Archive for the ‘Mommyhood’ Category
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My Son is Almost 5
WOW. Time flies so FAST! By March, my son will be turning 5 and he wants a Chicken Little birthday cake and a Chicken Little car. The cake is easy to grant but I don’t know if there is such thing as a Chicken Little car. Anyway, before 5 there is 4 years and 3/4 first so I am updating with his Baby Center updates (yes! I still read the up to date email from Baby Center)
My son shows tantrums and emotional turmoil once in awhile these days, he loves to whine and I am not perfect to say that I find it very controllable, in fact, I deal with how I deal with him when he is whining because it gets in my nerve most of the time and I will take these tips from Baby Center as my guide.
One of the greatest gifts you can give your child is teaching her how to calm herself when emotions are boiling over. Self-calming is not an easy thing to learn — or to teach, since most of us are still perfecting the skill.
Since you want to catch her before she explodes, you first need to recognize signals that she’s about to lose it. Does she whine or lash out verbally? Maybe her body language or tone of voice tells the story. If she’s frustrated playing with her blocks, does she clench her teeth? Once you know her cues, you can discuss them with her. The goal is to get her to recognize on her own when she’s emotionally on the edge.
The next step: teaching some simple anger management and stress relief techniques that will help her cope with strong feelings. It can be as simple as showing her how to take a deep breath: “When you feel like whapping your little brother, stop and take a deep breath and then let it out.” Or, “Take a deep breath and count to three, then let the air slowly blow out your mouth.” Practice together; eventually it can become second nature.
Physical activity lowers stress and clears frustrated minds, so getting outside can help. Warm baths, soft music, a back rub — these kinds of sensory activities soothe as well. “You’re beginning to whine and get frustrated. Let’s take a bath to help you calm down.” Although your child won’t be able to give herself a back rub whenever she’s frustrated, your doing so helps her learn to identify her strong feelings and realize that it’s possible to tame them.
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Sandwich Lunches
The one thing that I want to start with my husband is bringing lunch at work but not just lunch, I want to bring sandwiches as our lunch, 3 times a week to help us control our calorie intake and help us eat healthier. I need to plan our meals though and that will be hard if you don’t do the marketing at home (we live with my parents). We are a BIG rice eater and I want to start eating less of it since we are not getting any younger. We need to control our sugar intake and eating too much white rice can affect our sugar level. I will have to try this plan instead of eating in the canteen with rice! rice! and more rice!
By the way, I found these really nice LunchSkins Sandwich Bags that I might as a friend to grab for me. They are nice to reuse and are very safe…
No more ziplocks.
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My Chatterbox
I always find it annoying when my son talks non-stop and seems to not listen to any word I tell him. We always remind him to say excuse every time he wants to say something if mommy or daddy is still talking and somehow he mastered that one already. He usually says excuse me to us and tells us what he wants to say. I always though that there is a problem to his listening skills when I read his milestone updates from Baby Center…
Even quiet preschoolers are chatterboxes compared with older children. They love to sing, tell stories, and play word games. They love to ask questions. They’re still refining the fine art of conversation, though. The talking part is not a problem; it’s the listening part they need help with. Unsure how to get and keep your attention, they butt in as needed and keep going whether or not you’re listening and responding.
Fours also take a full-steam-ahead approach to talking because the part of the brain that manages self-control isn’t developed yet. Often your child interrupts because he’ll forget what he wants to say if he doesn’t spit it out quickly. While you don’t want to discourage your child from talking, it is time to clue him in to conversational etiquette.
Let him know that it’s impolite to interrupt, that he needs to take turns in conversation just as he does in playing. If he needs to say something, teach him to wait for a pause and say “excuse me.” Praise him when he does that or when he waits for you to get off the phone to ask a question.
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UN Costume Search
Now I know as a preschool mom that by September after Linggo ng Wika, you should now prepare for October which has the United Nations Day. Today, I received a note from the teachers about their school fair and together with that, they will have a UN costume parade. I still have to wait what country my son will be representing, so far I am wishing any of these 3 countries he can represent.
England
USA
Japan
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Is it time?
I learned swimming when I was in third grade so I have doubts if my son can this summer, he is 5 by then. We are looking for sports that we can possibly enroll him. His doctor told us to get him into sports. I am thinking of soccer, but swimming is still something I am scared to consider but is still considering because I know it will give him so much advantages like, strengthening his lungs for example. We will see next year if he is ready. I read an article about swimming lessons for 4-year-olds over at Baby Center that got me thinking…
Your child may be like a little fish in the water or he may cower at the edge of the pool. Either way, swimming lessons are a great way to learn water safety and work on coordination.
Four is usually a fine age to start. To learn to swim, a child must be mature enough to be in the water with an instructor but without you and must be able to get around without swallowing a lot of water. He needs to be able to pay attention to directions and be able and willing to stop doing something when told to do so.
Start by finding a certified instructor who has experience with young children. Many community pools, sports facilities, and places like the local YMCA offer courses for young beginners. With 4-year-olds, the class needs to be fun; ask if the lessons incorporate music or games. Your child also should be allowed to progress at his own pace; it’s not unusual for a child to stay in a beginner class for more than one session. The first go-round might simply be spent getting comfortable in the water.
Make sure there’s adequate supervision. At this age, a good ratio is one instructor for every four children. For beginners, lessons should cover water safety, as well as basic floating, breathing, and leg and arm movements.
photo from: Pool Center
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Using TV as a Babysitter
I am not a perfect mother and I can admit my mistakes and one of these is letting television (or as for me, the movies played on our laptop) babysit my son. I read about the Top 7 Mommy Guilt Trips in Baby Center, visit it here if you want to read the rest of the article.
Time to cook dinner, so you plop the kids down in front of the tube so they won’t be underfoot. They’re happy, but you feel a pang of guilt as you see their jaws go slack and their eyes get that faraway look.
Soothe it! In 2003, the American Academy of Pediatrics announced that children under 2 shouldn’t watch any television. No more popping in a DVD while you grab a shower, no more cuddling on the couch and watching kids’ programs.
This recommendation became instant fodder for mommy guilt. “I started letting my son watch educational programs when he was 1 and he still watches DVDs. But after reading about not allowing any TV for kids under 2, I’m panicking!” says one BabyCenter mom.
But if you break this rule, you’re not alone: A poll of BabyCenter moms reveals that only 10 percent of moms with toddlers forbid TV completely. Sixty-seven percent think it’s okay to let babies watch some TV, and 69 percent let their child watch the TV shows and DVDs they’re watching. But the shame is still in play: 26 percent of moms lie about how much TV their children watch!
Is television really so evil? No, say Renner and Pflock: “Using television entertainment as a form of quiet time is perfectly appropriate.” The key is moderation. If your child is under 2, keep viewing time to a minimum, and break it into 15-minute chunks. Watch with your child, and pick programs that are appropriate. If your child is older, see our TV guidelines for preschoolers and big kids. Then relax and send your guilt on its way.
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The Moms in School
I love the moms in my son’s school. I’ve stayed and waited for my son to finish classes several times and I noticed most of them are simple and look friendly. I haven’t had the chance to chit chat with them since most of them just drops their kids to school but I like how they can flash a smile to me without any hesitation. Some are in classy clothing, even wearing really nice Beadaholique beads jewelry like accessories but that impression of friendliness never escapes me. I am a very shy person and I am not really good in starting small talks but I get so comfy at his school because even if we are new there, teachers and even the moms look so down to earth. I wish to gain mommy friends soon, maybe in the next PTA meetings, I didn’t get to attend the first one since my son was recovering from his urinary tract infection. Well, I’m sure we will have along way to go with this school, we love it there.
Howdy!
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