(2012/01) Jan 2012

sigh.. was hoping can save the time & effort to bring my boy to enrichment or teach him myself if send him to a better sch.. wkdays so tired after work & also not much time.. wkends wanna rest & go outings leh.. sigh.. so stressful.. nowadays being a parent is hard work sia.. hahah..
 


There r enrichment class in my kids ccc . They get pp to come ccc to teach. Optional one. so I save d time on weekends where I brought them to play instead of studying..

Now my eldest in pri sch...muz source for tuition. I give up teaching him math. Muz get profesional help. He failed his maths. My heart sinks...
 
Jkids,

Is there anything you do to prepare your son for pri 1? My son is going Pri 1 in 2 years time and I worry for him as he seems to not know alot of things...even simple word...since he is now in K1, I dont wan to stress him too much...I really dont remember we need to go to so much enrichment before when we were young...Feels stress being a kid and mummy now....
 
u noe, while sourcing for ccc for my kids a few yrs back, when i started to know ccc are biased agt pcf students, i decided not to tell them where my elder one was from. ha. i gave a branded name of a ccc. so when my elder one started his ccc (was in pcf for 1/1/2 yrs ), the sch was very doubtful coz they felt his knowledge of learning was limited. even to the extent they asked him to go for eng tution class coz he couldnt write a compo. my 2nd one was not so mch affected coz he was in pte playgtoup b4 he joined the ccc.

i do coach my kids for various subjects, it was easy to teach and easy for them to understand during pre-sch, except for compo , i m not confident thus enrol the elder one for the eng tuition class. but now he is in pri 2, his weakest subject has always been math. his eng is above aver though not the top. but when we coach him in math, he juz does not understand the Q, nor have the concept.

he reminds me of myself. maybe he takes after me. ha. when i was young, even though i was attentive in class, when it comes to doing assessment, there are many times i tot i know what the teacher taught me, but still, i couldnt do the assessment. i juz find those questions "hard". i juz cant explain y i didnt knwo how to do. juz have no concept nor understand the qustion. i always think that if u are intelligent, u can grap the concepts very well.

brink: life is pretty stressed for kids and parents.
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esp when kids dun do well. during our times, we can easuly can 90-100 marks, but only bright kids can get these marks. math esp is really hard and not str foward. even i need to think and some, i cannot solve
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u can try grabbing one assessment bk of p1 to read at popular.

eg:
what is the height of the classroom door?
a. 4m
b. 4 cm
c. 2cm
d. 2m

is this hard? not really if kids know the measurement. my kid knows the measurement but yet he choose (c). i rather he choose
the wrong ans(b). the correct and is (d).



its challenging to find time to bring kids for enrichment classes too. weekdays are out coz my kids are in ccc or scc. onsat, they go study eng class. so if i am to enrol my elder one for math class, does it mean it will burn his sun? i am thinking of whether to give up his eng class for math instead?
 
Hi Jkids,

In order not to stress out my first son, we only enrol him for swimming lessons w his friend...other than that, he seems to show interest in reading but am contemplating if should send him to I can read lessons...
 
brink:
he is 5 yrs old? if your sch does not give negative comments, i really think it should be fine ba unless u are very kiasu like some singaporeans hehe. i also enroled my kids for swimming lessons last time thro the ccc.
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my kids are under icr n enjoy the lessons. many pp i noe oso enrol for icr. the pre sch icr is more fun in a way so he wun feel stressed
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if he is stressed that means the teacher could be strict or fierce... :p
 
jkids,
my elder is 4 yrs old this year. what is icr...
Frankly speaking I hate to be a kiasu parents but the scary is that parents whom I know in my son childcare is sending their children to all sorts of enrichment starting from music, I can read and all the way to cma...I tried not to be intimidated by them but too much of hearing really make me feel if I am a good parent as in am i giving my child opportunities to learn more...
Anyway, sometimes I do switch off so till now only swimming lessons for him
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icr is 'I can read'.
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yah so many parents let their children go thro enrichment class even when there is no cause of concern abt their studies. its juz a norm.
 
jkids
hmmm ya i heard alot of good feedback of icr. think I will upgrade my girl to icr after she knows how to read, cos heard from my friends - they really need to read when gg into class. right now i will still let her enjoy her GUG classes, guess till at least end of the year bah

how are all the babies appetite lately?
hmmm my dd seems not interested in porridge anymore...she is more keen to what we are eating now. what we eat she wan eat too :p
 
Jac: For enrichment classes, Im enrolling him in JG bilingual playclub. Next yr he's going to Nursery 1 since he's born in end dec 2011. Once he reach N1, im switching him to Berries for chinese/ Act 3 academy or Lorna Whiston for speech & drama.

ICR reviews, i heard is quite good.. especially harbourfront branch. Any other branches that is good?
 
Jkids,
I have just enrol my elder son to icr. I feel that he wants to read but because he cannot recognize the words he was not able to read more... So hopefully after attending I can read, he is able to read by himself
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icr Will teach kids phonics n reading. so if they master phonics..then they can read d passages. I only started my 2nd one wen he was in k2 2nd sem. he enjoys d lessons..same as d elder one. small class ratio.

wen do u intend to put yr child in ccc.? any plans.?
 
jingles
my younger boy will QC the spoon I am feeding him before he open his mouth. If he see carrot on the bowl and I never give him, he will turn away and refuse to eat...nowadays, mostly boil a big pot of soup and use the soup to make porriage for him. just using meat and veg and out inside the bowl w rice to steam, he does not really like it..maybe less favoury.

Catherine: am trying the icr at hougang green there..lesson will start this coming thur

jkids: I be putting my younger one in cc this aug...time really flies so fast...1.5 years goin to be just flew by...so fast..I will definitely miss the days of being a sahm as I am going to find a job once my second one settle down...
 
Jingles, my mum mentioned my gal's appetite for solids hasn't been good these few days. She made it up by having more milk. My husband then scared us by relating how his colleague's 4yo gal was asking for ice cream for a few days and the next thing, she had tonsilitis. So her throat was sore and that's y she asked for cold stuff while not eating well. So now, we'll monitor if my gal's just doesn't wanna eat her porridge, or if she maybe feeling unwell.

I've been bringing my gal to Gymnademics at TPY Safra for almost 2 months. Only once a wk, just to expose her to classroom setting. She doesn't sit still, is not interested in story-telling or sing and dance. The only part she rushes for is the gym workout. In 2 months' time when she turns 18mth, she'll start the daily 2h PG a few blocks away. Give my mum a break, and also let her go expend her energy.. lol

Hearing the icr, speech and drama, chinese enrichment.. i'm so scared.. dun wanna deprive her of the chance to pick up more, but yet dun wanna deprive her of her childhood too.. dilemma...
 
googlez82
guess everything in moderation bah.
for me i sent her for enrichment, is more like hoping it will ease into ccc coming end year.
Also the classes continue as I can see my girl enjoy and look forward to every week.

So if she has interest in ballet, swimming, drumming and dancing, drama, so long as I can afford, I will let her learn.
Its actually up to individual, so long as the child enjoys...why not
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Jingles,
No lah...My company will still be around as long as I have support from mummies
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I do enjoy bringing nice dresses in and selling them and mummies tell me they love them
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Makes my day...but there are also bad days too...so bits and pieces I learn to being a more patient person...lol

For soup...I usually boil the whole pot and finish off in one day...sometimes cannot finish I will distribute to my cousin or my hubby sis who is staying near us...so as not to waste...

My son had his first icr lesson today and he was so happy and joyful. Even ask us to leave for home when we wanted to see him go into the class...So different when we brought him to kindermusic last time where he was crying so hard for us..that is when he is less than 18 mths..lol
But am proud of him of becoming so independent...sending him to childcare really helps I think
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i haven't sent my bb to any class yet leh, haha. i think he will cry wen he starts ccc.

my boy anything everything, so no prob. his constipation due to milk is not causing him much prob already.

jac:
my 2nd one still wif that ccc so not too nice to write here :p but i guess ccc is more intensive compared to pcf ba. i find parents in ccc more demanding, probably they pay higher amt so has higher expection of ccc.

brink:
your child is starting from 18 mths? did u have to place on reservation list in advance? once in ccc, how is your child's dinner being settled? glad he had fun at icr. i see u bring in more dresses now, will take a look over weekend, hee.

jingles:
gd tat yr ger oso enjoys her class.
 
jkids,

that time I was quite lucky..there was vacancy in 2 childcare for my first son, my first skool and
learningkidz. Initially went my first skool as from outside we see inside like so nice and interesting..brought him in on first day and we were horrified and withdrew him immediately...

Learningkidz at that time it was a new centre so every child who went in cry together and we mummies somehow form a mummy group to keep track of our child and happenings in the school...Of course along the way, there are lots of happenings but overall the experience was ok
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The childcare do not provide dinner, so we will pick him up to have dinner or I will rush home and cook and wait for hubby and my elder to come home. Now w my second...mostly tabao from his school...

I have just setup a new BP as new stocks have come in...if free can go see see look look
http://singaporemotherhood.com/forumboard/messages/581296/8458318.html?1369975476 or

you can just go www.facebook.com/juniorcreation to see
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brink
i also organise before..
i find its not worth it..and some mommies can be really scary.....esp if the things got lost via SP and its no fault of ours lei...

mommies
any mommies always alone with their babes?
where do you all put them in hur? play yard? cot?
 
brink, i will also like to know what kind of horrors....

Sometimes I am alone with my kid, but mine can only play a while. I have organised a play area for him to play on the mat. If I leave him in the cot or play yard, he will scream instantly. Haiz.....
 
foxdengal
erm...play area..that means he can still walk away right..
haiz i am thinking more of confining him in one area so that when i am in the toilet i will no need to bath in fear...lol
 
but you will hear him scream and won't be able to put him there the second time. so got to either coax him to play by himself for a while or on the tv to distract him while you go toilet.
 
brink, ya, what horror in MFS? my boy is in MFS leh, at punggol. hope it's not the same one?!

jingles, I usually bathe when hb/ mum ard nia. very hard to leave my boy alone for more than 5mins. he'll come look for us.
 
Hi all,
At first we saw from outside the mfs was like wow so many divided section for different purpose and the toys display looks so interesting...so we were like ok..think my kid can learn well here..on the first day, we arrived, nobody was aware it was my kid first day at school and no teacher was around to tell us what we should do. secondly when lunch time was due and my kid want another slice of apple..the teacher actually told us only one slice for each kid...the worst was showering part, the fans were switched on to the highest fan speed and all kids line up without clothes along the toliet area for showering waiting for their turn to shower...And to our dismay, it was a indian auntie wearing many rings and bangles showering our child..all the jewellery can actually cut on a children delicate skin..and on that same day, another child vomited on the floor and the teacher just cover it up with tissue paper without cleaning..with all these in sight..we could not bear to keep our son there...we wrote a long complain letter to the management and there was no response at all...So pissed and disappointed and I thought my first skool was quite a reputable school...
 
Hi jingles,

Ya when I first started it was quite bad..meeting w unreasonable customers and suppliers..sometimes really vomit blood....but on the other hand it teaches me patience in dealing w ppl and that we can never satisfy everyone...as long as we do our part, xin an lee de ba..
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And most important, I enjoy doing it as it is another avenue for me to pursue my interest and to test how good my foresight is...lol..
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i m alone quite often on weekdays after work when I fetch boy home. I will put my child on bbchair, let him play some toys while I bath. I leave my toilet door open one. I will peep from the corner to look at him or tok to him while bathing, ha. have a quick bath 5 mins at moz.


actually if u put your child in ccc, really muz close 2 eyes lah. a lot of things we duno what happens behind door, but we can imagine one. imagine 1 teacher handling so many kids. its like going to battle. very pek chiak one esp deadling with small kids as they dun follow all instructions.

I can imagine if I leave my child at ccc at 2 yrs old, he will surely cry and no one will attend to him, probably let him cry till he is tired.
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I feel heartpain to leave my child there at 2 yrs old. I think 3 yrs would b better. but not much choice unless I look for another nanny since I am moving house.
 
talking about bringing kid to take plane, what are the chances of kids having ear pain? can avoid?

anyone being to penang b4?
 
wow you guys really know your stuff about sending your kids to ICF/CCC and all that. I have only just started reading about sending my kid to pre-nursery for half day. So much headach. Got a friend who has started visiting pre-schools to check out the premises. So much homework..yikes! I tried calling the pre-school next to my block, and the admin person was like "uhh, your kid is too young, please call back next year" haha.

But what do you guys mainly look out for when you select the pre-school? Is there a requirement our kids need for P1?

jkids, if can try to get your kid to sleep before boarding the plane would be best. my kid fell asleep, so ear pain was avoided. But he seemed fine when we were landing and when we took off on the return flight. I did have his water bottle on standby and some snacks in case. As for stroller, I think can bring onboard if it is the umbrella stroller, tho air stewardess will stow it away elsewhere. Gotta check with airline.
 
sounds like a tough day at the ccc.

I brought my kid to taipei when he is 7months old. even if he falls asleep on the plane, he will wake up due to the air pressure and aircraft engine sounds. It is good to have milk or snack or water prepared for your kid. For me, the journey is longer compared to flying to penang. I do bring along quite a lot of toys aboard for him to play. for the stroller part, you got to bring it on board and let the stewardess to keep it for you, so that it will be easier for you to push your kid around before boarding. check-in of the stroller might also risk them damaging the stroller.
 
hi jkids, most airline will allow you the stroll your kid to the boarding area, and just before you board the airline they will ake he sroller away from you to store it, then when you land, you can carry your kid out, then collect the stroller from the " oddsize baggage" area, so if you are thinking of travelling with alot of stuff, try to get to get help or travel with a gd cabin bag that can be rolled aroudn on wheels so that you can move the cabin bag easily and yet carry or hold on to your child.

i travelled with infant of 3 months, and had quite alot of stuff to prepare for the cabin luggage, so luckily i had a one with 4 wheels. i took scoot from sdyney, and on my way from sdyney home to singapore, they didnt even allow me to take stroller on, i had to check it in at the check in counter, very treoublesome cos it means i had to carry infant all the way for 2 hrs before boarding, so do ask the budget airlines properly in case they are less kids friendly.

cheers
 
brink
wow! whatever u just mentioned made me apprehensive....stood there without clothes and waiting to bath, sounds like some kind of prison. Gosh!

jkids
so far i have to try to bath while looking after my girl alone ...not sure if she can wait for me to bath and get dry before she mah mah mahhhhmahhh..

haiz...listening about ccc made me nervous...now i am not sure to send my DD to half day or full. Haiz.
 
i think there is a difference between pcf kindergarten & pcf sparkletots ba. my friends' kids are in sparkletots. Both seems ok..but then i think better send for enrichment class before when they are in k1/k2 level.

cannot close 2 eyes la..1 eye must be opened..haha...to me, safety & communications are impt. As long as no major accidents, it's ok. Need to expect falls at times, can't expect them to watch our own kids every seconds. there are so many kids in the school.

now i'm in a dilemma. my #2 in Sparkletots and there is no teacher for toddler level. I hope no need to transfer out cos he is comfortable there. My #1 is in a private cc. Learning wise i feel they are not bad..but too many kids there..supposed to transfer her to Sparkletots but no teacher for her level too..haizz...
 
jingles, the bathing thing (ala prison style) is quite commona.. my friend's girl in pte ccc (quite branded one), also exactly the same procedure. worse thing is that pte ccc is fully aircon. can only console ourselves that it helps build their immunity.. sigh..
 
jac
aiyoh...chummmm...u make me worried haiz..maybe i should buy a bath robe for my dd...

moscato
ya i agree....closed 2 eyes...only applicable under parents/pil care...cos we know no matter what they will not endanger their own grandkids..for outsiders, cannot lei, close 2 eyes..jialat le.
 
For bathing with alone at home with toddler, normally :

1/ a hungry baby is a fussy baby.
So I always make a bottle of milk for her before I enter for shower.
2/ switch on BabyTV, so she watch TV while drinking milk
3/ place her favorite toys and books on the bed, AND on the sofa bed in the room, AND on her baby cot where she can reach for her favorite toys and books, yet able to roam around freely within the bedroom.
4/ bedroom door is closed to ensure that she stay within the vicinity.
5/ get the motions into a routine, so she is familiarized after some time

Sometimes she tap on the bathroom door, and I will sing her favorite song, or talk to her through the bathroom door.

Sometimes she will be sitting on the raised platform waiting for me to finish shower.

So far so good, there is hardly any trouble from her nowadays.
 
kamile
thanks for sharing
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yes, agree...routine is the key..
haiz but this is to tide the days where hub is going for reservist next month..cos norm dd is with my mom...
guess got to incorporate this habit over the weekend.

anyone success in potty training?
 
Hey mummies, now amazon got free shipping to singapore if you buy small items of up to $125USD. I am thinking of buying some stride rite shoes and toys but sure cannot hit 125USD so looking to see if anyone want to combine order for stride rite shoes? Looking to place orders hopefully by say..16 June.

PM me if interested!
 
oh no la..thought my friend wans lobang for nanny staying in punggol area...ok but she doesnt wan liao cos i told her ur nanny always on urgent leave de :p
 
ah! she not always on urgent leave but that once and not even apologetic pissed me off. anyway i am moving to the north in a few mths time hehe. and my nanny's daughter getting married so will look after her grandchild next time. timing just nice for both sides
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