Encouraging our children to read is probably the best education we can give them as a parent.

But it can sometimes be an uphill struggle too, so do not worry too much if you are finding it hard to get your kids to enjoy reading, or if your kids are not able to read books on their own as yet.

Here’s the thing, when you enjoy something, there can never be the force factor. Younger children like nothing better than to snuggle up with their parents to share reading time! So just keep reading to them, and without you realizing it, you will find your children reading to you instead in no time!

My girls love reading so much that they can read anything and everything. Their most favourite moment will be when I show them new books for them to read. They always look forward to that part.

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It’s the March holidays, kiddos and parents!

NO, NO EXCUSE TO BE LAZY. KEEP YOURSELVES BUSY STILL.

I don’t know about you, but I try to keep my girls occupied with activities, plays, or classes whenever the holidays are here. I guess that’s the only way their mind will keep running and thinking, which will result in more active and creative play.

NO?

I AM SORRY BUT I JUST HATE IT WHEN THEY WATCH TV FOR MORE THAN TWO HOURS DAILY.

Believe it or not, it can actually give me a panic attack. Too much TV is no good for you, kiddos.

Will blog more about that soon.

So anyway, one of the plays we are truly looking forward to attending as a family will be..

GOLDILOCKS & THE THREE BEARS!

Presented by SRT’s The Little Company
8 Mar – 21 Apr 2013

DBS Arts Centre – Home of SRT 

Who does not love fairy tales, no matter how young or old we really are? Goldilocks & the Three Bears has got to be one of the most loved fairy tales around. Ask any kid… or adult if you don’t believe me.

This March 2013, SRT’s The Little Company brings the well-loved fairy tale of Goldilocks and the Three Bears to the stage.

Goldilocks, on a trip into the forest, ventures into a seemingly uninhabited house. In the process of making herself feel at home, she turns the place into a gigantic mess! Little does she know that the house belongs to a family of three bears, who will not be too pleased to witness her handiwork.

Following the sold-out run of The Three Little Pigs in 2012, the second installment of SRT’s The Little Company Trio-series, Goldilocks and the Three Bears reminds children not to fiddle with the belongings of others, lest there be consequences to bear.

With music and lyrics by the famed award-winning West-End musical theatre song writing duo George Stiles and Anthony Drewe, join the cast as they bring your child on an exciting journey through this children’s classic!

The Nadyas, Tatek and I will be attending the 2 pm show this coming Saturday, 23 March 2013. Hope to see you there!

Want to book the tickets?

EASY PEASY. CLICK HERE TO PROCEED.

Photos courtesy of SRT’s The Little Company

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My firstborn Sharleez has atopic eczema.

What’s that?

For starters, atopic eczema is one of the most common causes of dry, irritated skin in children. Atopic eczema is a chronic skin condition in which the skin becomes itchy, reddened, cracked and dry. Atopic eczema mainly affects children, but it can continue into adulthood or start later in life.It is often a very frustrating condition for both the child and us parents because the itchy red bumps and patches can recur, and the itching plus scratching can become so severe that the protective layer of skin is scrapped away. And when that happens, the skin will bleed.

Do you actually know why your skin is dry?

It is not because it lacks grease or oil, but because it fails to retain water. So what does it need then? Lots of pampering and moisturizing!

For sensitive skin like Sharleez’s, I use Curel Body Moisture Milk, which is fragrance-free and colorant-free. Curel is specially formulated and clinically proven to comfort dry and sensitive skin, even on babies and on face. Yes, that is how gentle it is. For babies with dry skin or eczema, it is important to maintain moisture with gentle products like Curel.

Although there is no immediate treatment for eczema, it can be controlled and minimized, and that is what I have been doing all along. It important that we play our part in keeping our child’s skin from becoming dry or itchy, and avoiding known triggers that cause flare-up like.

Here are some ways to help prevent an eczema attack.

• Avoid giving your child frequent hot baths, which tend to dry the skin.
• Avoid excessive scrubbing and toweling after bathing your child.
• Avoid dressing your child in harsh or irritating clothing, such as wool or coarsely woven materials.
• Apply apply moisturizers or lotions frequently (ideally, two to three times a day).
• Keep your child’s fingernails short to minimize any skin damage caused by scratching.
• Try having your child wear comfortable, light gloves to bed if scratching at night is a problem.
• Help your child avoid becoming overheated, which can lead to flare-ups.
• Eliminate any known allergens such as certain foods, dust, or pet dander from your household.
• Have your child drink plenty of water, which adds moisture to the skin.

Source: KidsHealth

Before swimming and after a fresh shower, I will always keep Sharleez’s skin well-moisturized with Curel’s gentle, hypoallergenic moisturizer. What I like about Curel Body Moisture Milk is how it spreads easily and penetrates quickly into skin, leaving behind no sticky feeling at all. It’s almost like having no cream on!

Curel has no scent at all. and immediately soothes, moisturizes and softens the skin.

How do I know this? Well, because I am using Curel Body Moisture Cream for my dry skin!

Hahahahahahaha. Yes, can share share one, the cream.

Seriously, it is working on my skin because I can really feel and see the difference so far. Especially with the hot and humid weather nowadays, it is very important to moisturize the skin.

See my happy face? That’s because Curel does not irritate, or leave a sticky and greasy feeling. I hate super sticky body lotion, and used to avoid body lotion at all costs, if truth be told.

I need my body lotion to make my skin feel smooth and hydrated. It should not feel heavy on my skin.

So yup, if you are just like me, then you might want to give Curel a try too.

Sharleez especially swims a lot, and because she is always immersed in water for long periods of time, it is natural for her skin to be very dry. In fact, I noticed she was scratching after swimming lessons. Her skin was super dry!

So what I did right after she had her evening shower was to smother her from head to toe with Curel Body Moisture Cream instead of the usual Body Moisture Milk. Why so? It is because the body moisture cream contains the highest ceramide concentration in the market, and is especially effective for very dry skin. Did you know that as you age, ceramide level restored in your skin diminish, and together with exposure to sun, this will eventually lead to moisture loss and a more sensitive skin?

Sharleez had to battle with her dry and sensitive skin due to the frequent exposure to water and sun but with intensive moisturization, Sharleez’s skin was back to normal. No more flaky skin.

Of course, I can be a mean mummy and forbid Sharleez from swimming since she has an eczema problem, after all. But hey, she loves swimming so much despite how tanned she is becoming, and how broad her shoulders are now. Swimming is an awesome form of exercise, and it also provides a good relaxation for my girl. So why not, right?

Curel is really affordable for daily usage, and is available at selected Watsons & Guardian Stores and National Skin Centre.

Body Moisture Milk 220ml $22.80

Body Moisture Cream 90g $28.80

You can read more about Curel HERE.

Visit CUREL FACEBOOK HERE to redeem FREE samples.

Believe it or not, Sharleez’s skin used to be so red and patchy, especially at the joints.

But now, she is a happy and healthy sun kissed girl!

And that’s all that matters because…

A HEALTHY KID IS A HAPPY KID!

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Random outings with my daughters always turn out so well.

It’s those planned ones that will bore them and tire them out even before the outing starts.

NOW I KNOW THE TRICK.

I’m so smart.

So right after I fetched them home from school today, I decided to bring them somewhere for lunch. So I casually asked them the question while I was driving.

“Girls, you wanna lunch at home or somewhere else today?”

The almost immediate replies I got from them?

“SOMEWHERE ELSE, MUMMY!!!”

“CAN WE EAT FISH & CHIPS?”

“YAY! WE ARE EATING FISH & CHIPS!”

“WE PROMISE TO BE AT OUR BEST BEHAVIOUR!”

Sweet.

They consensually decided on their favourite place to eat in the whole wide world;

MANHATTAN FISH MARKET.

But before that, we did the normal routine; it was a trip to the Ladies so that they could do their business, however small or big. As usual, they did not even allow me in the cubicle.

“Mummy, just wait outside & look at yourself in the mirror. We can do pass urine ourselves.”

OUCH MUCH?

Okay lor. Wait outside and take picture of myself then. No biggie.

And check out my bag please, I beg you.

That’s my bad habit; I do not know how to close my bag. I am ALWAYS like that!

Go shopping don’t know how to close bag.

Take picture also don’t know how to close bag.

Meanwhile, my big girls were inside the same cubicle and taking turns to use the toilet.

They took quite some time amidst the chitchatting and all.

Finally, they were out, with their uniform properly tucked in, no less.

Awwwww.

Actually, I am very proud of them three for trying very hard to be independent. They need to, anyway. My eldest will be in primary school next year, so it is about time I learn to let go a bit, and teach her the need for independence at the same time. You know what they say about kids with healthy self esteem? These kids will grow up to be independent and responsible adults. So I am just glad the methods I have tried out on them seem to be working…this far. And because they seem to be working, I will now share them with you.

1) Believe

Children love to be praised and complimented for every thing they do. They need to know you believe in them. You want them to do something, you encourage them with positive words such as, “Come on, you can do it. You are a smart girl.” Teach your children to think positively about themselves. Confidence builds on itself, and your child will gain greater self esteem when you encourage independence and responsibility.

2) Refuse to Step In

You know how sometimes you will grumble each time they take too long to do an age-appropriate activity like tying their shoelaces, eating on their own or keeping their toys. It can be hard to watch them do these things. It can even be pretty excruciating too because you just cannot wait that long for them to be done, right? Your time is precious. They cannot waste your time. I know because I used to be guilty of this too. But really, if you have that extra time to spare, show them how to do it, let go, and let them struggle. Super mean right? I do not think so. I think that is called learning. The joy they feel when they gain a little more independence can be very rewarding, and a strong motivator to try new and more challenging tasks in the future.

3) Routines

Routines give your child practice and repetition. If, for instance, the after school routine includes putting away their shoes and schoolbag, having an afternoon nap, and later doing their school work, your child will learn that responsibility is a way of life. If bedtime is at 9 pm, you jolly well stick to that timing regardless of how impossible it may seem sometimes. When a child does the same thing over and over, he learns independence without even thinking about it.

4) Fall Down & Experience

Resist the strong urge to rescue your child every time. You cannot possibly be a helicopter and hover over your child 24/7. I used to be like this actually, but that was until I figured out I was spoiling them instead. Life is full of opportunities to succeed and make mistakes. If you fall down, get back up again. Learning takes place when children are allowed to make mistakes. But when they make mistakes, do not make it seem like they have committed the biggest crime ever! Keep telling them it is okay to make mistakes but you need to also let him/her experience the natural or imposed consequences. If they are not that pleased with what they have achieved or attained, then they should know they need to try harder in future. 

5) Coach 

When your child is faced with a problem or situation, ask a lot of open ended questions that encourage your child to think for herself instead of immediately telling her what to do. For instance, if a friend disturbs her in class and she does not like it, ask her questions like “What do you think you should do?” or “What should you say to your friend?” Give her the chance to handle the situation based on what she thinks is right.

When you keep advising your children, it only tells them what YOU want and what YOU think is best. Coaching your children to make decisions on their own supports them in developing good decision making skills, and honoring what is best for them. It’s okay if they do not make the best choice. Nobody is perfect, anyway. Live and learn.

The goal in raising children is not to protect them from pain or harm, but to equip them essentially with what they need to be independent, responsible, and resilient adults.

So yeah, I admit I sometimes I make my girls cry through the above methods, but hey, I am seeing the positive results already. (Please do not fail me X 1000 times.) HA HA.

I hope to raise three independent girls. Insya’allah.

Not whiny, overindulged or petulant ones who insist on having things their way all the time, no matter what.

How to survive in the real and tough world when they are only fit for the castle?

:S

“Perhaps we have been misguided into taking too much responsibility from our children, leaving them too little room for discovery.”

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I miss my Nadyas’ diaper moments sometimes.

I remember always bringing a diaper bag full of diapers whenever we went out, and checking out the best baby rooms each time we went to a shopping centre. I would then spend almost the entire time in the baby room if I liked it, only to be told off by Tatek for wasting so much time in the baby room. HAHAHA. Those were really the fun days when they were still babies. I actually had fun doing those things with Tatek and my girls! That’s what the early part of parenting is all about, and I am glad I got to experience them three times. Or should I say, twice since Mysha and Myreen are twins? How do you count these things? Anyway…

BOOHOOOOOOOOO.

Now they are so big (according to them), and they are already at the stage where they decide what THEY want to wear, and not what I want them to wear. Just the other day, they forced me to buy them wedges.

LIKE REALLY FORCED ME, OKAY?!!

“We want to be just like you, Mummy. We like Mummy’s shoes.”

“YA! WE DON’T LIKE KIDS’ SHOES WITH DISNEY PRINCESSES. SO CHILDISH.”

“Mummy, buy us shoes with heels. We are not babies anymore.”

“Mummy, you have those shoes, right? We want also!”

Oh by the way, I am still searching for brown sandals for Myreen because she wants them brown, just like mine. Not pink. Not white. Not purple.  I am feeling so pressured! Grrrr.

Is she 4 or 14 or 40?!

Does she remember that she used to crawl around BAREFOOTED in her diapers? Does she or not? Want me to show her some pictures? HAHAHA.

Yes, this mummy over here cannot help but to feel a tinge of sadness as I watch them grow up by the second.

I MEAN, JUST LOOK AT THEM IN THEIR HUGGIES MOMENTS!

Sharleez always liked to pose like a top model..in her Huggies!

Mysha and Myreen, they were just really happy babies in their Huggies.

AWWWWWWWWWW.

Who would have thought they would force me to buy them wedges one day, right?

OKAY ENOUGH, ENOUGH ALREADY. I AM JUST BEING SO MELODRAMATIC.

Does your little one have his or her own Huggies moments too?

Well, you might get lucky and win prizes just by uploading a photo of your baby wearing a Huggies branded diaper, feature a Huggies branded product, or some element of Huggies brand to be eligible to win.

Remember, it does not have to be a picture of them in Huggies diapers only. Be creative! I am sure you can do better.

Details are as follows.

You need to register before you can join the contest! 

SUPER AWESOME! 

You can even upload them photos in Instagram but please remember to put the hashtag #sghuggiesbaby

Kimberly-Clark will select two prize winners from the 6 photo submissions which receive the most ‘LIKES’ during the Nomination period. Winning entries will be based on the originality and creativity.

So when is the contest period?

NOVEMBER 21 2012 UNTIL DECEMBER 26 2012, 12 PM.

Do you need more information?

CLICK HERE.

“We do not remember days. We remember moments.”

LIKE THIS ENTRY IF YOU TOO HAD WONDERFUL GROWING UP MOMENTS WITH YOUR KIDS. <3

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