Counting the days ‘til the start of the school year and it looks like you’re more excited and nervous than your child. Whether it’s his first year in preschool or moving up to big school, we listed down the major concerns of parents and asked for tips from teachers and experts to prepare your child, and even you as parents for the school year ahead.
"My son loves everything fried! I want to form a healthy eating habit by giving him some veggies for his baon, but I’m afraid he won’t touch it and will leave him hungry at school all day. What other alternatives can I give to make him like his food aside from the fried ones?"
-You can still have it fried but you need to change the usual meal preparation. Slicing, dicing and mincing the veggies is one way of hiding it. Try an omelet with carrots and onions, tortang talong, deep fried pizza roll, and a refreshing drink like shake with fruits tidbits.
"Since I started working, I've always left my child with her lola and ate (yaya). She doesn’t go out and mingle with children her age. Whenever we go out on play dates, she would instantly run to her lola. It’s her first year in preschool and I’m afraid that she will always look for lola when in school. Howcan she make new friends?”
-When faced with new people, environment, and situations, prepare your children with gentle coaching, and roleplaying. For example, you can visit school grounds together to become familiar with the place- because if she is, it's one less daunting obstacle to overcome. Another tip is by playing various situations using toys, and having guided questions such as- “Ano kaya gagawin ni (toy) kapag lumapit si (toy)? Ano kaya pwede niyang gawin para makapaglaro sila? Sa tingin mo, pwede kayang..? Maybe your child just needs to transition at her own pace and soon enough, she'll be running to her classmates already.
-When faced with new people, environment, and situations, prepare your children with gentle coaching, and roleplaying. For example, you can visit school grounds together to become familiar with the place- because if she is, it's one less daunting obstacle to overcome. Another tip is by playing various situations using toys, and having guided questions such as- “Ano kaya gagawin ni (toy) kapag lumapit si (toy)? Ano kaya pwede niyang gawin para makapaglaro sila? Sa tingin mo, pwede kayang..? Maybe your child just needs to transition at her own pace and soon enough, she'll be running to her classmates already.
"My child has a tendency to say “mine” to everything he holds! I worry about t when he goes to school. How do I teach him about personal belongings?”
-Labeling things as "mine" is your child's way of exercising his growing need for independence and ownership. To help him understand that not everything is his (and avoid possible future problems), you can practice at home by labeling other people's things. That some are Mommy's, Papa’s and some are his. It is important that adults model proper behavior in respecting other people's belongings. Show the correct way process of borrowing, returning, and waiting for your turn. Depending on the age, he would eventually outgrow it to become more inclusive of their peers.
-Labeling things as "mine" is your child's way of exercising his growing need for independence and ownership. To help him understand that not everything is his (and avoid possible future problems), you can practice at home by labeling other people's things. That some are Mommy's, Papa’s and some are his. It is important that adults model proper behavior in respecting other people's belongings. Show the correct way process of borrowing, returning, and waiting for your turn. Depending on the age, he would eventually outgrow it to become more inclusive of their peers.
Before
my eldest turned two, I already prepared myself to what they call Terrible Twos- how bad could it be? I’ve
witnessed my students throw tantrums and I was able to handle the situations well
so I can definitely do it again right? WRONG. It’s so much different when it
comes to your own child.
Students
still has a bit of hiya to go all out
in school. They don’t show 100% of their personality knowing that teachers will
be watching over their moves. Sometimes, they even show an entirely
different personality in school that’s why parents get shocked when I tell
them that their child is behaving well. “Ha?? di siya ganyan sa bahay teacher eh” When it’s your own child, they will
just shift their mood whenever and wherever they want to. And that makes me SO
FRUSTRATED that I sometimes shift to someone else too- like a monster.
My
daughter is now 2 years and 10 months old and I’ve seen so many shifts in her
emotions. Often times she’s in the mood to talk and play with everyone but when
something doesn’t go her way, that’s when we enter the fight zone.
Fight
zone is when I try my best to patiently explain to her why she needs to wait
for her turn or why she needs to finish her meal before eating dessert BUT she
insists on getting what she wants right there and then. Then comes the shouting
and I shout back then she starts to cry and I scream some more because I can’t
tolerate the fake cry (yes it’s fake I know!). Such a scary scenario I tell
you. I honestly don’t have a lot of patience to deal with her right now because
I also have to reserve my energy for her younger brother who needs my attention
and needs to breastfeed from time to time.
I
feel guilty whenever I give in to her wants just because I don’t want to enter
the fight zone anymore. I’d rather be in peace and keep up with her wishes than
go to the cycle of shouting-crying-screaming. But I still want to do the right
thing so I try my best to be MORE PATIENT (like 1million times) because I don’t
want her to think that crying will give her the hall pass!
So
what do I do when I can’t take it anymore? Walk away.
It’s okay to walk away from your child.
I’m not saying that you leave her alone in the room and let her cry for hours.
I’m saying you get your sh*t together and just leave- leave the room, leave the house
if you can! When I can’t handle it anymore and I need to finish work, I go to a nearby coffee shop. This helps me clear my mind and heart. I
need to do this not only for the kids but also for myself. I’m so thankful that
I have a patient partner and yayas. They’re my sub!! Walking
away doesn’t mean that I don’t want to be a mom anymore; I just need a break
from motherhood and just be Kat.
It
doesn’t end there. I make sure that every time I walk away, I reflect on the
things that just happened and assess my behavior as well. I think of other ways
on how to effectively approach my child. This is the peak of toddlerhood and it’s
inevitable-I really have to experience this with her and before you know it, it’s
all over.
Here I am now inside a coffee shop, finishing this
blog post and working on other work-related articles. I’m trying to be more composed so that when
I come back, I’ll be better..
hopefully. 
If you’ve already planned a trip to
Singapore this summer, you may want to squeeze in your itinerary a quick trip
to the ArtScience Museum located in Marina Bay Sands. Don’t worry, it won’t take a whole day like
Universal Studios. Tip: try to go there on a weekday so that your kids won’t
have to wait in long lines and can do activities without hassle. We checked out
a permanent exhibition called Future World: Where Art Meets Science. It showcases high-tech interactive artworks
built in collaboration with teamLab, a renowned Japanese interdisplinary art collective. Future World lets you have an
interactive discovery in Nature, Town, Park and
Space. I won’t give you a whole tour of the place, just those that we enjoyed the
most from the stations.
If
you’re like me who tries to stay way from toy stores because you think that
most of them were created for business sake alone, then you will love shopping
from this online toy shop. Mom and Milly offers educational
toys for toddlers that will help in developing your child’s skills-
cognitive, emotional, social and fine motor skills.
HOME STYLING TIPS FOR MOMS AS TOLD BY CAT ARAMBULO-ANTONIO.
- March 24, 2017
- By Unknown
- 0 Comments
Cat Arambulo-Antonio, interior designer and mom of three tells us how her style preference shifted from bold and wild to a simpler and more tamed look because of the presence of her children. “I make the necessary precautions now that my kids are around and we know that accidents, dirt and spills are unavoidable. My number one rule in choosing my accessories is that they should be pretty but unbreakable”, says Cat. For moms who still want to create a stylish and functional space at home, these are some tips to keep in mind.
Opt for custom-made furniture
Opt for custom-made furniture
Aside from being budget-friendly, you can tweak your pegs a little by adding a personal touch. Also, the measurements are more precise and will be more fit in your home.
When I started homeschooling my child and opened a tutorial center, I first thought of renovating a small space at home to serve as our study area. Aside from that, I listed down the materials I'll be needing for the activities and which art materials that will most likely take a big part in our lessons. Again, I’m not fond of purchasing items that are found in bookstores so as much as I can, I try to research on local products which are actually good and within my set budget. That’s when I found out about Ma’am & Moms.
My art set picks- toddler brushes, foam paint brushes and tempera paint
Since I’m homeschooling a toddler, I made sure to use non-toxic and washable paint which can be easily removed afterwards. It is important that we let our kids get messy from time to time. Controlling them while doing art works is a no-no. It’s best to let them choose and mix colors. I even let her paint on our glass doors and let her wipe excess paint on her shirt! I exposed my child to these early on and whenever she sees them she’d tell me Paint! Paint! Plus, I also like how the brushes where made, the handles are easy to hold and help kids have a better grip and control when working on their strokes.
See how vibrant the colors are!
Here are some classroom activities where we used the tempera paint. I bought them last July and a 100ml bottle goes a long way. Trust me, it’s super sulit! Which reminds me, this could be a great Christmas present for your kids and pamangkins!
- Mix ‘em with little water. Shake shake shake!
- Foil painting
- Great in canvas too!
- pattern painting- we used foam brush here
- Just like marble painting but we used pingpong balls which are bigger! Slide away!
There are many ways to enjoy painting it’s just a matter of experimenting with what you already have at home. You can use different kitchen tools, balls and other items to introduce texture and shapes! Always keep in mind to use trusted products like to ensure safety during activities. Don’t worry about the mess, what’s important is that your child learns to explore and discover what her hands can create! Enjoy!
Me with my grade 2 students from Ateneo
Hi everyone! Here's an article I wrote for Smart Parenting magazine wherein I included some tips on how to create a good tandem with your child's teacher throughout the school year. It's not to make sipsip but more on getting to know how to work with the the teacher and knowing that we, teachers, are human beings who need our own space and time after school. Hope this helps especially for parents who are about to enter the world of big school!
You have now found a school that fits your personal beliefs and has a teaching philosophy that matches yours. If it's your first time to send your little one to school, heed these tips for building a healthy relationship with your child's second mother in his second home.
From Smart Parenting's website: 5 Ways to Make Your Child's Teacher your BFF
1. Communicate
There's no better way to express your thoughts and concerns than telling the teacher directly. If you're a bit apprehensive to approach her and think she is too busy to attend to you, then a simple note or letter to be given before or after class will do.
If you are concerned about your child's grades, you might want to assess his school performance first. Avoid putting the blame on the teacher straight away. Again, it's good to communicate with her directly and to ask for her help with solving the problem. Listen to her advice, and be willing to explore all options with her, even if it means acknowledging that your child does need help.
1. Communicate
There's no better way to express your thoughts and concerns than telling the teacher directly. If you're a bit apprehensive to approach her and think she is too busy to attend to you, then a simple note or letter to be given before or after class will do.
If you are concerned about your child's grades, you might want to assess his school performance first. Avoid putting the blame on the teacher straight away. Again, it's good to communicate with her directly and to ask for her help with solving the problem. Listen to her advice, and be willing to explore all options with her, even if it means acknowledging that your child does need help.
Teacher says: "I like parents who ask even the simplest questions. It shows how involved in and concerned they are with their child's performance in school." - Carmela Maniego, grade school eacher at Xavier School, San Juan City
2. Follow up
Some parents, especially those who are quite busy with work, tend to rely on the teachers too much. They let them decide even when it comes to personal matters, such as what food to buy for lunch. Remember, you still have the responsibility to constantly check up on your child after school hours. Check his homework, and note upcoming school events, such as a play, for example, where he plays a lead role. You don't want your child feeling left out just because you were too busy with your meeting the day before. If you really can't prepare something for, say, a potluck Linggo ng Wika celebration, then let the teacher know right away so she could make the necessary adjustments.
Some parents, especially those who are quite busy with work, tend to rely on the teachers too much. They let them decide even when it comes to personal matters, such as what food to buy for lunch. Remember, you still have the responsibility to constantly check up on your child after school hours. Check his homework, and note upcoming school events, such as a play, for example, where he plays a lead role. You don't want your child feeling left out just because you were too busy with your meeting the day before. If you really can't prepare something for, say, a potluck Linggo ng Wika celebration, then let the teacher know right away so she could make the necessary adjustments.
Teacher says: "I salute the parents [of my public-school students] who know how to cooperate [with their children's teacher]. Despite the lack of funds, I still see parents trying their best to bring the children to school and give them money for baon." - Loreen Eslao, volunteer teacher at Teach for the Philippines, a nonprofit organization
3. Trust your teachers
As the saying goes, do not judge a book by its cover. From the orientation or the very first day of school, pay attention to the teacher's reminders, and not how she matched her outfits. Teachers are trained to work with kids -- they know much about children's behavior and how to handle it. Let the teacher work her magic.
As the saying goes, do not judge a book by its cover. From the orientation or the very first day of school, pay attention to the teacher's reminders, and not how she matched her outfits. Teachers are trained to work with kids -- they know much about children's behavior and how to handle it. Let the teacher work her magic.
Teacher says: "Parents who do not pressure me are the best. They simply [trust] that I [know how to] handle their kids. Yes, I do make mistakes, but I can acknowledge them without the [need to be] judged." - Jaea Kiocho, grade school teacher at Xavier School, San Juan City
4. Know your boundaries
Teachers have personal lives, too. You may think that adding your child's teacher on Facebook is a friendly gesture, but the truth is you may be invading her personal space. Do not be too intrusive. You can still learn about her likes and dislikes (if you want to send her, say, a Christmas present) based on your child's stories. If you have school-related concerns, find the right time to approach her or send her a note.
Teachers have personal lives, too. You may think that adding your child's teacher on Facebook is a friendly gesture, but the truth is you may be invading her personal space. Do not be too intrusive. You can still learn about her likes and dislikes (if you want to send her, say, a Christmas present) based on your child's stories. If you have school-related concerns, find the right time to approach her or send her a note.
Teacher says: "Some parents expect me to be available at all times, even after school hours. In my case, I don't reply to inquiries after 10 p.m. I also need to attend to my own personal needs." - Vicka Siddayao, kinder teacher, University of the Philippines Integrated School, Quezon City
5. Relax
When parents get too involved in their child's school performance, this may lead to a competitive attitude towards other parents and even other students. Relax -- your child is in school to learn and also to make friends. Let him do what he needs to do, and everything else will follow.
When parents get too involved in their child's school performance, this may lead to a competitive attitude towards other parents and even other students. Relax -- your child is in school to learn and also to make friends. Let him do what he needs to do, and everything else will follow.
Teacher says: "The best way to help parents be more at ease with their child's education is to change their perspective. We teachers educate their child not [so he will get high] grades and [win] awards but in the hope that when he does achieve these [awards], it would be because he has acquired the skills (e.g., planning, researching, etc.) and the values (e.g., resiliency, independence, etc.) needed to get there." - Yna Mendiola, teacher at Mentari International School in Indonesia
I love it when family and friends are generous enough to give my child new toys to play with. Although I appreciate all of that, I don't usually ask for toys as presents for her birthdays or any special occasion. And whenever we're at the mall, I make sure to limit her play time inside toy stores.
Why?
Most toys available are just made for plain business purposes. They are marketing cartoon characters and not really thinking about how functional or educational their creations are. Whenever I chance upon educational toys that I would actually like to play with my child, its obviously too expensive for me. So when I was creating her set of toys, I made it a point to keep it creative without burning a hole in our wallets. These are the items that we both enjoy using when she plays at home:
As you can see, these are common objects found at home or household items. Most of them were given to her and some are staples that I use to teach my students. I go to Pinterest for activities and so far, she's been enjoying simple and not-so structured activities that we do. Of course, I still let her play with her stuffed toys and battery-operated toys but it's really important that kids also learn to appreciate and use their imagination with just the simple things that are offered to them- not too expensive, not too techy.
I don't have time for inserting activities with my child due to work- Moms, you can do this! Activities can be done in 15-30 minutes and there's no need to do it daily. Make it a special bonding weekend activity that the whole family can enjoy and learn from.
I'll be posting some of my favorite activities with my child in my upcoming posts. In the meantime, I'd love to hear the common objects you've already tried out with your children. What are your favorites so far? :)
Schedules are clearly important to keep one's day running smoothly and effectively. Likewise, routines should be introduced to children as early as possible. It doesn't have to be strictly followed but at least they get a sense of what they'll be doing for the day. Here's a very simple schedule I made for my toddler:
Looks like there's a lot going on but trust me, no matter how much I plan her day and load it with activities, it seems like we still have an entire afternoon to ourselves and her energy keeps her up until late evening. The main reason why I created this type of schedule is because I'd like to limit screen time. When I was still working full time, her guardians resorted to giving her the tablet since they need to do household chores too. I noticed how much time she spent online and how irritated she was when the Youtube video was taking too long to load. With so much guilt on my part, I promised to make her days more productive as I shifted to a part time job and business. It was the best decision I made! She did not have a hard time adjusting to the routine and she even loves having one. She knows when it's time to play, eat, shower and nap. She is even more madaldal now that she gained more experiences and was exposed to different objects instead of just watching online videos. Hay regrets.
The best part is that we've bonded so much that she calls Mama! Mama! every five minutes to show me what she's doing or ask me to get something for her. It drives me crazy at times especially when I have to work online or even when I'm just going to the bathroom. But I wouldn't trade it for anything else! :)
There are many benefits of having a schedule for children but it may vary depending on how you want to train your child and the whole household (tell guardians not to bend the schedule, okay?) How about you, care to share your child's daily schedule? I'd love to hear some suggestions.
Water has been one of my top choices when thinking about an activity that will grab the attention of my students, even my own child. Growing up, I used to play inside a timba (tub) while holding our garden hose. I'd spent hours inside it and it felt like swimming in the ocean with my water toys. And now, a lot of inflatable pools and toys are readily available in toy stores that come in different shapes and sizes making it more fun and more safe for your kids!
Some parents are hesitant to let children play with water for too long. Why? kids might get sick and let's face it, it's hard to clean up the messy and wet area right after. But consider doing this once in a while, maybe once a week for 30minutes to an hour. You'll see the wonderful benefits of engaging in water play, not just for tots, but for all ages!
Think outside of the box...errrr tub.
With just the tub and plain toys that are water-resistant, children will begin to use them in so many ways. It can act as a ship, a shark, or whatever it is they have in mind. Just keep in mind that the toys are not too small for them to swallow.
Stronger immune system
I like doing this activity in our garden. Aside from its easier to clean afterwards, my child enjoys running around with the hose with her feet touching the grass. I believe its important for kids to be exposed once in a while to breathe in natural air and be more familiar with their surroundings. She enjoys creating a puddle of mud and likes watering the plants as part of her play routine. Take note, she’s also wearing her favorite bathing suit!
Different concepts are introduced
Water can be used in many ways and concepts from Science, Math and Art can be taught. For Science on freezing to melting, you can show a bucket full of ice and then leave it under direct sunlight until it melts. Or mix few drops of different food coloring and see how colours change when asking about colours. For Math on measuring, bring our different sizes of cups and see how much you can put on each then compare. You can also do transferring of water from one container to another. For Art, place tempera paint on clean canvas and throw some water balloons on it to make your art piece. Easy and super fun!
It takes a while to prepare water activities for children. But on days when you just wanna have fun, a tub, water hose and some toys will be just fine. How about you, whats your favorite water play activity with your kids? :)
My father would always invite me and my daughter to an afternoon at Kidzoona Nuvali which is near his house. But because of my mommy brain, I always end up not bringing any socks for both of us so I always just insist on checking out new restos to try instead.
Anyway, we had the chance to have a play date during the weekend at their Shangri-la branch. It was a Sunday so I expected that there will be lots of babies, toddlers, moms and ates around.Baby A was super excited to go inside. It's nice that they have this electronic gate so that no kids will just go out or come in whenever they want to.
I loved the pretend play section. If only I can make some of these toys for my school. Hmm..
Also, I wanna purchase their manipulatives! Wooden toys and this magnetic tiles are my must-haves!
Baby A spent most of her time in this wooden doll house with two hand stitched dolls.I think she liked it because it's quite similar to the interior of our house.
Sand area. Baby A didn't like it that much maybe she felt too "sandy" that she kept wiping the excess sand on her dress. Yikes!
The ball pit of course! WE, yes we enjoyed this part so much!
She also liked riding bikes even she's not yet ready for it.
The entrance fee is 300 for 90 mins (child and guardian) plus 100 for another adult and P400 for 3 hours.
It was a tiring 90min play time with baby A but definitely worth it since there were different stations to choose from; they're all educational and all areas were created to develop certain skills. It was still okay for me even it was a Sunday where baby A was able to interact with kids of different ages so it was an instant playdate for her. Hooray for this trip. ;)
