How to Choose Secondary School after PSLE

It was 6 years ago that I blogged about Primary School registration. Time flies, now our firstborn is moving on to the next milestone - choosing Secondary School! 

I believe that it is important to involve our children in the decision-making process, after all, they are the ones who will spend a few years in secondary school! After PSLE, we sat down with our firstborn to discuss her strength and interest. 

We used Ministry of Education's School Finder to shortlist some secondary schools. How did we do the shortlisting? Based on our child's preliminary examination results, we considered the possible range of her PSLE score and looked at the past-year cut-off point of the secondary schools. The School Finder website allows the users to filter based on the range of past-year cut-off point, then from there, we shortlisted some secondary schools.

Next, we checked the schools' programs and CCA from the schools' websites. Some secondary schools offer programs for languages, art and music, so if your child has interest and capability, you should check out which schools offer those programs. As CCA is compulsory, it is important for our child to identify which schools offer CCA that she is interested in. 

In addition, distance from home and accessibility are also part of the consideration. As school hour for secondary school is longer, especially on CCA days, we do not want our child to spend too much time on travelling as it would be very tiring.

When our child was in Primary 5 last year, we had visited open house of some schools. Due to Covid situation this year 2020, the open house go online, so we attended some online open house for Secondary School, you can find the list of Secondary Schools e-Open House 2020 here. 

Another 2 weeks before PSLE result is released. We shall make the decision based on the result that our child achieves. Personally, I would consider putting the choices of secondary schools such that her actual score is higher than the past-year cut off point of the school, because I do not want our child to be stressed out to be the "bottom" of the cohort. 

What are your consideration when you and your children choose secondary school?

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PSLE Journey for My Children... and Myself

Time flies, my firstborn is taking Primary School Leaving Exam (PSLE) this year! And then my younger child will be sitting for PSLE next year. Yes, I often joke with my friends that I am "sitting" for two PSLE in two consecutive years! 

This is one of our ERP - Examination Resource Packages. Those on the left (assessment books and practice papers) are for the children, those on the right (snacks) are for myself! Just kidding, I share the snacks with them too.

If you ask me how we have been preparing our children for PSLE, I would say that our preparation started way before primary 6. We believe that it is important to develop positive habits and mindset since young, this is not just for PSLE, but for the long run.

1. Sleep and wake up early

Having sufficient rest is important. Our children go to bed latest by 9 p.m. even before they started primary school, so this has become a habit for them to sleep early and wake up early.  Well, I am guilty to say that I can't wake up early on weekend and holiday morning...

2. Balance study time and play time 

Our children enjoy reading and drawing. After school, they will rest a while before studying, and they can enjoy their hobbies when they finish their work. However, we are rather particular about screen time for our children. During school terms, they are allowed to watch certain TV programs, but no mobile games / TV games. They are allowed to play mobile games / TV games only during school holidays. 

3. Make a study plan before major assessment

I print out the monthly calendar for the few weeks leading to the school's major assessment. To encourage them to make good use of the study plan, I print some of their favourite cartoon characters on it. As the children are now older, I would do the planning with them together. It is quite difficult to do a daily plan as we do not know the amount of daily school homework, therefore, we write down the plan for the subjects and topics to revise for each week. There is also a need to have some flexibility to update the study plan from time to time.

4. Sort out the study materials and write notes

Yes, filing is an essential skill! Our children learnt to sort their study materials according to subject, and for each subject, sort the materials according to topics. I also guide my children to write notes for English and Chinese compositions, as well as Science. 

5. Consistency is the key

Revision has been done regularly. When our children have completed learning a topic, they would revise that topic and do practice questions to check understanding.  

While efforts have been made to prepare our children, honestly, as a first-time PSLE parent (excluding the PSLE that I myself took N years ago), my biggest issue is - how do I prepare myself as a PSLE parent?

As a full-time-working-parent, in the midst of busy work schedule, I sometimes doubt whether I have done "enough" to prepare my children for PSLE. And what is "enough" and yet not too much? I don't want to be the "tiger mum" that controls my children's life.

In addition, this year is a special year for everyone due to Covid 19. As the children had a few weeks of home-based learning, I had concern whether this would affect my firstborn's preparation for PSLE. Apart from working from home, I also "work" part-time as their teachers to teach them, because some of their home-based learning lessons were videos, but not live lessons conducted by their teachers where they could ask questions. Honestly, I was not sure whether I had taught them correctly!

Another challenge - many parents with primary school children may agree with me - is to teach primary school Mathematics problematic problem sums without using algebra! Along the way,  I think I have improved in model method to solve Mathematics problems! Other than Mathematics, I think I have re-learnt English, Chinese and Science in the past few years!

I am still learning to manage my own expectation and emotion - keep myself as chilled as possible by the following methods:

At this time of writing this post, my firstborn has already sat for PSLE oral examinations and listening comprehension examinations. I reminded myself not to ask her too much about the exam questions, but rather, ask her for her feeling.

I make encouragement cards for my children for all major assessments, this is my encouragement card for my firstborn for PSLE listening comprehension examination last week - a sweet treat for her with a character that I specially designed for her. 

All the best to all primary 6 children taking PSLE! 

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Travelling with Children - Packing Checklist

We had a few family overseas trips so far. However, when come to packing of luggage, we still ask ourselves, have we missed out anything? Therefore, I have decided to write down our travel packing checklist to serve as a reminder for ourselves.

Travel mini pharmacy

Ear thermometer
Vitamin C
Dhamotil and Ultracarbon for diarrhoea
Repalyte for dehydration due to diarrhoea, vomiting
Lozenges for soar throat
Decolgen for cold, flu, fever
Dhasedyl syrup for cough
Paracetamol and Ibuprofen for fever
Chlorpheniramine for running nose
感冒茶 / 葛根茶 (flu tea) for cold
Gauze pad for children tooth drop
Plasters
Antiseptic cream
Desitin
Mopiko ointment
Insect repellent
Lip balm
驅風油 / 猴子油 (medicated oil)

Note: The medication is based on our need. Please bring the medication based on your need.

Travel documents
Passport and photocopy of passport
Wallet + $$ (foreign currency and SGD)
International driving licence (for self-driving trips)

Personal hygiene
Wet wipes
Tissue paper
Tooth brush
Tooth paste
Shower gel for children (adult will use those provided by hotel)
Nail clippers
Sunblock
Baby lotion
Skin care products
Comb

Clothing per person
Sweater
Disposable underwear
Sleeping wear (T-shirt + trousers / shorts)
Socks

Summer clothing:
Short sleeves tops
Shorts
Cap

Winter clothing:
Fleece jacket
Down jacket
Heattech tops
Heattech pants
Short sleeves tops (for inner layer)
Long sleeves tops (for outer layer)
Jeans / Pants
Heat packs

IT
Camera, camera charger and cable
Universal adapter
Phone charger and cable
Power bank and cable

Others
Water bottles
Umbrella
Rain coats for children
Recycled bags
Foldable travel bags
Pen
Notebook
Thermal flask (for winter)

Things to pack when travelling with younger children and babies
Milk powder
Milk bottles
Detergent for milk bottles
Diapers
Baby carrier
Portable stroller
Toys

As our children are older now, we would involve them in packing, and let them bring their own bags and their belongings.

What else do you pack when you travel with children?


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5 Lessons Learnt from Travelling with Children

We started travelling with our children when they were 5+ and 6+ years old respectively. We didn't bring our children overseas when they were younger because we were worried that we couldn't manage. After travelling with the children overseas a few times, now I have learnt 5 lessons from travelling with the children.

Lesson #1. Managing my own expectation

I learnt to manage my own expectation about travelling because:

• The children may not enjoy going to places that you enjoy e.g. scenic sightseeing spots on the mountains and at the seas.
• You may not really enjoy the places that they enjoy e.g. hotel's indoor swimming pool.
• The children need to eat when you are busy admiring the scenery / shopping.
• The children need to visit the washroom at the most inconvenient times e.g. in the long queue at some places of interest.
• The children's batteries are flat by afternoon and refuse to continue the evening itinerary.
• When you have 2 or more children, they will fight for whatever they can fight e.g. sitting at the window seat in the plane, sleeping on the same bed with DaDi (no one wants MaMi, sob...)

For example, I planned to enjoy this beautiful scenery for 1 hour. However, the wind was so strong that the children screamed and wanted to leave. So we were there for 9 minutes 59 seconds.

Well, these happen even if we do not step out of Singapore!

I have to keep reminding myself to manage my own expectation especially when I have to increase my alert level by 1000% in the foreign environment.

Lesson #2. Slow is the key, but fast when necessary

Before we have children, our itineraries were usually very packed, we tried to visit as many places as we could within a day. But this travelling method is a big No No with children. So when we planned our itinerary, the number of places to visit per day is 2 to 3. No more than that. 

While slow is the key, there are exceptions.

You bring your children to the beautiful cape. It is super windy and the children are very scared. What do you do? Take a fast selfie. Admire the cape within 59 seconds. Leave. the. place. FAST!

You order the sashimi which the children don't eat. They start fidgeting when they are getting bored. What do you do? Take a quick shot of the sashimi if you have to. Swallow. that. sashimi. FAST!

Lesson #3. Plan at least one activity that is specially catered to the children

Ok, let's be fair, the trip is not just for the children, it is for the whole family. So we should not just visit places for children only, go to places that you would love to visit too! But still, plan at least one activity that is catered for children.

We visited Disneyland Hong Kong, as well as slides in Taiwan and Japan, specially planned for the children. Recently I asked the children what their favourite activity in Japan was, they answered "The indoor swimming pool at the sea side hotel". Before I almost fainted, they answered, "Actually the long slide!" Yes, they do remember those special activity planned for them!

Lesson #4. Availability of food

The children have an amazing appetite, and they get hungry every 2 to 3 hours. So we always carry some bread and biscuits in our bags for such emergency. Sometimes the snacks may not satisfy them, so when I plan the itinerary, I always make sure that I know where the eateries, supermarkets and convenience stores are.

In addition, I learnt that I shall never order child's meal on the flight again! No, I don't mean that the child's meal is not nice, it is actually quite delicious. But it happened that the airlines we took offered pasta with tomato sauce as part of the child's meal, and it happens that my children do not like tomato sauce! So we ended up eating child's meal, while our children ate our meal!

Lesson #5. Capture the moments 

Take photos of my children and my hubby. And not to forget to include MYSELF in the photos too! I used smartphone to take wefies, but the quality of photos is not that great under low light condition. So I bought a camera with flip-out screen!

But there are times that I remind myself to keep the camera. Just savour the bonding moments with my family.

What do you learn when you travel with your children?

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A Full-time-working-mother's Day in a Life

I am promoted this year - from a mum to a primary school child and a preschooler, to a mum to two primary school children! Yes, you can sense my excitement right? Double the amount of homework, double the preparation of assessments!

It has been a blessing that both children would get themselves prepared in the morning, though at times I have nag at them, "Where is your wallet? Have you combed your hair?" We promptly leave home at 6.45 a.m. sharp on school days. I send my children to school before I go to work.

After school hours, the teachers from the student care centre would fetch them to the student care centre, where they have their lunch and shower. What do our children do in the student care centre? I am thankful that the student care centre teachers help to supervise them to study for spelling, and guide them to complete some assessment workbooks. 

I fetch my children home after work at about 5 to 6 p.m. Some of you may wonder, how do I leave office so early? Because I start work early in the morning, and please allow me to boast about myself, my middle name is "Efficient"! My colleagues can attest to my efficiency at work!

If it is not raining or hazy, I would bring the children to playground to play for a while. It is one of my KPI (key performance indicators) as a full-time-working-mother to bring my children to the playground after work every day. Playing at the playground makes my children happy, and happy children means happy mother!

Between 5+ to 7 p.m., the children shower, study, and play for a while before DaDi comes home with dinner. I am thankful that their school currently does not give too much homework, as most of the works are done during school hours. 

Evening time is our precious family time, we have dinner together, play games, chit-chat, and read together. One of the games that the children love to play is  - Knowing Me Knowing You cards!

The children go to bed at 8 p.m. Yes, it is early, but considering they do not take a nap in the afternoon, we have to get them to sleep early in order to have sufficient rest.

We spend our weekends on doing household chores, shopping for groceries, swimming lessons, and going out to have fun!

How is your day?


This blog post is a part of the "Day in a Life" blog train hosted by Mum in the Making. 

Next in the blog train is Janice Wong, a FTWM who blogs at the Mishmashmess about her superhero parenting feats. She has two cherubic children and wears more hats than she can sometimes manage. Apart from being a mom, she is an educator, the owner of rhapnrolldiapercakes and an entrepreneur wannabe over at Mary Kay and Young Living. Hop on to read about how she lives life to the fullest!

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10 Tips on Preparing Children for Primary One

It has 9+ months since Pei Pei has become a primary school student. I am glad that she has been enjoying her school life, and am thankful that her teachers from her school and student care centre have been very supportive. In Term 3, she was given opportunity to take up leadership role as the class leader. To my surprise, she volunteered herself to take up the role as Chinese class leader, and was elected by her classmates!

Time flies, Hao Hao is also going to primary school in a few months time! After going through the phase of preparing two children for primary school, I had learnt a lot along the way.

1. Handling money 

Take a look at our post on how to teach children counting and handling money. 

On Primary One Orientation Day, do let your children to buy food from the canteen, so that you would be able to observe and guide them if they face difficulties.

Starting from the first day of primary one, I give pocket money on a weekly basis. I learnt from a mum blogger from Mum's the Word on using pill boxes for distribution of pocket money, and bought the boxes from Daiso. For money that was not spend would be placed in the saving can.

Don't say I never warn you, the school bookshop can be a dangerous place! The children may be tempted to buy stationery or stickers or other stuffs! Take time to talk to your children about what they want and what they need.

2. Telling time

Buy a watch for your child, and practise telling time. If you ask me, should you buy analogue or digital watch, I would just an analogue one first. Because they learn about telling time from analogue watch / clock in Kindergarden 2 and Primary 1. Here is how our children learn about telling time.

3. Organising and packing 

Since the children were young, they learnt to put their toys and books back to original place. This develops their skills in sorting and organising. 

As the children have English, mother tongue languages and mathematics worksheets from their preschool, get them to learn filing according to subject.

Packing bag is also a skill to be learnt. Instead of throwing everything into the bag, train the children to organise their stuffs in their bags neatly.

4. Taking care of personal belongings

Take note that pasting name labels on the belongings is just a measure for children not to mix up their belongings with others, and for the belongings to be, hopefully, returned to the children if those are lost. Therefore, it is more important to remind the children to take good care of their belongings, for example, check whether they have taken their belongings before they leave a place.

5. Taking down notes

Teachers write instructions on the board, so there is a need to train the children to take down notes. This develops note-taking skill, which is important for their studies.


6. Learning sight words and high frequency words
Knowing sight words and high frequency words promotes the children's reading comprehension. Take a look at our post on how to teach children sight words and high frequency words.

7. Establishing a routine - work first, play later

After shower and dinner, the children are told to complete their homework or study for spelling or 聽寫 first. And they are promised that once the homeworks are completed, they can play! It becomes a habit after a while, and now the children would automatically do their work first, knowing that they can play after that.


8. Sleep early and wake up early
If your child does not have the habit of sleeping early and waking up early, do start training them early!


9. Dressing up... fast
To prevent mad rush in the morning, train your child to dress up fast! Especially if the uniform has buttons!

10. Essential Things to Get for Primary One
Other than school uniform and textbooks, together with the child, get the following items:

• School bag 
• Pencil case
• Wallet 
• Elastic chain - one side attached to the wallet, the other side clip on to the pocket of shorts or dress / skirt
• Files - one thin A4 size file to put inside the school bag, and some ring files to keep the materials at home
• Labels to write name / Customised name labels
• Small notebook for writing down homework
• Water bottle
• School shoes and socks
• Pencils, erasers, and ruler (we have not bought these yet because they collected a lot from the birthday goodies bags that they received at preschool!)

Our Primary One Preparation Series:

• Primary School Registration
• Choosing Student Care Centre
• Handling / Counting Money
• Telling Time
• High Frequency and Sight Words

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If I were a Time Traveller

They ran without turning their heads.

It seems that they were still the small babies in my arms yesterday, and now they are already Primary One girl and Primary-One-to-be-boy.

Having two children close in age means that once a certain developmental phase is over, it is really over. Oh, how about having number 3? I know you would ask me this question. But, no, really no thanks!

If there is such thing as a time machine that can bring me back in time, I would wish to travel back to the time before they were born.

No, don't be mistaken. Not that I don't want to have children. I enjoy my motherhood, the children make me a better person!

I want to go back in time to learn one thing properly before the children arrived - photography skill! As I was looking at the photos and videos that I took when they were babies, I was disappointed that many photos were blurred or the lighting was horrible.

And I wanted to go back in time to ask make DaDi learn photography with me! So that I would have more photos and videos of the children and me!

When would you like to go back in time if you were a time traveller?

This blog post is a part of blog train "If I were a Time Traveller" hosted by MadPsychMum.

Next on the blog train Dominique Goh, Mum blogger, Educator and Mary Kay Beauty Consultant.　Read more about her life experiences and passions at Dominique's Desk.





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Day in a Life

That is how we usually start our day.

This has been happening for quite a long time (read about our sleepless nights in Singapore). Anyway... after I suffer from the kick, which usually happens before the alarm clock rings, I would wash up, and then wake Pei Pei and Hao Hao up.

On good days, they would promptly brush their teeth and change into their uniform. On not so good days...

Somehow, by 6.45 a.m., all of us are ready to leave the house! 

As Pei Pei starts to go to primary school this year, our morning routine changes. In the past, DaDi would bring the children to their childcare centre while I went to work first. Now DaDi would bring Hao Hao to the childcare centre, while I drive Pei Pei to school. The traffic is quite a madness near her school area, because there are other schools nearby. Sometimes I imagine myself being one of the Formula One drivers - beating other aggressive drivers to rush to my work place! 

After work, I buy dinner, fetch Pei Pei from her student care centre, and then fetch Hao Hao from his childcare centre. If weather permits, we would go to the playground. While the children are playing catching with their friends, I would multi-task - check my emails, and check on them. My two eyes do the work of three eyes.

Once in a blue moon, I would cook dinner on weekdays. I can only prepare super simple dishes, and those that require minimum washing.

After shower and dinner, I would supervise the children in preparation for spelling or doing homework. Then we read or do home learning activities, depending on my "Tiredness Level".

When DaDi comes home from work, we divide-and-conquer on the daily housework - he would put the dirty clothes into the washing machine and hang them up, while I fold the clean clothes. I am thankful to have children close in age gap, because now they can play and fight together while we do the house work! We get them to help in simple housework too.

The children's bed time is 8 p.m. and they usually fall asleep before 9 p.m. So.... My Happy Hours begin at 9 p.m.! If I have not k.o., I would usually check emails and social media, read or blog, or sometimes, have a good time visiting the toilet without having audience (erm. you know what I mean), and then I would go to bed by 10 p.m.! Yes, I need my beauty sleep after a long day! 

How is your a day in a life?

This blog post is a part of the "Day in a Life" blog train hosted by Mum in the Making.


Next in the blog train is Mrs Kam from The Kam Family. Mrs Kam is a full time working mum. Her day starts at 5am and doesn't end till midnight. When she is at work, she gives her best, contributing to safeguarding public health. She leaves office promptly when the clock ticks 430pm, and gets on her second shift - to be a mum. She fetches the kids, cooks, cleans (the house), entertains (the kids), disciplines, reads, plays, and sometimes, bakes. Interested to know how is her typical day like and how does she get the best of both worlds? Hop over to her blog to find out!

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Embracing Motherhood

6+ years ago, I accepted this job offer which requires me to work 24/7 (no break at all) in a challenging environment filled with surprises. 14 months later, I received a promotion, and my workload doubled. I will hold this job even after I say bye to the world.

What is this job? You may wonder. 

I am a MOTHER. 

As a mother, I get tons of on-the-job training opportunities in which I learn to perform different roles. These are just a few examples:

  

Being a mother, I learnt

• how to tell stories with variation of tones - one moment I sound like an old witch, and next moment I sound like a sweet princess
• the name and function of many types of medicine
• different hair styling and cutting techniques, and even how to make hair accessories
• how to cook dishes other than instant noodles
• to accept audience when I am in the toilet
• to eat faster

It is a continuous learning journey, there are a lot of things that I am still learning, e.g. how not to yell at my children even when they drive me up the wall.

Becoming a mother is a life-changing experience. I encountered many different challenges as the children grow. For example, sometimes it is challenging to get my children out of the bed during the morning rush on weekdays...

... and it is even more challenging to get myself out of the bed during weekends and holidays!

Ok ok, that is not really challenging.

The major challenge I faced was when I received a promotion 14 months after I accepted this job - my two children are born 14 months apart! 

"If you have a chance to make the choice again, would you still want to have two children with such close age gap?" During the recent interview with The Straits Times, the journalist asked me this question. Without hesitation, I said "Yes. Now they are 6+ and 5+ years old respectively, they learn and play together, and it is easy to organise family outings since they are many common interests. 

Their love, their hugs, their kisses - are all that enable me embrace the challenges of motherhood. They are my teachers, who teach me to become a better person, and allow me relive my childhood again. It is a joy that we learn and grow together.

What does motherhood mean to you?

This post is my participation in the blog train "Embracing Motherhood" hosted by Dominque Goh.

Next up on the blog train is Meiling from Universal Scribbles. Meiling exchanged her stable career as a marketing specialist for flexi-work arrangements to have time with her two primary-school-aged kids. She loves being a mom blogger as it enables her to bring her children to work with her. When she is not guiding them in their learning journeys, she busies herself as a freelance writer, professional trainer and parent coach. She blogs about her adventures with her children, the lessons they teach her and her expedition towards champion-parenting. Hop over to see how she embraces modern motherhood.

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5 Things I Will Do Differently in 2015

Year 2015 marks a new phase of my parenting journey, as my firstborn embarks on her formal education journey. To make Year 2015 a better year for myself and my family, these are 5 things that I will do differently.

1. Learn to cook healthy meals for family

Last year, I was very keen to learn how to make dessert, and bought an oven to pick up baking. This year, I shall learn to cook more healthy meals for my family.

2. Bring my children for outdoor activities more often

I used to be an outdoor person. Somehow, as I grow older, I become allergic to the sun and I didn't bring my children for outdoor activities often. I shall bring them for outdoor activities more often. Swimming would be one of the outdoor activities in our list. However, I can't teach them how to swim since I am a human submarine, so I shall look for a coach soon. Any recommendations?

3. Unplug when my children are with me

I had a tendency to take a look at my phone, and started replying messages or emails in front of my children. I shall put away my phone when they are around. So if you need to contact me super urgently, give me a call ok?

4. Manage my emotion

Oh yes, I still remember the Orange Rhino challenge which I attempted in 2013. And it was not really successful as I still raise my voice at my children sometimes. I shall continue to manage my emotion and not to flare up at them easily.

5. Let it go

The children are going to be 6 and 7 years old, they are no longer babies whom I have to hold their hands tightly. I used to shout "Beware of the bicycle!" even when the cyclist was 1 km away,  I shall let go and allow them to be more independent.

This post is my participation in the blog train "5 or 15 Things I Will Do Differently in 2015" initiated by Catch Fortywinks.

Next on the blog train:
Winnie works full time and spends the evenings home learning and reading with her two kids. At ToddlyMummy, she shares her thoughts on parenting, fun moments of home learning sessions and outdoor adventures.

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Guest Post on Yahoo Singapore: Quality Family Time with LEGO Fun

It is our honour to be invited to contribute an article on Yahoo Singapore - Build. Play. Fun. As a working parent, spending quality time with my children is not just about being physically with them, but to do things together.

This article was first published on Yahoo Singapore on 10 December 2014. Read the full article here.

Disclaimer: This post is brought to you by LEGO and Yahoo Singapore.

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Surviving the First Two Days of Primary School for the Mum

On 1 January 2015 (Thursday), I suffered from insomnia. Because Pei Pei would be going to Primary School on the next day! I thought I was more excited than Pei Pei, who was already sound asleep at 9+ p.m.

School bag, checked. School uniform, checked. Socks and shoes, checked. Story book for silent reading, checked. Pencil box, checked. Tissue paper (not for me to dry my tears), checked.

But somehow, I felt that I missed something. What did I miss?

At 3 a.m., I jumped out of the bed. Because I finally realised what I missed - pocket money! And yes, this was my first time giving out pocket money to my child. 

Together with DaDi, we attended the first day of school together with Pei Pei. We had some bonding activities organised by the school. After that, we followed her to the student care centre, she stayed there for a few hours to get familiarised with the environment and routine.

On 4 January 2015 (Sunday), I suffered from insomnia again! Because Pei Pei would be in school all by herself on the next day! 

I was super worried, and kept thinking...

1. Does she know where the morning assembly area is?
2. Does she know where the toilets are?
3. Would she get lost in school?
4. Would she lose her belongings?
5. Would she spend all her pocket money on the sweet drink at the canteen?
6. Does she know how to count money and get the change when she buys things?
7. Are the buns or sandwiches that I prepared enough for her during recess?
8. Does she know the location where the student care centre student fetches her after school hours?
9. Do her classmates' mummies make bento / lunch boxes for them? Would she be upset that I only made sandwiches for her? (I can't wake up at 5 a.m. to cook!)
10. Would she be bullied by the other children in the school?

At the school gate, I attempted gate crashing, but it failed, as I was stopped by the security guard. I reminded Pei Pei, "If you don't know where the assembly area is, ask!"

I was thankful that a school staff happened to walk past us, and offered to guide her to the assembly area. The nervous me stood outside the gate, kept looking at her. The security guard smiled and said, "Don't worry. He is the Vice-principal!"

At school dismissal time, I was having a meeting at work. I kept worrying about whether she reached the student care centre safely. As I was about to walk out of the meeting room to make a call to the student centre, DaDi had already called and reported that Pei Pei landed safely!

When I fetched her from student care centre after work, she was very happy and kept telling me what happened in school. I felt so relieved that everything went smoothly. All my worries seemed to be unnecessary!

I survived the first two Primary School days! Finally I had a good night sleep!


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Letter to My Primary-One-to-be Child

Dear Pei Pei,

During your Primary One Orientation, you waved bye-bye to me, and followed your teachers and classmates to the classroom for some bonding activities. I was sitting at the last row in the hall, waving hard to you. I was the one who suffered from separation anxiety. The Principal and teachers were sharing a lot of information about the school, but in my mind, I kept thinking about what you were doing, whether you like the teachers and classmates. And whether you know the way to toilet and not to get lost in the school.

On the same day, it was also your preschool graduation day. You were the first person who delivered the graduation speech. 3 seconds into your speech, I found the taps of my eyes turn on uncontrollably. I was just a bit emotional. I finally accept the fact that you are going to be a Primary One pupil in 1+ month time! It is going to be your new milestone, and it is also a new milestone in my parenting journey.

I am thankful that you have been studying for your spelling and 聽寫 diligently. When we bought your Primary 1 textbooks (with damage of $100+), you start reading the books without us telling you to do so. This is the kind of effort and passion in learning that I hope you continue to have. I don't expect you to score full marks, it is ok to make mistakes, and learn from mistakes. MaMi is happy as long as you are willing to put in effort. 

Many friends asked me why we did not ballot for you to the well-known primary school nearby. There were many considerations (read this post to find out). And now, I am clear of the reason, not just because we were afraid that there would be no more vacancy in other nearby schools if we were not successful in the lucky draw balloting. What is the purpose of primary school education? To achieve high score for PSLE? No. I just wish that you will become an active and independent learner, and most importantly, I wish that you grow up to be a person of good character with positive values. I have met youngsters who excel in their studies, however, they don't even know how to say "Please" or "Thank you".

If you face difficulties in your studies, let MaMi know, ok? Oh, I don't mean I am going to do your homework for you. I hope to be able to stimulate your critical thinking and problem solving skills, and to inspire you to love learning. Yes, that's why I said that it is also a new milestone in my parenting journey, since I have so many things to learn too!

Other than academic studies, I hope that you will find passion in other activities that you enjoy, be it sports, performing arts or others. Study hard, but don't forget to play hard too!

As you are growing, you will find that friendship become an important part of your life. Do get to know more friends, but do stay away from those who hurt you.

Please remind me to read this letter, if one day, I say something like "Why you score only 90% for this test?"

Let's learn and grow together, my dear.

Love,

MaMi

Our Primary One Preparation Series:

• 10 Tips for Preparing Children for Primary One
• Primary School Registration
• Choosing Student Care Centre
• Handling / Counting Money
• Telling Time
• High Frequency and Sight Words

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Empowering Your Child with Positive Discipline

[Media Invite]

"What is your vision for your children 10 years later? 20 years later? 40 years later?"

Respectful, kind, confident, independent. These were some of my thoughts when Ms Julia Gabriel asked us to close our eyes and think about this question.

At Julia Gabriel Positive Parenting Series Workshop on "Empowering Your Child with Positive Discipline", DaDi and I reflected about our parenting style, and have learnt some tips on positive discipline for our children.

1. Acknowledge and encourage your children's efforts instead of praising their achievements.

We may encourage our children by saying "I really appreciate that you ...", "You worked really hard to ...".

2. Aim for Cooperation rather than Obedience.

Offer children choices within reasonable limits, so as to promote self-responsibility and mutual respect. For example, instead of ordering the children "Go to bed now!", we might ask "Would you like to brush your teeth first, or change into your pyjama first?"

3. Use positive language "Yes" rather than "No".

For example, "Yes, you can go out to play, after you have put the toys away."

4. When the children fight with their siblings, guide them resolve their conflict (this is applicable when the children are older).

We may use questions like "What happened? How do you feel when ....? What would you do if ...?" to guide them to resolve their conflict.

I have to put in conscious effort in controlling my own temperament and in improving my way to communicate with my children. It is not easy, but I am willing to learn and grow together with my children.

On a side note, one thing I like about this parenting workshop is that while the parents were attending the workshop, our children were engaged in story-telling and other educational activities in the other side of the room.

If you are interested in Julia Gabriel Positive Parenting Series, do check out their website!

Disclaimer: We were invited to attend the parenting workshop. No monetary compensation was received. All opinions and photos are mine.

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Primary School Registration

After reading and hearing so much ravings about primary one registration, we are finally part of registration process this year. It is going to be a new milestone for Pei Pei, and it is also a new milestone for us as parents.

DaDi's primary school is closed down while mine is a distance away from our place. As a full-time-working-mum, I treasure the weekend time with family so I didn't sign up as parent volunteers (ok I admit that I am actually lazy). We do not have any form of affiliation with the primary schools. So we can only register in Phase 2C. (What is "Phase this and that"? Please refer to Ministry of Education's website.)

Initially, we hoped to register our children with the primary school that is a stone throw away (School A). There is a covered walkway that links our block to the school's back gate. This saves time and expense on travelling. Distance is one of the factors in our consideration. Oh, we didn't buy the house because of that school, I wasn't even aware that there was a school nearby when we bought this house! 

But well, so close yet so far.

School A is a very popular school. Even parent volunteers / active community leaders have to ballot  during Phase 2B. So our chance to get a place in Phase 2C is very slim. Friends who know me for a long time would know that I don't have luck in lucky draws.

Of course, you may say, just give it a try. But the problem is, if we don't get balloted, by Phase 2C Supplementary, the next school that is close to our place (School B) may not have a vacancy! Then we have to travel further!

Other than distance, another consideration is the availability of student care centre in the school or near the school. This is essential for us as we are working, and we don't have any help to look after the children after school. I went to visit the student care centre at School B, the supervisor informed me that the priority is given to low income families and those families that are facing difficulties (e.g. single-parent families). Then I went to visit the student care centre just next to School B, it is on first-come-first-serve basis. 

Another consideration in choosing the primary school for my children is, whether the school suits them. As we hope both children study in the same school for convenience sake, we have to consider both of their personalities and interests, though we are registering for the elder one now. I just hope that through primary school education, my children will become confident individuals with good character and have a love for learning.

While I was very tempted to give it a try to ballot for School A, to get an experience of heart attack during the balloting process and hopefully miracle happens, recently the temptation was reduced after I read some parent forum. Ok, again I am too lazy, as some parents would have read the forum at least one year before registration. Parents from School A discuss things like PSLE results, tuition centres and enrichment classes, comparison between results of different classes, and some parents even expressed that they were worried as a teacher was new and "could not produce results". On the other hand, parents from School B mainly share information about administrative matters, and some share that the principal is very nice.

So it seems that for School A, though it is just a stone throw away, we may have to give it a miss.

What are your considerations in choosing primary school for your children?

Our Primary One Preparation Series:

• 10 Tips for Preparing Children for Primary One
• Choosing Student Care Centre
• Handling / Counting Money
• Telling Time
• High Frequency and Sight Words

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A Full-time-working-mother's After Work Hours

When Pei Pei and Hao Hao were babies, we were grateful that our parents helped to look after them. When they turned two years old, we sent them to childcare centre, as we did not want to trouble our parents.  

Our typical working day starts at 6 am. We send our children to childcare centre at 7 am and fetch them home after work at 6+ pm. Their bed time is 8 pm, so we only have about 2 hours with them on a working day. While the quantity of time spent together is short, we focus on the quality of time spent together.

Here are some ways how I spend time with my children after work, depending on my "Tiredness Level".

Tiredness Level 1: Still energetic after work on days that work load is manageable

We do a quick craft activity, build a castle with building blocks or even conduct a simple science experiment.

Tiredness Level 2: Slightly tired

We sit down and read (tons of books) together.

Tiredness Level 3: Tired

I sit down to watch them play. I would be part of their play, e.g. being their customer of their "Lego Rice Stall".

Tiredness Level 4: Very tired

I would lie on the floor to watch them play. I would still be part of their play, e.g. being the train track / road for cars and teddy bears. I don't have that kind of curvy figure for their cars and teddy bears to go on a roller coaster ride. I think I can be a good runway (except my tummy) for toy planes. Or we would do pretend play - they are the doctors, while I am the patient!

Level 5: I lose consciousness the moment my head touches a flat surface

DaDi takes over. Thanks!

I am definitely not a supermum. Only with the support from DaDi that I am able to cope with my work and family. Though he is also tired after a long day of work, he does a lot of housework (to the extent that I feel so guilty) and takes good care of the children. Thank you sooooooo much DaDi!

You ask me, how about our dinner? If I can leave office early, I would cook (this happens once in a blue moon), else I would buy for the family.

Oh, you also ask, how about housework? While we wash and fold our clothes every day (yes, every day), we do the cleaning on weekends.

Then how about adult times? Yes, I know you are referring to blogging, reading (other than children's books) and watching news on TV / reading newspaper. That would happen after the children go to sleep, and if I have not k.o. with the children!

To mummies who are working, share with us your after work hours!

This is a blog train hosted by Kids R Simple on “A Peek into the After Work Hours of a FTWM". Read about how the other 20 FTWMs handle their kids and household everyday!

The next mummy in the series is Cherie from Cherieladie. Cherie is a full-time working mother & a supermom wannabe who juggles motherhood alongside with her 3 boys (husband included). She believes in looking good and fashionable, in living life to the fullest and is a strong believer that life is all about being happy. She takes charge from cooking in the kitchen, to the underwear her kid wears, is the kids' official playmate, the designated toilet cleaning IC as well as every other role in between. Read about her adventures in keeping the household intact and everyone alive while being in full-time employment and no live-in help, and maybe, you'll learn a survival tip or two!

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