Tag: shared articles

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No TV = Good, Computer Games = Bad…

Is parenting really all that simple?

Or maybe the question to ask is: Should parenting really be all that complex; with all these eternal arguments about exactly how many minutes of television programming our kids should watch and exactly which programmes are appropriate?

i’m not saying that all these concerns are not valid. Yes they are very valid issues which parents should deal with. However, it is not the end all and be all of raising a child. You are not a failure is you let your child watch an hour of cartoons while his friend is only watching 20 minutes. Your child will not become instantly hyperactive from an extra 15 minuntes on computer games. You have not let the next generation down if you do not insist on extra reading time every other day. Children will not fall to pieces if you yell at them once in a while when there is a need to.

To me, parenting is a very individual thing; what works for you and your child may not work for your best friend and his/her child. Which is why i really like what Flappiness has to say:

Here’s what we know for certain about raising children:

1. They need to know they are loved and valued.

2. They need to be protected from illness and harm.

3. They need clothing, nourishing food, and shelter.

4. They need an appropriate education.

5. They need opportunities to play and safely explore their world.

That’s about it. It doesn’t matter what race, religion, or tribe you hail from, this is what you need to grow into a healthy, well-adjusted adult. And I just want to take a moment to say to all of the parents out there whose children are receiving these five basic things: You are a good mom. You are a good dad. Your children are who they were meant to be all along. You’re doing a good job — not matter who is suggesting otherwise.

Flappiness is a mum to a NT (NeuroTypical) child and an Autistic child, she writes from her heart and she writes honestly and beautifully. Click here to read the full post.

This 7-year-old cutie needs a family… could that be you?

Now i want you to hold that thought about giving your child all those 5 essentials in your head, at the same time, look at this picture of this sweetheart, Brent. Isn’t he just a cutie?

Keep holding on to those 5 basic things: Love, Protection, Nourishment, Education, Opportunity…

Brent has not all the basic things a child needs to grow up strong, healthy and well-adjusted. He does not have the love of a mummy or daddy. He does not know that there is a single person who truly, deeply cares for him (i’m sure the staff at the orphanage do care but they are stretched thin at best). His protection from illnesses are at a minimum, if there is any at all. He has serious need of good medical care. He is fed what the orphanage can afford, which i’m told isn’t much at all. He can only dream of an education and without an education, without someone to believe in him and champion for him, there are no opportunities for him.

There are people who do care for him (just look at his adoption grant – an amazing US$10209.35) and we do pray very hard and give where we can. However, what he truly needs is a family, a family to love him, to care for him, to show him life can be so much more. Please do pray for Brent. Please do share his story, advocate for him so that his forever family can find him. Of course, if you can help his adoption grant grow further, please do that too.

To read more details from his profile on Reece’s Rainbow, please click here.

Praying that every child can have these 5 fundamentals in life.

syc

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Healthy leftovers? Good or bad idea?…

leftovers
leftovers (Photo credit: Muffet)

i am huge on leftovers! Growing up i watched my mum cook for a battalion – this is always what i tell people and it is absolutely true. My mother did cook large amounts each Sunday and my aunts, uncles and cousins would all come over and eat. Of course, we didn’t have a big house, just a modest HDB (Housing Development Board for my non-Singaporean friends) 4-room flat. So when that many came over, there was no room for all to sit at the same table, at the same time to eat. Whoever came first, ate first and then made room for the next persons. And many times we would just sit wherever we wanted to eat; the kids mostly sat in front of the TV 😉

i loved it! The house was crowded and loud but i loved it. i love being around people and being around family was even better. This is one of the reasons i like having dinner guests. It is also the main reason why it was hard for me to learn to cook just for myself (when i went to university) or just for two (during the first years of my marriage).

Then near the end of the day, when people were leaving, we packed up the leftovers and everyone took their share home and most of the time we still had enough to have leftovers for ourselves as well.

As much as we all liked gathering together, kids grew up, priorities changed, cousins moved to whole other countries to live and these big gatherings also stopped happening.

BUT… my mother still cooked large amounts on Sundays (not battalion-sized though). This time it was more for convenience. My mum worked full-time – she always has and still does. Yet she maintained a lovely home and provided wonderful meals for us. And having the meals already cooked in advanced was a great help to her.

So as you can see leftovers played a big part in my childhood, teen years and even young adult days. i still like having leftovers, some foods just taste better after a night in the fridge 😉 And that’s why the article below stuck a chord with me and why i am sharing it. It has a really tasty recipe at the end of it too.

Healthy leftovers? Good or bad idea? | Newsletters | Beyond Diet.

Do you serve leftovers? If yes, what is your favourite dish to freeze/keep as leftover? If no, why not?

syc

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Joy, or “Just Wait?”

i would like to start this post with an apology.

If you have been my friend and you have been a new mum or a new dad and i have been less than encouraging, i am sorry. i am sorry for all the over-the-top comments i have made about the ‘shoulds’ and ‘should-nots’ of parenthood. i am most definitely no expert, just a mum who is also learning her way around this challenging yet fulfilling place called ‘parenthood’.

What i should have been doing is cheering you on with comments such as, “You are doing great.”, “Don’t worry. Things will turn fine when she/he grows up.”, “You have done such a wonderful job of raising her/him.”, “You are a fantastic mum/dad.”, “Just you wait till she/he smiles that first smile.”.

The link below leads to a post written with great perspective – a perspective every parent should be inspired to have.

Have a read. Joy, or “Just Wait?” | Diving for Pearls.

It still takes my breath away to think that he grew from this helpless day old babe to this very active, funny almost 8-year old boy!

In just 15 days, my little guy turns 8! Time has flown! Many of the “Just Waits” have come and gone, sadly, but  i have so many more “Just Waits” to come. And i look forward to them, gladly.

As i read this article, i can’t help but think about all the orphans listed on Reece’s Rainbow who are still waiting, just waiting; just waiting for their forever families to come and get them, just waiting for a mummy or a daddy to pick them up and swing them around, just waiting for siblings who would play with them, just waiting to be in a loving home. And it is a hope we can bring to fruit – we just need to keep praying, keep advocating, keep sharing. Consider adopting one of these precious ones if you can.

Please go to Reece’s Rainbow to find out more. And remember my little Heath and my lovely Heather– they are just waiting; just waiting for joy.

10-year-old Heather, is a healthy sweetie who needs a family asap.
11-year-old Heath, is a cutie who needs his family asap.

syc