Congratulations to the winners of Today’s Motherhood Giveaway of The Wotwots DVDs. They have won themselves a The WotWots DVDs set worth $59.60.
Below are the names of the winners:
**Winners will be notified by Innoform individually.
** Terms and Conditions apply
The prizes are sponsored by
Fever is one of the common causes of alarm for parents. Once they feel that their child is not having his normal temperature, several thoughts come worrying them as they seek for the help of the doctor.
Fever is a great indicator that something is wrong. However, only few people realizes that fever is a medium for which the body defends itself against infection and further complications. It is in the instance of fever that the immune system is activated and fueled up for the production of white blood cells and antibodies.
Parents should be aware of the following considerations in order to deal with fever right:
It is good for all to know that fever is a symptom of a more serious condition. It is not a disease. It is advisable that parents should not panic about ordinary fevers unless their child had suffered infections and sometimes allergic reactions. Home remedies can be very helpful but upon observation of abnormal behavior, the doctor is the best resort for intervention of fever in children.
The Globe-Toddlers – Adventures in Mexico DVD allows children to explore and discover new things about the world.
Viewers may choose and select to watch the DVD in four languages, English, Chinese , Spanish, or French. The entire program is approximately 39 minutes long.
What I like about The Globe-Toddlers – Adventures in Mexico DVD:
- A menu page which allows the viewer to select their choice of interest, ranging from transportation, food, beach, birthday, jungle and etc.
- Contains a wide range of multimedia, such as puppetry, animation, live footages, still photos of the living habitats and landscapes of Mexico
- Learn about fun facts such as the life cycle of a butterfly, and finding out the source of chocolates
- Live footages of animals, such as a whale, shark, turtle eel and other ocean creatures
- Regional folklore dances performed by children
- Recommended follow-up activities available at the back of the DVD
In a nutshell, The Globe-Toddlers – Adventures in Mexico is educational and informative, especially for parents who want to expose their children to different languages and to learn more about the world. Children exposed to different languages during their first formative years of their life will not only have an easier time learning foreign languages later in life, they also have improved listening, problem-solving, and reasoning skills.
For more information about The Globe Toddlers or other Educational programs, log on to www.LinGenius.com
Peek-A-Boo is holding a series of craft workshops every Tuesdays, from November to December! All workshops are $15, and suitable for children 4 years and above.
23 Nov 2010, 3.30pm – 4.30pm
Kiki - The Snuggle Pillow: Your child will be thrilled to personally create a snuggly-soft pillow! A perfect companion at naptime!
30 Nov 2010, 3.30pm – 4.30pm
Oscar - The Octopus: Children will enjoy creating their very own octopus fridge magnet with jumping clay!
7 Dec 2010, 3.30pm – 4.30pm
Popsicle Photo Frames: Preserve joyful memories with these frames fashioned by your child for a unique gallery display!
14 Dec 2010, 3.30pm – 4.30pm
Bob - The Bouncing Bumblebee: Your little ones will find Bob to be a great walking companion especially since they made him from scratch!
21 Dec 2010, 3.30pm – 4.30pm
Christmas Felt Stocking: It’s Christmas Time! Decorate your house with a custom-made stocking done by your child!
28 Dec 2010, 3.30pm – 4.30pm
Teddy Bear Tote Bag: Encourage your child to put their snacks and little toys into their very own teddy bear tote bag!
Workshop participants enjoy a special discount of $2 off our entry charges for same day play at Peek-A-Boo! Call us at 6440 8355 or email us at michelle@peekaboo.com.sg to sign up today!
Registration is essential as spaces are limited! See you soon!
Log on to their website for more details! www.peekaboo.com.sg
Infantino Enterprise is having a warehouse sale from
Dates : 11-13 November 2010
Time : 10am - 5.30pm
Venue : 994 Bendemeer Road, #06-09, Spore 339943.
Items on sale include, stroller, baby cot, playpen, buggy, walker and more! Brands include, Bonbebe, Baby Comfort, Sunshine Kids, Munchkin… You can also get children’s clothing from $3 onwards!
Don’t miss this opportunity! While stocks last!
*Accepts cash only
In 2008, “WINK to LEARN” was founded by Mr. Lee Hann Yang and his wife. We had an opportunity to interview Hann Yang, and listen in to his journey.
Today’s Motherhood: I’ve heard friends talking about your “Speak & Read” Chinese DVD series. Their young children seem have a strong foundation in recognizing, and understanding the meanings of the basic words in the Chinese vocabulary.
Hann Yang: In our Flashcard DVDs, we make sure that every single word is accompanied by a picture. We believe that at a young age, children are able to have an easy time learning languages using real-life images. This is also the reason why we had incorporated musical rewards are incorporated at the end of every video. Children have the opportunity to learn songs related to the video’s theme, and get transported to visit places in China, Germany, Africa, and various other destinations.
Today’s Motherhood: But, considering the children’s young age, how effective are these educational DVDs?
Hann Yang: We believe that the window of opportunity for learning opens during the first seven years of life. 95% of brain development occurs in this period. Our Speak & Read DVD series (flashcard-based DVDs) are based on proven flashcard techniques pioneered in USA and Japan. This makes them far more effective than any other early language learning programs in town. We believe that such an investment in our children has a lasting influence on their future.
Today’s Motherhood: Definitely, I’m glad that many young parents now know about the benefits of early learning for young children.
Hann Yang: “WINK to LEARN” is tailored for families to start their children with the basic and fundamental knowledge of each language. The inspiration to develop this tool originated while I was looking for resources to support my children’s learning. Children are emotive learners. They learn best when they are happy. Some like songs, others like pictures, animals, outdoors, nature, etc… This is why we had developed a nice range of programs that cater to different interests.
For example our Animal Encyclopedic DVD series is supported by Singapore Zoo and Jurong Bird Park to help children in learning English and Chinese through the animals and birds from these world-renowned parks. Together with the Singapore Zoo and Bird Park, 6 Encyclopedic video DVDs have been developed to bring the animals in their natural habitat into the home.
Today’s Motherhood: The pictures of the words presented in each “Speak and Read” lesson seem to go beyond just learning to speak and read the words, but to tell a story and provide background and depth in their meaning.
Hann Yang: We recommend that children watch 1-2 lessons a day. Parent’s interaction with children is essential in optimal development. Children have an innate desire to learn. The belief we have in them, and the value we place on them further instills confidence in them and their motivation to learn.
Today’s Motherhood: We shall remember the two golden rules in the parents’ guide. “Stop before your child wants to stop” and “Reinforcement is essential in early learning”.
Hann Yang: The “Speak to Read” series has 6 progressive levels of learning which include real life categories such as actions, animals, food, transportation, things at home, my body, my family, personal belongings, and much more. Currently, four languages (English, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean) are available. In the near future, they intend to develop the series in Malay, Bahasa Indonesia, Spanish, German, French, Italian and more.
Sample videos from each DVD set are streamed in their website. Visit http://www.winktolearn.com to find out more about the products. Enjoy!
Daily bubble fun at City Square Mall’s 16 metre tall Santa Christmas Tree
To celebrate the holiday season, City Square Mall has planned an array of activities to spread the Christmas cheer. Families can come down to enjoy the festivities that include a Santa and bubble-themed musical show and Snow Globe Making Eco-workshops for children.
Session times for events are as follows:
A. Santa’s Bubbly Tree
Families looking to celebrate a jolly good time together can head down to City Square Mall to take their family photos against the backdrop of an eco-friendly Santa Christmas Tree measuring 16 metres in height. The Christmas Tree will be located at City Green, City Square Mall’s outdoor park where children can have fun watching bubbles blowing out of Santa’s Bubble Chimney.
Bubbles Playtime
Date: 19th Nov – 31st Dec
Time: 8.00pm (Mon – Fri) and 2.00pm, 5.00pm, 8.00pm (Sat & Sun)
Where: City Green
B. Santa Bubbles Musical
Santa invites everyone to his Enchanted Forest to enjoy a day of hearty cheer and fantastic fun! Visitors can meet Santa’s guest, CJ - the amazing Bubble Girl who will thrill the audience with her funny bubbles, and even gigantic ones big enough to envelop a kid. Each show is 30-minute long and runs daily.
Date: 11th – 19th Dec
Time: 7.00pm (Mon – Fri) and 1.00pm, 4.00pm & 7.00pm* (Sat & Sun)
* 7pm show on Sat, 18 Dec is at 8.30pm.
Where: Level 1 Atrium
City Square Mall will also attempt to set a record in the Singapore Book of Records together with CJ, the Bubble Girl as she will try to fit the most number of people standing within a bubble.
Date: 12 Dec
Time: 4.30pm
Where: Level 1 Atrium
C. Santa’s Eco-workshop
Master the craft of making snow globes from recycled materials as keepsakes for the whole family or personalised Christmas gifts for friends. With a little imagination, create a sparkling and magical miniature world.
Date: 20th Nov – 19th Dec (Sat & Sun only)
Time: 2.00pm & 5.00pm
Where: B2 Atrium
D. Melodious Caroling
For a dose of Christmas spirit, listen to the sounds of Christmas as the Emmanuel Choir celebrates with festive songs.
Date: 21 & 22 Dec
Time: 8.15pm – 9.00pm
Where: Level 1 Atrium
Look out for other activities including Balloon Twister and magic acts by the Bubblician. For more event information, please visit www.citysquaremall.com.sg
When a crayon or pencil is passed to a child for the first time, ever wondered how he or she learns to grip, hold and use it?
A common misconception people have about handwriting is that it comes naturally to children. The Necessary Skills to Develop Your Child’s Potential Seminar, organised by LYRA Asia on the 25 September 2010, helped to clear some misconceptions and highlighted on the fundamentals of handwriting in young children.
Participants had an interactive session with Alicia Lim and Noreen Boyle. Alicia is an Occupational Therapist, who specializes in writing with children at the National University Hospital of Singapore (NUH), and Noreen is a Specialist trained in the United Kingdom, who has been working in London schools and Nurseries for the past two decades. The duo helped to debunk some myths and offered insightful advice.
Children who accompanied their parents were also kept busy as they explored LYRA’s modeling clay products, facilitated by Wow Art Learning Studio trainers, and dabbled in some Speech and Drama, lead by teachers from The Mapping.
Besides parents, child care professionals also found the seminar enlightening. Ms. Pamela Soh, a childcare supervisor, expressed her appreciation for such seminars. She felt that the seminar was extremely helpful, as many of her students were still struggling to learn how to hold a pencil. She also found the speakers to be very professional, and had cleared many of her misconceptions about handwriting.
THE WRITING PROCESS
The first speaker, Alicia, kick starts the seminar by getting the audience to use LYRA’s award-winning Groove coloured pencil. They had a feel of the Groove pencil as they used it to write. When participants compared its usage to the common pencil, it seems less effort was required due to the thicker dimension of LYRA’s pencil.
Alicia then asked the audience to write their names backwards, but using their other lesser practiced hand. Knowing how the audience felt, she explained that this discomfort they were experiencing is similar to how children feel when they first start to write. Therefore, additional support or special tools are sometimes needed.
She also urged parents not to be quick to reprimand their children when they slouch or tuck their arm below their chin as they write. She clarified that such body postures does not entirely mean children are uninterested or lazy. On the country, it could be an indication that they are experiencing some difficulty with their writing position. Alicia also added that hurrying one’s child to write too early may result in unnecessary frustration and even illegible writing.
The second speaker, Noreen, recommended parents to let their little ones practice writing their ABCs, by starting with upper-case (capital) letters first, as they are mostly straightforward diagonal and horizontal lines, before advancing to lower-case (small) letters, which have more complicated curves.
LEFT OR RIGHT HAND?
Hand dominance was a hot topic that during the seminar. Mr. Manish Jain, a father of one, spoke to both speakers about his son, Sam, who is a left-hander. Mr. Jain had no qualms about his son writing with his left hand, but he felt that Sam was writing too slowly. The two speakers shared some useful tips to Mr. Jain to improve Sam’s writing speed at home, by setting a time limit and rewarding him when he completes his work on time.
Another question raised was whether a child should be trained to write with both hands. This was promptly answered by Noreen, who explained how hand dominance is not solely for writing, but is also an integral part of a person’s natural reflexes.
Her advice to parents, who want their left-handed children to be right-handed, is to allow their children to develop their hand dominance naturally, as forcing a change can cause unnecessary pressure on the children.
Written by Michelle Ang
Get your questions answered by a Professional writing expert from Dynamics Success, click here
Ever wondered why your child grips the pencil differently?
How to get my son to write eligibly?
My child does not like to colour or write or draw. What should I do?
Read articles about handwriting from the news, click here
We had an interview with Mr Mohammed Ali Bin Mahmood, Senior Director, PPIS Social Services & Training and Consultancy, PPIS Jurong Family Service Centre to find out more about the survey that was done on the Family Values that Singaporeans have today. Through the interview, we realized that the traditional values namely (a) Love, care and Concern (b) communication (c) Filial Responsibility(d) Mutual Respect (e) Commitment has been successfully passed down from the elder generation. Many Singaporean responded very positively to family values and results have indicated more than 80 percent feels that all 5 values are important.
Family Values
1) Today’s Motherhood is concerned in many years to come; the importance of 5 values will shift and change due to the modernizing and growing generations. How will these values differ? Namely (a) Love, care and Concern(b) communication(c) Filial Responsibility(d) Mutual Respect(e) commitment
The National Family Council embarked on a Family Values Survey to find out if 5 core family values (outlined in 1993) were still cherished by families.
The survey, conducted early this year, yielded several positive findings. First, we found that Singaporeans still placed a high priority on their families and cherish all 5 family values mentioned. In particular, we were pleasantly surprised that the values mentioned by Singaporeans, when unprompted, were similar to those mooted in 1993, almost 20 years ago. This reflects a certain timelessness of the values, as well as shared values amongst our different generations.
We were also happy to note that there were not many significant differences in values held by older and younger Singaporeans. This suggests that family values have been successfully transmitted over time from our elders to the young.
I feel that if Singaporeans continue to nurture a family first culture, we will be able to sustain the future generation’s priority to lead their lives according to positive family values.
2) Of all of the above 5 values stated, which is to you the most important value to be focusing on currently and why?
We found that:
- love, care and concern is the top most important family value;
- family members are communicating with each other; and
- filial responsibility is still strong.
We also found that while commitment is still relevant, it could be under strain.
Although 43% of respondents disagreed that divorce is the best solution when a couple cannot seem to work out marital conflicts, a high 34% agreed with the statement, while 23% remained neutral.
Further, while 40% of the respondents felt that divorce is not justifiable, 44% were neutral and 15% said that divorce could be justifiable, especially among respondents who were younger and better educated.
These figures suggest that there might be still a significant portion (likely more than half) of Singaporeans who are likely to feel that divorce is an acceptable way out of marriage when things do not work out. We feel that if individuals are open to a way “out” of marriage, their level of commitment to their spouses might also be undermined.
Hence, I feel that there is scope to build on the value of commitment to marriages.
3) Marriage is a very important issue to a family. Divorce cases in modern society increased greatly and are deemed common. Is divorce the only way to solve marriage issue? Who is suitable to divorce in this case?
I feel that a divorce is a serious matter, with social and economic penalties not just on the divorcing couple, but on children as well if the couple have children. While marriages and divorces are private matters, what the National Family Council could do is to help strengthen relationships. Marriage Central, set up by the NFC, has organised the Real Love Works campaign annually to celebrate marriages, Marriage Convention to impart skills and tips to sustain healthy marriages, as well as a website including Facebook and twitter to help engage couples to connect emotionally. There are many other initiatives by Marriage Central. We urge you to visit our website to find out more.
4) As shown in the survey, love, concern and care comes first as the most important value. Spending time with family is a good way of showing concern. How much time spend is good enough, and how can we define quality time?
I think it is hard to put a number on what is enough or quality time to be spent on our families, as we each have different schedules and the kids too have different school and social schedules, depending on their age. We all also need to spend time with our parents.
Personally, I put in effort to ensure that some time in the day and week are spent with my family. Meal times, for instance is a very important family time for me. I always make it a point to have dinner together everyday. That is the best time to exchange news of what each member has done during the day. My kids are 12 and 15 and listening to them relate the happenings in school alone can be both amusing and enriching for me. Also, listening to how they assess situations that their friends are going through or just listening to their thoughts about issues helped my wife and I gauge if they have imbibed the values we found important that we want to pass on.
5) How is love and concern being shown in the modern way? Is there any unique and fun method that modern population used? Is it a good or bad trend?
We held discussions with small groups prior to the survey, and people shared that their families were more expressive in showing their love than previous generations. For e.g., many, particularly those younger or middle-aged, will hug, kiss and say “ I love you” to their loved ones. Older Singaporeans tend to show their care and concern through actions such as cooking their child’s favourite dish. I think the act of showing love, be it verbal or physical or through actions are important, and that it is important for each one of us to cherish our families in loving ways as often as possible.
Filial Responsibility
6) Compared to the past generation, is it true that filial piety and responsibility is decreasing due to globalization and constantly westernization of our thoughts?
The survey findings reflected that filial responsibility in Singapore is still strong. 98% of the respondents believed that children should regularly spend time and provide financial support to their elderly parents. Majority of the respondents would not consider putting their parents into an old age/nursing home because children should look after their parents. A high 93% felt that one must always love and respect his parents, regardless of the parent’s qualities and faults.
7) Is it true that western countries does not value as much filial responsibility as compared to Asia country like Singapore where most people are Asian.
The survey did not compare its findings with western countries.
I would be cautious to say that filial responsibility is an Asian value or that Westerners are not responsible to their parents. I think different cultures show respect in different ways and also have different expectations from their children.
8) On local television, an advertisement on filial responsibility is played. This advertisement show how one generation will affect the other generation. Also to mention, Jack Neo’s Money not enough movie series also sent us a number of message regarding filial responsibility. Is media an impactful tool to bring awareness across the nation, what in your view is to be done other than media driven awareness efforts?
The filial piety TVC is on a subject-matter that is inter-generational and it seeks to heighten public awareness on the value of filial piety with the focus on “how one generation loves, the next generation learns”.
We hope Singaporeans will be inspired to recognise the need to lead by example and to do the morally right thing for their parents. By doing the right thing, it is hoped that children will emulate their parents, and in turn care for them when they grow old.
Indeed, the media is a powerful tool. I think that that advertisement on filial piety were successful in having people think and talk more about filial responsibility and family values. Within a mere few days after the launch of the TVC, myfilialpiety facebook received 15,000 “fans” indicating that they “like” the campaign and the viral has spread very rapidly. Beyond raising awareness, which the Council has done, we need action, and I think you will agree that each of us have to play our part to care for our respective families.
9) Back to Filial responsibilities. In the survey it was show that it is still strong. However we still could see many homeless elderly sleeping at bus-stop, HDB shelters or even on the street. Many earned from collection cardboard and drinks can to survive. Is the survey result still justifiable in such aspect?
Yes, anecdotal evidence shows that there are our seniors who are struggling to make ends meet. Each situation is unique. While the survey found that majority Singaporeans in general value filial responsibility, I think there will still be instances of children who neglect their parents.
10) Technology enhanced communication with method such as sms and email. It does no doubt improved communication. However, many said that it lost a touch of personal warmth. Is technology a bonus or a threat to family communication?
I think depending on how and when we use technology to communicate, it can either be a boon or a threat. With all forms of technology, be it TV, or SMS, MSN, blogs, twitter and Facebook, we can use technology to help us communicate better, or be trapped in unhealthy habits, for e.g. if we spend all our time communicating via technology and lack face-to-face interaction. So it really depends on our self- awareness, self-discipline and level of commitment to our families.
We thank you for your time and hope to work with you again.
Infantino is organizing a once a year Baby Products Warehouse sales start from 11 to 13 Nov 2010.
Brands on special price include : Bonbebe, Munchkin, BabyCraft, Lindam, Evenflo, Petit Terraillon, Kidstools and Baby Delight.
Also many display baby cot, car seat, exersaucer and toys at unbelievable prices.
Dates : 11 to 13 Nov 2010
Time : 10.00am to 5.30pm
Location: 994 Bendeemer Road #06-09 Singapore 339943
Nearest MRT : Boon Keng Station Exit B
Cash ONLY
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