All About Your Child

Last night, the kids were wrestling with their dad while I was bathing at 12mn…I was too sticky…I just couldn’t rest my *Eeeewwww* body on bed…

When I was out, they were winning the fight, both (cooperating) pressing the big man down to his back even though the big monster tried to ‘bite’ his little gremlins…then an intruder came…a golden beetle.

It was flying around making ‘Zit’ ‘Zit’ sounds as it slapped its body on the wall. This is a common beetle seen in my house and the kids are all too familiar with this little creature which doesn’t bite.

They were chasing it and having more fun than usual, torturing the little insect by forcing him to take flight the moment it tried to land to rest its tired wings. *laugh*

Allan: “Keatkeat, take a tissue, pick him up and throw him away.”

KK: “Eeeeee….don’t want!”

Allan: “Binbin, take a tissue, pick him up and throw it away.”

My 3 year old was glad to do the job, leaped over to tear a section of the toliet roll. Seeing this, the refused-to-lose-to-his-little-bro ran over to the toilet roll went through the motion faster and got backed to the beetle first, which was finally able to rest, lying motionless on Keatkeat’s mattress.

Keatkeat tried to pick him up with the toilet-paper, to show his little brother that he wasn’t a coward, but the moment his felt the insect’s body he screamed, “EEEEeeee….don’t want…very scared…”

Binbin: “Aiya, I do lah….” With that I’m-not-scared kind of expression beaming on his little frame.

But the moment he started to get near to the insect with the toilet-paper, it flew and landed on his long pants. Binbin wasn’t aware, he didn’t even see it slipped beneath the toilet-paper, he was still asking, “Eh? Where is the KumGuai (golden beetle)?

Me: “Binbin, it’s on your pants.” I didn’t raise my voice nor show any excitement shown ‘cos I didn’t want to startled the puzzled boy.

But the sight of the little thing gripping tight on his pants was way too much for him to swallow. His expression changed immediately as his left leg straightened to a stiff log, then he was on his toes like a ballerina, he looked like he’s gonna pee in his pants!

He wailed!!!!! But dare not even jump, he wailed sooooo loud, but kept his ballerina posture…it was hilarious!!! Allan and I burst into laughter (ya we are evil) as his elder brother backed-off, fearing that the beetle might migrate onto his own body.

I picked up the poor little creature, like picking up a M&M chocolate, still trying to control my laughter, showed it to the crying child (I was all prepared for a “waterfall” to start from his ‘below’), “See? It is not scary. It doesn’t bite. Everything’s ok now. He is not on your pants anymore.”

As if the beetle know what is to come (flushing him down the toilet bowl), he flew away from the toilet-paper on my hand…

Gave Binbin a bear hug and the boy quietens down.

Me: “Do you want to pass urine?”

Binbin: (Choking up) “Yes…” And off he went to ‘water’ the toilet bowl.

Allan couldn’t stop laughing every single time he recalled Binbin’s big change in expression even after many minutes….*Eyes Rolled*

Binbin didn’t sleep till 1am last night. Nope, no tantrums, nothing out of the ordinary. He was just too excited and happy yesterday because everything went smoothly for him the whole day, that was the caused of his insomia.

He did so well for his very first attempt on ‘Bowling Buddies’ on my Facebook, got a couple of spares. His face was glowing with pride as he slowly fell asleep. Come to think of it, my Facebook games are played by everyone else except me, the owner of the account…Allan loved the games and was so addicted to it, which got the kids involved in it too and now Keatkeat is so good in the ‘Bowling Buddies’ that my sis opened a Facebook account just for him a few months ago….

When Binbin was truly in dreamland, my tummy was growling so loud I couldn’t ignore. So I got up, wanted to eat some Cheese Rings to shut my tummy up, but it went on with its protest till I had my bowl of instant noodles.

So Allan and I watched one of his favourite show ‘Dirty Jobs’ on Discovery Channel as I gobbled down that bowl of hot noodle soup. When that was done, I was too full to sleep (I do have a problem, don’t I…hmmmm…).

We kept switching channels till we saw a (repeat telecast) local Mandarin comedy variety program called ‘Conscience Found’ (in English).

The topic was on parenting. They acted out how parents through common practises slowly but surely spoiled their child, unknowingly. When they finally realised it, it was too late to turn back the clock…the show ended with this sentence…

(translated in English)
Kids are adorable,
but there are moments when they could be a pain in the ass too.
If we are too lenient towards them,
the consequence may turn out to be lamentable.

What are your thoughts about the above? I’m on the brink of breaking my angel-like patience with my 4-year-old Keatkeat already. Yes, I’ve mentioned before the characteristics of a 4-year-old. I thought I was prepared for it. Afterall, I’ve taught 4-years-old before and that was a whole bunch of them when I was in Child Care.

But then I realised that IT WAS DIFFERENT when it comes to your own kids, its just NOT THE SAME….you witness the change from a little angel to a little ‘devil’, someone who used to listen and goes with your whims and fancies has changed into someone who is all out to irritate you and when your confront him:

Me: “Keatkeat, why did you do this?”

Keatkeat: *Shrugged his shoulders*

Me: “Do you know by doing this, you will irritate me?”

Keatkeat: “Yes.”

Me: “Then why did you still do it?!”

Keatkeat: *Giggled* “I don’t know.”

Me: “You think it’s funny to this or it’s funny to irritate me?”

Keatkeat: *Giggled more*

(Then the man of the house would step in)

Allan: “Don’t need to talk to him, he never learns, let him feel physical pain, that’s how he will learn.”

Me: “Keatkeat, I don’t like to scold you and I don’t want to beat you like Papa, can you please (beggingly) stop all these nonsense?”

Keatkeat: “Sorry Mommy.”

Just when you have forgotten about the issue, he did it again in another way!!!! *Urgghhhhh* Then before I can open my mouth, Allan whacked him….you think that solved the problem? NO!!!!! ‘cos when the pain on the skin is long gone, Keatkeat is up to his mischief AGAIN! That’s how difficult a 4-year-old can be!!!!

So to me, those words of advice I saw at the end of the programme set me thinking….its not only about your parenting style its about changing your parenting style to suit the changing development stages of your child as he goes through self-exploration and changes in his personality before he is moulded and ‘take-shape’ permanently as a grown-up – that’s the challenging part!