All About Your Child

*evil grin* I really needed them to be entertained for a LONGER period of time when the weather is cold and wet outside and we were more or less grounded at home.

So……….I told them to solve the Rubik’s Cube!

Oh well, I agreed to let them search on YouTube to look for solutions. There were lots of Play-and-Pause while trying to solve.

Seriously, even with the solutions right in their faces, they still had problem following it through. They started to feel EXTREMELY frustrated and Binbin’s face turned so red, even his ears went red! *pout*

Maybe they were just NOT interested in the first place or maybe it was too difficult for them to understand? Nah! I choose not to believe the second reason because even a 3 year old girl can solve it! Watch this video:

Even after showing the above video to them, they were still NOT inspired, in fact they gave up! *slap forehead*

In the end……….. the Mummy, aka ME, did both Rubik’s cubes!

What do I get? “Yeah! Mummy so clever!” they cheered, even though they know their Mummy used the guide on YouTube.

*laugh*

To me, PLAY is more important than study…….. for ANY child.
When a child is at play, the brain is more active.
When the child is at play, the ‘happy cells’ create more antibodies.
With more antibodies, it boosts the immune system.
Happy children are USUALLY healthier kids.

For MOST children, studying is the last on their list of favourite things to do.
How would you feel when you are forced to do something that you do not like?
Stressed?
Pressured?
Anxious?
and definitely Unhappy, right?
All negative feelings, negative thoughts.
Bad for health.

Yet, MOST of us grew up in an environment whereby going to school is compulsory.
As kids, we didn’t have much of a choice, did we?
Our parents said so and we just had to follow.
Not too much of a difference now, yes?
Kids of today still need to study for the test papers, the exam papers…….

BUT!
I still believe in tilting the balance SLIGHTLY, (well, some told me that I tilted too much! *laugh*) by allowing my children to have MORE time for PLAY, MORE time to do what they LOVE and lesser time on studies.

Well, different parents different expectations.
To me, so long as my children pass their papers and could be promoted to the next level, I am contented.
A friend of mine sends his 8 month old baby to school. I am SERIOUS! Learning through flash cards.
While I still send my 8 year old to the playground.

Its just different parenting style.
No right, no wrong.
Just a matter of how happy is the child.
Nonetheless, if your child belongs to the minority, who LOVES to study, then studying will be his or her ‘playing time’, ‘cos your child is doing something that he or she likes.
By all means, stack those shelves up and give your child as many books as your child wants.
*smile*

Ever since we moved to our new home, our boys started to get interested in the games which Allan and I played DURING OUR CHILDHOOD.
From Monopoly to RISK to Animal Chess etc…
Its both entertaining for us (adults) and the kids.
We ‘re-lived’ our childhood and the kids had a glimpse of our childhood.
Most importantly, its GREAT FAMILY BONDING TIME!

Don’t just pile toys up and say “Go Play!”
Play WITH Them!
It is CRUCIAL to play WITH your kids!
Let them see that Daddy and Mummy DO have the FUN side too!
Let them know that Daddy and Mummy can ALSO be just like their friends, who can PLAY with them, LAUGH with them, have FUN with them…..

Ok, so what’s our boys’ LATEST CRAZE?????
BOGGLE!!!!

Hey!
We are ‘fair and square’ parents ok?
We changed the rules slightly so that it did not appear as if we were taking advantage of our younger ones.
Allan and I had to find words that were AT LEAST 4 letters.
Whereas Kitkit and Binbin can start with words that had 3 letters.

SURPRISINGLY!!!!
The kiddos could find ‘long words’ (4 or 5 letters) which the adults DID NOT!
*Super Thumbs Up*
[Alright, where’s the hole! Need to hide my face!]
*Ashamed*

I remembered the times when I played with my sister when we were still young and innocent.
Ok, young yes. Errr…the innocent part….errrrr……*laugh*
Back then, we will cancel away words which both of us have on our list.
I remember losing to her often.
However, I do not remember I was that lousy, until I saw the papers we wrote on so many years back, which were still inside the box of Boggle!
I, actually end up with ZERO score or less than 5 points pretty often, even when my list of words was so long!!!
It was a black and white prove man!
Hey! I’m supposed to know more words than her!
I’m the ELDER one!
*humph*
Oh well, she is the smarter one then! *twisted lips*

*huge laugh*

Was playing Boggle part of your childhood too?
It sure was, for me!
….and now, its part of my children’s childhood too…..
*smile*