A New Me

It has been 7 months or so since my last post. I have been busy with my 2 princesses. SyuenSyuen started her school life this January and I can see that she is enjoying her school life. As for NingNing, she has begun to crawl and stand. Since then, I have been busy taking care of them and at the same time, busy with my own work. Yup, what a hectic life to start off the year 2010.

For the last few days, I haven't sleep well, same goes to my husband. It is all because of NingNing. She had high fever for the past 3 days. We are so worried about her. But, thank God she is fine now.

One thing that I notice myself is that my temper really improves alot. I'm used to be a very bad-temper person. I'm a very fast paced person. Once I have something to do, I will get it done within the next few minutes. I do not like to wait. I like to get things done in no time at all without any help from others. Things got worse if I didn't have enough sleep. Something happened to me..MIRACLE, I guess.

SyuenSyuen and NingNing do influence me a lot. To be their mother, I felt blessed. I'm happy and contented that I have them and my husband too. They inspired me to be patient, patient and patient...

I think I change for the best! Even without enough sleep, my temper is still cool. My mood does swing sometimes but all I need is TIME. Time to sort things out, time to cool down, time to rethink and replan. I'm glad that my EQ is improving. I believe that this is the real me! Thank you God for giving me the chance of reborn..I will cherish it, I will cherish myself, I will cherish my family, I will cherish the time..Thank you!

2nd Princess

It has been a few months since my last post. I had delievered to my second princess on the 3rd of June 2009. I'm thankful to God that I had her delievered safe and sound. And I'm glad that this time round I didn't suffer in great pain! It's just took 5 to 10 minutes to deliever her and with 2 times of contraction. Hopefully, with the 3rd or more to come will be like this.

With the 3rd?? Yup, my hubby wants 3 to 4 children. To me, if I have 2, it is more than enough cause there are lots of issue that I have been thinking of. And of course, the most important issue will be the financial and time.

Well, financial is important in terms of giving her the comfort and safe environment. It is also important in terms of educating her and exposing her to all kinds of talent. I wouldn't want my child to be a genius but at least, I have done my part of responsible in giving and exposing her to certain types of development.

And for sure, I'm worried too about the time that I have to spend with them. I'm a working mother and I only spend a few hours with them in a day. With 2 children now, my hubby and I really work hard and think hard on how to take care of them, how to educate them, what should we do to make them feel love and so on. After the birth of our second daughter, we found that our elder daughter is kinda jealous and she is not getting used to the new environment as we have a new member in our family. We tried lots of method to make her feel comfortable with the new environment. In the end, we have decided to send our youngest daughter to nanny for full day and the elder daughter goes for half day. This is to allow us to spend quality time just with our elder daughter. I spend time with her in the morning and it is my hubby's turn during the night time. As for my youngest daughter, I really spending quality with her during the night time even during wee hours when feeding her. Luckily, my elder daughter do understand this and she won't disturb me when I was with her sister.

Things are getting better after a month. SyuenSyuen started to adapt the new style of life and she can accept our new family member. She starts to carry her meimei around with my help, kissing her whenever she feels wanted to and now, she is a good helper to me in taking care of her meimei. She knows how to comfort her when she is crying, she knows how to wipe her meimei's mouth, she knows how to swing her meimei in the sarong and so on. It is always so so sweet to see her taking care of her meimei and her meimei will smile at her. I like that feeling and hopefully this kind of feeling is getting stronger and stronger.

Patience is the key.

Teaching other people's children is tough, teaching your own children is even tougher. I tried many ways teaching my daughter from speaking to reading, recognizing, morality, attitude and so on. First of all, I teach my daughter to talk but it is hard for my daughter to learn. My daughter is better in listening rather than speaking. She understands what we told her. She can follow instruction very well.

Mood is quite a factor in teaching toddler to talk. If she is in the good mood, she can speak very well, with the right sentence structure and grammar. If she is in a not-so-good mood, she will just say "no..no..no..".

These days I have been teaching her to recognize things on the road. She can catch up with one wording word like the car, road, tree, flower, grass and I'm quite happy with that. So, I started to try two wording words. First, I tried the "lamp post" but she kept on saying "lamp". After several attempts, I said "no..no..no.. is lamp post laa..". This time she finally make up the word, she said "lamp post laa..". Hahaha...this really makes her father laughing at her..ooh no...perhaps my hubby is laughing at me!

A good environment is also very important in terms of building one's character and attitude. I have been teaching for many years and I personally find that children even adults are easily influenced by the people around them, needless to say TODDLER. Toddler is naive. They have no sense of right or wrong. They don't understand what is beating, why you beat her. So, they are even easier influenced by people around them. Just like my daughter, she follows what she saw her cousins were doing. I remember clearly that she followed them jumping down from the sofa. It's dangerous but she has no sense of that. If she really fell down and broke her teeth then, I guess she will understand that it is wrong to do so. But, prevention is better than curing. This is what I did. I neither scold nor beat her and her cousins. First, this is because they are not my children, I have no rights to scold them. Second, scolding and beating is not very effiency in educating her. So, I talk to her nicely. If one day, she repeats, I will punish her ( not physical punishment ) but something that are more direct to the point. For example, no sofa for her for a day or two or cleaning up the sofa as she had made it dirty. Honestly speaking, from that day onwards, I never bring her to her cousin's house. Perhaps, I'm over-protected but this is the best and the most effiency way from letting her learning all the bad manner.

A relaxing and enjoyable environment is also very important when you try to teach your children. Make the whole teaching process very interesting with singing, playing, exercising and so on. Doing art work is what really attract them.

Toddler's span of attention is really short. Make each lesson as short as 5 minutes. Time can be extended as toddler gets older. You could have a short break within each lesson or maybe have a bite. Above all these, you as the educator must be patient. Don't get angry easily, don't give up easily. Try again and again, today, tomorrow, the day after tomorrow...one day, your children will get it right. All the best to all the mothers, fathers and educators!

She is my Angel.

A few days ago, I had a serious migraine. So, I asked my husband to massage in order to ease the pain. Then, my daughter pushed away her daddy and massage for me. After that, she rubbed both her hands and pressed her hands on my forehead. I began to laugh as I do understand her meaning. I have been doing so when she had stomache. I will put some ointment on my hands, rubbed and pressed on her stomache.

Then, I asked her "Why you didn't put some ointment on your hands?" She did it as I told her (she pretended to open a bottle and pour some ointment on her hands). Again, I laughed. I'm glad that she does know how to take care of me. She is my Angel.

She loves me!

Things could be different with each pregnancy. During my first pregnancy, I did have a very comfortable time. I didn't have any of the pregnancy sickness such as morning sickness, backache, constipation, tiredness and so on.

With the second one, I have bad morning sickness and backache. But luckily, things get better now. I vomit less now and my backache is getting better. During the time when I had bad morning sickness, I tried many methods. Sometimes, it works sometimes, it didn't. Then, there are times that I was so addicted to mango. Every day, I will eat some mangoes but I will make sure that I didn't overeat as it is not so good for the baby.

One day, when I picked my daughter up from her nanny, her nanny told me an amazing incident. In the evening, the nanny will bring my daughter to go for a walk. During the walk, my daughter saw an aunty busy doing her gardening. There was a mango tree beside the aunty's house. My little baby girl asked the aunty for the mango. She pointed to the mango tree and said, "Mummy wants, mummy wants." Both woman laughed away and the aunty quickly plucked a few mangoes to give her. She is so happy about this. When I picked her up at her nanny's place, she handed my the mangoes. I'm so touched by her reaction! I will remember that moment. She is truly my Angel.

Spending Quality Time

Last week, I brought my daughter to my hometown (Pontian) to visit my family. During the stay, we had a great time. That's the week that I really take care of my daughter FULL TIME. And I realised that it could be quite tiring taking care of children full time. I had sleepless nights because my daughter is unable to get used to the new environment. Then, I had painful time that I had to let her cry due to her unreasonable request. After that, I had tired moment as I need to carry her wherever I go. It could have been easier if I'm not pregnant with the second at this time.

After the trip, I realised that although it is quite tiring but it's really worthwhile. When we are back in Ipoh, her father realised that she has really grown up. She begins to talk alot, she knows things around her, she does her daily routine herself, she responses without frustration. My little baby girl has really grown up. I'm really happy about it.

If I could have a second chance to choose again, I will choose to take care of her full time. In fact, I do regret to let somebody elses to take care of her. I wish I could have spend MORE quality time with her. This not only help her to learn, to grow but also it is the best bonding between us.

And of course, we did not forget her father too. Her father and I have to work in the day time but we make sure that we spend the night time just with her and our little one in the womb. I sincerely hope this will be forever.

For A Better Environment

I have been always wanted to bring Li Syuen to friends' and relatives' house but something always holds me back. Sometimes, my friends and relatives will also bring their children to our house. To what I have been observing, I found that I couldn't stand some children's and parents' attitude and character. Am I being too fussy? Or am I being overprotected?

I really love my daughter and I want the best for her. What I gave her might not be the best (for some other people's thought) but one thing that I'm very sure of is that I gave her all that I have unconditionally.

One thing that I seriously care is my children's character and attitude. And of course, their health too. So far, I have been very responsible in her health and of course, the baby in my womb. And I hope I will have the willpower to continue on.

Talking about character and attitude, I really couldn't stand those parents who love to compare their children with the others. "Eh, your daughter still doesn't know how talk arr??" , "Eh, your daughter is darker than my daughter." , "My children have my family genetic which is very good in Mathematics." "My children have high IQ." Oh my God, what kind of parents is that?? I'm indeed very shocked when I heard all these nonsense.

In fact, I wouldn't mind they tell me all those nonsense but please don't do it in front of the children. This is not good for both my daughter and their children. Children do understand what the adults are talking about. You might not be awared that what you talk day by day, bit by bit will bring up whatsoever your children. What I do believe is every child has his/her own milestone. You can definitely compare things or products but not your own flesh blood. They are not products. We know that comparing and talk negatively in front of the children is for sure not good for the children but please do remember that praising TOO MUCH in front of the children will also bring "side-effect" to the children.

One more thing that I couldn't stand is cleanliness. I don't understand why some parents overlook their children's cleanliness. This is a very basic matter that we have to take care of everyday, every hour, every minute. I met before children with dirty hands and feet that came to my house, some even wore dirty clothing. Yup, my daughter played with them, you know, they are your guests!! You wouldn't want to say something to offend them.

Children do get dirty, this I won't deny. My daughter gets dirty too especially when eating time cause I let her feed herself. She gets dirty too when she plays in the garden, building her sandcastle. After playing or eating, you can just give her a bath or just clean her up. It is as easy as ABC. Being clean could save your children from any germs and be healthy always. Lucky for me, my daughter loves cleanliness and I believe this is how we bring her up, to love cleanliness.

Choosing playmate for your children might be tedious. Oh no, did I sound too arrogant?? But, sorry to say that I do choose my daughter's playmate. First, of course cleanliness. Second, character and attitude. For sure every parents wouldn't want their children learning bad manner or action from other children. For example, if you let your child to play with a child who knows how to talk foul words, I can tell you for sure that your child will learn it in no time at all. I did not meant to be so arrogant, choosing playmate for my daughter. Maybe my daughter is being chosen by other parents to be or not to be their child's playmate. No one knows. In fact, I do not mind about this. I can choose people, people can also choose me. At least, I know that I'm trying my best to provide a better environment for my child. Some people think that if you let children to explore, to communicate with various of people, they will learn somehow. But, to me, I still think that this is not suitable for my daughter at such a tender age. Her thinking is still so naive. I will let her explore when she is older, around age 4 when she is better in jugding. For now, I think I will stick to my point.