All About Your Child

1 week ago…..

Why is he so happy?

‘Cos he just finished marking that ‘important‘ date down on his calendar….

One Day Before the Chalet….

Finally! The wait is over! Binbin’s birthday wish of having a chalet came true today.

We celebrated his 7th birthday in advanced. We took the chance to bring forward his birthday two weeks earlier to this 1-week school break. All 6 kids will have the opportunity to sleepover. Something that is very rare indeed for the Loh Family. *wink*

Previously I showed you the exterior of Chalet K of Aloha Changi Chalet in this blog post “Our Birthday Present for Binbin’s 7th Birthday“, so now here’s the interior:~

When you have 6 active kids with you, the most important thing  is to make sure that they are entertained at all times and at all costs! *laugh*

So what did I have up my sleeves when they arrived at 4pm and how am I going to make their excitement and energy last the whole night through till the next day?

I basically WORN THEM OUT! *giggle*

Entertainment 1: Get them to LEARN to start the fire for the BBQ and DO IT THEMSELVES too!

My favourite moment was when my bubbly eldest niece took out her MP4 and brought some music to all doing sweaty hardwork.

And Keatkeat managed to set up the fire for the small BBQ pit all by himself (with a little help from Binbin)

Entertainment 2: Candle and Sparkles Fun

Entertainment 3: Bubble Fun. NOT the soapy bubble kind of fun but the RUBBERY bubble kind of fun.

I don’t like the soapy bubble kind of fun because it makes the house sticky wherever the soapy bubble lands and they could not play near the BBQ pit because food was all around. Hygiene is so important especially when you have 6 kids, 2 old folks and 8 adults to feed.

So Rubbery Bubble fun is a better choice (in my view).

Entertainment 4: Illuminate Me!

At a place which can become almost pitch dark when all lights are off…..What better time than this to play with illumine sticks, right?

When all my tricks were used, the kids had their own kind of entertainment…

Boys acted Macho,

While Girls had Facial Treatment…

Wonder if all these Fun were too powerful, the girls could not sleep till it was 3.30am!!!! *laugh*

The two elder ones slept for 2 hours only and woke up at 5.30am…and left the chalet at 10am looking like walking Zombies. *giggle*

We must never forget that this day was made possible because of the birthday boy, Binbin….

and the people who came with “Wow” presents, to make the small party a lively, noisy and successful one.

Above: Presents from Yi-Bak and Family

Above: Presents from Bak-Bak and Bak Leong

Above: From cousin Z.Y, M.Y. and W.D.

Next came the present which made Keatkeat go green with envy and all the adults go “Wahhhhh…….”

The Gold Series GoGos!!!!

If you are new to my blog, you might not know that my boys are collecting GoGos and now both are hitting the 100 mark soon. Yes! Almost 100 GoGos already! *faint*

A golden present from Yi-Zhang and Ah-Yee. Flown all the way from England.

Below: Regardless Gold or not, Binbin still love GoGos. Thank you Cousin H.H. for the packet of Cool GoGos.

So in two weeks time, ON HIS ACTUAL BIRTHDAY, will we still have a mini BIRTHDAY cake cutting celebration just among the 4 of us? Definitely! Not going to break our family tradition of midnight cake cutting birthday celebration.

Binbin’s Chalet Birthday Celebration

There is always something to learn every single day as a parent. We make mistakes like any and every other human being. Are we courageous enough to admit our mistake and apologise to our children?

Its sad, but its true that many parents still feel that their ego overrules their relationship with their children. When they make a mistake, they do not apologise, in fact, they try to find excuses for their mistake.

If you cannot even say “Sorry“, for the wrongs you have done to your child. What right do you have to ask your child to say “Sorry” when he or she has made a mistake.

Even from a simple task of choosing a birthday cake, there are lessons to be learned.

I wanted to buy this cake from Aunty Yochana. I think its cuter and will make more people go “Wow!”, thinking that it would make the birthday boy, Binbin, happier.

Yes, every of those thoughts were all mine. None were from the birthday boy.

Me: “Binbin, shall I get this cake for you on your birthday?”

BinBin: “No. So cartoon. I am not a baby or a 3 year-old anymore. I am a big boy already.”

He continued to say, “I want to buy chocolate cake. The whole thing is chocolate. I want the crunchy thing inside the cake too.” He remembered his birthday cake on his 3rd birthday.

The only cake shop I found out, that could add in the crunchy crispy chocolate chips inside the cake was Bengawan Solo.

And so we went.

However, only the BIG cakes have this option. Though 17 people are coming for Binbin’s Birthday Chalet, but none are truly cake lovers. They are always asking, “Smaller piece for me please?”

And we do not intend to bring home the unfinished cake or end up eating it for breakfast for the following few days. From our experience, a good cake size would be 0.5kg.

Since the crunchy crispy chocolate chips idea is gone, I was trying my best to psycho Binbin NOT to buy from Bengawan Solo, because I prefer cakes from other cake shops.

Binbin: “Mommy I want to buy from here.”

Me: “Remember Four Leaves Cake Shop? You like the chocolate cake there right? Shall we go there?”

Binbin: “I don’t want. I like the cake here. I don’t want chocolate cake already.”

Me: “Huh? So what cake do you want?”

His answer was no surprise to me. Being a FRUIT KING, he chose fruit cake. *faint*

Me: “But Binbin, all the children (coming for the chalet) like chocolate cake. Go buy chocolate cake ok?”

Binbin: “No. I want THIS (pointing at the cake in the chiller) Mango Cake.”

Me: “If you want to eat mango, I can buy mango for you during the Chalet. We buy chocolate cake ok?”

Binbin (looking really frustrated): “Mommy! Its my Birthday!!! You always say Birthday Boy can choose his cake. I want this Mango Cake.”

*Slapping Myself inside*

Me: “I’m so sorry. Ok, ok. We shall get the Mango Cake for your birthday.”

Its NOT what I think my son would like that matters, its WHAT DOES HE REALLY WANT that is crucial.

Parents often think they know what is best for their children. Not true.

So often, parents bring their kids for overseas trip, thinking that their kids would appreciate and enjoy it. When you open your heart and think deep, is it REALLY the kids’ wish to go overseas? NO. Its the adults who want to go overseas.

The saddest part is, after the trip, parents start to say things like “Hey, I brought you to Japan/Disneyland/Universal Studios/Taiwan/etc, and now you give me this type of attitude. I really regret bringing you for the trip.”

In the first place, if the child did NOT ask for the trip, such statement is truly uncalled for.

So often, its the parents who are excited about the overseas trip, yearning to have a short holiday, suggested their idea to their children and try to make them feel the same excitement.

But in actual fact, it was NOT the kids’ idea.

How often do we try to instill our own ideas and thoughts into our children and indirectly ‘force‘ them to think and behave what WE WANT them to behave.

Are you sure you are doing what is best for your child?

What Parents Think is Best,
Sometimes May Do More Harm Than Good To Their Child.
~ Angeline Foong