Why do animals lick their newly born babies

This one is from my five year old daughter when we saw a horse birth on TV:

Why do animals lick their newly born babies? Is it because they want to get back all the blood?

How three year olds view i-phones and i-pads

Apparently, my three year old son had a quite deep discussion about i-phone and i-pad in his school, with his teacher and friends.

He proudly reported back to me in the evening:

Mommy, some Daddies have i-phone, some have i-pad.
But it's ok. Both are nice...
You can use i-phone to call.
I-pad is bigger, you cannot use it to call, but you can play games on it.
I like both.

So you see... nowadays they started IT education very early indeed.

k.i.a.s.u

Before I start, for the benefit of those who is not familiar with the word (which I suspected have no precise English equivalent):

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(from http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/kiasu)

Etymology

From Hokkien (驚輸 POJ: kiaⁿ-su, kiaⁿ-si); literally: "afraid to lose"

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This kiasuism (oh yes... it's official English word now) is one of the thing that prompt me to write. Therefore before it starts gnawing on my brain, I'd better spill it out.

So you see... the story goes like this.

I had quite a shock on my first exam in a Singapore university. The exam was at the end of April. And, you know what, the students started all the preparation at the end of February!. Full gear, past year papers and all.

And my acquaintance with kiasuism continued. I then found out, that actually one's education in Singapore is prepared waaaayyy before university exam. It started, yes, you're reading this properly, even before conception.

A few facts, myths, everything that propelled my conclusion:

1. A father I know literally programmed his wife diet, in the name of getting a brilliant child

2. Until now, I still yet to get the chance to prove this, but I heard that Singapore parents may need to queue at unforgiving time of 3 AM to 5 AM for... primary school registration form.

3. A lot of schools requires voluntary work from the parents for the child to be considered for admission (for this, I had my near miss. My daughter is supposed to start in 2012 for primary. So at the beginning of 2010, I started asking and hey... volunteering slot is full!!! Oh well... what to do...)

4. It's not uncommon for good childcare centers and course providers in Singapore to include fetus in the waiting list. Before even the child is born.

The list can continue on and on... but it'll be quite boring. I just hope that you can agree with me on my statement two paragraphs above.

BUT! After being a parent myself. Somewhat magically I turned into one! Without knowing it, I went with the flow, registering my offspring to this and that courses. Caution though, I still hold back the reign, based on primary acknowledgement that kids NEED to play.

And... it is indeed tiring! To provide for the funds, sending kids to courses which end at 9 to 10 pm, coaching at home... and working in the morning. Most parents here walk through this path.

So... lastly... kudos to all kiasu parents. It's an honor to joint the herd.

PS : Feel free to leave your opinion on the message box, just to support each other, or to hold back the kiasuism a little. Kiasuism run amok is scary.

[It Works] Kumon Reading Workbooks

As all mommies, I tried many tricks, gimmicks, tools... that promised to help the kids' learning.

One VERY valuable lesson I learnt is that the tool (be it books, toys, flash card, games, etc) should be used at the appropriate time and age.

There is no magic formula to specify recommended time. Some suggests early morning. But to one mommy I know, her kids learning starts at 10 pm at night. For my own, I see their mood. Mostly I tried to coax them doing all workbooks in the morning, and for the rest of the day stealing teachable moments here and there.

Age wise, simply put, ... don't trust the box! :) But it can be a more-or-less guideline though.

On top, some tools are good, some deliver less than their claims.

Here's one good one: Kumon Reading Workbooks

[+]
1. Highly illustrative in colorful pages.
2. My favorite bit is that it progresses steadily throughout the lessons, so that the kids can learn at their own pace, and there is no big jump here and there. Nicely composed.
3. It is designed to be able to be done individually, without adult companionship.
4. And, since my daughter has finished the first book, I found out that they also teach grammar and all, eventually.
5. Printed on sturdy paper, ideal for writing, erasing, writing... scribbling...

[-]
Hmmm... It costs about SGD 10 per book.

By the way, my daughter is now five, going to K2 next year. I think I discovered this quite late. Feel free to try for your K1s.

PS : I am not in any way representing Kumon. This is a neutral opinion, from a mom to mommies out there.

Prolog

Long long time ago… I love to write.

I kept my diary updated, until I met Hubby Dearest, whom I allowed to read my diary. Afterwards, it seems he became my diary instead.

However, recently, I started –unconsciously- composing paragraphs in my head.

Therefore… since these little thoughts are also dear to me, here they are… I’d like to share them with you.