Category Archives: Education

Learning and getting educated through watching TV

Posted on 7 May, 2013 | 7 Comments

Originally posted 2008-09-16 11:52:09.

Gotta love podcasts!

When I started this blog I was hunting for resources to educate myself on parenting and to also talk about it here- looks like I had my priorities wrong way around!

Anyway, in my search I had found a few podcasts that talk about parenting- these are only audio versions, of peads interviewing child development experts, answering medical related questions, etc. Then I stumbled upon storytelling audio podcasts too, which is something I don’t mind “learning” too to then tell the kids stories at bedtime. Eventually.

I then started looking into the video podcasts too, and found Dora, Sesame Street, and a few others. I started downloading the Sesame Street ones first, and showed them to Caitlin. She loved them!

Though these are only 5 minutes or so each episode, she has since learned that hitting the space bar starts the clip again at the end. This “trick” has freed me to go about my evening routine like shower, and; well, shower. I just leave her to watching – She doesn’t mind watching it over and again.

Hey that sounds like why the tv is called the idiot box…..

Like the tv series each episode has a theme. One could be about newspapers, another is tricycle; lately Caitlin likes to watch the “eat your colours” one repeatedly. I don’t mind these because she does learn something. Like with this episode, while she chants along with the tune of what food is what colour, she is learning that these are good foods to eat (green is for broccolli, red for carrot, etc). The latest episode is on insects. I watched it with her the first time wondering what they’d be talking about. I was reminded myself that the distinctive feature of insects is that they have 6 legs…..

But at the basic of these podcasts, she is learning good English; albeit that of American accent.

This is what I liked most- that she is actually picking up proper English through watching these. I say proper English because here people tend to not speak properly, since it isn’t the mother tongue of most.

So then my question is: Are there any similar Mandarin educational podcasts? I don’t even mind dubbed ones of Sesame Street. I think there may be a few dubbed versions of popular ones already- Thomas and Pocoyo. Kids shows, that is- ‘cos there are Mandarin podcasts but those are tailored for adults wishing to learn the language.

I subscribe to these via iTunes only, meaning there is likely other podcasts not covered in iTunes.

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Posted in A father's POV, A toddler's POV, Caitlin the heiress, Education

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A dog in the family..

Posted on 21 April, 2013 | 2 Comments

Originally posted 2011-02-18 21:58:06.

So I was watching Marley and Me which was on TV tonight.

I hadn’t watched it before, and it was already running when I got out of the shower. SPOILER WARNING: I am going to talk about the ending of the movie below.

I have kinda always had a dog in my life. When my older brother did well in his mid-high school exams, our dad honoured his promise of a reward with an Alsation pup. I would have been around 8 then.

He was a great dog. I gotta admit we weren’t the most “mature” in our methods of disciplining him, but we did give him a home, played with him, trained him. In return he was obedient and loyal. The only time he wasn’t obedient was when he needed to satisfy urges to run out of the house compound, and needed lots of coaxing to come home. I believe there was even once when he went out without our knowledge, and was found waiting outside our gate; presumably all satisfied with his outing and thought it was time to go home :)

He was eventually put down. He was about 13 years old, which means he would have been 90 dog-years old. He was just too weak physically as well as with his immunity, and started to develop some skin and ear problems.

It was my brother and I who brought him to the vet. We weren’t strangers to the vet; been taking him there for similar problems already. The vet had told us off a few times of “neglect”, but he also knew that dogs of this breed would be hard to maintain in the tropical climate.

That last visit, when we brought him in, the vet’s tone changed when we agreed that perhaps it was time.

Dog lovers all in the room.

The scene in Marley and Me was very similar. My brother and I just held Alley as he slowly slipped away. I recall I was patting him, uttering “it’s okay” quietly. Stroking his still fluffy mane, comforting him. He had never liked the vet or the clinic, and would put up a fight when the vet came near. He was putting up a fight again when the vet gave the dose, but the fight slowly slipped away too. I hoped he heard my last words too.

The car ride home with my brother was just silence.

I am writing this because of an immediately earlier scene in the movie.

The kids in the movie was saying goodbye to Marley at home, just before he was taken to the vet; when everyone kinda already knew he wouldn’t be returning.

I am writing this because where I am now (alone away from home in a friend’s house) they have a dog; probably not that much smaller than Marley. Harley is a black dog, similar line of the labradors. My friends got him from a pound when he would have been about around 2 years old. They are not sure of his breed either.

In watching that goodbye-at-home scene, I found myself wondering what it would be like if my own family had a dog. The kids would be about the same ages even though I only have two. I believe the kids would grow to love the dog like I did Alley, and would have assumed the dog to (almost) be part of the family. And, how they would react when the dog was dying.

Or how to handle impending death.

This same older brother of mine had/have other dogs since Alley. Shadow, a doberman (by choice due to a shorter coat!) was hit by a car a few years ago, and had to be put down too. Shadow was in his prime; a champion-of-the-class dog who was also of very good temperament. I had followed my older brother to a few of their obedient classes, and had watched him graduate as champ of the class. I recall I was at my inlaws’ having dinner, and broke down when my brother called to tell me the news.

His kids were pretty distraught too.

They now have another doberman, Kaiser, and a beagle Yoshi. Similarly I had followed Kaiser to dog classes; and rest assured we now know how to handle dogs “maturely”, so Kaiser also responds to my calls. My kids see how friendly I am with the dogs, and vice versa. If it weren’t for Hot Mummee around, I would let the kids interact more than just touch their noses. Caleb is the braver of my two kids, venturing to stroke the big black menacing looking dog.

I don’t know if I will eventually also have a dog in my family. I know I wouldn’t let him into the house, but at least whether I’d have one. I know the kids would be inclined to one, just a matter of whether HM would also be okay with it.

Nah, she won’t.

Kaiser the 2nd champion doberman

Yoshi the not-so-trained yapper!

Photos taken from my brother’s collection.

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Posted in A father's POV, Education, life skills, siblings

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Would you have given in?

Posted on 2 April, 2013 | 4 Comments

Originally posted 2009-03-29 14:47:56.

Friday morning we were getting ready for work and school respectively. Fridays are when Caitlin’s school has a wading session in their small pool. Since she’s always loved the pool it was always a welcomed day; that as well as an early-age adoption of the adult TGIF concept (she doesn’t seem to like school as much this year).

She’s still got some audible phlegm in her throat, though she isn’t coughing anymore, it’s still there. Apparently she had also promised Teacher Rachel a show-and-tell of her collection of fridge magnets from home. She told me of this on Thursday night when I was tucking her in.

That morning I made the mistake of reminding her that it’s swimming day. All psyched up, she had been carrying her plastic bag of swim gear all morning wherever she was whilst getting ready. HM reminded me of her still-present phlegm, that we should wait for another week before she is allowed back in the pool (the last time I forgot, her cough came back in full force after a swim with Daddee; and we know how easily she pukes when she gets into a coughing fit).

I told her “no, can’t go swimming; wait for another week”. She wouldn’t have it. Repeated Elmer Fudd vs Bugs Bunny of yes no yes no only aggravated the respective individual emotions of our positions. Of course being the Daddee I managed to almost wrestle the bag off her. Okay I did it as gently as I could.

We were already in the car, basement of our building. Every morning we’d be lugging not just our respective bags; there is also Caleb’s gear for the day, some washing to be done, and Caleb himself aided by our helper. Settled in, buckling our seatbelts, feeling pretty shitty about the whole ordeal already, and she says, between the teary jerks of breaths, “DADDEE WE FORGOT THE MAGNETS!!”

There were really 3 options to handle this: (1) Go upstairs alone. That would be the quickest. But that also means leaving them alone in the car in the basement- toddler, 14 month old, a foreigner; (2) All go up together. Safest option. But taking the longest, making us late for school and work. (3) Fuggedaboutit.

I declared option (3). Caitlin goes into a wailing fit. Feet kicking, top of voice crying protesting she wants to go back upstairs to get the magnets, why wasn’t I listening to her.

I respect that she wants to honour her promise to Teacher Rachel. She was even looking forward to this- I could tell. But either (1) or (2) would mean we’d both be late. I even twisted the argument back at her; not a very nice thing to practise on a toddler I admit; that she didn’t listen to me either that morning when we said no to swimming, that she didn’t listen to us.

I felt bad about her not able to indulge in a simple swimming activity. It didn’t rain that day and the swim session did go ahead. She would, like before, have to remain in class hearing all the cheers and splashes downstairs.

But I felt worse that I couldn’t let her carry out her simple request of going back upstairs to get the magnets. This wasn’t something bad at all. For the longest time I had been instilling in her to honour her word/promise, and this was one example- that she wanted to show the magnets as promised. I was consoling / coaching her to say to Teacher Rachel that she is sorry she forgot to bring the magnets, but that she would be late if she/we turned around to go get them, that she didn’t want to be late, and that she would bring them on Monday instead.

In some ways I was also just lazy.

But what would you have done?

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Posted in A father's POV, A toddler's POV, Education, life skills, Parenting rules

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First day at preschool

Posted on 15 March, 2013 | 8 Comments

Originally posted 2008-02-29 17:06:34.

For young parents like us, this is a major milestone in itself.

Mummee went back to work this week, since giving birth to Caleb and all the hoo-ha. She had spent most of last week researching the various neighbourhood preschools with at most a 15min drive radius from her folks’, since the grandparents will be picking Caitlin up after school, with whom she will be for the rest of the day waiting for Daddee to come get her after work.

After all the research, we decided on the one that is actually walking distance from grandparent’s, even though that’s been the one they have been suggesting from the start!

So, after all the paperwork was filled in, Grandma went to drop them off at the school with Caitlin in tow. That was Tuesday this week. The headmistress suggested that since we are already nearing the end of Feb, Caitlin can start attending the school the last few days of February, starting the very next day- Wednesday.

I got home that Tuesday to a very excited Caitlin telling me about this “school” she was at, seeing the other children, showing me the uniforms she is to wear! Grandma told me about the arrangement, and the buzz was on!

If there was a meter to measure excitement levels, Caitlin’s and mine may actually be about the same. For mine, I guess it’s understandable: What will she be like? Any separation anxiety? Will she start crying asking for us / wanna go home? Will she behave / listen to the teachers? Will she bully the other kids??

But her excitement was somewhat unexpected. She wants to go to school. There was no discouraging her. I played with her head a little, citing the 4+ hours of independence from us with complete strangers. But it didn’t seem to “work”. This is one pretty amazing kid.

Morning came, and Caitlin was readied on time. Since the school hadn’t met me before, the arrangement was that Caitlin, Grandma and I will be dropping her off that morning, for them to also meet me. Not that that is much of a problem- I am after all dropping a kid off rather than picking up (abducting) one.

A minder is always stationed at the front of the residential-house-turned-preschool. She saw my little girl in their uniform and proceeded to come get her from the car. This is apparently the standard practise of parents- they literally drop off the kids and go.

Since I had to be at work on time for a training course, I couldn’t stay to watch her. Grandma opted to do this, for just-in-case.

It was a mixed feeling for me. My little girl didn’t flinch at all. She was all independent, seemingly starting to take on the world with this small little first step in her life. She took the minder’s hand, and walked away from her Daddee as a confident toddler would, a tiny backpack on, pony tail bouncing behind her, not looking back at all, no sign of reluctance; as if she’s done this many times before. I had to call out “Bye Caitlin” before she looked back and did the same with a wave to her Daddee, and Grandma. Grandma started carrying out her pre-planned mission of staying behind to see if she is needed.

Grandma left 15 min later.

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Posted in A father's POV, Caitlin the heiress, Education, Parenting musing

Orientation day 1

Posted on 9 March, 2013
Queue before class

This gallery contains 1 photos.

Originally posted 2010-11-22 21:08:11. Last Saturday was the orientation to the orientation for the 2011 batch of standard 1 kids. Yup that’s what I said. On Saturday when Caitlin and I were done and leaving for the day, I had … Continue reading →

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Everyone should learn how to drive manual first

Posted on 23 February, 2013 | 1 Comment

Originally posted 2010-11-24 22:25:33.

Not that I don’t appreciate Grandma buying Caitlin her first wrist watch.

After all, it is about time she learns how to manage her own time and implications of otherwise. I have already gotten her a desk clock which she out-of-blue asked for a few weeks ago, which I gladly did. I think she saw it in some tv show and thought it’d be cool (from a 6 year old’s perspective of “cool”) to also have one of her own.

She was quite specific about it too. She insisted that it had to “be pink, have hands, and also ears”. I wasn’t sure if she had seen it in a cartoon and thus unlikely to exist in real life. So I had drawn it to be sure we had the same understanding.

We did.

It’s not exactly a very precise alarm clock; it does ring, plus/minus 20 minutes either way of the alarm setting hand! I also couldn’t find one with all the numbers of the clock, for a clock that (smallish) size.

But back to the topic at hand.

Now that she is “orientating” for standard 1, a timely opportunity for her to start getting into some kinda independence in terms of getting things done in time, and being on time.

So I didn’t disagree with Grandma getting her a wrist watch.

It is just that if it were me; and I did think it would be me, that I would get her one with hands. Admittedly we didn’t consult each other on this purchase, or even the intention of the purchase.

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Posted in A father's POV, Caitlin the heiress, Education, Ergonomics, life skills, Parenting rules

“Do you have any children?”

Posted on 19 January, 2013 | 2 Comments

Originally posted 2008-08-13 13:50:27.

That is usually the question parents ask the detective, in cops & robbers shows on TV, when they speak about the mishaps regarding their kids.

I never knew the implications until I now that I have my own kids. The writers of these shows know what they are talking about- about how parents feel about kids, and about how child-less folks not knowing what it feels like when mishaps befall (other people’s) children.

I saw this article on The Star this morning. It saddens me that people can do this to children; and in this case, presumably by someone who’s not had kids of their own.

What I had wanted to share in this post, mainly, is that I was reminded by Dr Pixie recently not to throw kids up in the air during play- you know, throw them up, and catch them by the armpits when they are falling.

She said that in playing like this, there is a chance of busting a vein or vessel in the head.

Presumably the same thing this abused child suffered “….. (sic) had suffered bleeding in the head probably due to a violent shake”…..

Sigh…

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Posted in A father's POV, Dr Pixie says, Education, Ergonomics

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