TV Time

At 11, I believe my daughter is responsible enough so I set-up a TV in her room. When she was younger, she wasn’t allowed to watch TV without parental supervision. Although there are lots of kid-friendly shows today. I can’t let the TV babysit her. When children see televised violence, they may absorb the values depicted and come to view aggression as acceptable. Children with psychological and behavior problems that have a heavy diet of TV may well worsen their problems.

It’s always better if there is an adult watching with her. Parental supervision allows parents to monitor their child’s viewing habits and provide guidance when children get confused with whatever it is they’re watching. Also TV time can also be turned into valuable bonding time. I was able to identify some of my child’s preferences through watching TV with her. When she was around 7 years old, I eventually taught her how to monitor and reduce the time she spends on TV, movies and video games.

Now, she’s petitioning to have a desktop PC in her room too. Although she’s already legal (13 is the legal age in the cyberspace), the internet is waaay different from TV. We’re still negotiating tho… you guys can wish her luck. Ohohohoho~!

Mommy-ing

I was cleaning the attic when I stumbled upon old photo albums. I can’t believe how much my child has grown!

Her growth spurt started when she was around 10 years old. There was a sharp increase in her height and weight. It was a time when she quickly outgrew her clothes! I noticed that she has become more concerned about her looks than about any other aspect of herself. I was concerned at first because it could lead to eating disorders. When we talked about it there weren’t any signs of negative body image so I was able to relax a bit for now. Early adolescence is the transition to childhood. It can be a bit traumatic for adolescents.

I assured my daughter that I would always be there for her whenever she needs me. This was a relatively easy topic to discuss with my daughter. She was open and unafraid to share her thoughts and feelings. There’s a lot ahead of her that's why I hope that she’ll still be able to be this open to me in the future.

Schooling

Some schools don’t accept children into Grade-I if they didn’t attend nursery or kindergarten! Even though, I still homeschooled my child until she reached Grade-I age. My inspiration was my fraternal grandmother. She was able to teach my Dad not only to write his name but also to read Spanish and recite prayers in Latin! All that before Grade-I! No I’m not going to teach my child Spanish or Latin!

Anyway, the time we spent together studying the alphabet, numbers, singing songs and improving her penmanship was well spent. It did not only help me save some money LOZL but it also helped me build my relationship with my daughter. I was able to determine what things greatly interested her and what she might need to improve on. All this knowledge of her limitations and abilities helped me when I finally enrolled her in school.

I chose a school that has an IEP curriculum over one that still uses the conventional education system. Open classrooms integrate subject matter fields and builds on children’s natural interests and talents without deviating from the educational standards set by the Department of Education.

I always felt like spoiling her every time she took home excellent grades. But I should know better than that. Though I do give her special treats I try not to overdo it because I don’t want to condition her into losing her intrinsic motivation to study by lavishing her with gifts in return for high grades.

When she graduated from gradeschool I gave her the option if she wanted to continue studying under an IEP curriculum or if she wanted to enroll in a different school. While she admitted that she wanted to experience how it was to be in an exclusive school or a co-ed school, she still chose the IEP program.

Child-care

Although I employed a nanny, I always make it a point to be the primary caregiver of my child. Whenever I’m home I make time for my daughter. I’ve always been a hands-on mom and I wish to continue to be one in the future. I don’t want my child growing up loving her yaya more than she loves me. Not that I don’t want her to have an emotional connection with her nanny… but for a child to love someone else more than her biological mother because the parent is forever absent is just unacceptable not to mention exactly the kind of mom I don’t want to be

Terrible Terrible Twos

Terrible Twos are when meek infants turn into strong-willed, sometimes ill-tempered little creatures with minds of their own. It is also a normal manifestation of the drive for autonomy. A stage where they realize that they are individuals, that they have some control over their surroundings, and that they are capable of doing anything. As a parent, this expression of self-will must be viewed as normal, healthy striving for independence, not as stubbornness. In the long run if we manage to deal with this stage we can help them learn self-control and contribute to their sense of competence, and avoid excessive conflict. How to Deal with the “Terrible Twos” Be flexible Be sensitive and learn the child’s natural rhythms and special likes and dislikes. Knowing you child well will generally help you deal with them better. Make your home “child-friendly” Toddlers love exploring their surroundings. Child-proofing your home would make it safe for your kid to explore and prevent accidents from happening. Children learn through play. Some parents tend to be overprotective of their child. They do not realize that while they may be protecting their child from harm, they are also minimizing their toddler’s chances of learning. I let my daughter explore and play as much as she likes but I’m always there to watch over her and I’m always ready to console my child if things get a little too stressing for her. Offer a choice This is the time when they are trying to be independent. Offer them a variety of things and let them make their own choices. I personally let my daughter decide what she’s going to eat for lunch and make her choose what she would want to wear to the park and sometimes I would ask her if she wants to put it on herself. Choices, even limited ones give children a sense of control. This way you can always make a compromise when things get out-of-hand. Avoid physical punishment As a parent, I avoid any physical punishment. Talking to your child calmly and explaining what they have done wrong is the most effective way of disciplining them. Physical punishment is almost always ineffective and may even lead a toddler to resist even more. Keep the atmosphere as positive as possible Maintaining an affectionate and pleasant relationship with your child is they key to making them want to cooperate.

Feeding Time

Breastmilk is highly recommended until 2 years of age but after 6 months, babies need to be introduced to solid foods too. There are baby cereals that are approved by pediatricians too but I’m trying to go organic here. Ultimately, I don’t want my child to grow up just wanting to eat only fried chicken or hotdog!

It’s best to introduce different tastes and textures at an early age. Having them get used to all kinds of food at an early age is one way of training their taste buds to get used to the different flavors and textures. It will eventually help them – not to mention us - get their 100% RDA.

I’m also trying to hold back on sweets. Sweetness is rarely an offensive flavor. Most people I know have a preference for anything sweet. Even toddlers don’t need training in that department. Introducing them to sweets at this stage might lessen their appetite for other flavors.

At first, I introduced different kinds of food like potatoes, squash and carrots. Now she’s able to eat rice and viands such as meat and other un-squashed vegetables. LOL Oh, try not to feed your child too much squash. According to the Doc, too much squash might turn your kid yellow. LOL

Also give your child the opportunity to have fun while eating. Expect feeding time to be dirty! When they’re old enough let them feed themselves. It gives them some level of independence. Don’t get OC and frustrated when your child is playing with his/her food. Toddlers need a little time to get used to the flavors and textures. While they might seem to be playing with their food they are actually exploring its taste as well as the texture. As a rule of thumb, I never let feeding time go over 30 minutes. There’s no need to push her to finish her meal if she doesn’t really want to. You can always feed your child later.

What if they don’t want to eat? TRUTH: If they’re hungry they will eat anything! Try to get a hold of yourself and not give in by letting them drink milk in lieu of solid food. This will only train them to throw tantrums to get what they want and will absolutely not help in training them to eat solid food!

Gah! It’s almost feeding time… Bye-beee~!