(2006/01) Jan 2006 MTBs

rachel
i did bring that up to hb but he's not keen on putting both in childcare. will see how it goes.

mashy
same. i bought the tiger thermal flask to let jh bring his food to school. but everyday cook the same stuff. i dunno whether he will eat sandwich if i let him bring. so everyday it's either fried rice or fried noodles....
 


SY
Actually, if you really are concerned, should maybe send JH to full day CC? while your helper can fully concentrate on looking after JX? better than she have to handle both at the same time?
 
SY
even if everyday same food ha ha change box or different presentation it is oso more appetising.

This is how my collection of lunch box double up
 
i feel that my boy is becoming more nua to me leh. Think he can sense that mei mei is coming. He'll suddenly just lie on me, snuggle up to me or just ask for a hug. All these he has never done before. It's always me who's asking for the hugs & kisses.
 
Mashy
They are very clever one. I remember Charmaine doing the same. Just have to continue to assure.
Everytime I bath for her I tell her I will do the same for didi too and ask her what she will do to help me.
Sometimes Aden kick me and I tell her Aden bully me and need Jie jie's help to teach him. She will talk to my tummy and says cannot kick mummy huh if not jie jie scold scold.
Involved him and says he will be in charge etc so they feel better
 
mashy
aiyoh....my boy's behaviour like suddenly changed!!! Like will revert to his baby days. He rejects me doing things for him and prefers my hb unless he has no choice i.e. hb not home...and nowadays will ask my hb to let him sleep in his hands i.e. cradle him like a bb... aiyoh... and he thinks it's funny lor...

But despite him behaving differently, when I put him to bed last night and lay down beside him, he will stroke my tummy and I asked him ," Why you sayang mummy's tummy"

He replies,"Because baby in mummy's tummy!"

Was a very sweet moment.
 
mamachan

such a sweet boy! But i think it's ok for him to want your hb now leh. It'll help u later when #2 comes. Coz imagine having to cope with 2 kids and D only wants u!

CL
Yah, been trying to reassure him that mummy loves him. got him to stroke my tummy and talk to mei mei too. Yesterday he just pounced a kiss on my tummy. hahaha.
 
Hi Mummies,
Was very busy after I start work. Pop by to say Hi.

RE: Fruits
Can bring them to supermarket and teach them on the spot. Easier for them to understand. Then ask them which one they want try.. buy then try out with them. I do that with J1. She can recognise fruits and rem how it taste.

Time flies..J2 is coming 4mths already..J1 is getting more used towards J2 nowadays. She can even help me pat meimei to sleep when I am busy. She simply loves helping out and wants to do things on her own. A small adult now. hehe.

Mashy,
Must update us when u pop okie? Waiting for ur birth story and princess's pic.
 
last week , while coaching my #1 with his home work..and when we come to this sentence I feel sad.
suddenly he gave me an example..I feel sad when I see mummy kissing Damien. I am not sure if he meant it or not.
This boy is getting more sensitive ever since he goes to Primary school.
Maybe i have taken it for granted as tot that he aleady use to damien.
 
Belinda
Mine oso not better. Because aden's cc is near my office so he travels with us by car to and fro so the time spent with him is a lot more than charmaine.

Charmaine will feel left out etc and wants that full attention at nite which I oso dun blame her lor.
 
Belinda, good that u notice that early ... still can salvage. I don't do something to 1 kid n not the other. If I hug/kiss 1 in the present of another, I'll do to the other (or they'll come ask). If I've to hold 1 kid's hand to walk down the stairs, I'll see the other is able to do so on his own n not feel left out. At times, I'll choose to hold the older's hand n let the younger walk on his own. N I'll scold the one that does the wrong n ask him to apologize to the older. So far, I don't show favouritism even though the younger one stays at home with him n he does more interesting thing with me. When the older one comes home, he'll be very interested to see what didi has done, but he knows he gets to go for more fun stuff outside which didi doesn't get to do.

May, tx for the idea on fruits. I do hardly do that coz with time constraint, I hardly visit supermarket with them with that in mind.

.ky.
 
Bad News! There's a HFMD case in the cc!

Siao liao, now thinking wanna keep my boy at home for the next week. Exposure to #1 case already bo bian, but if he managed to avoid getting it, at least the 1 week at home will help prevent exposure to possible #2 case.
 
mashy
if you feel safer keeping C at home the do so bah...if not it'll be more headache for you when you have to take care of him and you would have delivered by then...
 
mamachan

yah, my fear is that i will need to send him away to my ILs.
sad.gif
I dun wanna do that to him.
 
mashy
is the HFMD case from another class or within his class? Usually they will take the necessary preventive measures like making sure the different classes won't mix together...

When my boy had his HFMD episode, I don't think there was anyone else in his class who had it...
 
mamachan

it's open concept. So altho it's not in his class, i'm sure there'll be some contact along the line. The worse thing is, that gal went to sch from Mon to Thurs with the rashes! Before that she had high fever and was sent to the hospital. That dumb dr said it's insect bites. So the centre was practically exposed to it for 4 whole days!
 
mashy,
gosh..win already that doc. high fever and rashes = insect bites??? tink he too engrossed in H1N1 cases that he forgot there's such thing called HFMD!
 
mashy
duhzzzz..... agree with Tracie...that doctor win already lor!!!! Hai.... Then you better monitor C...I think you may have to send him to your ILs place...coz HFMD can also affect adults...somemore you're about to give birth too...better disinfect your home before giving birth...
 
rachel/tracie/mamachan

yah lor. Like that also can. sigh. My hb said can complained to the medical board. Coz of his misdiagnosis, he has exposed many kids to the disease. I also think he's too engrossed in H1N1 and forgot abt HFMD.

Tomorrow supposed to send my boy over to my IL's place coz i got gynae appt. Told them 2 weeks ago, and kept reminding them. End up, they are going to interview some staff at their BASC and wanted to bring my boy along! They totally forgot abt it, again! I think they really don't care much abt taking care of him. Well, C's staying home. I'm keeping him from sch next week, so at least if anything happens, it will be confined to next week and when bb comes, hopefully everything will be ok.

Still have to disinfect ah? How long does the virus linger? My hb will have to do that before i return home with the bb then.
 
Mashy ,
My e1 had hfmd when I was pregnant ..
At that time I was very very careful.. Cox I have no helper at that time. So I actually dettol all the things. He touch and no kissing.. Must wash hand very often
 
mashy
oh dear that is really terrible. think better to keep C at home since bb is coming soon. the doc is terrible...what a misdiagnosis!

CL
ha, JH is like the father. can eat the same thing everyday and dun find it bored! so maybe that is easier and i dun need to rack my brains on what to let him bring. but he definitely eats better when he used to eat at home. today he was so hungry during dinner that he kept asking me to hurry up and feed him. qutie funny.

mummies
time really fly man. jx is already 1 year old. today she was very funny. she took my bag and sling over her hand and pretend to go out. she was so proud of herself when she was carrying my bag. think she was trying to be me...of cos jh was jealous and snatch it and wanted to be me too!

ky
i try not to practice favortism but sometimes it is so hard. when jh push mei mei, i have to reprimand him right? he ever said that i m not fair. really hurtful. i try not to scold him so much but he really likes to push mei mei....

but just now he was quite good. i was bathing and jx fussed in her sleep. i told him to look after mei mei while i was trying to get dressed and he was trying to pacify her. quite funny.
 
Sigh..yesterday Meg's teacher told MIL that Meg can't read and ask her to tell Meg's mummy to teach her at home! I feel like telling them it's their job to teach her not mine, anyway she's only 3.5YO for goodness sakes! I'm paying them $399 per month ok! They made her bring home a thick binded book and she has homework to do!

Well, good that this is her last month in that school. The standard has dropped since the principal suddenly left and many good teachers followed. I'm transferring Meg to PCF wef next month. Cheaper too and they've got gym classes.
 
Hi Tracie,

Yup, my elder gal only start reading at end of K1.....

Ha, my Megan can't remember all the sounds of the alphabets yet! I will be very stressful if i am in your position!
 
tracie

these teachers are crazy!!!!! They keep stressing us up! I dun think our kids are ready to read at this pt in time. So young and have to do homework???? Crazy!

I remember my mom changed my kindy last time coz the sch doesn't give any homework. But it's really crazy to give homework to Nursery kids right?
 
Tracie
huh??? Reading by 3.5 years old??? And homework at this age????? CRAZY MAN!!!!!! oh my goodness, I only hear from my boy's CC that usually by 3.5 and N2, the kids should recognize most of the alphabets and would have learn the sounds.... but no homework...

My boy can "read" i.e. recognize words, especially those 3-letter words...but it's because he has the interest and kept wanting to know how to spell the words that we read to him... I was suprised when I put on his FOX socks on...he'll tell me "Oh, mummy look! Fox!"

Mashy
Thanks but it's ok...I prefer to drink fresh milk
happy.gif
 
Mashy, mamachan,
E also has homework from school and at n2 they should know how to read words like why how, and numbers in spelling from 1 to 10.. I think it is very much on the school cox e school are preparing them for primary 1.. I check with friends.. They are about the same..the school believes that never set a restriction to children's learning..

I think it's a little stress for them but at least set the foudation right then when they are in primary they will not need tution..but more stress on me cox every weekend I must make sure he finished his work..
 
BP,mashy,mamachan,yuki,
i agree that K1 or K2 is the 'normal' age to be able to read. Meg also can't recognise all the alphabets yet. Only those that spell "Megan Ong" and "Duncan Ong". Hahahahaha.

Rena,
E has been doing homework?? Wah..you are a hardworking mummy. I still cannot accept homework at 3.5YO.
 
Rena
Dunno leh...I still cannot accept our children having homework at this age, K1 and K2 maybe. Even sending my boy for Berries, it's seeing that he enjoys himself very much and will initiate "revision" via reading and asking to go back again...it's ok for us coz I really think they should enjoy their learning process.
Yes, we should never restrict their learning which is true, but there are many ways around to getting them to learn...

When they get to Primary school, we say now that they don't need tuition, but will we really do without tutors for them? There's also the remedial lessons that schools will provide also... so where is the line that we have to stop at? I dunno leh... I'm just concerned lor...albeit education is important as our society and culture ensures it, but we also have to make sure our children enjoys the process and still enjoy playing instead of getting stress over nothing.... it's scary to read more and more children as young as in primary school committing suicide because they feel they have missed the mark or they will delibrately cut their hands and leave marks just to feel pain to relieve stress.......
 
Tracie,

Home work is given by the school not me.

Mamachan,

I can understand where you come from.. Our thinking is that it will also let him learn to be responsible. He know tat if he has homework he will need to finish before the school starts on Monday . Only once a week and only 1 subject. Plus it's just 1 small page..

E is a very funny child . He love to go for class . We stop shichida for a long time but he keep wanting to go and keep asking us to bring him for class.. Weird guy..

We dun force him just let him do what he likes.. I really hope e2 will be like tat too but ithink fat hope..they are just so different..
 
SY ... U r not practising favortism. jh was reprimanded because he bullied mei-mei... wait till jx starts her own bullying of kor-kor. I'll reprimand the one in the wrong, n not just do it to the older one.

Tracie, good that M's leaving that school ...oh gosh. homework?!

Actually I do wonder the need for homework for a younger age. But some did say there's a BIG transition when moving onto P1 from K2. My 6-yr-old has homework everyday in this current kindergarten. He understands the need to have homework and esp for a boy, I feel it helps to stabilize his thoughts n concentration. K1's homework is very easy but in K2, it's rather challenging for the age. Well, that's the way it is for Pri school .... teachers don't teach everything n expect the kid to learn beyond outside the classroom. But in nursery, kids still grasping with school concept ... perhaps homework in Rena's E case is just some scribbling n coloring?

.ky.
 
Sy, I agree with ky. It's not favourtism .. I am like that to my 2 e as well.

Ky.
E's homework has only started this year. It's just those big square exercise book with letters each week ..Or Chinese words like 一二三 only lately he is writing words like大木小
It's just less than 20 squares so very fast .. Last time I had a hard time making him do his work but now it's easy cox he know he has to do it and no supervision needed.. In a way he is train to have disipline..
 
SY,
I get it from Charmaine all the time. Like now when I tell her to do revision, Aden oso cannot watch TV. When I send her to bed, Aden still watching TV she oso says not fair. She oso complain why she has homework but Aden does not but she forgot she was once a 3 year old.

She complain I pat Aden to sleep and she oso wants. So can you imagine how tired my hands are going to be.

You just have to be make sure you have both quality time for both. Like sometimes I will tell hb to look after Aden I only bring Charmaine out. Aden has yet to complain but as he spend most of his time with us in the car to and fro school since near office so He does not feel short changed.
 
Hi mummies,

really tired this morning. Matthew keeps waking up throughout the night...

7.30pm: sleep

9.00pm: Just reach home from MIL. Woke up and cried when I put him in his cot. Pick him up and try to soothe.

10.15pm: Woke up, so latch him.

11.30pm: Woke up when I made a little bit of noise in his room. Tried to pat him to sleep.
He cried a little.

12 midnight: Brought him to my bed and tried to hold and pat him to sleep.

12.30am: cried on and off while i keep patting him.

1am: finally slept.

2am: he woke up, and I latched him. Diaper was quite soaked, so changed him. Cried after that. HB woke up and offered to soothe him. I conked out.

4.45am: HB woke me up and ask whether Matthew needs to feed. I latched him.

5.15am: Both of us slept.

5.50am: Matthew making noises in his cot, picked him up and held hi. Bring to bed also cannot. Cried. HB woke up again and took over. I got up and got ready to work... cannot get back to sleep liao.

Total hours of sleep for me = 3 to 4 hours .
sad.gif
 
may,
How's Jazmyn sleep at night? Can she sleep more than 5 or 6 hours in a stretch? Last night was bad for me and Matthew. But even normally, the longest he can sleep is also about 4.5 to 5 hours. Typical hours for Matthew is 7.30pm / 8pm to 12+ am and I'll latch him (sometimes will wake up in between for a short while). Then will wake up at abou 4am and I'll latch him. After 4am, he usually doesn't sleep very well, will wake up once at 5+am. Sigh.
 
Rena
maybe coz now your big E is at N2, that's why they focus more writing... my boy at N1, his Chinese teacher feel that at this stage is more of speaking and listening than to learn how to write... so he doesn't write much.

Anyway, my boy initiates to do tracing at home with all those activity books I've bought but not really sat down with him to do. He will ask me to sit with him and guide him and encourage him as he traces.
 
Hi mummies,

Talking about favouritism....... As you all are aware, megan has always been the challenging one. The elder one seldom 'kena' from me but i find myself les and less patient with Megan.

Last night, Megan tried to shut the bedroom door on Ashley. It is quite dangerous as i am afraid they will hurt their fingers etc in the process. Since Megan is the one who start this, i went over and smack her hand real hard. She cross both her hands at chest level and scolded 'Stupid'...... i was so mad that i grab her and lock her out of the room and refuse to let her come in till she apologise.

These sort of episodes can happen a few times a week. Obviously scolding and beating doesn't scare her.......

Like when we are going out, she will dilly dally and wear the elder one's shoes. Have to repeatly ask her to return the shoes and wear her own one instead. Sometimes again in frustration, i will just walk out of the house and leave her alone. She will then scream and cry and insist that i wear her shoes for her........

But i don;t know if it is very healthy for her emotionally in long run. I don't want to give her the impression that i keep pushing her away.

Althou i will emphasise after she apologise that i love her. It's the behaviour that i don't like. But i don't know locking her out actions will affect her more..........

SOmetimes i do think if she wanted attention from me. In fact i tried to spend more time with her and almost every night, sit together to do the Starfall website etc..... still i don' know what else she wants.......

Any suggestions how to deal with such behaviour/ scenerios?
 
queen
oh dear.... Matthew sounds like when I had D in the early stages!!! wakes up very frequently at night for a feed... how old is Matthew already?? My boy didn't sleep through till 5 months plus...that's coz I used the Sleepsense method on him before I started work again.
 
queen,
Meg needed to be fed 3-hourly even after I return to work, ie 3months old. In fact, she doesn't sleep thru till v much later. Duncan on the other hand, slept thru much earlier. Different kids, different pattern. Looks like a stage for Matthew and he will outgrow it eventually. Duncan fusses in his sleep only when he's teething.

Yuki,
Megan...I've tried the soft approach, the hard approach, sometimes none works. I can cane her repeatedly, leaving 10 cane marks on her leg and she still refuse to budge from her position. I have to hold my position too until she relents and comes to me crying to be carried. That's her signal to me that she gives up. That's how tough. I can understand what you are going thru. Difference is my Megan is the elder one with no others to compare with. She scolds me 'stupid' or 'I dun want mummy' etc etc often too.
 
Yuki
Oh dear... it must be a real challenge with Megan... it must be quite upsetting to see her behaviour in that way... personally, I would prefer the time-out corner rather than the locking out method... locking out might seem too harsh on them at this age (in fact I think it is for all ages). I'm not sure if that works for you best or not... I guess we have to find out what works best to help discipline our kids.

It's also partly their behaviour is a mirror of some of the kids at school...she might have picked up the bad things along the way from school but that can't be help, all we can do is to reinforce that it is not a good girl's behaviour and that Megan is your good girl... there was once my boy blurted out the 4-letter word,"F**K" and kept repeating it to my maid's face... at first we were unsure if it really was that word...but I asked him to repeat again, it sounded like...so I had to gently hold his chin/jaws and told him that it's a bad word and he cannot say that again. It's not nice...but I didn't smack his mouth coz it was his first "offence"... it did happen again few days later but we had to correct him there and then...after that, it's ok...

But like you, whenever we want to head out, my boy will dilly dally and want to stay at home and play with his toys, I would tell him that no, everyone is all going out...he won't budge till everyone had changed their clothes and are wearing their shoes that he starts to panic and run to the door and say "Hey! Wait for me!!!"... so nowadays he understands that when I say we are going out, it meant that we are going out... he doesn't like to be left out...

If there's a method that helps you with Megan other than locking her out...I think should try other ways...coz home is after all their place of comfort and refuge...
 
Hi tracie,

Thanks for sharing. Sometimes i wonder if it is my own frustration that i am less patient towards her.

I don't favour one against the other. Just that the elder one don't give me that much problem. Sometimes the elder one gets scolded by me too cos she cried upon being teased by Mei-mei. Told her that because she crys so easily that's why megan likes to tease her. If she stand firm, the younger one will probably get tired with no response from her and then give up.....

'Stupid' is one word i dislike and i make a point never to scold the gals stupid. Therefore i refuse to let them scold anyone stupid too....

Often after Megan apologise and when hugging her, i will emphasise that her behaviour is wrong etc and she will repeat that it is not correct etc.... but after a while, repeat the same thing again.......

Maybe i am soft..... i have not tried caning her till very bad. So far only 1 stroke on the buttocks when she climb up the coffee table and refuse to come down. Even with cane, she don;t give up easily and will ask us to carry her etc.
 
Hi Mamachan,

It also takes patient to enforce the time out method.

She will not stand at the corner just like that. She will crawl out, move small steps to get away.

I have to catch her many times to put her back to the corner and it is very tring to do that.

This gal - she don't give up without a fight.
 
And Megan will not rush to the door like D.......

She will not change but stand by the door side so that she can watch if you are going out and shout at us that she can go and she will go........
 
Yuki

Is it possible to ask Ashley to help Megan?

When I'm busy, and K's playing a fool, I'll ask the older one to help. K likes to play with the main door, opening and closing, and he's got his toes stubbed at least 2 times. But he doesn't remember the pained lessons. At times, I'll lock it so that he's stuck in btw the gate n door ... K's quite a tough nut to crack but I tried to get my older one to help. And K does play with the bedroom doors, I'll ask him why he think it's fun. If I've to scold him, I'll squat down and tell him in his face with a stern voice. A couple of months ago, I had a horrible time trying to keep calm n I actually flare up a lot at both of them. I realized it was not healthy for all the 3 of us. So, now instead of being angry, I'll tell them that mummy feels disappointed. Yesterday, I just walked away from my older one rather than reprimanding him. If it's a word or an action I do not wish them to use, I'll keep emphasizing that that should be not use/done and why so. Explain what the meaning of "stupid" and ask Megan if she wants people to call her "stupid"; get an answer from her and it should be "no". So tell her that if she does not want to be called that, then she should not call anyone else that either. It's not respectful. As for going out, I do what Mamachan does so my boys know that when they are asked to get changed and packed, they know they need to get ready ...

.ky.
 


queen
maybe it was a bad night for Matthew. does you guys sleep in air-con room? he could be fussing with the tempertaure or tummy has wind..? every baby's sleeping pattern is different. dylan gave me a hard time and he still does not sleep well by 5mths and i was practically a zombie at work. hence apply the sleepsense method and after that we all enjoy our rest. devan on another hand able to sleep through on his own by his 3rd month.
 

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