All About Your Child

Yes parenting is probably the most challenging job in the world, ‘cos the person(s) you are dealing with is your own flesh and blood,

In order to get out of a situation like working under an awful superior OR being in a job that sucks energy out of you more than the satisfaction it gives you, is just a resignation letter. But you can NEVER tender that letter to your child or children, or CAN YOU, like putting them in a box and leave them in the middle of a forest, eh?

It’s been days….I’ve lost count, that my 3 year old Binbin hasn’t been sleeping well. Tossing and turning in the middle of the night. Climbing up to my bed from his mattress and kicking his dad’s butt to the ground to ‘rightfully‘ own that spot next to me.

All these is fine, is tolerable, is rather understandable too. A nightmare would wake me up and when that happens, I would love to lie close to the person I love most or feel most secure with, in order to get myself back to dreamland again.

But yesterday (08.08.08) was a true nightmare, or rather an early wake up call from my little rooster. It was 6am in the morning, the sky was still as dark as my hair. Binbin started screaming and yelling at the top of his voice after he fell off the bed.

I hugged him, in attempt to console him and calm him down, at the same time to check if there was any injury or cuts, HE PUSHED ME AWAY! I was thinking, “Did he think that I was the one who pushed him off the bed?”

He continued his yelling, hey, my super-elastic-patience-band was on the verge of snapping. Afterall, I haven’t been getting well deserved rest ever since the 2 days of 12 hours of standing in the heat AND the tossing and turning of this little rascal every night. I wonder if this act was a punishment for me for leaving him alone with his dad and brother for 2 days. I wonder.

I coaxed him, I begged him with my eyes half-opened, “Yes Binbin, what is it? What do you want?” He was starting a tantrum, a real tantrum with kicking and banging and throwing stuff around…THAT WAS IT! I SNAPPED!!!

“Look here!!! You woke everyone up in the middle of the night just to see you throw a tantrum?! I can’t accept this! I’m gonna count to 3 (Binbin is too familiar with this, he knows that at the end of 3 counts, if he doesn’t answer my question, I will be out of his sight. The dearest person in the whole world out of his sight is the worst punishment for this little boy of mine. I hardly need to get to this for my elder son), TELL ME WHAT DO YOU WANT??!”

Without even saying “1”, he yelled, “I want glucose water!”

Fine! I’ll get you that! I get cooled down the moment the kid talks to me. I’m this kind of parent. You can throw a tantrum, you can whine, but at the end of it, you must tell me the reason behind the tantrum, behind the whining, that’s me. Don’t ever try to go non-stop on that, I’m not into that kind of game!

I got his glucose water, handed it to him. Did you think that was it? NO! He shove my hand away and knock his bottle off! Boy oh Boy, I was pissed. Hey I was very sleepy ok?! Can’t I be pissed? He wanted the glucose water, I gave it to him. Without drinking it, he slapped it off my hand!

THAT’S IT! You want a tantrum? I’ll give you a TANTRUM! I was slapping every pillow around me! I was even yelling! Oh yes I was! I stared at him and screamed at his face, “LIE DOWN AND DRINK YOUR GLUCOSE WATER RIGHT NOW!!!” This is a side of me that you probably could never have imagine, I guess! Don’t wake me up from my sleep for no reasons- that’s the hint! The only people I want to apologize to are my poor neighbours……but the crucial question is Did It Work???

It did!!!! Though in total shock and still in tears, he was still able to pick up the bottle and suck that sweet drink down his throat. It’s an open secret that sucking calms a baby and it still does for a toddler. Before he could even finish the 100ml off, he was fast asleep till 11.15am.

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Today or rather NOW, he did it again, but I was wide awake before he even started his rounds again. It started at 1am….now, it 3.30am. My tactic was very different today, (remember the hint? ‘cos I wasn’t asleep yet)

But I’m really tired now and he is finally willing to talk now. He just walked up to me to tell me that he wants to sleep, like as if nothing happened for the past 2 hours.

I’ve got to go get him and myself some rest….today’s story is more exciting…but I’ll leave it till the sun is up in the sky before I rant blog about it…so good night everyone….

Oh Singapore, from a land of strangers to a united nation today, I think at this age of 43, you should be a proud Dad. A country so small yet so significantly strong, you should be happy today…

With planes flying high and your flag up in the sky, as all Singaporeans dressed in RED and WHITE look up, your spirit is probably in the highest.

With the new floating stage, national day celebration has truly become more spectacular than ever, with land, sky and sea performances.

And of cos’ not forgetting the beautiful fireworks when the sky turn dark. This year there were so many intervals. Simply beautiful. As the smokes disappears, another series of Fireworks comes along.

Ever since the very first time your little Singaporean family (that’s my family) see the “road closure notice” along the expressways for every rehearsals, we would be there to witness (again and again) the never-get-sick-of flash of rainbow lights in the sky. Though my little boy would cover his ears and kept chanting, “Very loud, very scared.” But when I ask if we should leave, he would say, “NO! I want to see firework!”

I guess the most special firework display this year was the “S”. Every “S” reminded me of each year the progress that YOU have made, one step at a time, YOU have come to a point where YOU are what YOU are today.

Other than the excitement on the floating stage, YOU see your flag proudly hanging out of every household’s window (and on bicycles), a sign of loyalty and pride just to be known as a Singaporean. A sign of respect, a gesture of love, does that make YOU more than glad?

I’m a proud Singaporean. With so many new ‘intakes’ from foreign lands like China, Indonesia, American, Australia, Japan, YOU have definitely lived up to your name, a multi-racial country living hand-in-hand in harmony, irregardless of race and religion, together we are one people, one nation, one Singapore!

Happy Birthday Singapore!