funny! mine is a bit better since his fall in apr. but occasionally he acts up too.
 
hi spanielpups, like the way you put it to your boy about using the dictionary :) and my boy pulls just about every trick mentioned here. In addition, he does the " Mum, I need to relax a bit now." trick and promptly lay down on the sofa, with a kiao ka posture, wriggle his toes and goes " ah... so comfy"... aiyo, cannot tahan him. I told him to get his royal butt off the sofa and he answered " Mum, don't be so rude. I am only a kid and you are an adult"...... Usually, I burst out laughing.... However, when he is in the right mood, he does a very fine job of doing his work so I pick my battles
 
hi biyan,thanks for the info. I haven't gone round to check at all as I prefer somewhere near my place ( around clementi/ bouna vista) is good. If I find any, will let you know :)
 
Babywuv, that is so funny, coming from a kid's mouth.

Biyan, same same, my son has horrible writings too, his o looks like e, h looks like n, 4 looks like 9 and thus add or minus wrongly. 3 looks like 5.

Fion, I did tried the method of putting the water bottle on his desk while he did his homework. Didn't work, it only made him drank more water and kept going wee wee and if he has to wee wee..he has to wee wee...I can't tell him to finish his work then go.
 
Hi Spanielpups

Hahah!! Your boy full of ideas!! 25 erasers to stop the pencil from rolling hahah!!! That's interesting!

Biyan,

You are not alone too!! My boy has a terrible handwriting too! Everydays he has to practice his penmanship till his handwriting get better.
 
hi ladies!

so fun sharing our stories. yesterday my son had his first chinese tuition lesson. teacher is v nice. but she says he is v lagging behind. looks like a lot of catching up to do
sad.gif
 
Hi mummies,

How's everyone? This forum seem to go live again! It is so interesting to hear so many funny stories of your children. Mine is not much different from yours. Especially now school holiday doesn't even want to touch on his homework. I have to nag and nag scold and scold. Very tiring.....
 
Hi Jessie,

My boy only spend half a day in the morning do his homework and he tell me "mummy in the afternoon is my playtime" and no more homework please.....

Sigh... nowadays children are very smart and good at negotiation..
 
hi all mummies, glad we are having fun sharing stories of our little darlings and tips on how to stay sane!

My boy stayed away from childcare as he had tonsilitis. He was better yesterday and surprised me with a 6 lines story he wrote ( well , he said he thought of the story line and waited for dad to write for him in the evening). When asked why he preferred daddy to write, he said he was afraid his handwriting will not be nice :) He thought of the title - The Magic Frog - the Frogvatar , the story line - something about the magic frog turned into a magic tiger which fought an evil magic something else..... He even drew the frog and wrote his name to identify him as the author on the back page. He said he had to give the Magic Frog a name prominently placed on the "cover" just in case readers think his name (at the back) is the name of the magic frog. LOL!!! Today, he plans to write another story ( let's see if that happens) I think its a great way to start composition skills and encourage creativity. Thought I'd share with all mummies here... :)
 
hi Olwen, don't worry about catching up first. Let him enjoy the learning process and if the teacher is as nice as you mentioned, he is sure to enjoy his classes and catch up real fast!
 
Hi Fion,

Nice to hear from you. Same here. My boy sometimes will negotiate with me also. Only want to finish at certain pages and leave the others the next day. I can only get my boy to do bit by bit in the evening after we reached home due to I'm working and he is at day care centre. But that is the time that he wants to watch TV. So I have to open my mouth and shout at him lor. If I don't do that I guess the homework will be pile up till the day school re-open still haven't finish all.

Hi Babywuv, your boy is really smart enough to create his own story. Keep it up!
 
babywuv: i really hope so. your son is so precocious! how old is he? i wish mine was as interested in composing stuff.

fion: my lao da doesn't even bother to negotiate, his eyes would be glued to the tv & u can't get his attention at all.

jess: *wave* i really marvel at ppl like u & babywuv who can find the energy to coach your kids after work. i only have the energy to briefly interact with the kids, pump then crash out for the nite. it doesn't help tt i get up for half an hour to pump at 3 a.m. every morning. i think i need to slowly cut tt out.
 
Hi Jessie, thanks! Actually, I think he is just average but because we encourage him to try new things , it helps to foster this kind of interest.

Hi Olwen, its different for you! you got 4 kids, FTWM and a baby to look after and even pump at 3am. But honestly, do you want to try drinking water 2 hours before your bed time, assuming its around 11pm, pump just before you go to bed and then progressively delay the pumping from 3am to 4am and then to 6am so you get a longer stretch of sound sleep. I did that last time cos it was really draining me out and I felt the quality of the milk may not be good if I am too tired and the body doesn't really absorb the nutrients or I don't have a good appetite due to exhaustion.... I would feed baby formula milk at midnite and then sleep till 6am. It was easier for the boy cos he was a greedy baby and drank alot!!!

My boy is 6 this year and is still rather baby-ish in many ways. But I really enjoy this period and frankly, sometimes wish he'd stay this cute for as long as possible :p I do dread the day they no longer want to hold my hand or even hang out with me at the library, which also means they no longer think their mummy is the prettiest girl in the whole world! LOL!!!!!

Today, he didn't write a new story but he told me he was spending time doing nothin' and talking nonsense with his dad ( on leave) and sis-- which to me meant he had a good time :)
 
Hi Olwen, your case is different as you have 4 kids. Really must salute to you! If I were you I won't know how to deal with them. Me one sometimes already causing me to go crazy especially when he started to go to school. It seems that I am also going back to school with him. Some more I have to work on weekday and housework all push to weekend. Sometimes feel like a "seow za bo"!
 
hi babywuv: oh, i already sleep v early
happy.gif
usually between 9.40 to 10. but even the 5 hr stretch from 10 to 3 added to anor 2 hrs from 4 to 6 doesn't feel enough. sometimes i can even get 5 + 3 hrs if i'm lucky. but it doesn't feel the same as sleeping solid 7 to 8 hrs. i don't want my supply to stop so i can't give up pumping at home tho the time cld be better spent w the kids.

your kids r such a nice gap apart, 2 yrs. are the risk of sounding k-po, r u in the legal profession? your hours sound v long & u write v well so i just hazarded a guess.

jess: no salute lah. i leave everything to my mum & maids. if anything, must salute my mother. she's the one who sleeps w my 2 younger boys & attends to them in the nite. have u ever thought of getting part time help with the housework?
 
Hi Olwen, in that case salute to all mothers. Their loves and care to children are the best in the world. Yes, I ever thought of getting a part time helper but think of can save just save. Economy is bad also. Anyway I can still manage and can finish quite fast if nobody disturb. Sometimes my boy can help me abit here and there so still alright at this moment.
 
Hi Olwen, I really admire your determination. Kids on mother's milk are stronger, smarter and healthier.. so your effort will definitely pay off. :)

Your mum is really a super mum. :)

Thanks for the compliment but I am not in the legal profession :) long hours due to working across time zones and also, I have an insane level of ownership for the job :) LOL!!! Its seasonal and at one point in time, we were short handed. Its better now as you can see I am responding during the afternoon! :)

Have a good weekend!
 
Hi Babywuv,

Wow.. your boy really smart and intelligent, he created his own story lines. Is good to start from young, keep it up!! Unlike my son, having difficulties to get him to start...
sad.gif


Hi Jessie,

My boy's behaviour is exactly same as yours! Boys really having difficulties to get them to listen to you. Everyday have to nag at him, please check ur work, write neatly etc... Suddenly I realised that I become an old granny, Sigh... Your boy 很乖,helps you to do housework, should reward him for being helpful and next time get your hubby to help you too so you can totally R&R liao, hahah!!!

Hi Olwen,
My memories came back as you mentioned feeding. When my boy was a baby, he used to drink his milk every 2hrs at night, that was really tired and sleepless night. Don't give up, Jia you!!
happy.gif
 
Fion, your mentioned of night feeds remind me of the first night I brought my son home from hospital 8 yrs ago. My mom helped me with my confinement and I slept in the same room with my mom and son. He cried every hour in the night and my mom and I kept waking up wondering what's going on as we have already fed him, we checked if he had wet his diaper, if he had poo poo, but couldn't find anything wrong. My mom told me after waking 5 times in the night and said "I think one grandson is enough". The next morning, I realised why my bb was crying every hour....he was hungry. I put too little milk powder and it was diluted. Haha.
 
hi babywuv, jess, fion: yes, i won't give up
happy.gif
i regretted giving up at 9 mths w my big one, i won't give up so soon yet this time.

spanielpups: haha, your mum is so cute. reminds me of how my mum keeps reminding me "eh, make sure no more kids ah". she knows she will end up looking after them!

jess: really take my hat off to u. i haven't done real housework for almost 2 yrs
happy.gif
lazy me, used my difficult pregnancy last yr as excuse to stop doing housework.

great weekend to all the mummies here, i'm on leave this coming monday - yay!
 
Hi Spanielpups,

I understand how's your mom feels when waking 5 times in the night. When my elder son was cranky and every 2hrs feeding at night, my mom did asked me this question "Are you afraid"? "Wanted to try for 2nd one"? Hahah!! At that moment, of course said NO!! Hahah!! few years later pop another one. As compared to his bro, my #2 was much easier and better to handle & take care, perhaps he knows that poor mummy had endless sleepless night with gor gor bah, hahah!!!
 
Hi Fion, you can always start too... its great fun actually. Every kid is crazy about something and mine is mad about ben10 and kungfu so we encourage him to create his own characters. Yesterday, he drew several funny penguin like characters and insisted the biggest penguin-like thingy is the leader of the bad guys. So I asked why does the bad guy look so cute, shouldn't he look really ugly and bad? His reply was quite surprising. He said bad guys are bad in the mind so they will try to look cute so other people wouldn't think they are bad... hmmm... wonder where he gets that from :p
 
Hi Fion,
Don't ever said my son is "乖". Sometimes he really make me very "hot". When I vacuum the floor while he was doing his abacus he will complain the vaccum cleaner is so loud until he can't do the calculation. When I was mopping the floor and block his view while he was watching TV he will make noise at me said I block his view. So I rather do the housework when nobody is at home then I will have peace of mind. Remember their 2A textbook 1st chaper is "我长大了". Guess the teacher must have told them 长大了must help mummy with housework, etc. So whenever I want to mop the floor he will request to help me with it. So if you see my floor all wet that is 他的杰作 lor. When I want to cook he will come into the kitchen and kapo. So I will let him wash the rice and put into rice cooker and cook, help me to bring out the items from the fridge etc. To be frank, I am glad that he knows mummy is tired and Daddy is busy working so need to help out with some housework
happy.gif


Hi Olwen,
I hope I can be like you don't need to touch on those housework. Last time before married I don't have to do any single housework. Everything done by my mum and sisters. After married 1st few years stayed with in law also don't need to do as they got maid. Only when I move out and stay on my own then I started to do all the housework. "Pai Mia"!
 
Hi Babywuv,

Your boy really interesting and I like the way he think of an answer. Yap, my son is super crazy about Tom and Jerry and Ben10, he always imagine himself as one of the character in Ben10. I wanted to get my boy to write his own diary because in P3, I think they have to learn how to write simple compo but I haven’t introduced the idea to him yet. I remembered when I was in P3, I used to write my own diary and till now I still kept it in my drawer sometimes I do enjoy reading it. :p


Hi Jessie,

Hahah!! Your boy really knows how to complain but is good that he knows mummy is tired with the housework. Sometimes my boy does offer his help but I always said no to him as I don’t want to do double job as you know their help is not really help you, they are playing with it. Agree with you, I rather do it alone because is much faster and shorten the time.

RE:Housework
It’s really a tiring job, it took me 4 hours to finish my housework. Sometimes I do hope I no need to touch on housework and have a maid to help out, heehee… but too bad that I don’t have a maid no matter how I still have to do it, sigh…
 
hi babywuv & fion: *hi5* to the ben10 thing. but my big one is not as obsessed w it as my godson.

jess: i fully know how u feel cos when my big one was in K2, we didn't have a maid. nor for most of last yr till the babies came. but like babywuv said, i found tt i was always quarrelling w my husband cos i ended up doing most of the stuff. so rather than save on the cost of tt, i just bit the bullet & hired the 2 to help. my husband is under the illusion tt he earns so much, everything at home is taken care of including paying the bills
happy.gif
so now & then i assign him little things like washing my pump just so he won't forget how to do housework.
 
Hi Fion,
My advice is if your boy wanted to help you with some housework you better let him do otherwise he will think that all housework are mummy's job and he need not touch on anything. Last time I was like you always said "no" to him because I don't want to do double job. Gradually he don't even offer his help anymore because he think that it is not his job. You can give him some simple task like giving him a cloth to clean the table, clearing up those things/toys on the floor so that you can have a easy vacuuming or ask him to use magic mop to mop the floor etc. He will feel very happy and think himself is a great helper to mummy. Just close one eye if you think the job is not up to your standard. You can redo it when he is not around.

Hi Olwen,
Similar as you last time I also quarrelled with my husband on housework because I am always the one that have to do most all the stuff even though the both of us are working. I feel that it is so unfair. Even I was 5 months pregnant I am still washing toilets. As my stomach grown bigger I left everything to him but you will notice that the jobs were not up to your standard. I just close one eye because it is still better than he don't touch on anything right.
 
hi mummies out there, can i know if anyone of u teaching yr kids Maths using flash card. I m not sure what is that but I know is plenty of cards with 1 question on each card and your kid can try to do the question over n over again. Does any one out there noe what is that and where to buy?

SA 1, my boy failed his chinese...so sianz..
Now I m coaching him on 2A again. As money constrait, any mummies coachin their kid chinese? can give mi some ideas? I m not a gd teacher lo..
 
Hi Bernice

It depends on which area of Chinese your ds is poor in. Inside the Chinese textbook, some of the words, your ds has to know how to write, and some of the words, he has to recognise. Make sure you go through with him that as well as the Chinese flash card (字宝宝). I suggest for the flash cards, mixed it all up and play a game with him to form sentences with those cards. My son loves that.

Reading Chinese story books also help. Get him Chinese comics like Doramon, coz it is colourful and you can read it together with him.
 
Hi Jessie, Fion , Olwen

My husband used to share housework with me when we moved in to our new house. He loves to cook on weekends. After a few months down the road, he asked me whether we can used disposable plates and bowls for dinner and lunch, so we do not have to wash so many dishes. I told him OF COURSE we can. We can even used disposal kuali(if there is one), spoon, chopstick, fork as well!! What amazed me was, when I was pregnant, he did all the housework w/o me telling/nagging him to do it. But, the moment I gave birth and came back from hospital, he stopped doing it. Now, I have to constantly nag at him to do it and he only vacuum places he can see, so you can imagine the dirt under the sofa.
 
Hi Spanielpups,

Thanks for your suggestion. he hv problem recognise chinese word. He can read from hanyu pinyin but not from word. I will try out the flash card.
 
Hi Bernice,

I always cover up the hanyu pinyin when I asked my son to read from school textbook, so that I know what are the words he know and what he doesn't. Try to ask him to read from flash card every day if not alternate day. If you are not sure, you can go Popular to buy P2 手册. In it, they will tell you what are the words the students should recognised and which are the words to know how to write because those words that requires him to know how to write will come out in exams. There is a CD that comes with it.
 
Wow! This thread is so alive , very nice!

Hi Fion, Ben10 is , I believe, the hottest thing right now with that age group. Surpasses transformers or bakugan. I think kids start writing journal in P1 , my girl did. Not sure about other schools.

Hi Bernice, I bought this SMATH game from one of the shops (maybe you can find it at Toys r us or Popular) and it works like scrabble. I think its a great way to encourage interest in maths.

:)
 
Yes, my son also started writing journal in P1.

Ben 10, Bakugan, whatever it is, all these are making mommies' pocket run dry.... My son is into Hot Wheels...
 
hihi Spanielpups,

Ya, i bought the P2A手册 with the CD together. As his fundamental is so weak that I have start for Chapter 1 to teach him.

Hopefully he can cope with it..coz I try to make it a point to go thru a chapter everyday from this June holiday onwards.

Hi Babywuv,
Thanks for your info, I will try to get it from Popular or Toy R'us. Can I know roughly hw much it cost?
 
Hi Bernice,
Agreed with Spanielpups, you try to make him read the flash card everyday. My son sometimes will bring out the 字宝宝and wants me to test him. Slowly he is able to remember those words without the help of hanyu pinyin.

Hi Spanielpups, Babywuv,
My son also started journal writing in P1. Now P2 more to write. Lucky he can still manage and his journals are always being shown to the whole class as example.

My son don't play all those (wondering if I have really give birth to a boy). While the whole class is crazy from Pokemon to Bakugan then to Ben 10 etc he simply bo chap. What he only likes are train set (thomas train especially) and board game (monopoly). It is so tiring to play monopoly with him as the hour is so long. My hubby and I play until eyes want to close liao but he still very awake.
 
Hi Jess,

Your son hv the initiative to tk out the flash cards lei..so gd..
I will try usin the flash card n c how it goes..
 
Hi Jess & Spanielpups,

Can I just chk with u when u make ye kid read the flash card and if he dunnoe hw to read, u will ask him to write down n copy few times like learning spelling right?
 
babywuv: i agree, this thread is becoming more like my other 2008 thread
happy.gif


jess, spanielpups: housework will never be done if we rely on husbands. i think as long as husbands exist, full time & part time cleaners will always be in demand.

on journal writing, my son's school makes them write a journal as part of the english lessons. this year's teacher isn't v inspiring hence my son's journal entries r rather brief & i feel it doesn't help his english much. last yr's teacher really took the time to make them do it every week & write encouraging remarks/replies to their entries. sometimes i wonder whether every school keeps the best teachers for p1 & p6 and give the other students the mediocre teachers.

spanielpups: bakugan, tell me abt it. my big one has been pestering for more bakugan even tho he has at least 7. i cannot understand the obsession with it. after gransazers came justirisers. he asked my mum to get him a justiriser toy. she said "why, it's so similar to gransazers anyway?" he said "yah, but i don't have this one." how to argue with that?
 
Hi Jessie,

You got the point, thanks for your advice, next time I’ll get him to do the cleaning for me so he knows that housework is not an easy task :p. I don’t have any “magic mop” at home becos I wonder between “magic mop” and the vacuum machine which is better?

Hi Spanielpups,

Hahah!! Your hubby is so cute and realistic. To save the trouble of washing by using the disposable plates, bowls, fork, spoons and chopsticks… actually normally guys don’t really automatic to help out unless we give them a routine housework schedule then they will follow if not after the dinner they will automatic sit on the sofa and turn on the TV, to them washing, cleaning and maintain the household is “woman job” and their job is earning more $$$$”!!

Hi Bernice

If happens that my boy do not know how to read the words from the flash card. Normally I’ll read to him once and let him practice the words till he recognize and able to read. After a few days later I’ll practice all the words with him again. I agree with all the mummies here, to master Chinese language, have to read more and watch more Chinese cartoon series. For my boy Chinese is average, normally I’ll borrow some Chinese story books from the library with “han yu pin yin” so that he can understand and enjoys reading the stories and I do borrow some Chinese story books that without “han yu pin yin” but to make sure that most of the words that he can read.

Re: Toys
Ya, my boy do crazy transformers, bakugan, power ranger, gransazers, justirisers, dino cards and the mushu king cards. His cupboard is full of toys and no space to accommodate anymore toys and yet he still asks you to buy more!!! I told him when I was young, I don’t even have these toys, he replied “mummy now times have changed” faintz… To us some toys look similar but to them it look different so it's useless to argue with them as they will try all means to get it.
 
Hi Bernice - same like Fion, I always go through all the cards first and put away cards he knows and get him to recognise those he don't... we do it a few times.

Olwen - Bakugan,gransazers and justirisers...very hard to pronouce. All these toys makers are really laughing from the profits they are making from all these poor parents!!!

Fion, I still remembered when I was 7, Crying Baby Doll was very popular. You need to shuff the pacifier in the doll's mouth to stop the it from crying. I REMEMBERED vey clearly my dad got me one and of all the doll he choosed, he choosed one with a faulty neck...so got to tape all over the neck to stop it from falling off!!! hahaha. As for housework, to be fair, my husband will helpout dishwashing after meals. But will not automatically like clean up the stove or mop the floor.
 
Thanks Spanielpups n Jess for the info, I will try it out tonite again. Maybe he don't recongize the words that why he hate to read chinese story book in library..hopefully he can catch up when school reopen..heehee..
Thanks for yr help anyway..
 
Sorry mummies, on leave today to ensure my son finish his June holiday homework. Therefore no time to sit infront of pc and chat with all of you.

Hi Bernice,
I agreed with Fion & spanielpups, if they do not know how to read the words from the flash card they lost interest in it. Read to him and make sure he memorise the word. Then play around with those words that he knows later came back to those that he don't know. Never mind if he forgotten, read to him again and maybe you can point out the "special features" (eg, which character join with which character form that word 人字旁加本=体and the meaning). You can also read chinese story books to him. Try to borrow those books that have pictures and hanyu pinyin. Slowly he will love to read books.

Hi Fion,
You are right! Housework will never been done if we rely on husbands. Their auto all not working. Must keep pushing then engine will start off. For me I don't vacuum everyday, so in between days I will only use magic mop to mop the floor instead of using broom to sweep the floor. At least the dust won't fly everywhere. So you can let your boy use that to clean up. They think it is very fun.

Hi Spanielpups,
I hardly have toys in my younger days as my dad don't earn much and he has to feed five of us. I remember my mum bought me a teddy bear from Pasa Malam when I position number 6 in my P1. I kept it with me for about 20 over years till I got married and my mum threw it away. Sob! Sob!

Hi Olwen,
Lucky my son don't seow all these. Or else my pocket will have a big hole long ago :p
 
Hi Everyone,

Hope i am not too late to join this thread. My daughter is in primary two now. My daughter do have chinese problem, but now it seems ok. i coach her psersonally and read to her as often as possible.opps my daughter went to berries last year. i find their syllabus not bad. maybe mummies here can give it a try
 
good morning mummies!

welcome jsd, babywuv & i r new too
happy.gif


jess: how i envy u. your son really is so good not to ask for all these. & he wants to play monopoly which is so educational. i really want mine to play more educational games.

spanielpups: tell me about it! my godson's mother says she shd buy shares in bandai, at the rate he makes her buy toys made by them.
 


Good morning mummies!

Hi jsd,
Welcome aboard! I put my son in Eduplus. Their syllabus also quite good. I was quite surprised when I noticed he could actually used some of those 成语in his writing. I am not so worry with his chinese as he can score quite well in this subject. Quite proud of him when his composition been selected. Hope he can continue with it and keep up the good work.

Hi Olwen,
Thats what I tell myself I'm very lucky as my son from young won't ask me for toys until now. Even sometimes if he ask I will explain to him the reason why I don't buy and he will listen. Good thing he only likes to play monopoly and train set. But playing monopoly will take up alot of time. Very tiring!
 

Back
Top