Singapore Mom Bloggers

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31 January 2013

When to tell the teacher, and when not to.

Starting a new school usually means changes in routines, new friends and teachers. Frankly I dread having to start the whole process again, since we have just changed K from a Kindy to a Childcare in Jul 2012. We are moving (again!) to a new/temporary home, and the poor boy needs to make the adjustments as a result of our nomadic lives.

When K first started out school in his childcare last year, he complained about being bullied in school. My first reaction to that was, “Whose son is so ill behaved? How can he be bullying my son. I have to speak to his teacher!” Until I found out that the bully in school is a girl named M. I probe further and I realized that she has been only pinching him, and when he complains to the teacher, she continues pinching him.

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DIY CNY Craft: Red Packets Lantern Ball

Chinese New Year is coming, festive mood is getting stronger too so I guess its time to do a little bit of craft work to bring in all the dong dong dong qiang mood shall we?

If you have left over red packets, its good to recycle them & beautify your home with it. All you need is just 12 red packets & a stapler..so simple :)

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DIY: Paper Cherry Blossoms!

Layla’s school is organising a Chinese New Year decorating competition, and you guessed it: The mom brigade has been mobilised again! My friends are aghast when they hear about stuff like this, but I actually think it’s kinda fun. I’ve been talking to the mom assigned to lead this latest “project,” and it turns out we’re kindred spirits when it comes to aesthetics. So we’ve ruled out gold, red packets, and anything else that would never make it onto Apartment Therapy. Our version of Chinese New Year? Handmade and modern, and on our team are working moms as well as stay-home moms who’re following tutorials and making tissue paper pompoms, cranes, and paper cuttings for the first time. How cool is that?

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We'll Just Have Two, Thanks

Everyone's talking about the new childcare subsides. I foresee that it's going to be the top topic of this year's Chinese New Year visits.

So we all know I'm not very good with numbers (apart from being able to calculate discounted sale prices rather quickly) so I won't bore anyone with details they already know. Basically, the new subsidies will allow lower-middle income families to place their children in childcare at a fraction of what they pay now, enabling mothers to go back to the workforce.

Now let's have a thought about this. I know many women who have chosen to stay home to take care of their kids. And some of these women who left reasonably high paying well-respected jobs. They left their jobs by choice, rather than the lack of. They chose to stay home with their kids to offer guidance in their early years, and to watch them grow.

I chose to leave my job that I loved so much, to care for Poppy because we knew from the start that infant care was not ever going to be an option for us. The idea of our 3 month-old being cared for by a stranger (sure, a qualified, medically trained one) who incidentally also needs to watch over 2-3 other babies, was not our idea of an ideal situation. We were hoping for a babysitter cos at least that was a one-on-one option but that didn't work out, so instead of rushing to infant care or get domestic help, I became it.

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DIY Hair Raising Experience

I am known among my friends and some acquaintances as That Siao Char Bor With The Super Long Hair. How long, you ask? Try tickle-ma-ass-crack kind of long. I wasn’t aiming to for a Guinness world record for the world’s creepiest hair. I’m just the lazy sort who allowed my hair take over my head.

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15 January 2013

Project Organise My Life

One of my New Year resolution for the 2013 is to be more organised. Yes this came up for 2012 but hubby would be the first person to tell you that I had little success in this area. Between the both of us, he’s the one who’s neater while I get by with my organised chaos.

Anyway, the end of 2012, saw Alexis and I discussing about our grand plans around how we should tidy, declutter and reorganise the house so that it can be a home that we’ll be proud of. So yes, being organised is going to be a big thing for us. Maybe more so for me. So to kick start, I’ve started a Project Organised My Life where I hope to share or exchange ideas and tips on how to simply be more organised from the home to work and personal fronts.

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SEA Aquarium - Resorts World Sentosa

We visited the newly opened SEA Aquarium on New Year's Day via Cable Car! So after a good half an hour of queuing to enter the Aquarium, we were finally ushered into the cool depths of the 'sea'. And what an experience it was!

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Not New Year Resolutions, But...

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Activities for Babies: Treasure Bottles

Poor Calla is often sulking in the cot while Poppy and I are working on the table. If she makes her unhappiness known loud enough, I would pick her and plonk her on my lap while continuing with Poppy. Which means I have curious hands to hold, and we have to be mindful of the numerous dangerous-for-baby items that are around us.

Poppy is wonderful with her efforts of "Calla, noooooooo!'. Truth be told, she is sometimes even more attentive than I am. I can even get away with washing a few dishes when Poppy is around Calla. I always know whatever Calla is doing from Poppy's running commentary.

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Worker, mother of two, writer, wife

It has taken me a while to realise this.

That I am a worker (part-time but worker no less.)

A mother of two.

A writer.

A wife.

I don’t know how I cope with all the various demands from these four major roles that I am focusing on right now. I really don’t, as in I have no clue. But quite recently, someone at work came to me and asked me. (This was after she found out I had two little ones.)

How do you do it?

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