(2010/04) April 2010 mtb

morning mummies



my naughty corner is their bed in their room. hahaha.... if don't want dinner, then no snack or milk too till before bedtime.



chips,

climb up table and chairs is very common mah. my 2 also do that. i just leave them to climb all they want, i have my window grills lock up. if i happen to see any dangerous climbing, i will just tell them. if they fall, don't come to me to sayang them cos its their problem. :p

 


SGSC: Have a smooth delivery!



Maddie: It's good that M is not afraid of the cold - good training for Canada [IMG=http://www.singaporemotherhood.com/forumboard/clipart/happy.gif]



Thanks for all the food tips. E likes nuggets (sort of) and is willing to nibble around the edge of the nugget (I think she just likes the fried skin). We try and make our own fish fingers and nuggets at home but she far prefers Macdonalds' ones. Sigh.

 
morning all,



vic

he is on full day. morning & evening hrs kill me after a tiring day at work thou when maid is ard she will look after while I eat and shower.. now I got to be double fast.



I have been late to work for this week, reach near 10 every day.

next wk will also b late til maid comes back.

 
Hi Ming,



Yes yes yes, the meal struggle saga still continues for my gal. She will take a long time to finish her porridge, and sometimes spit out the meat (except fish) and her latest trick - 'I want to come down (I put her in high chair for mealtime) to pass urine.'



Tons of patience, raised voice, threat of withholding treats/ visit to the playground is needed to finish her meal. I used distraction technique such as giving her her own bowl of rice w soup (no meat inside) for her to self-feed, then quickly scoop the porridge into her mouth.. Can use cute shape marcaroni, or you tiao as well.

 
celynlee,



staying with parents is different, when they sees such action they wil scream at me first how come nv stop him...



is it at the age of 3, they b better, more obedient ...

 
i want to 'upside down' liao.. very tired need a good rest.

now night time he still wake up for milk. never give I no need to think of continuing my slp.

 
Chips - sounds like me screaming at my hubby - how can you let him climb up there! My boy is also getting very active these days. He's climbing the neighbour's front gate grills (observed from neighbour's kids), climbing into his own high chair at home and climbing into the car (from driver to rear seat to his seat). And his father doesn't even watch out at all! ie freedom for the kid! For me, I'll try to dissuade the boy by telling him how "dangerous" it is. If that doesn't work, then i'm like Celyn - don't come crying to me later expecting comfort! They need to learn once (in a controlled environment).



Xlh - at this age it's very interactive and they'll respond to us. But I'm having problems making him tell the truth. Like today - I asked if he has apologised, his immediate answer is YES!

And obviously that's not the truth (per helper). In fact, he's pushed another boy this morning. Headache!



Thanks for all the tips mummies. Will keep the mantra in mind - reward good behaviour, ignore bad ones and try to turn a situation into a learning experience for kid and adult.



Re food - I'm still giving him mixed porridge for main meals. He'll also join us for dinner (after his porridge). This boy loves his food, so he'll take anything. Unfortunately he prioritises. So we tend to give healthier but boring ones first. And his favourite being French Fries (frequent request but hardly met) and eclair.



For those girls, would it help by making them cute stuff? Also check out if they are that fussy in school. Somehow there's always the peer pressure to eat! I've also realised that they like to eat what we're having. So... ...

 
Congratulations to the mummies to be (again) and have a smooth delivery! Looking back. Quite a number of April mummies have or are expecting a second child!

 
Speaking of school, E told our helper yesterday that she doesn't like Pat's Schoolhouse because:-



1. It has no aircon

2. She doesn't like to sit on the floor

3. She doesn't like the songs that Teacher Irene (the English teacher) sings

4. She doesn't get to hug her bolster and have her "tu tu" in school.



*Faint*. Interestingly, E doesn't tell us or her grandparents such things, she only told the helper. Hopefully she doesn't get labelled "complaint queen" in future.



Chlosper: I read about something called "parent effectiveness training" on another mummy's blog. The method (from what I understand) advocated parents trying to understand why kids behave a certain way instead of simply berating them for bad behaviour. For instance, if C pushed someone in school, try asking him "Were you trying to get X's attention when you pushed him? There are other ways to get his attention like calling his name or tapping him on the shoulder and X will like those ways better." And then demonstrate the behaviour. I haven't tried this myself but it sounds feasible in theory.

 
Ming

you should consequtively reduce the helper's staying time -ask her go outside to stand after 1 hr or halfway thru.



then 3rd day onwards or so - just drop off & go.



talk to the teachers - they might have a recommendation.



my cc recommends 1st day sit in with them



2nd day sit in shorter period, 3rd day NO MORE PARENT/HELPER/GRANDPARENT allowed.



this will force them to participate & adapt better too. - no way back - no return path for them so they will have no choice.

 
Thanks Vicma. No one sits in with E in class. She is dropped off by the caregiver (could be grandma or my brother or one of us) and is then picked up later. She shared her "comments" with my helper during bath time at home.

 
vic,

yes had 360ml of milk before bed and yet ard 2-4am he will wake up for more.

I want neh neh.. dig my eyes, pull away my blanket, kick me with his legs



chlosper

another wk to go,sometimes his cries really make me bu tahan. we dont give in and he cry non stop.

 
ming



oh i must have read too fast - so she managed to sit in alone which is quite good already!



its good that she can communicate so well. when #2 went in - my MIL super kan cheong as he cannot communicate his needs (even now not very good)



i am sure she will adjust soon enough. [IMG=http://www.singaporemotherhood.com/forumboard/clipart/happy.gif]

 
Celyn: I think only the agencies can help your friend now since August is just next month. Try PEM (it's a local agency. They charge S$2,500 I believe and your friend will also have to bear the work permit charges.

 
never get from TMC - CL - my friend's friend paid $2200 & the person early 30s CLUELESS baby cry she look at the mother & ask the mother of the child -HOW AR????



its like getting an expensive english speaking Maid!

 
Celyn, try PEM cos my friend got from the agency and they are able to assign quite good one for her. Nowadays seems because money is good thats y got a lot of half pass CL, many are not trained even.

 
hi ladies



chlosper: no the cute stuff and peer pressure doesn't work. my girl only took one bite of her long awaited birthday cake and refused to eat anymore while her classmates were queueing up for second helping! i tried cutting carrots into cute shapes and she will either refuse or eat one piece or chew and spit! what does work is when she 'orders' her meal and helps to cook it. i usually let her take out pasta from container to her bowl, 'wash' the carrot/pasta etc and let her put it in the pot for cooking. after that she is usually more keen to eat if she helped to prepare it.



ming: good that E tells someone why she doesn't like school. todM just says she dont want to go, fullstop.



anyone sending their tod for music class? am looking for something suitable.

 
chlosper,

quick quick... give birth to another one! *grin*



sgsc,

jia you jia you!!!!

smooth, comfortable and quick delivery to you (from the one who only took 2h to give birth to C2)



meals

anything green is no go for C2.

i puree all the veggies into his sauce.

ah well, a mom has got to be sneaky sometimes to get the correct nutrients into growing young bodies :0

 
vic ma: yup, my girl also prefers rice with soup only, and she will bargain for soup only diet! so i will occ make porridge for her still.

 
Maddie - me! Me! I'm looking at music classes now.



Apparently I've missed the yamaha apples (they started early July) and hubby was told they may start a class in oct this year or early next year. They follow some structured lessons and hence no joining midway.



Called staccato and arranged for a trial class this coming thu 9.30am. It's $40 for the trial and deductible against the term fees if I enrol. Max class size is 8 and duration is 45 mins per class. They have weekend classes too.



Itchy fingers/legs also led us to tanglewood at fusionopolis. It's individual lessons (ie 1 to 1) and about $50 for 30 mins. Cheaper on weekdays. Hubby is not too keen on this. He felt its too serious.



Friends also recommended mandeville. I've yet to call up though.

 
Celynlee - yeah, tink PEM is quite gd and reliable. My sis got hers very last min on xmas eve last yr(like next day arrival) and her CL was superb. Unfortunately tis CL is no longer working as CL le..else i would have koped her for mine. Anyway im also getting from PEM tis round due to rave reviews..



Cellow! Hihi..long time no "see"..hahah hw to compare wif u? mimi took 25 hrs to come out so #2 very most cut by half..12 hrs??!! whahahahha..its ok, not rushin tis lil fella at all!

 
Somehow there isn't much reviews online for music classes. And I'm not too keen on the usual kindermusik or Gymboree. I was told that toddlers this age would be in for mainly exposure to music through play, recognising the different beats, musical notes, instruments, etc. Formal education usually starts around 4. What am I thinking of. Anyway it's another opportunity to bond with him. Hahaha

 
sempati?

i tried a trial class when the kids were around MMR period - think this age above 2 yrs old will be better for such class.



#1 fell so sick as there was a sick child in the class - after that i just CLOSED the door on any classes altogether. (I k Kiang also -planned the class 2 days after her MMR - that time early 2008 The MMRs were still very fever inducing unlike now)

 
chlosper: hmm... i also dunno. todM school starting music enrichment soon and i've enrolled her. not sure if it is enough. i did get on waitlist for the oct apples intake at PS. the oct class at Clementi timing not suitable for me.

 
Chlosper: Thanks for reminding me about Mandeville. I have friends whose kids take lessons there and enjoy it. I just called up and found out that they have 2 classes suitable for our babes:-



1. Baby Music (for kids between 2 to 3 years old)

- 9 month long course

- Next intake in November

- Saturday class at 5 p.m., 45 mins in duration

- Class size of not more than 12 kids

- Parent accompanied

- Class filling up quite fast - according to the person I spoke to



2. Preschooler (strictly for kids who are at least 2 years 9 months old)

- Saturday class at 1.45 p.m., 45 mins in duration

- Parent accompanied



No trial class for either course.

 
Oh and we took a trial class at Staccato some time ago before E turned 2. I thought the syllabus then was too advanced for her. I am not sure whether it is more appropriate now.



E is very keen on music and dance so we would like to seek out age appropriate classes for her.

 
Maddie - remember to call them nearer the date to confirm the class. Somehow when it comes to kids, the parents are supposed to be pro-active. Yamaha PS is the most popular. It's supposed to be the best and it's not a franchisee. I've got friends who enrol their kids there although there are nearer Yamaha schools.





Ming - thanks for the details. I've kind of recalled your review on staccato. Oh well, let me see how it's like this Thursday. [IMG=http://www.singaporemotherhood.com/forumboard/clipart/happy.gif]



Vic-ma - sempati? Where is it? I'm not familiar with that. I think the usual radar is Yamaha and mandeville. One of the rarer ones would be MYC recommended by another friend. Too many options - confusing.



I think I'm going to have maid issue soon. Not too sure if it's related. My helper is complaining that she doesn't have enough rest. It all started when she sleeps with the boy. Somehow he can't sleep through and disturbs her at night. Now I'm wondering whether I should revert to the old way whereby he sleeps with me (how to wean off the breast?!).

 
I enrolled at PS Yamaha when I was 4 years old. It will be going full circle if E is enrolled there as well.



Chlosper: Can you try training your boy to sleep alone? E has been sleeping alone but the last 2 nights she woke up crying for us at 3 a.m. I hope it is not the dreaded night terrors or anything like that [IMG=http://www.singaporemotherhood.com/forumboard/clipart/sad.gif]

 
ming

i decided on ballet if #1 wants it. i didnt like my music lessons at all. not when there was exams & all to sit for. i didnt have a choice - it was my mother's childhood wish which i had to fulfil painfully.



i ry to tell myself i enjoy playing the piano but with the exams its ust pull cow up the tree lor for me

 
Chlosper: If you have space at home can train him to sleep alone? The first week is hard but after that it gets better. We slept on the floor with her the first two nights then started sneaking out after that. She would wake up more frequently the first week n we have to go in to put her back to sleep but after that she sleeps thru. Of course there are days that she wakes up n can't go back to sleep but we attend to her n our helper sleeps thru the night.



Vic ma: ballet also got exams lei.

 
Ming - sleeping alone. Hmm. To be honest, that has never dawned to me. Maybe it's me. I was a needy child last time. How does it work? Do you put her to bed and leave her alone after that? Does she walk over to your room when she's awake? Are you able to hear her or through the intercom (can't recall the name of that gadget now)?



Vic ma - I want ballet too. It's always been a dream of mine. But Mine's a boy. Otherwise ... ...

 
Maddie - I have exactly one week of leave left. and can still afford to have interrupted sleep. My fear is not knowing his reaction. Sometimes he'll cry when he finds himself alone in the room (the helper wakes up earlier). Sometimes he'll just open my door and snuggle with me. Perhaps I think too much. This boy is adaptable.

 
Chlosper: E has her own room so what we do is, we have her usual bedtime routine in her room - songs, stories, brushing of teeth etc. Then either me or her daddy (these days usually daddy) will stretch out next to her until she falls asleep. Usually we continue to tell her one or two more stories after lights out and then she drifts off to sleep. We then go off to our own rooms with the baby monitor switched on (the monitor comes with video function so we can "see" her from our room). She will usually wake for milk around 6 a.m. or so. We give her a bottle and she then goes back to sleep till 7 plus/ 8 when she starts her day.



I am not sure whether E's sudden bouts of waking up at night and crying are due to no. 2 being on the way. Maddie: Did your girl act up more when didi was on the way?

 
maddie

as long as its the child decision - exam or not they want they can stop - i wont force.



anything that becomes exam level or competiitve level - if the child feels stressed will no longer be fun - if it happens this way we will let her stop. - we have to monitor to see what is the child's talents too - if they have the talent -its ok to push. if there is no talent then its a struggle. by the time exams start - mayb e 1st 2 exams we can monitor - after that we can ask at 6-7 they should be able to tell us if they still want the "eca" or not.



i dont want a situation when ECA becomes more taxing than school work - that's not the way I feel.





i was an average student - i wonder maybe wo struggling with the piano - i could have been a better & more confident student?



it raises alot of issues to think about too which i am still freshly threading on.

 
i know dont force - case of a child giving up easily



but what if there is no talent & we force - then it will stiffle the child's creativity or development.



no easy answer ya?

 
ming8110,

you must be prepared for that. yu ze was sleeping on his own since birth and slept through from 5 months old. when i was at my 3rd trimester with yu xi, he started waking up at 3am asking for milk and sleep with me. till yu xi is born then he stopped waking up for milk but continue to snuggle up my bed around 3am without failed. even till now, he will also sleep in his room first and come over in the middle of the sleep.



cholsper,

for me both had been sleeping in their room since birth, when they were baby i have a baby monitor with sound only. now, notthing but we don't closed our doors so that they can find us if they need in the night. even if we need to on air con, we don't shut the door tight. we leave a small gap, then they just need to push open the door.

 
oh ming!

i just read v quickly and saw that #2 is on the way... congrats!!!! [IMG=http://www.singaporemotherhood.com/forumboard/clipart/happy.gif]



sgsc,

yes dear. long time no 'see'. lots of things happening at work and also at home.

have a lot of angst but wont write abt it here. sigh.

 
Thanks mummies [IMG=http://www.singaporemotherhood.com/forumboard/clipart/happy.gif]

Expecting a mei mei for E in late Sept/ early Oct (placenta is low-lying again so I may need a c-sect, fingers crossed it won't come to that).



It's true (for me at least) that one tends to take things easier for subsequent pregnancies. I even went wine-tasting in Sydney just after 1st tri - although I didn't actually swallow the wine. Just sip, swirl and toss.

 


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