Do you remember how you celebrated Mother’s Day when you were still a little child?

I remember it clearly.

Mother’s Day celebration has always been a simple affair ever since I was small. I would wake up extra early just to clean the entire house for Mak. I would sweep the floor, mop it till I could see my reflection, wash the dishes, fold the clothes, and clean Mak’s room even. Back then, we did not have a helper, so I knew it was my responsibility to do something that would make Mak happy; and I reckoned keeping the house clean would make her the happiest. Yes, my mum is that easy to please because her life is really all about us. On every Mother’s Day, I would be at my best behaviour, and try my very best to not make her raise her voice. No fights with my siblings, no nothing. Mak was queen for a day, and we were angels for a day. Well, almost a day. So hard to not fight with one another over the simplest thing. LOL.

I miss those good old days when everything was less complicated.

I miss being a little kid.

I miss growing up.

I miss having lesser responsibilities.

I miss being so carefree.

I miss spending time with Mak.

Mother’s Day seems to be so complicating these days, man. There’s always the dilemma of deciding whose mother we’re celebrating first, second, and third. In fact, Tatek and I are already cracking our brains on how we are going to celebrate Mother’s Day tomorrow. First, there is ME! LOL. Secondly, Mak. Thirdly, my mother-in-law. Sometimes, I really feel like we need an expert just to arrange a schedule for each mom on the exact same day. How many hours are there in a day again, excluding bedtime?

Actually, as ironic as it may sound, Mother’s Day is all for the children. It is not so much for us mummies.

Kids, they are forever eager to show that they love us and that they can take good care of us.

My girls have been saying things like,

“Mummy, I love you so much. Thank you for taking care of me.”

“Mummy, you are the best mummy!”

“Mummy, I will always make you happy. I will never make you cry.”

Just look at my bag. It is filled with cards that my girls have been making for me non-stop for the past few days or so. I am not kidding you or exaggerating but they keep filling my bag with cards and letters every now and then, some of which they did in school!

“Nah Mummy. Happy Mother’s Day!”

It is always so easy to fashion a statement out of construction paper and glue and fill it with lots of hearts and glitter for mummy dearest when you are a kid. I mean, what else can you do to show how much you appreciate your mum? You express it best through your drawings and all. You put your heart and soul into those handmade cards.

However, I was so tempted to tell them,

“Okay, enough already. I have no more space to keep your cards!”

But I cannot possibly be saying that right? I must be appreciative, especially when they are always so happy to give me these handmade gifts. LOL.

As kids get older and subsequently turn into adults like us, it will become harder to express how much we love our mummies because our lives are now filled with something else like never-ending duties and obligations. The once in a week phone call or visit will then be our way of saying “I am here now, and I still remember all that you have done for me.”

What am I saying here?

When we grow up, we need to find a new way to express our love to our mums.

And as mothers, we too need to be able to hear or see what our children are subtly telling us. They will not make it that obvious most of the time due to a little something something huge called EGO. It may no longer be a flimsy or super gluey handmade card but a perfect looking store-bought card instead. So what? They may not say they love us so very much anymore in the card but they will say they appreciate whatever we have done for them instead. So what again?

Knowing that your kids spent those few minutes to buy the card before writing a little something for you is enough to tell you that you still matter in their lives. Or is it not?

Being a mother is a very challenging job, as we all know! What’s new, right? It does not come with any kind of training book. Okay fine, they do sell those guide books which I love to read, but honestly, those books are just for my pure entertainment. I do not read them to learn how to be a better or perfect mum. There is no correct way to be a perfect mum, and we all learn how to parent on the go. Most of the time, we take that leap of faith and we experiment while we are at it. Should we fail, we have no time to give up or cry for days/weeks/months. We have no choice but to pick ourselves up again almost immediately, and just keep trying to to do the best that we can for our children.

Know that while we think that we may not be the best mummy yet for our children, we are always the best in their eyes.

Sure, we do not need a specific day to celebrate our role in society. But doesn’t it feel super good to know that there is a day to celebrate our existence as mummies? After all, it is just a day of recognition and appreciation.

If every day is Mother’s Day, when then can we feel extra special?

When can we really take a break from everything just to spend that time with our children?

It hurts when I get super busy at times to even talk to my girls. 

It hurts when my girl has to grab my face between her hands just so that she can have my full attention.

It hurts when my girl has to try hard to look at me directly into my eyes just to tell me this.

“Mummy, I love you.”

Happy Mother’s Day. <3

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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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“HOW DO I PRACTISE TIME OUT WITH MY KIDS WHEN THEY MISBEHAVE?”

Okay since many of you requested that I blog about this, I shall and I will.

Disclaimer: I am not saying that I am such an expert in this, and that I am necessarily right. But this is what I have been practising with my girls, and since you want to know how I do it, I am more than happy to share it with youuuu. Parenting skills differ from parent to parent because well, every kid is unique and different too.

Bearing all the aforementioned in mind, I shall now begin.

First things first, TIME OUT is a technique that is used to help manage your kid’s behavior. If your child does something that is unacceptable like throwing tantrums or shouting for instance, then you will use time out to put them somewhere that is away from the rest of the activities that are going on at home for a short period of time.

What I will usually do is to make her sit at one corner until she cools down. If you are using a room for time-out, choose a boring but safe spot. You can use your child’s room, but be sure to make it clear to your child that he/she is not allowed to do or touch anything in the room while the time out is ongoing.

So how to effectively practise time-out with your kid?

Let me see…

1. DO NOT THREATEN

I think it is important to not threaten them with a time out every time they misbehave or are about to misbehave. For example, do not say “If you do not stop fighting, you are going into time out.” In order for a time out to be effective, there should not be any warning or second chance.

2. DO NOT OVERUSE TIME OUTS.

I also do not overuse time outs because by doing so, they will lose their effectiveness. Sometimes, some other kinds of punishments or positive reinforcements may suffice, so you do not have to necessarily resort to time outs all the time.

For instance when my girls fight with each other, I do not use time out. I use another method which I call HUG AND MAKE UP.  This is how it works. Usually their fights will be accompanied by their crying. So the moment they fight, I will ask the person who starts the fight to hug the other person until she stops crying. Once she is done crying, she will have to apologize. Now, usually they will take their own sweet time to cry and cry. But ever since I introduced this method, they will take less than 3 mins to cry and be okay. Hahaha!

3. NOT TOO LONG

Usually the time out will only last for 5 to 10 mins. Especially for younger children, you cannot afford to make the time out too long or your child will forget why he/she is in time out in the first place. The time out will cease to teach your child anything as a result.

4. TALK IT OVER

I will normally talk it over nicely once my child has cooled down. I will ask her why she is in time out, and what she should have done instead in the first place. She needs to be responsible for her actions.

5. USE POSITIVE REINFORCEMENTS 

At the end of every time out, I will also ensure that I use the positive reinforcement in the form of a super long hug and a kiss to let that child of mine know how much I love her still and that everyone deserves a second chance.

Now, some people may not agree on using time outs on kids because according to them, children view the isolation as abandonment and loss of love.

DUH? OF COURSE I KNOW THAT.

Precisely why time outs should not take too long. Precisely why you should use positive reinforcements together with time outs.

Everything should be done in moderation, especially punishments. When you overdo it, that’s only because your anger has gotten the best of you, and you only have yourself to blame.

Ultimately, time out is a form of punishment. A punishment can only teach our children what NOT to do. It cannot teach them what to do. To learn what to do, the best way is to teach them through the reward system and positive reinforcements.

At the end of the day, a parent’s got to do what a parent’s got to do.

And as a parent, no matter what happens…

GOT THAT?

Hope this entry helps! Thank you for reading! <3

NADYAS, I LOVE YOU SO MUCH! 

WANT MORE PARENTING TIPS? CLICK LIKE RIGHT BELOW!

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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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When Sharleez asked whether she could bring a camera to her zoo excursion, her Mama E immediately offered to lend Sharleez her digital camera.

That got not only Sharleez but me excited as well!

Like seriously? My girl is big enough to go to the zoo with her friends and teachers, and oh, handle the camera on her own. Without me around?!

My daughter is so cool!

It is a perfectly normal thing to have anxiety each time your child goes on a school trip, but I have also learnt that I cannot let my fear and anxiety rob my child of the joy and experience.

So yeah, I was actually very cool about the entire school trip and the bringing of camera to the trip. I was so tempted to follow the school bus from behind till they safely reach the zoo.

Okay, where was I again?

Yeah, I was very cool about it.

Besides, photography is a good hobby for children, and it teaches them to think and look critically at their own images. Through photography, they can even learn to tell a story, convey their emotions, and much more! It is important to let kids know that they can take photographs of whatever they are interested in. And whatever they are interested in need not be something of your interest. Keep the hobby fun and enjoyable for them. There should not be any pressure to always capture a great photo. Even the best photographers take hundreds of photos before they can finally get that one great shot.

Ili gave Sharleez some basic photography lessons prior to her trip. Hehehe. I wonder whether Ili did teach Sharleez about the rule of thirds too.  :D

So are you ready to have a look at some of the shots my girl took? She went a bit hysterical actually when she found out that I was going to put up the pictures she took. She was like “Oh dear Mummy, you think my pictures are good enough for everyone to see? Will they laugh?” 

I am not a professional photographer or anything like that, but I actually think she did a pretty awesome job. And I told her just that. I mean, the pictures didn’t give me an eyesore or anything like that, so that should suffice, right? Besides, I could immediately figure out what the point of interest was for MOST of the shots she took.

Well done, Sharleez! Do not worry too much about what others think because that will only deter you from being you. But sometimes, we need constructive criticism too in order to learn and to improve ourselves. And sometimes, giving too much praise is just as damaging as not giving enough praise.

So yeah.

Let me present to you, the wonderful shots by Sharleez! Some shots were taken by her teachers!

Hehe. Thank you Teacher Su & Teacher Huda for posing for Sharleez. So cute!

Teacher Su & Teacher Aida!

This is Hannah, one of Sharleez’s best friends in school!

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And then of course, what is a visit to the zoo without pictures of the animals?

So she took pictures of…

The parrots!

The crocodile! She was super proud of this shot because “The crocodile is super huge, Mummy! Can you see or not?!!”

The monkey…somewhere in the picture. According to Sharleez, the monkey was really noisy, so she knew she had to snap a picture to show me! Errmm. Sure Sharleez, I now know what a noisy monkey looks like!

The bats! Cannot spot them? I could not spot them earlier too. Rub your eyes and try to find them again.

And oh my god, my daughter now knows how to take self shots of herself already! (Must learn how to angle your face next time, okay? :S)

These two girls just could not stop snapping pictures of each other! So vain!

I cannot imagine them taking this shot themselves! Like what did they say to each other prior to the shot? HEHE.

That’s Myreen with some of her classmates and Teacher Tuty! And oh, do you see that cute boy sitting next to Myreen? His name is Ghazie, and she finds him cute! So I will always tease her with him just to see her blush. Ssshh. It’s just a little crush. Do not tell her I told you this.

Can you spot Mysha? Poor Mysha, only a back shot of her. But still cute, nevertheless. :S

I am certainly looking forward to more school trips, more awesome shots, and more storytelling through the pictures.

Sometimes we just need less words and more pictures. 

Sometimes, less is more.

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