(2006/01) Jan 2006 MTBs

CL / mashy,

my boy first plane was trip to China cum HK, he was almost 3 yrs old but yet he still remember very well. Till date he still can descirbe to me the weather, the places and his flight experience.
He is even better life than me, i never go to Shenzhen, mauca and guangzhou yet he already being there...think we as parent will become more and more pressurize during the school holiday break.
HB already asked me to plan for Sept Trip.
I got too much of concern, duno where to bring them...maybe AUS
 


Belinda,
Wow... envy leh.. ur hb dotes u and ur children so much. Aus-Gold Coast is a good place esp for children, they may like it cos lots of adventures games there..
 
Fion,

my hb is going to backpack to India in Oct. I told me that i was not interested.
I guessed he was guility....that why insist for another holiday with the kids together.

CL,
OMG, yesterday duncan started to complaint to my mum that he was overloaded with tuitions. Chinese, english and math.
 
belinda
wow... adventures backpack somemore... I know certain part of the India quite nice leh... dunno south or north cant remember..
How old is duncan? oredi knows his studies are overloaded... ?? My son still dunno how to complaint yet, perhaps few yr down the road he will complaint liao... ;p
 
Hi Belinda,

How old is Duncan?

I gave my gal Ashley assignment books to do daily to exchage for TV time. She is in K1 this year. Sound cruel... but my starting point is to cut off her TV time cos she can literally spend hours infront of the TV. She knows all the disney channels....

I don;t actually force her cos i don;t check on her work every day as well. But once she cried and ask why she has to do homework when her best friend don't have homework...... i told her maybe her best friend is the odd one out.... guess what? She then tell me her best friend help her asked around and all don;t have homework......... like she so poor thing....

But she only do a few pages, some more those match words to pictures kind..... a few minutes finished liao.
 
Yuki
Dun feel bad, better practice now but everyday bit by bit.. when they reach P1 is so much diff. if possible try to let her recognise & learn "Han Yu Pin Yin" & those chinese words.. those simple one, cos is very tough when they reach P1. My son a good example, never knows that P1 will be teaching "Han Yu Pin Yin" first, my son struggling like hell... but now better. Everyday b4 he goes to sch, i'll try to revise with him all his subjects.
 
Hi Fion,

My gal's school is teaching Han Yu Pin Yi now. She can recite the sound.... Ber, Per, Mer, Fer etc...... But she can't read or write very well which is my concern. She tend to use her phonics skills to read the Han Yu Pin Yi, not recognise the chinese words itself. I rather she learnt to recognise the word.


I am also concern about Maths cos the school has not start on additions and subtractions. She can do it at home thou. Simple subtractions lah....
 
Mashy
Haha that's so funny... Sometimes they say the most unexpected things, really not sure to laugh or not.

There was once HB saw a big fat ant crawling along the sidewalk and thinking that it would amuse Ashley, he excitedly called her to come see. Ashley look at the ant, said "Oooh big ant..." Next thing, she use her foot and gave a big stamp over the ant, and coolly said "Die already." HB & I just stare at each other, not sure to laugh or tell her off.
 
Yuki
Actually cannot use phonic to pronounce "Han Yu Pin Yin" as they are diff Pronunciation. My son also phonic to pronounce but ended up wrong.. Now ur gal K1, there's no hurry to learn how to write, cos the syllabus has changed. In P1 now they learn how to recognise first rather than write it out. Perhaps u can buy those flash card which hv chinese character and with "Han Yu Pin Yin" for her to practice, so in-future she wont feels so pressure when she goes to P1. As long as we give them the basic level shouldn't be a problem when reach P1. Dun worry too much, they will master it well whether write, read or recognise the word as they go along the way.. ;p
 
Yuki,

Duncan is in K2 this year...too bad he is born 1 day earlier..otherwise i will not push him so hard.

He started to complaint that why so of his classmates do not need to go for extra classes while he need to.
Me too terminate the subscription for disney channel, otherwise they can watch the program the whole day..even know the schedule.
Sometimes he rather to stay at home to watch TV rather to go out.
 
Belinda,
Charmaine too. Ha ha everyday I ask her to set her target she wants to achieve. Like 4 pages of Chinese Assessment, 3 pages of maths assessment. When I reached mum place, i will check. If she did not complete, when she reach home then punishment is no disney channel. But she sit and complete it then sleep. So her everyday carrot is that disney channel so no choice she will try very hard to complete. Even if complete, if I see any mistake, she need to do correction before she watch. And I set a time which she must stop. Because I need to do reading with her.

What did you sign up duncan for.

Charmaine - Every Sat/ Sun, 1 hour each in the morning for MPM because the teacher break up her 2 hours lesson since she cannot focus long period

Sat pm - Chinese 1.5 hours

Sun noon - Piano - 0.5 hours

Going to source for swimming class for her

Fion, Yuki
My suggestion is not to d Hanyu Pinyin. Pri 1 they will focus on that and gear them up within first year. So Now should let them read, recognise more character and enjoy the language. Dun let them hate it. Once they hate it it is very difficult to change their mentality towards this language. We all know actually Chinese Character is so mah fan. Got bi wa and even the stroke must be correct. For me , read chinese books, circle those words you feel she might have difficulty. Go through with her. Pull out an article or when you go hawker to buy food, ask her to point out some words she knows which she can build up her confidence. Like if you teacher her yun (cloud), can find it at Yun Tun Mian stall, then can point to sky and say it is bai yun. Your fren can call Mei Yun etc. Just link to their daily life.

Maths, I use game and sign her at MPM. MPM I personally feel it is fun. Though during class it is also like kumon which you will just do the assessment. But the tools and concept which comes with it is cool. Like time, there is a clock which they will use. For weight, you will learn like 5 oranges can balance a bird while 1 orange is lighter than a bird. Then the sequence concept etc.


Clare
Talking about ant. Ha ha aden will look at one and follow the trail. Then will try to press it and go "oops" then press again then go "oops"
 
re: Zoophonics
they are opening a branch in tampines which is a stone throw from my hse. i am thinking of enrolling C for N1 next yr instead of the the normal school. anyone has any opinion? guess its also more ex. planning to go for the open hse in jul 26/27. there is also branches in bukit timah and siglap. read that they also teaches mandarin.
 
Hi Belinda and CL,

Hi-5..... Ashley can tell me what show comes after which..... Her first question upon reaching home is "How many show can i watch?"..... It depends on how many pages she finish.... sometimes i do question if i am wrong in using the shows as carrot stick.......... CL, glad to know i am not the only one
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The thing is i am not confident in teaching Chinese myself. I can speak but not read very well....... have not touch chinese for a long time and frankly, if you ask me to write... probable i can't recall even simple words..... That's why i think of sending her to berries or Tian Xia. So far ashley hasm't got any enrichment class. Only swimming lessons on Sunday. I think she is very lucky already. haha.

What's MPM? You know, when you mention balancing etc.... ashley has Nintendo DS and there is a game on Brain Challenge and one part of the game has the weighing scale....eg like what you say, 5 oranges can balance a bird etc.... Ashley can pick it up quite fast. She can do the brain challenge pretty well to pick up shapes, compare and find the diff etc. The only thing that slow her down is mental sums...... I am surprise she can play this game. The game state that normally we only use 9% of our brain. Ashley can reach 5% in her first few game which i thot it's not bad. The most i can achieve is 14%. Haha. So much so the brain is not is use yet!
 
SSF - Cel has been going to zoophonics since Jan this year and i think it is quite useful.. she has been speaking so much and asking questions.. its like a speech spurt she went through.. the teachers are very engaging too. i just switched her to english cum chinese class effective last week and u know wat? the kids actuali were reciting Lee Bai's poem " chuan qian ming yue guang".. * faintz*
 
god's child - is Cel attending the classes daily or on once a week? what are the charges like? oh my..i dun even know how to recite that poem. hee..ya i read the feedback from many parents that it's quite good.
 
SSF - cel attends once a week only.. had wanted the 3 times weekly but cant do so due to transport arrangements.. the bus transport by them is so super expensive! for once a week, we are paying $120 a month..there's a material fee charge of $30 i think , cant rem liao...

Mashy - haha.. u r so funni! cel is having macaroni soup for lunch today, wana consider doing the same?
 
god's child-i read that for the open hse...material may be included. anyway, will check it out. i am now more keen to sign him up for this. Thks!
 
god's child

my boy also have a speech spurt. Suddenly said 'bye bye auntie' to the cleaning lady and 'bye bye daddy' today. It's amazing already coz he's usually 1 word boy if he even speaks.

He doesn't like macaroni soup leh.
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Or maybe the one i cooked no nice.
 
Mashy
My boy loves mian xian. Then everytime cook soup like so boring so I do mee suan kueh. So i let the mian xian absorb the stock, then i leave it in fridge to solidify. Next I just pan fried with egg like our carrot cake
 
CL
that sounds interesting. maybe i shall try for JH next time. he rejects a lot of food nowadays. so u cook the mee sua, then let it soak in the stock and put in the fridge then fry? how long to put in the fridge?
 
CL - tats such an interesting recipe!!! am gona try out over weekend.. cel also loves mee sua to bits.. thanks for the great idea hee...

Mashy - wow, must b happie with C on his spurt! i find tat once they start talking, it reali doesnt stop.. u're gona hear more from C
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SSF - wow, then tats worth it lei. mabbie meanwhile u can send him for weekly then gauge if u wana send him for daily one next year...
 
SY, God's child
When it is solidfy and cool down, I put to chill in a container. Square or rectangular. When it is harden, it looks like those yam cake or carrot cake then you can pan fry liao.

God's child,
Make me feel like signing aden up for weekly class now
 
CL,

Duncan is having
Monday 7.30 pm - 8.30 pm - Kumon English

Wednesday 5pm - 6.30 pm - Math

Thursday 7.30 pm - 8.30 pm - Kumon English

Friday 5pm - 6.30 pm - Chinese

Sunday morning 10 am - 11 am - Swimming he just started 2 weeks ago in Bt batok.
Initiallyi tot of getting private instructor (my friend) for him but changed my mind.
Are you interest to join for the session. Instructor is pretty good to the kids.

Recently, his kinddy teacher asked if he is interested to take part in their graduation concert..he told the teacher no..he is too busy.
so funny the way he answered...
 
belinda
wow... Duncan schedules almost full except Tuesday free...

My son used to attend Kumon class-Maths b4 but i find is very stress cos they give homework everyday & each day hv 2 worksheet.. R u the same as mine? Whenever i ask my son to do Kumon, he face always frown... i can understand how he feels.. so when he reach P1 i stop it cos i'm afraid he will get bore during the maths lesson in school. Now i teach him on my own & i hope i can teach further cos nows a day their syllabus is so much different from ours..
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Belinda,
I avoid evening because I can see Charmaine gets tired and cannot focus at nite. At bukit Batok I am keen hee hee. Aden and damien age can ?
 
Mashy
my colleague just tell me another suggestion. If you do not mind a bit of junk. Boil the sausage, then use roti prata from springfield or something, wrap around the sausage. I think this one my Charmaine will love it
 
mashy ... does C like rice or noodles? K loves noodles - char siew, spagetti, macaroni ... n he'll feed himself the food he likes, but I'll not let him choose his food. he needs to finish everything in his bowl. I'm doing pork stir-fried with veg today ... throw in some crab-sticks coz they like. I usually do something simple like steamed chicken or stew stuff

CL, C has stopped the keyboard lesson at YT CC right? u putting her to private piano? when did u stop btw?

.ky.
 
Ky
I stopped since last year because after cc, she cannot focus and not keen to practice. This time she ask to start piano so I started her with a private tutor in CCK
 
CL,
so, would u think there's more progress made now that she's with a private piano tutor? Did she take the test b4 she stop? Is it difficult?

.ky.
 
SY
just transferred $$ to you.. sorry for the delay

Rachel
I'm so so sorry for delaying pickin up the train set. I've been really busy.. I try and get my hb to come down this weekend. Will you be free?
 
Mashy
fully understand it can be quite a headache on what to cook for our todd especially on a daily basis. C like rice? dylan does and he will want to self-feed when comes to his fried rice, mixed vege rice, spagetti, macaroni, mee sua and even sandwiches. i prepared sandwiches for his lunch once, he loves it.

yesterday dinner only me and dylan, so i cooked some rice, steam fish with ginger, steam tufu with egg and boiled some vege and add a small amount of soy sauce. thats it, as simple as that and he kept giving me thumb up sign while he finished his dinner to the last grain of rice =p
 
Tabbie
this Sat will be out, cos my birthday. sunday will be in, just give me a call =)

Belinda
wow duncan schedule pack pack hor. he enjoys it? i still remember clearly during my schooling days, simply hates evening tuitions/classes. can't focus well and my results actually dropped! ended up my mum stopped my evening tuitions and my results went up =p
 
Yuki
Not to worry, as she only K2 give her some excerise work for practice & enjoy a little. when she going to P1 that's really hard time for her liao... Pri-sch are very competitive now..
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sometimes i felt sorry for my #1 giving him too many enrichment class & excerise for him to do.. as now P1 even more busy than before.. He everyday got homework to bring home and plus spelling such a long word.. poor thing dunno whether he can take it or not...
 
Re:Daily meals for todd
I think it is very challenging to cook daily meals with variety for our toddler and ourselve(if SAHM).. so I very peifu my MIL (tho I dunno what she cook daily) and all SAHM.

My MIL is already planning to go Msia for a while during my #3 Maternity leave... now I start to worry what to cook for #1 and #2 whom I think at 15 mths should be able to eat rice and noodles liao?
PLus my helper and myself will be home.. I cannot imagine every lunch and dinner I have to cook up a meals for 2 adults and 2 kid!
Planning to order tingkat when MIL not in town during the period she is not town... but scare tingkat not suitable for kids meal...
So headache le..
Any suggestion??

SAHM.. do share you weekly meals for your toddlers.. so I can learn from it..
Really appreciate.

Re: enrichment class..
Errrm... is Duncan and Char in K1 or K2 only? not yet Pri 1 rite? and must start attending "tuition" classes already? To get ready for Pri 1?

I always heard my colleague over Telephone conversation with her son, " Any home work today? learn your spelling already? How about your dictation? You dun even know if you ahve home work? why dunno? YOu better stop watching TV, I ask grandma off the TV now. When I'm home and you still have not done your homework, I will cane you!..."

I hope I dun turn out like her next time.. haahha.. kinda stress...
 
Wow gals, thanks for your suggestions!

CL,

that's sounds interesting, think i'll try it. Do u have the full recipe on exactly what to do? TIA!

Mamachan
My boy allergic to milk leh, so i try not to give him too much of it.

My boy prefers noodles actually. I've been making pasta, yaki soba, fried bee hoon, fried rice, stews, porridge etc. Feeling so bored with it that i don't even feel like eating. Yesterday we just had porridge with pork legs & carrot for lunch and i fried bee hoon for dinner. Today really so very sian until i had to open up an instant gratin pack that i bought from isetan to make with bread.

I think this feeling of mine stems from having to cook both lunch and dinner. It's ok to cook lunch and just 1-2 dinners. But having to cook lunch and dinner everyday is so super sian. Really run out of ideas on what to cook. Have been thinking of 1 dish meal for dinners coz it's such a hassle to cook so many dishes. I usually make 1 soup, 1 veg and 1 meat dish. Can even run out of soup to make.

Re: Speech spurt
Hehehe, today my boy's teacher told me that he said 'xie xie ke (surname) lao shi' in perfect mandarin. Don't even have ang moh accent. So happy. He has finally opened his golden mouth. Even the teacher was so happy and surprised by him.
 
Rachel

Happy Birthday in advance!!!

My birthday celebration will be thwarted this yr coz my hb had some dinner function on that day which we have to attend, then the next day, they are having their AGM.
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mashy
heehee, once his golden mouth is open, you can't close it anymore!! mine is like that now and he practially is talking non-stop throughout the whole day expect when he sleeps la. will keep asking this and that, why this jie jie/gor gor doing this and that, what is this jie jie /gor gor talking about etc etc etc..... can go nuts answering his questions.
 
CL,

Only duncan is taking. I will bring damien along. He will just play along the pool.
I will just only watch. SMS if you are keen.

Fion,

i think he started to enjoy kumon. He improved alot after attending half year.
At least now he started to read alot. Agreed with you that there is daily homework.
Actually i am very keen to sign him on the math.

Cookie,

he is in K2..next year P1..i need to stress him becoz he already lost out 1 yrs compared to other kids.
I need to prepare him now so that it will be so stressful for him when he is P1. I did give him some incentive that after he finished his homework he can play his PSP.
 
rachel

hahaha, i don't mind esp since he started so late. He has been singing like crazy at home. Been playing his CDs over and over and singing after it. COuld make out that he actually knows his words leh. I think the singing helps him build up his confidence in talking.

There's this song with a chorus that goes 'I feel like, feel like I wanna dance'. He'll go 'fee like, fee like, wanna dan' So funny.
 
Belinda
If his Kumon homework only hv 1 worksheet everyday, then is oki to sign him on maths but if everyday hv 2 worksheet to do... imagine 2 worksheet for 2 subjects that will be 4 worksheet everyday leh... that will be very taxing for ur son leh.. this is wat i feels la.. then he wont hv playtime for himself oredi...
 


mashy,

duncan is born on 31 Dec 02.

Fion,
1 worksheet per day. Still ok. Kumon is not only on the worksheet and also the speed to complete the worksheet.
 

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