Time to let you see the world!



 

 

After the expiry of our helper's contract two months ago, hubby and I decided not to get a replacement, with the hike in domestic worker fee, and a not-so-pleasant experience with them. We thus decided to send Qayla to childcare to see the world, after speaking with parent friends who gave lots of positive feedback and encouragement.

 

So the first of November saw Qayla Arissa into childcare for the very first day. Initially she was very excited to see so many children and the new environment, being the curious one she is. She joined the morning assembly with ease, and participated well in their sing-along session.

 

But when it was time to leave, she became aware that she will be left alone with strangers, and the crying begins. The teachers were very helpful and professionally whisked Qayla to handle her and I was asked to leave for the day. It was the extra mile when the centre supervisor sent me photo updates via whatsapp.

I had to admit I felt really emotional leaving her crying like that, I did not want to go to work. With a heavy heart, I left her, assuring myself that this was the best for all of us. It took me about two weeks to finally really be assured that she's left in the good hands of trained professionals, and that she will benefit from this arrangement in the long run.

Within a month in the childcare, she has adapted very well to her surroundings. She has learnt new songs to accompany her in car rides (and having me singing along no less), and has new words stored in her vocabulary. (She had me at 'wow!' when she said 'Q for Qayla! ;)) She has taken an interest in her books (after leaving them for quite some time in dust), and has learnt new good habits. Hubby and I have been receiving positive feedback from the teachers as well, quoting that she adapts very well and is very independant.

 

And her current hobby in school - collecting clips from the interest corners!

 



The decision to send her to childcare after two and a half years of full home care was a great move by hubby and me, I must say. Leaving her in the hands of trained full-time early childhood educators, has definitely benefit the little girl a lot in terms of mental, social and academic development.

Here's wishing my dear little girl a wonderful journey of learning!

Of Toys and Technology.

Play and entertainment has become an essential part of my little girl since she has now moved into her toddler stage. As a parent, it is our responsibility to expose and sift what she learns as this is the stage where she absorbs and takes in most of what she observes and do.

In an age where we are all absorbed with our smart phones and pads and tabs, curious little toddlers will, in a way or the other, replicate us and will want to get involved with these technologies as well, thus demanding us to purchase them their own set, or maybe hog them for long hours each day. In my opinion, these are good to entertainment for the child if they are on the go - car rides, train rides, in flights.

But I have seen many parents who rely solely on technology to keep their toddlers occupied, and I personally do not find this condusive at all. I have seen toddlers who are so absorbed in their gadget, that they were unconscious of their surroundings, and I think this could have negative consequences in the long run.


At home, I still prefer to entertain my toddler with conventional toys and books.

Once in a while, I will bring her out to the indoor children's playgrounds for her physical activities,

and recently, have introduced her to the library.

Visits to the supermarket are very fun and educational for her as she can learn the various things that are found there, and simple purchasing transactions involving money. This also introduces her to counting and maths.

Academics doesn't have to be so regimental and rigorous classroom way of  'one plus one equals two'. Especially at an age where their attention span is super short!

She has recently expanded her 'kitchen', and this is where I find it fun to play roles of cook, waitress and cashier with her. It's simple fun yet stimulates her mentally and physically.

Playing with dolls teaches her the meaning of empathy and love, and often, she will express her love with a kiss or hug. In a way, this is why she is very expressive. and while observing her play with other children sometimes, she always approaches with a smile.

In short, I still find traditional methods of play very beneficial for growing up toddlers. Back then, we didn't have much technology, but we turned out fine didn't we? ;)




*(This post is solely my personal opinion.)

Our very first parenthood seminar.

I dragged the Hubby and signed up early for a parenthood 'Preschool Seminar' organised by Young Parents magazine, held at the Singapore Marriot Hotel. It was very timely as it falls exactly on the day Qayla turns 18 months, and I, being a typical kiasu Singaporean parent, is anxious to enrol Qayla in a preschool in the nearest time possible.

The first speaker was the founder-director of a Preschool for Multiple Intelligences, Dr Khoo Kim Choo.

She touched on the very raw aspects of choosing the right preschool for our toddlers. I never realised there were so many factors which we have to consider. For eg there are about 4 types of curriculum that preschools now offer, and that is,

-Play-based

-Academic

-Montessori

-Multiple intelligences

We were explained on how each of these curriculum works, and then choosing which one suits our child's learning ability best. Hubby and I agreed that in Singapore, it is very important for a child to have multiple intelligences as multi-tasking is indeed an asset.

The next two speakers were my favourite in the seminar, which is Helen Marjan and Anita Wilks, who heads Lorna Whiston Study Centres, and they spoke about a topic which is close to my heart - 'Raise a Reader'. Coz I just love reading you know?

We were given a text to read, below.

Well, obviously Hubby and I could pronounce word by word of it, but, we didn't understand a thing! This exercise proves to us that, while we want our child to learn the phonics of a word, reading actually comprises of actually UNDERSTANDING what is being read. Many parents rush to get their child to know the phonics of words, that they tend to neglect in letting the child understand the words firsthand. While flashcards will only provide much help later on, introducing them to a child at a very young age isn't much help, and certainly, telling the child that reading is 'boring'.


We were then given much details on how we could motivate our child to be a reader, the ways to go about it, and the dos and don'ts while at it. I was getting really excited at this point to just rush off to the bookstore, get some books and start reading to Qayla!

While Hubby's more excited for the teabreak.



The next speaker spoke about the Montessori method that is applied by her school, the San Lorenzo Montessori. This Montessori method was devised by Maria Montessori in the 1800s, which 'revolves around training the child's physical senses and motor skills, through the use of specially designed materials and the prepared environment.' They believe that a child develops at their own pace, and much patience is needed in educating them.


So all in all, this seminar was a great start for the both of us to gain a little knowledge from the experts. It has definitely shed some light on some nagging questions Hubby and I had in making our decisions on what kind of school Qayla is best-suited to.

And yeap, we managed to grab some interesting and suitable books for Qayla when we went to the Fables book expo after the seminar itself!

Oh, these are handpicked and approved by the lil lady herself. ;)