Any Mommies in mid-late 30s or over 40 with small children?

[rona]

Tam, don't be disheartened lah. you have only one son I have two!!! will be heartbroken twice over... hahaha!!!

Anyway, i knew of friends who have great relationship with their MIL. Their MIL knows how to zuo ren, so my friends also know how to zuo ren lah, so in the end, they do enjoy good relationships. I think the key is not to stay with them, let them run their own household and respect them in their decision. if the gal is smart, she will know that she has a good MIL and will respect us back as well. I too, don't intend to stay with them. As for helping them, I let them decide. If they want me to help out, I'll be there for them, else I have a lot of things and activities q-ing for me. hb and I hope to have some money for travelling as well when we are old. there's so many places that we like to see! i want to learn ballroom dancing, I want to learn wushu, i want to learn to play the piano and i want to learn calligraphy. there's so many things i want to learn! If i have a small plot of land, i also want to do gardening... lots of lots of things to do and learn!

However having said that, I will still follow sleepy's view and grind them on the supporting parents part. must make them give us some money, else where got money to do all that i wanna do??? besides, we have already spent so much on them, its about time they support us back a little... heheheee...

 

[2sleepy]

rona, Tamaarind

kids have a better deal leh. Now we provide food & lodging, nice wardrobe (growing fast so need to buy new ones frequently), pocket money and even enrichment classes & university education. Next time they only need to provide food & lodging, pocket money. They already save a substantial amount on education since we don't need to study mah. Much cheaper to maintain parents than kids, so they shouldn't complaint.

 

[stylobb]

Hi Mummies
Just unpacked everything and it is hard work! hehe... now quite tired.

rona
I managed to find the card

Chin Lee Restaurant
Blk 115 #01-285
Bedok North Road (sorry, not south!)
Tel: 6444 5554
Opens everyday

Recommended dishes:
Fish maw soup
Coffee pork ribs
Mee sua
Or nee

Tampopo is at Liang Court. Always long queue, so make rsvns.

I rembr other restaurants that we tried
Mint
Paulaner
Staamtisch (this one has yummy beef fondue)
Brotweit (I think I spelt wrongly)
Black Angus (not nice)
The Steakhouse (not nice)
Angus (Jap western, pretty ok)
Peach Garden (good value for the food)
Ministry of Food (ok lah)
Tonkichi --- actually I wud recommend the 'cheap' tonkichi outlet at basement of Taka -- cos the std is as good as Tonkichi, if not beta.
Nanbantei (yakitori set lunch at Far East Plaza - yummy)

Inlaws / Mils - aiyah, no matter what, I think mils will feel that their sons listen to their wives. And they prob. think no woman is ever good enuf for their sons. A lot of mils fail to let go of their sons, they cannot accept that their sons have married and are now attached to another unit, a family of his own.
So imagine if mil and wife live under same roof, sure to hv a lot of tension and the son wl be sandwiched in the middle. Gives rise to more stress, esp to the wife! Then worse, w/ grandchildren, the mil wl wanna get involved in nearly everything, wl want to do things her way, wl spoil the grandkids. Where does it leave the parents? End up hb and wife keep quarrelling when they shud be enjoying each other and their own kids.

Staying apart or together - Tam, if you are referring to staying together in a 5-room flat, I think even that does not allow breathing space for both parties.. so I still feel staying apart is beta, I mean, it can be another flat nearby.
I don't mind helping to look after if my kids have no help but it shud not be that they 'dump' the kids w/ me all the time and only take back on weekends. I feel as parents, they shud take care, at least at night. I am tkful to my mom and mil who help out but we hardly ever asked them to watch the kids last time (as in the kids sleep at their place.) We have always looked after our own kids tho we were deprived of sleep initially!

So, rona, how old are ur kids now?

I rmbr once we went to eat, and this lady saw my twins and said I wl be v fortunate next time as I wl have two sons-in-laws...????
I presume she meant the sons will listen to my gals..?

sleepy, I agree that it's good to inculcate that they have to help out the parents, and provided that they can afford to. WIth rising costs and all, I wonder how much they can help next time. But it's good practice to give parents some money. I also give my mom allowance, after all, she cooks for us and helps whenever she can.

tam, btw do u have ur brother's contact?
He does not bother to call ur parents at all?
Then it's stressful for u to have to take care of our parents, not that u don't want to, I'm sure but it helps if there is another sibling around...

 

[rona]

sleepy... huh, then they will tell you that your old parts are failing and the maintenance for these parts are expensive! actually cannot count on the kids nowadays lah, i still want to build up my retirement fund. so I won't give the kids anything more then a good education or if they cannot study, money for skills so that they can make a living and at least can support themselves later. there's an old chinese saying: a set of parents can bring up 10 children but the 10 children cannot support the set of old parents. sad but true.

 

[2sleepy]

parents must buy insurance especially hospitalisation coverage. once old & ailing, no insurance companies will cover you liao

must buy when strong & healthy

 

[rona]

you know what is my greatest fear? To be helpless lying on the bed and cannot go to the toilet myself. Even with maid or nurse (if I'm lucky to have rich and generous kids), it will still be very degrading for me.

 

[precious_gem]

Hi ladies,

Sorry have not drop by much. I was hospitalised almost a week, last wk. Just got back to work today. Have not really read thru all the postings ... will do soon.

rona c.
thanks for explaining abt the dotter-son thingy.

sleepy resolutions,
I laugh at ur dotters pleading with their hubbies ...

As for me, I think I rather live on my own, with hubby of course. Probably in a smaller/3 rm HDB flat but I will decorate it resort style, a small suite; with jacuzzi, spa, resort style furnishings etc. Our past times will be travelling in our motorhome or houseboat or go sailing in our yacht .... that would be the life ... I'm not going to look after my grandkids, tho I don mind baby sitting them once in a very long while. I think I can retire atleast at 60 cuz my kids are still small now

My hubby will be 73! by then. Gosh! that's really old

I'll try to use my skills to work freelance as and when I need more money after I retired.

 

[rona]

precious! how are you? hope you have recovered well... take care still even if you have been discharged from the hospital.

 

[precious_gem]

Hi there ladies!

Hey thanks rona for ur concern. I'm still on anti-biotics.

Yep, we all need health insurance. Atleast medishield cuz medisave alone won't be enough. But it's good that now we can use our medisave for chronic diseases. It really helps.

I hope my kids will do well in life and will have good families of their own. Hopefully they'll give me a small monthly allowance and perhaps provide me with a part-time helper that comes twice a wk to clean my house. I'll be content with that. I'm trying to find ways to build my retirement fund but most of my money goes to my kids. Well a little a day goes a long way, that's what I'm trying to do. I'm stashing a little here and a little there ... hope to get a big stash when I retire. The problem is, we won't know how long we'll live after retirement ... I think I'll be happy to live 10 years more after retirement and die at 70! By then, I hope to see my children having their own life with families of their own, see my grandkids and travel all around if not most part of the world. But 10 years will need alot of money ..... hmmmm

How long would you ladies like to live?

 

[juz_me]

RE: Daughters
Ha ha... I have only 2 sons. Better pray for good daughters-in-laws

Just bought Pri 1 books and uniforms for my elder son. The aunties selling uniforms were shocked to see my son - telling him - "Boy" - pls eat more....my son is only 15 kg and I really can't imagine how is he going to carry his school bag...haiz...hoping for a growth spurt during these few months.....

 

[tamarind]

precious_gem,
Oh dear hope you have recovered now. Take care.

rona,
You are right that the key is not to stay with DIL, let them run their household. That is exactly the relationship between my MIL and me. I don't see her often, not much chance to get angry with each other. Especially now since she has to take care of her daughters' babies. I have 2 SILs, both of them gave birth to their second babies, about 2 months apart. So my MIL is super busy. I have not seen her for months

sleepy,
Yes we should all teach our kids that it is their duty to support us when we are old, cannot make life so easy for them

styloBB,
My brother calls my parents once in a while. But he said that he barely makes enough to support his wife and daughter, and he does not even have enough money to buy an air ticket back to Singapore. He has a PhD and is working as a research scientist at the university of Liverpool, I cannot believe that the salary can be so low.

 

[rona]

juz me, your boy is slim... my gal at 30 months already 15kg and 97cm tall... hehehee... cos her mummy me is quite big also.

i don't want to live too long too. but what is just nice? until our money run out or until our health run out? when I'm 60 years old, my S1 is 28, D2 is 25 and S3 is 23, all should be independent and able to look after themselves already. So I think maybe 70 years old in good health should be enough. I don't want to be 90 and be bedriddened.

Tam, I know the taxes in UK is pretty high. But he has a PhD and working as a research scientist... very smart in academics...
Depending how his project is run, funding wise, may depend alot on govt and pte sector so his salary may not be as high as those in the business or banking sector. Nevertheless, I still think he should still give an allowance to your parents no matter how little. Its the basic principle. Does he take his family for holidays around europe? I know of a friend, she, hb and 2 young sons went to US but because of cost, only hb is working. she told me very frankly that they cannot afford to come back to singapore yet... but they do give their parents some allowance. So I think your bro should still give some allowance. Poor you, must be quite tedious to be the only child...

 

[tamarind]

rona,
My brother is very smart in academics but not that smart in earning money. He told us his monthly salary is 2700 GBP, after 30% tax is 1800 GBP. I am not sure about the cost of living in Liverpool, but that sounds quite tight for him, since his wife does not work and their daughter needs to attend school.

I don't know why he said he could not find a job in Singapore. He could have taught private tuition and still earn a comfortable living.

My mother refused to pressurize him to send allowance, so she suffers in silence.

Yes I feel very stressed. It is not nice to be middle age, need to support both the older generation and the younger generation. I think I can only relax when my kids are more than 18 years old.

But I am very scared of dying leh. I can't imagine losing consciousness forever. My father was bedridden for a while, but he recovered and he was able to move around without help. I think in future technology will be more advanced and there will be more gadgets to help us when we are old.

 

[stylobb]

Hi Mummies
Oh me kena diarrhoea/fever yesterday..

rona
Er...did u miss my posting to you re the food?????

I also hope I don't end up immobile!!

precious gem
What happened to you? HOpe you are fine!!!

tam
Don't understand why ur brother has to move to UK... is that salary considered high??
But I guess it's not easy surviving on one income and not on expat posting... cos those ppl on posting wl get to return on co's account. Since he chose to go there, he is prob. like a local earning local wages and with the taxes...
Not easy for you to support ur parents alone... tfkully u hv a nice hb.

 

[tamarind]

styloBB,
You are on MC now ? Take care.

He moved to UK because he cannot find a job as a research scientist in Singapore. I guess he is not contented with any other job since he has PhD. It is a problem over qualification

 

[rona]

hi stylo, yes i got it. thinking of trying out tampopo weekend. will check the no from the business listing to make reservations. i think i remember chin lee, but have not been there yet, even though its been there for a very long time now. are you ok now? there's this bug going round...

tam, think that's the problem. cos there's really not much opportunities on the research front in singapore. but salary for PhD seems low at GBP2700... maybe he did not get a good bargain.

 

[tamarind]

rona,
I am not sure whether he is telling the truth about how much he is earning

Hi all,
If you have a chance to go back to school again, what will you study ?

I will definitely study to become a medical doctor. This is one profession that will never have any downtown.

 

[edrickelleon]

Hi All,

I'm in my 30's wif a 18 mths old son, wld like to join this thread.

Cheeers,

 

[stylobb]

Hi Mummies
Still feeling a bit weird at my tummy area.... argh..too bad, we hv office potluck today (chix curry!) but I cannot eat!
Had porridge whole day yesterday.
My kids are better liao, tkfully my maid really watches over them, cos I hv no energy to, and my hb's at reservice... Finally the twins stopped puking yesterday.
My boy was v sweet, he returned home and asked me, "Mummy, are you better?"

rona
ABout living long, it's not up to us to choose, right...hehe altho I suppose we can adhere to healthy living...hehe... now must live long cos to ensure kids have support mah.

Tampopo, tel: 63383186

tam
Losing consciousness - recently I had a bad dream, I dreamt I was abt to go... but I refused! becos of my children!! Scary....heeee

I thot now with the brain drain here/Asia Pacific, he shud be able to get a good job in this area instead of going to the UK.

Study: Child psychology??? hehe... anything to do with children... shud be useful... hehe
My gf wanted to book a therapist for her child with govt hosp but long queue, she wondered if there are really so many 'problem kids' in S'pore...

edrickelleon
Welcome to join us!!
Are you a FTWM or SAHM??

 

[nothing2do]

hi all mummies,
i'm in my late 30's. haha old liao. envy u lady still can hv bb to play with. i miss those day. i hv 2 gals P4 & P5 now.

 

[2sleepy]

Tamarind
I want to be a medical doctor too (if can wind back the clock)!
By chance or fate, I end up in another discipline even though I was very strong in Science subjects. Still kicking my own ass

Now my dd1 said she wants to be a brain surgeon when she grows up. I thought PD better. Anyway, whatever she likes lor, kids change their mind pretty often. My dd2 is very focus, she wants to be a superstar!

If I have a chance to return to school (I do plan to do that when my kids are older), maybe I will consider Psychology

 

[stylobb]

Hi Mummies
Feeling ok now but a bit blur at work today.... tkfully not a stressful day...

tam
Are you still saving up the CDA account? Is your bank OCBC? I wish to find out if we can do internet banking from POSB to OCBC... (any other mummies can advise?)
Hv been laxed since the banks changed, cos it used to be so convenient when all are POSB..

nothing
Why is ur nick so strange one.... you so free ah...haha...
You are not old, if count backwards, prob. married in late 20s?? so still considered young!

 

[tamarind]

edrickelleon,
Welcome ! Your nickname is so unique. Any special meaning ?

nothing2do,
Welcome ! Please feel free to chat here

I really wish I can be like you, nothing 2 do hahaha

styloBB,
Yes my bank is OCBC. I have saved total $5000 in the account, government has given me another $5000.

Yes you can transfer from POSB to OCBC. You need to setup at the website www.dbs.com.sg -> Internet Banking. It will take a few days to approve.

I think my brother's field is too narrow

Something in accelerator Physics that I don't even know how to describe ! That's why it is not easy to find a suitable job here.

sleepy, styloBB,
Both of you interested in psychology

I think I got talent to become medical doctor. I got a lot of medication at home from previous visits to the doctor. When my kids are not feeling well, I will see their symptoms and then give them medication

I just realized my typo mistake in my earlier post : This is one profession that will never have any downtown -> should be downturn

 

[rona]

edrickelleon, nothing, welcome welcome...

went back to office today for training, will have to go back again tomorrow, maybe for half day tomorrow... if half day, really waste my time. no choice lor, else i may not have a desk to go back to when i go back from ML. but its so nice hor, at least no noise from the kids and its peace... just that i cannot absord cos so lack of sleep that i only hear hong hong hong and everything is a daze... didn't doze off though.

stylo, how come you didn't take MC? must have lots of water also else dehydrate. you all must have gotten the same virus, have to rest well to get well soon. wish you and daughters speedy recovery!

Tam, you can be a very successful teacher also. think you are very patient and detail and systematic, so you will be a great teacher, that should be recession-proof too.

for me, if i can turn back the clock, probably be medical doctor too. or a phsiotherapist, cos i'm good with my hands. or if i don't waste money studying, can be a good massage lady but its hard work... then i can become boss for chains of famous spas... or maybe i become a tcs newscastor? but don't have the face and the voice. dreams................

sleepy, your gals very focus. my 5yo boy only want to play, cos he doesn't like to study... hehehe

 

[2sleepy]

Tamarind

you think we still have chance to apply to be a medical doctor? how about TCM?
heehee, looking for 2nd career

rona

newcasters need not be very pretty lah, presentable can liao, professional make up artist will make up for you mah

heehee, they are focus like their mommy mah. I made up my mind to get a Masters degree when I was only 15 years old, even though my parents would be contented if I'm a production operator. They always tell me don't study so much, go out & play!

 

[rona]

wow sleepy, you are also very focus! very driven also. I was thinking of a Masters degree but gave up cos don't need it at work and also very expensive. anyway, TCM is quite good too, just that its a lot of time. 3-5 years full time or something like that, tough... with our children etc really hard to make up the time. But both your daughters very smart right, so maybe you are better off there. my one just wanna play... dunno what he wants to do also.

 

[rona]

actually, i'm interested in gems. maybe i can study to be a gemalogist - is this what you call a person who qualify a stone? like a person who sign off a certificate that certifies how good the stone is? it will be nice, cos i can do that part-time too and earn extra income on top of my regular full time income. any idea where to get this cert?

sleepy, how to you put in the different smiley face?

 

[tamarind]

rona,
Thanks for your compliments

Actually I am in the teaching profession now, teaching young adults

I am not good lah, when I encounter students who are not motivated to study, I will vomit blood

Actually don't need to turn back the clock to be young again, it is still possible to acquire new skills when we are in our 30s or 40s. You definitely can become a massage lady ! I think you can also try applying for TCS newscastor, they don't have age limit. I think your face and voice don't lose out to the other newscastors

Gemologist is interesting, but I am not sure how to become one in Singapore.

I help sleepy to answer your question about the smiley face. Go to this webpage and copy the code.

http://www.singaporemotherhood.com/cgi-bin/forumboard/board-image-lister.cgi

sleepy,
Definitely not NUS Medical School, very difficult to get in even for A level students. We have to look for universities overseas. I think in USA it is possible for adults to go back to university after working for many years. But we need to have the money lah, it is not going to be cheap to study medicine.

You are very fortunate that your girls are focus

 

[stylobb]

Hi Mummies

rona
Oh I am fine now, I did take one day MC. Was feeling a bit weird at the tummy yesterday, but ok today. My lips cracked cos they were so dry.

Went to ikea yesterday for a bit of "me time" and did some shopping... felt so good..

Are you back at work? Who's lookg after ur bb (gal)?

Newscaster or presenter did cross my mind when younger! But not now, find not so articulate nowadays.... hehehe...
Studying gems sounds so interesting, I wudn't mind staring at diamonds everyday...hehe....

Dreams - I wud like to run a shop that sells tods' basic tees in cotton/lycra mix in many, many colours... hehee ...

tam
Tx for the info on ocbc...wl hv to check it out.

I ordered some stuff from iherb.

If anyone is interested, use this code VIV068 to get USD5 off ur purchase... they do int'l shipping at only USD3.99 for this month.

I started my boy at berries today, he likes it! so I hv signed him up.
He went into the class w/o any hesitation, and when he is done, I asked him if he liked it and wud wanna come again, he said a firm "Yes!" so that sets my mind at ease....

Btw is ur gal at P1 now or next year??
My dad kept my primary school's report book so I can use it to register my twins next time at my school....bless him.

U mean u are lecturing now????

Starting new career - the minus point for me is I don't want to compromise my time loh... want to spend my time with my kids...

 

[rona]

Tam, is there any difference teaching young kids and young adults? I think if you need to teach my older one, you will vomit blood, for sure. Massage lady still can lah, but be the news presenter, think cannot. nowadays, my mandarin is very rojak and my english is worst. I actually have a much better command on my mandarin and i know the language quite well, but now, i've return all i know back to the teacher. and i can't speak that fluently already too, think lack of practise... so sad. maybe i should go back to school and pick up proper chinese and mandarin again.

iwent back for training for two days, and my mum and maid help me look after the 3 kids. the youngest bb is a boy... else i won't be able to leave the house for more than 1.5hrs... lucky this bb boy is quite a good boy, will have last feed around midnite then take again at about 5am, then will wake up at 8am. quite stable already nowadays... its a vast improvement from birth.

I think I will try to check out how to be a Gemologist. think its fun and i may be able to work part time on it. will google this wehn have time.

Stylo, Berries is good lah, my older boy is in there too and its something he looks towards to everyweek... surprise! as compared to Tien Hsia, it is not so stressful and presurizing too. which one did you put your boy to? my boy goes to the one at orchard on saturday 1pm. am thinking of putting my gal there too, new class starting on sunday morning. only thing is that i'll have logistic problem. think its 9.30am to 10.45am, then my son has swimming lesson from 11.15am to 12noon. only half an hour in between... could be a bit tight. but only this branch willing to accept my gal, cos she is younger. this year, they are supposed to take in those born in 2005, but i managed to persuade them to take in my gal, she's born in April 2006. so now, am still deciding whether to put her in or not.

What did you order from iherb?

Which school will yuor kids go?

 

[stylobb]

rona
Still up,cud not sleep... T2 puked just now...hb/I got up to clean her and the mattress!! Tkfully I went to check on her cos she was wailing away... think tummy not comfy...

How old is ur boy? Which level? I also bring mine to the Orchard one! hahaha...
Yeah, was briefed on the lessons and they sound fun... quite like my church's sunday school lessons which I teach once a month..hehe

I ordered Sambucol (spelling?) and multi vitamins.

Gals ah, rgps...

Language, sama sama, lack of practice, tho the teachers there say I can speak quite well, I feel I hv not used it often to be at ease....

Ok, gotta try to get some sleep...

 

[stylobb]

rona
The dreaded Mocha Frappuncino.... rats!!!!

 

[tamarind]

styloBB,
Yes I am lecturing poly students now

The good thing is I am teaching quite simple stuff, so there is not much stress. The not so good thing is some students are very difficult to teach !

Thanks for the discount code for iherb. Let me know how your purchase goes

Both my kids are with Berries, and I think they are one of the best Chinese enrichment classes.

My girl will be in P1 in 2010

You have a lot less headache since your twins are guarantee to go into your old school. My primary school is long gone.



rona,
Yes there is a big difference in teaching young kids and young adults. I prefer teaching my kids, they are much more innocent. When teaching my boy, I only have to promise a sweet or a chocolate or his favourite DVD, then he will finish learning for the day. It is much more difficult to motivate people 17 years old and above. Even if you tell them they are going to fail, they still don't care.

I think your English is good ! And your voice is very pleasant

Can try newscasting lah !

My kids are going to Woodlands Berries. Both you and styloBB going to the Orchard branch ? I almost wanted to put my kids there, but decided not to because of the expensive car parking.

 

[2sleepy]

Tamarind

I have been following your comments & views in another forum. You are a very wise mommy

 

[stylobb]

Hi Mummies

tam/rona
Forgot to mention there was nother place near my place which I enquired re Mandarin classes, the moment they told me the classes are conducted in a sit-down manner, I immdtly dismissed the option. Can imagine my poor boy wl be so turned off by that!! haha...

tam
I got a relative who lectures too, she told me before it's v difficult to motivate them to do well!!

Ok, wl let u know when the purchase comes thru.

Berries - Oh, I wl go by bus w/ my boy, but yesterdy my hb called and said he wud pick us up as he had brot the gals for a co. gathering.
Wl hv to see how the timetable wl be next time shud I decide to send the gals as well....

rona
Why dun u ask ur hb to bring ur gal there?

 

[tamarind]

sleepy,
Thanks

I have learnt a lot from other mommies and I am still learning

styloBB,
Berries class has no fixed tables and chairs. The teachers bring out folder small tables when the kids need to write, then keep when they are finished. My girl actually prefers fixed tables and chairs !

By bus to Orchard Berries is OK. I had to take MRT to Orchard station which is still a long walk.

My 5 year old girl's milk teeth is starting to shake lose ! I am surprised because I thought should be around 7 years old. She is very funny, had her first tooth only when she was 1 year old, then now so fast losing her milk teeth.

 

[2sleepy]

Tamarind

My dd1 started losing her teeth at 5 yo too. Now 8 adult teeth 4 on top 4 below

 

[rona]

stylo,
how's your kids? how come still puke? too full or still not well? think you may need to give them this medicine call Protexin RESTORE, which has Probiotic cultures that will balance the bacteria in the tummy. else may have to take domper to stop the vomiting.

son is 5yo, in K1 and goes to the 1pm sat class in berries orchard. how about yours? Tam, i usually take the opportunity to run errands, so park the car for 10 mins and go and come back to pick up when he's done. but if i need to park, will park along the road with coupon parking. so sometimes i will be waiting at the roadside... and by the time i got a lot, i need to go fetch him already...

nowadays, i'm so immune to caffaine that no matter how much i had, i will still knock off when i head touches the pillow. think i'm very very tired. can't sleep in the afternoon no matter how tired i am. no chance to take afternoon naps... hehehee... Mocha Frappacino! yum yum, long time didn't have it already, maybe get some 'me' time and have a cup somewhere... I need to go to M&S at plaza singapura tomorrow to refund a on sale blouse i bought last week. cos the very next day, there's a further promo - 20% off on all sale items! so fed up, so wanna refund... 20% is like $12... so still worth doing it... hahaha, time is bad, got to pinch and save...

aiyoh, tam, your gal also 5 and my boy also 5, while your gal is already doing wat, 10 for the keyword series? my boy is only doing 3a and struggling at it. its such a vast difference in their maturity and literacy levels! dunno when he will start to understand and be motivated to do well in his studies. hope by then it won't be too late! my hb and my old school still around. but since we're staying near ghim moh, will be putting him in hb's old school, HPPS. So lucky no need to do volunteer work, else no need to sleep already. but i think son and i will suffer from 2010 onwards if he carries on his way.

losing teeth - gosh, i betta check my boy to make sure his teeth is ok. can't imagine him losing his milk teeth now. i inherit my dad's good teeth, didn't have any fillings at all and i only brush my teeth once a day... sh... sh... sh... pls don;t tell anyone... do your kids love sweets? i don't eat sweets but mine love sweets. so i make them drink plain water after sweets. I also make them brush twice a day - don't take chances in case they didn't inherit my good genes... hahaha...

sleepy, i totally agree with you that Tam is a wise mother. She is also very dedicated, kind and caring mother. Compared to her, i'm a bo chap mum... and stylo a very cool mum!

 

[rona]

precious, haven't heard from you lately. Hope you are well and doing well.

 

[stylobb]

Hi mummies
Not a productive day for me yesterday cos I was sleeping quite a lot!!! hehehe...

tam
berries - yah, they shud be hving fun learning..

Teeth (tam/sleepy) - I cannot emphasise more on the importance of taking care of teeth but see, rona is borne with good teeth! sth which I'm convinced... hereditary.. if your gal has permanent teeth coming out, it's still ok.. if not, better watch out...
My boy's teeth ah, I always hv to watch out, and he does brush twice a day. He does not take sweets but still he had problems... rmbr the amt I had to pay for him the last time? For next appt, I told hb to bring him cos I cannot take the stress! haha...

rona
Thanks yah for the compliment ... I also learn from you all, what is Protexin RESTORE? Can I buy from pharmacy? What is 'domper'? Only T2 is vomitting, once at night.. think I wl withhold milk at night from her for now... saw her vomit all over her clothes, face and hair, so poor thing. But she is ok in the daytime leh.
boy and T1 are fine. T1 is back to her eating self, "I want noodles, I want ice-cream." etc etc... "I want blue bowl to put noodles, I want cake"..!!!

We all keep talking about our kids but we don't know the names, care to share your kids' names???

My boy is at the N2 class!
Anyway my hb wl bringing him this week, so I told hb to bring the macbook and go surf at Starbucks...hehe.. then can tell me how it's done.
The berries class is great, except the whole place is a bit cramped.

Talking about prices, one cup of that costs $5.50!

I think girls mature faster than boys and are usually better than languages... so don't give up lah.... I find boys gnrlly better at motor skills.
There was once we took back this cheap set of toys (imitation lego) from the gals' class, my boy was quietly sitting on the floor and he actually fixed the whole vehicle by flwg the diagram...

Are you all into buying household stuff? The household shop at United Sq basement is having moving out sales.. may be worth taking a look.

Hmm...quite a lot of mummies are MIA from this thread hor?

 

[rona]

that day i went to coffee beans and had a special coffee blend, it costed me $7.50!!! so drinking more at home now... hehehee

yah, dunno what happen to everyone...

 

[edrickelleon]

hi stylo bb and rona, thanks for the welcome.

Stylo bb:
I'm a FTWM..though still wish to be SAHM but cannot afford to lah

tamarind:

re my nick, you're right there's a special meaning, lol..edrick is my son's name and elleon is actually the opposite of my name...so my name is..a pretty easy guess kekeke..

kinda feeling a little stress lately, as i said I'm ftwm, actually shld be ptwm coz i wrk 4 full days a wk. just that i'm in sales wif never ending targets, and also now stressing over looking for a good preschool in queenstown area for my 18 mths son..

u know being 1st time mum, kinda worry to much i guess. but kinda sort my thoughts out and just go with my instinct and play by ear as the time comes...glad I'm found this thread..u gals are friendly and great...hope to meet up sometime.

Cheers,
edrickelleon

 

[gingerbelle]

hi mommies

How's everyone?

Was MIA for a while. With no maid as a FTWM for about a month, it was tough. Finally, my new maid arrived last Fri and luckily think she is still ok, good with cooking so far.

My kids have been sick and my 13 month old gal has been waking up every single hr at night due to her phlegm and cough..it's a killer really..I'm short fused due to lack of sleep.

Work is ok except that I'm missing 'lunch mates'. Think it would have been more enjoyable if I had a stable and fun lunch kakis ya..but I'm like a newbie fitting into 'old' groups already formed for years. Although it is my ex-co all of my previous kakis have left.

Is anyone impacted by the financial crisis going on? Me, impacted by paper losses due to plunging share prices...but other than that, don't feel anything yet. Only probably hearing all the doom and gloom about the financial crisis in the news, makes me think I should watch my spending. With the kids, it's hard for me to do any shopping anyway.

 

[edrickelleon]

hi gingerbelle, guess I'm blessed wif my MIL being a great help to babysit my 18mth son which really eases my mind when I'm at wrk. But sometimes can be a nightmare when she start ringing every now and then checking on what time I'm coming home..keke

not really feeling the impact on the financial crisis except like you seeing the news and such.

 

[tamarind]

Hi all,
I had to work over the weekend at home, too busy to post here.

sleepy,
OK then it is not unusual to lose teeth at 5 year old. I cannot remember exactly what age I started losing teeth, but I remember I liked to pull out my own teeth hahaha I didn't like shaky teeth, so I will try my best to pull them out myself.

I am very tempted to shake my girl's loose tooth

But she refused to let me touch it.

rona,
I feel pai sei by you and sleepy's compliments. I am a full time working mother, forever feeling guilty, so I try to make full use of my time with the kids.

Just try to read consistently with your boy, I am sure he will improve over time

We mommies need to have a lot of patience.

I am surprised that you can find a parking lot on sat. I used to bring my girl to the Little Gym at Forum just opposite Orchard Berries, also on sat afternoon. I could not find parking anywhere except the Four Seasons hotel which is so expensive ! I stopped her class after a few terms.

Me too like you, only brush teeth once a day hehehe And I love to eat sweet things. I never have to pull out any teeth due to decay before

I also indulge my kids with sweets and chocolates, and I make sure that they brush teeth twice a day.


styloBB,
I think I better bring my girl to see the dentist for a checkup. The last time my kids went was more than 1 year ago

Oh dear, you must be very tired taking care of your T2. Hope she recovers soon.

My kids are Chloe and Jerome

Talking about coffee, I prefer to make my own coffee at home. My favourite is UCC kilimanjaro, about $10 a packet of coffee powder which can make about 20 cups of very nice coffee. So it is about 0.50 a cup hehehe. Starbucks/Coffee bean coffee is so expensive !

edrickelleon,
OIC about your nick

Yes first time mum everything also stress

But don't worry kids grow up very quickly. Any plans for a second baby ?

gingerbelle,
Hope that your kids recover soon. Take care and try to get some rest. A good maid will be a big relief to you

My money is all in insurance with Great Eastern life and NTUC INCOME, and fixed deposit. I am not sure whether my insurance policies are secure ? I have very little knowledge of banking and finance

 

[edrickelleon]

hi tamarind, thanks for the re-assurance.
I'm a coffee lover too! though no research to know which coffee is better, but i do agree that starbucks/coffee bean coffee are expensive and to my perspective, not my cuppa coffee..

Actually, I'm torn between choices of pre-schools whether to put my 18 months son in an
international or local pre-school, preferably in Queenstown area.

I kinda like the idea of letting kids learn through play and less
academic driven at such young age as I swear against the typical
competitive parents syndrome. But circumstances seems to force me to be competitive as many of the schools are full until next year, my god!

A big plus with international schools is
that my son can learn to socialize with kids from different parts of
the world with proper English speaking environment.

However, being a Singaporean, I also worried if my son will be able to
cope with the local curriculum set by MOE when he enter P1.

I've visited a few in that area such as Carpe Diem (Alexandra),
Learning Vision (NUS), The Experiential Learning Center (SIM) as well
as White Lodge (Bouna Vista). I quite like White Lodge as they have
kids from different culture plus they're MOE registered kindergarten
which they claimed they do offer preparation for kids in their
kindergarten programme should the parent decide to enrol their child
into a local school when they go P1.

Mummies, appreciate your precious comments and recommendations coz I am confused and tired!

Cheers!

 

[stylobb]

rona
You didn't answer my questions re the medication leh.... I need your advice to save my gal's puking..hehe

Forgot to mention my boy's class is same time as ur boy's!!

tam
Oh u were working on weekend ah..........

Primary School - so where wl you send your gal to? Wow, sounds like ur gal is the motivated kind....

I think we need your list once more!!! lost track of who and which kids.....
What happened to cuddles, cowandchick and city pumpkin??

Do your kids go for art classes? Is $100 a month considered exp for art classes?

Thanks.. my kids are jesse, chara & julien (the twins).

Coffee - actually I don't drink coffee, I mean, I stopped since my first pregnancy.. I was sussing out the area on Sat... will stick with BK's soft drinks next time, cheaper! hahaha.... but I was pleasantly surprised that both BK and Starbucks were not that crowded....

I agree we always need patience... I always hv no patience, hence I rely on my hb to teach jesse...

Tired - still ok lah, if the weather holds, I shud be able to go for a run. Tkfully hb wl clean/bathe her while I take the mattress out and change to another mattress.

Parking - you didn't try the open air carpark behind Far East Shopping Centre? But it's true, exp parking nearly everywhere in Orchard...

My mummy friends recommend the Smile Clinic at Lucky Plaza. The dentist was recently interviewed in the papers. I'm thinking of bringing my gals to him as jesse's one is too exp and I cannot afford to bring the twins there.

edricknelleon
Hope you will find a good playgroup for your son. Can understand your stress, cos I recently changed my boy's school....had to submit the paperwork, was afraid I'd miss the deadline.... tkfully all is fine and he will be at his new school next year.
For my twins, they wl stay put for another year before they join kor kor at the new school.
What I'm trying to say is there wl always be things to be stressed about, just try to relax a bit....

There are both advs and disadvs in having mil to look after ...hehe...

gingerbelle
Not really impacted lah, can sleep well at night...hehe.... except prices of practically everything have gone up.....

So your collicks are all in cliques ah?? Not easy.....
Where is your office?


Btw has anyone been to phuket with kids before?

 

[stylobb]

Here are the h/hold stuff I mentioned.
A chopping board whereby you can transfer the contents imdtly into bowl after chopping...

 

[stylobb]

Designer strainer...??..hehehe

 

[rona]

Hi Stylo, sorry, missed the medication part. you cannot get it at pharmarcy, the ones they sell in pharmarcy has low dosage, its call Lactoforte. These i get from the clinic, my kids go to Kinder Clinic, they have a few branches and you can ask for either Protexin RESTORE or Reutefene (this one my kids like and they chew one in the morning, but not cheap so only eat when got problem). Kinder Clinic has a few branches: Gleneagles, Henry Park Apartment, Mount A, East Shore Hospital, Paragon and Parkway. don't know if there are any others or not. Does your gal has runny stools also? Jesse is your eldest gal? Chara & Julien - Twins, 1 gal 1 boy? lucky you! Your boy must have gone to the new class, N2 1pm one right? next time we can meet up for coffee... or you can guess its me when you see me, i'm usually in t-shirt and bermudas or 3/4 jeans or something, hair tied up, very laid back, no make up and look very ah sau... doesn't fit into most of the mums attire there... that's why i usually don't hang around... cos too lazy and too hot to dress up nicer. aiyah, hb always tell me that its a shame to bring me out in case bump into his friends.

my kids are Arnold, Sheryl and Jerold. Yesterday after bringing Arnold to school, i went to mac for coffee - $2.50 for a small cup of cuppacino. brought Sheryl along with me too and she had chix nuggets and a sundae. think they have the cheapest cino in town. no coffee shop else will drink teh si, will only set me back by 80 cents only. as for parking, i waited quite long for parking yesterday, think about 25 mins as a bit unlucky. still, i managed to get a lot.

my MIL like to use special flavoured Coffeemate for her coffee. after adding 2 teaspoon of this, the coffee is transform to tastier and more angmoh coffee... coffeemate cost about $10 though can use for a month.

yes, arnold goes to art class in CC. cost about $60 for 10 weeks. simple class and they use crayons. he enjoys it though. went for 20 weeks already and still continuing. I'm going to look for the maths thing in CC. timing is impt.

i think i started loosing my teeth around 8yo. and that's because the permanent teeth is pushing out so the milk teeth has to go. I hope my kids don't loose their teeth too young. I'm planning to bring arnold to the dentist for well being check up soon. but not the Orchard road ones lah, just the clementi one, Q & M or something like that. don't want to pamper them too much. I will also have a go while there.