Just a blog to share my personal joy, woes, frustration and satisfaction of being a dad to my two beautiful, lovely and smart kids. Happy Reading!
November 20, 2011
Uncategorized Comments Off on K2 Graduation for my Gal
It’s been almost a year since I posted here and realized I have been missing quite a bit. So I need to recommit myself to this blog. For a start, I like to post a video of my gal, Naomi, receiving her K2 graduation certificate. Next year, she will be in P1, the same school as her brother.
December 2, 2010
Play church camp, first time camp Comments Off on For the very 1st time – Home Away from Home
I decided to blog this for memory.
Tomorrow, my son will be going for his very first camping trip organize by the Church’s Sunday School. Prior to this decision, I was thinking whether to let him go but finally decided for him so that he can learn to be independent. It was a mixed feeling as I was worried and at the same time excited for him. For the first time, tomorrow night and the next night, he will not be with us or any relatives except a few friends and the rest of the sunday school members. As we are very close, I am not sure whether he will be homesick. I think he will be enjoying himself with all the programs lined-up for him and hope he will have a great time there so that when the next camp is here, he will be looking forward to join. Have a Great time, son 😉
November 3, 2010
Family conversation, father, son Comments Off on Conversation
I recently observed something interesting from my son and decided to have this conversation with him to make sure my instinct was correct:
Me: Boy, do you always listen to what Daddy say or speak?
My son: yah
Me: Everything Daddy said or speak, you will listen?
My son: yah
Me: Everytime?
My son: yah
Me: How about Mummy? Do you everytime listen to everything she speak or said?
My son: errr…
Me: Only Sometime
My Son: yah
Me: So everytime Daddy say something, you will listen everytime and notice it, correct?
My Son: Yah
The conversation ended and it struck me that from that moments onwards, I MUST watch what I speak or say in front of my children or they will remember and follow what I say.
October 27, 2010
School Comments Off on Importance of making the right choice for pre-primary center
Today, my son’s P1 second assessment papers were over but the previous day, while he was studying for Chinese, we realized the importance of choosing the right center for preparing your kid to primary school. Why?
During K1 and K2, our son attended a particular well-know child care center that had branches all over the island who focus on holistic teaching for both English and Chinese, they did not teach him the normal stuffs like hanyu pinyin and 笔画 for Chinese as they emphasize on creative learning etc. Now in P1, he is struggling for his Chinese and there was a period of time, he was not interested in Chinese because he find it difficult and after much persuasion, he is slowly getting interested.
Our daughter who is now in K1 and is now attending another center which is much cheaper and less well-known that uses the normal teaching method that taught her hanyu pinyin and 笔画, she is finding it easy to learn chinese and I think when she is in P1, it will be easier for her to understand the subject.
From this experience, may I suggest if you are looking for a pre-primary center for your child, it is better to check that they provide the right teaching method to prepare them for primary education. It is not always the case that you pay the most expensive and with all the holistic teaching your child will be well prepared for primary education. On the contrary, they may even feel more stress if they cannot catch up when they are in primary 1.
I hope this sharing will help you to be more careful when you are selecting a pre-primary center for your child.
October 23, 2010
Others Comments Off on Haze :-(
In my last post, I mentioned that I will try and bring the kids out on weekend to spend time outdoor but now the haze has spoil this plan. I think the haze has spoiled many people plans especially if it is for outdoor activity.
As I watch my window outside and see the hazy condition and look at the PSI level indicated on the TV, I sometimes wonder how accurate this PSI reading because like yesterday the haze looks better and the PSI reading was 90 or something but today, the haze looks bad but the reading is only 75.
Nevertheless, I am not going to take any chance and will just let the kids stay at home. Hopefully when the school holiday comes, the haze will go away 🙂
October 21, 2010
Others Comments Off on Myopia, Astigmatism, Children Eyesight
Recently I heard over the radio that to prevent children from getting Myopia, it is advisable to bring them outdoor for 2 hours daily. As I was listening, I though in my heart, in Singapore with our daily lifestyle, how can we bring them out daily when we have to work, so I decided as much as possible if time allows especially in the weekend, I will try and do that and last Saturday, I brought them out to the beach and let them enjoy.
On the same note, today is the first day my daughter is wearing her spectacles to school. She has astigmatism and not myopia and according to studies, hopefully this will go away as she grows older. For a start, we told the teacher to let her wear it only during the lessons time so she can slowly get adapt to it before she can wear it for a longer period. Honestly, it hurts me to see her wearing spectacles at such a young age but on the consolation side, she looks good with it. Hope it will go away and she does not wear spectacles in the years to come 🙂
October 15, 2010
School Comments Off on It’s exam fever again!
It’s the time of the year where students sweat and parents stress. Time flies, it was only like yesterday when I saw my boy started the 1st day in school and now he has the final assessment to take. Though they were saying that there will not be any ‘exam’ for P1 and P2, we are still given the assessment schedule on the date, time and subject the child will be taking. This seems like a exam timetable to me.
So being a typical ‘kiasu’ Singaporean, I started to find free past year assessment papers for my kid to try so he can at least have a ‘feel’ of how the final SA2 paper will look like.
My expectation of his result is as long as he does not fail, I will be satisfied. The same standard as my Dad has set for me years back when I was schooling.
August 13, 2010
Not feeling Well Comments Off on HFMD on the rise again
The news just reported that HFMD is on the rise again. One Kindergarten has been asked to close for 10 days while another 2 is being monitored. Parents with pre-school children has to be extra careful or they may also get it.
I remember that 2 years ago, I also got HFMD unknowingly even though my kids did not get it. I was quarantine for 10 days and had to miss my niece’s wedding. Thank God that I did not really get any major effect or fever. Instead, I was feeling pretty well except that I cannot go out or even sleep in the same room with my family. I had to go to the doctor for review to make sure I am fully well.
On the same note, I am wondering whether for those center who are asked to shut down and those parents who will be affected, will they get discount from the school fees for the 10 days absence and also will the parent’s employer give them additional paid leave to take care of the children during this time since the main purpose of putting the children in these centers is because the parents are working and do not have time to look after the children during the daytime.
Maybe the government or the health ministry can consider about these and help these parents. This is one way of encouraging Singaporeans to have children. It’s such little thoughts from the government that will encourage more babies. When more Singapore babies are born, then maybe we don’t need to have so many Foreigners 😉 This is another headache subject for our next generation and will blog about this some other time.
August 8, 2010
Family Comments Off on National Day Family Gathering
We gathered at my brother’s place on sat 7/8/10 for a family gathering cum National Day celebration. This time, my nieces brought their babies and we saw a pair of handsome boy twins and a cute princess. Time flies, in the past during these gatherings, it was us who brought our babies to show but yesterday, our babies have grown and they went to play with their cousins without disturbing us while we adults were watching Tv. Kudos to starhub for letting us watch free programs in all their channels during this National Day holiday period. One of the highlight yesterday was an agar agar made into the Singapore flag by my sister. Check it out below. The kids were all impressed and also were attracted to the 2 ice cream cake with lollipops made by my sister -n-law.
Home made agar agar Singapore Flag
August 6, 2010
School Comments Off on NDP celebration cum sports day in school
This morning I attended my son’s ndp school celebration and sports day for the lower primary. When they sang the school song, it really brought back memories of me singing the song when I was a young boy, the first sentence of the song “The boys and girls of Rosyth School we march one thousand strong..” will always stay in my mind..it seems like only yesterday..
The sports event was very interesting and seeing the boys and girls took part in the different sports item is fun. Some of them cheated and some of them are downright honest that they literally go back to the same spot when they went out of the track…the innocence and honesty of kids..
I am glad that all the kids receive medals regardless of their position, a good thumbs up for the school and it make the kids feel good even if they are last..they just printed the position 1st, 2nd etc behind the medal which is the same design..here’s a pic of my boy with his medal..and his house, the “Richards – Red” house came in overall second..well done boy!
I am glad we have this medal regardless of the result.
Richard
Fatherhood In Singapore 
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