http://www.kidsahoy.net/ KidsAhoy.net: Your one-stop online portal for the Filipino Global child! en-us 2012-01-30T00:00:00+01:00 When crisis brings out the creativity in parents http://www.kidsahoy.net/content.asp?ContentId=1233 When the US economy took a really bad turn this year, many are now dreading the onslaught of 2009. Not surprising to think each one of us can already feel the crunch of the crisis. As a parent, my worst fear is to not have enough resources to bring up my daughter -- a sentiment, I am pretty sure, is shared by all the parents all over the world.

I wouldn't say though that feeling the crunch just began the past few months. When I made that difficult decision to go freelance, I knew that the payoff with my daughter was in the financial aspect. For the past years, when she wants me to buy her something, the request always goes this way:

"Mama, when we have extra money, can we buy this?"

There are times when this line pinches my heart. I don't want her to feel deprived in any way. But this is the payoff that I had to accept if it meant me having more time to focus on her especially in her early years. I had to cope with that dilemma if it meant being able to mentor her in her early years in school. This is in the hope that she grows up to be a more EQ-tic over IQ-tic child.

Now, however, I am very thankful that it will not be much of an adjustment for her as this recent crisis looms over us all. It is such a relief that she is you could say a low-maintenance child who loves bread over cakes and other junk foods, water over softdrinks or even juice and household stuff as toys over the expensive ones.

In times of crisis, it helps to have a kid who does not crave for the expensive for nothing hurts us most than seeing our children being deprived of what they want most...or having a hard time coping with changes that we need to impose on them during tough times.

Yet I have realized too that in times of crisis, we parents have the opportunity to teach our kids the more important things in life. Right now we are not just facing a financial crisis. We are also barely coping with environmental concerns and political tug-o-wars. This is the best time to slowly make our children realize the gravity and urgency of facing these problems even at a young age since it will be them who will bear the full impact of the inevitable consequences of all those. It's now or never.

When I was shopping for a gift for my daughter, I wanted one that she can learn from and at the same time easy on the budget. I was cruising through Toy Kingdom (and bruising through their price tags) when I saw a couple of boxes that were shoved carelessly in one corner. It was quite difficult to notice if you are just looking through the shelves. But these boxes caught my eye.

Paper Recycling Mini-Factory

So many things were running through my mind when I saw it. One, will it really work. Beating old paper to the pulp is quite difficult without using a blender. Two, will Reb even appreciate it? Three, how much???

The first question can only be answered when we finally use it. So I just prayed that it will. The second, well, it uses water so she will definitely love this. Plus it means recycling a lot of her old doodle notebooks and coloring books...as well as old newspapers and even used Christmas wrappers. I also think Reb will love writing on paper that she made herself.

As for the third concern...it was only around P500 plus.

On Christmas Day, I found out the answer to the first question. YES. She did enjoy it. We got some hand and arm exercise while tearing old paper into small pieces. Reb got her natural high from stirring the pieces of paper in a bucket full of water. We had more exercise using the paper blender. It was a great experience to go through the whole process. She just can't wait to use the paper she made.


Throughout the whole experience, the one thing I realized is that during tough times, there will always be a way to enjoy without spending as much...and even learn something in the process. I was telling her why recycling is important as we made our first batch of paper. I told her afterwards that now we don't need to buy expensive paper to make cards. Moreover, we saved some trees from being cut by using used paper to make new ones. We did not even use an electric blender to crush paper to the pulp (no added cost from Meralco).

This is just one simple way of turning a crisis into a learning experience for the kids. When we need to cut costs, it doesn't have to be at the expense of the kids -- meaning they do not need to suffer. But that can only happen if they begin to understand just why things need to change.

At a time when we need to spend less, it may be a good idea to spend more with the kids. That means more time to explain and teach them the value of coping with the ever-changing times in our lives. You may not be able to afford PSPs or Wiiis at this point yet time spent with them just may be less expensive but more rewarding for the whole family.

I hope everyone had a blessed Christmas and will remain prayerful in 2009.

------------------

Non-multiply members may email their comments to an.saldana@gmail.com.

Reposted with permission from Mommy Nina. Originally posted at
When crisis brings out the creativity in parents

Nina Saldana is a writer/editor for almost two decades now. Although all her working experience is in business writing, what she really loves to write about is life and people, and everything else in between. She is doing freelance work (writing, editing, web design, among others) to hopefully have more time with her daughter.
Email: an.saldana@gmail.com  Mobile: +(63-920) 4007045 
Website: http://rebnin.multiply.com

]]> Miscellany by Nina Saldana 2009-05-02T05:33:51+01:00 Preparing your preschooler for ‘Big School’ http://www.kidsahoy.net/content.asp?ContentId=1094 Sometime during the ages of five to six, your preschooler will be moving on to “Big School”.  Depending on the educational system in your area, she may be entering kindergarten or first grade.  Either way, “big school” will definitely be different from the preschool atmosphere she’s become used to.

 

One major change that your preschooler has to adapt to in big school is a larger class size.  A normal class in nursery or preschool has 8-10 students per class.  By kindergarten and primary grade, the class size can double to at least 20 students or more.  Another big adjustment for your child will be having just one teacher in class, whereas in preschool she probably had two.  With more kids and less adults in a class, your child will need to learn about being more independent.  She’ll also have to show more initiative during the learning process itself.

 

You can help your child prepare for a secure transition into big school with some fun and practical activities at home.  These activities simulate things he’ll need to do by himself in big school, which his preschool teacher may have usually helped him with before.  The goal is to make your preschooler become less dependent on the teacher and more capable on his own. 

 

1)      Have a pretend school lunch time at home.  Pack a lunch for your child as you intend to do for him in big school.  Pack one for yourself too, if you have extra kits.  During lunch time, see if your child can easily open and close his water bottle and any other containers.  Make sure he finishes his food. Run through packing away completely.  Show him how to check that his water bottle is closed all the way to avoid any spills.  Check that he disposes of his trash properly.

 

2)      Go through the more ‘challenging’ articles of clothing your preschooler’s closet.    Train him to dress and undress himself, especially in preparation for going to the bathroom in big school on his own.    See that he’s able to fasten and unfasten the different kinds of buttons, zippers and snaps.  Train him to always wash his hands well before leaving the bathroom.

 

3)      Practice your child on getting himself into and out of weather outfits like raincoats, snowsuits and boots.  See if he can manage zippers, drawstrings and other clasps on his own.  If you have a coat-hanger adjusted to your child’s height, show him the proper way to hang his weather gear so that he’ll know how to do it himself at the coat-room in school.

 

4)      Teach your child how to tie his shoelaces by himself.  Start by using two laces of different colors, so that when you make the first knot then the ‘bunny ears’, he can see which one goes over and which one goes under.  If all the shoelaces at home are one color, you can also use yarn.  Have him practice on his own laces.

 

You’ll also want to have age-appropriate practice sessions on  the “3 Rs”; Reading, ‘Riting and ‘Rithmetic.  Big school will begin to put more emphasis on the formal teaching of these skills, as against the play-school approach that was used on them before.  The following exercises are still in line with making your preschooler more comfortable about, and better prepared for the coming move to his new school.

 

For reading practice, take a walk or a ride with your child around the neighborhood on route to his new school.  Have him read the street signs you pass in order to familiarize himself with the area.  Read signs of landmarks together, like convenience stores and restaurants. If it’s possible to take a walk within the grounds of his new school, take him around to read the signs there.  Find the rooms labeled “Kindergarten”,  “Clinic”, “Restroom”, “Cafeteria” and “Fire exit”.

 

To practice his writing, have him write down his full name and birth date.  Also have him copy your full name, your address, your telephone number on pad paper.  Aside from brushing up on his writing skills for both letters and numbers, you’re also helping him memorize vital information he needs when he’s away from home.

 

For some basic math refreshers, orient your child to coins and small bills.  Teach him how to count money and to add up or take away cents.  If you plan to send your preschooler some milk money in big school, train him to keep track of how much he has and how much he spends.

 

Transferring to ‘big school’ can cause anxiety in any five- or six-year-old.  You’ll want to ease his worries by preparing him for what he can expect at his new school.  The transition will bring about many changes as it is, so he can do without insecurity bogging him down any further.  By patiently providing your child with the skills he needs, he can approach this move with enthusiasm instead of fear.  If your child is confident, he’ll be a happy learner.

 
Jen looks back fondly on a happy childhood, and wanted to be a MOM when she 'grew up'.  Now she basks in the glow of motherhood, with a first-grader and a teenager making her proud.  Her husband happens to be The One she was absolutely meant for.  That's why to her, everything else is gravy.
]]> Miscellany by Jennifer Ferrer-Ramirez 2008-11-11T04:21:30+01:00 5 Fun Things to Do With Your Preschooler During a Blackout http://www.kidsahoy.net/content.asp?ContentId=1092

Blackouts may be rare, but you’ll want to be ready when a power outage does happen.  Aside from the usual safety measures, you should also prepare for some activities to occupy your preschooler with during a blackout.  When power is interrupted during the day, 3 to 5 year-old children may become bored and uncomfortable.  When it happens at night however, darkness can turn their mild discomfort into anxiety. 

 

Here are five fun activities that you and your preschooler can enjoy even without electricity.  The first two can make your preschooler more comfortable when power outage happens in the daytime. 

 

# 1 Take your preschooler gardening.  If the power failure occurs when it’s too hot to stay indoors without an electric fan or the air conditioner, cool your child outside with some gardening.  If you already have a garden, let your child help you water the plants and pull out the weeds.  Talk to your child about the different flowers and plants in around your house.  If you don’t have a garden or a yard, you can help your preschooler start a plant in a pot.  Try tomatoes or cucumbers, as they have seed packets with care instructions available in many supermarkets.  These vegetables can grow as well in pots (12 inches in diameter and 12 inches deep) as they do in a garden.  Your preschooler will enjoy taking care of this plant, always remembering that it was “born” on that day when the power was out.  Imagine his delight when the first vegetable begins to grow! 

 

# 2  Do some Kiddy Yoga.  If the electricity is out on a cold day when you wish you had the heater, have fun with your preschooler and keep warm at the same time with Kiddy Yoga.  Bring out some mats, and lie down flat on your backs.  Begin with breathing exercises and do some stretching.  Then choose the simplest poses and positions that your preschooler can manage.  You need not be ‘by the book’ with the Yoga disciplines.  Rather, have fun with different positions that develop your child’s flexibility and balance. Create names for the different poses that your child can identify with, like the Pelican (for one-leg stands), or the Camel (for arched backs).

 

These last three activities are designed to redirect your child’s nervous energy during a blackout at night time.  If you have a toddler or preschooler at home, it’s handy to keep a spare plastic flashlight with batteries, aside from the ones you really keep for the house.  A flashlight can become an interesting toy when the power is out. Just remind your child to never shine the light directly into his or anyone else’s eyes.  

 

# 3  Play ‘Blackout Tag’ - To play this game, find a wide open space inside your house.  Point the beam of the flashlight onto the floor, then tell your child to try to “step” on the light with his foot.  When your child is just about to stomp on the lit spot, suddenly shift the light a foot to the right, or a bit to the left.  Your preschooler will have fun trying to chase the light with his foot.  Of course, once in a while, let your child “catch” the light by successfully stomping his foot on it.  After five good stomps, you can switch roles and have him shine the light on the floor while you try to chase it with your foot.  You can’t tell him to be easy on you though, so be prepared to run and dance around that beam!

 

# 4 Play ‘Spotlight’.  Find a cozy nook inside your house, and settle there comfortably with your child.  Make sure you are both facing outwards, towards the rest of the room.  Now using your flashlight, put the “spotlight” on different objects around the room. Ask your preschooler to try and name each object you put the spotlight on, as quickly as he can.  Keep it interesting by shining in various directions.  You can focus on high things attached to ceiling (“light bulb”, “wind chimes”), and low objects found by the floor.  Alternate the spotlight between objects that are familiar and unfamiliar to your child.  You can also switch to another room.  This is a good way to introduce your preschooler to the names of things around the house and build on his vocabulary, even if it is in the dark. 

 

# 5 Roast marshmallows over a fire.  This activity is a sure winner with your child.  Instead of feeling fearful and gloomy in the dark, make it a fun “pretend camp” for your preschooler where she can roast marshmallows over the fire.  If you don’t have a fireplace, even the flame of a solidly set candle will do.  Just don’t make the marshmallow touch the wick of the candle or the wax.  Supervise your child carefully around any kind flame and watch him devour the yummy, gooey treats. 

 

With these five creative and enjoyable activities, you just might find your preschooler looking forward to the next black-out!

 
 

Jen looks back fondly on a happy childhood, and wanted to be a MOM when she 'grew up'.  Now she basks in the glow of motherhood, with a first-grader and a teenager making her proud.  Her husband happens to be The One she was absolutely meant for.  That's why to her, everything else is gravy.

]]> Miscellany by Jennifer Ferrer-Ramirez 2008-11-11T04:14:36+01:00 Feel-Good Rainy Day Activities for You and Your Preschooler http://www.kidsahoy.net/content.asp?ContentId=1091 Extreme weather gives us several ‘strictly-indoor’ days each year. 

These ‘rainy’ days can become quite challenging if you have a preschooler.  Sooner or later, your child will want to do something different from his daily routine, after being inside for so long.   Here are some productive ideas that can be feel-good alternatives to the usual indoor play.  To children, novelty is a perfect remedy to whatever gloomy setting rainy days bring.

 

 

1)  Play Treasure Hunt

Ask your preschooler to choose one treasured item (like a small stuffed toy), or maybe several small toys of the same kind (like 10 tin soldiers or a dozen plastic eggs).  Have your child close his eyes or wait in his room while you hide the treasure(s) in crafty places within a specific area of the house.  Call your child, when you’re ready for the hunt.  Before he begins, give your child specific area limits, like ‘only in this or that room’.  If your child is an older preschooler, you may want to give a time limit just to make it more exciting.  Use the clues “you’re getting warm” or “you’re getting cold” to keep things interesting.  Once your preschooler has found the treasure(s), switch roles and be the treasure hunter next time.  Limit your preschooler’s hiding places to a room where he can’t endanger himself or knock things over.  Encourage him to use the warm and cold clues as you go through the hunt.  In case you have an idea of where to look already, still ‘hunt’ for enough time to make it fun for both of you, before you finally find the treasure(s).

 

2)  Take out the old albums and videos. 

Some parents reserve the baby videos for their daughter’s Sweet 16 party.

You may be surprised however, at how much your youngster will enjoy seeing her baby-self on screen when you watch those old videos already.   She’ll be amazed at how tiny she once was and proud of ‘what a big girl’ she is now.  She’ll be thrilled at her own attempts to take a first step, and be laughing at the mess she made when she first tried to feed herself.  If you’re not the ‘videographer-parent’ type, baby albums (and those of her siblings) will have the same magical, entertaining effect.

 

3)  Make home-made salt-dough for clay-play.

Let your preschooler help you make her own play-dough at home.  In a bowl, mix together 4 cups flour, 1 cup refined salt, 1 ¾ cup hot water (handle anything hot for your child), 2 teaspoons vegetable oil and some drops of food coloring.  Knead everything together to come up with pliable dough.  If you’d like several colors, you can make more batches and drop a different color in each.  Also, you can divide the semi-kneaded dough into halves or thirds before adding the different colors your child wants.  Salt dough can be used in the same way as modeling clay, for hours or creative fun.  You can also bake your child’s formed creations, to create ornaments (not to be eaten).  Once the salt-dough ornaments have cooled and hardened from the oven, your preschooler will have fun painting her creations into finished works of art.  Her ornament(s) will serve as a souvenir of her fun rainy day.  Remember to store any left-over salt dough in an air-tight container for future use.

 

4) Show your child how to appreciate his blessings and how to share them with others.

Extreme weather sets the right kind of atmosphere to help your 4 -year-old or 5-year-old child to appreciate the good things in his life.  At the same time, in a manner appropriate to his age, explain that not all children are as privileged and as comfortable as he is now, especially on a rainy day.  Ask your child if he would like to share some things with those children who are not as lucky as he is.  Remember to keep things light, because you want to teach your preschooler about charity, not guilt.  If your child seems comfortable with the idea, help him go through his clothes, books and old toys.  Ask him to see if he has some things that may no longer be useful to him, but can still be appreciated by other children. Value whatever he comes up with, even if it’s just one book or a pair of socks.  Show him that the value of his gift is not in the amount of his contribution, but in the sincerity of his wanting to help.  This is one way to carefully sow the seeds of compassion in your young child.  In the future, you may see the initiative to share coming from him already.

 

Rainy days can teach your child to be creative, innovative, appreciative and fun-loving.  With your help, these enjoyable indoor activities can make your preschooler forget about the dour weather outside.

 

Jen looks back fondly on a happy childhood, and wanted to be a MOM when she 'grew up'.  Now she basks in the glow of motherhood, with a first-grader and a teenager making her proud.  Her husband happens to be The One she was absolutely meant for.  That's why to her, everything else is gravy.

 
]]> Miscellany by Jennifer Ferrer-Ramirez 2008-11-11T04:12:49+01:00 Book Review: HOW TO BE AN ADULT [David Richo, Ph.D.] http://www.kidsahoy.net/content.asp?ContentId=1077           This book reads like a manual on setting the person down the path of psychological and spiritual integration. Anchoring his discussion on parallelisms with the heroic journey of departure-struggle-return, Richo shows the reader the necessity of freeing one’s self from fear, anger and guilt to integration of feelings to release of the spiritual self. Richo presents doable steps in coming to terms with each phase, while stressing that everything is already within the person to actualize his/her becoming.
 

            My previous reading logs set the stage for my reading of this book. I think it would have been doubly hard for me to grasp where Richo is coming from, without the previous readings. Perhaps with my personal ground having been made more fertile, two insights particularly struck me:

 
            First, that the positive and negative can be honored side by side as a path to growth. I realize that I have an automatic tendency to shun—or deny—or eliminate as quickly as possible—that which I do not like in myself. In situating conflicting feelings in opposite ends of the spectrum, Richo points out to me personally how even the negative can be handled—must be owned—as a path to growth. Also valuable was the picture he paints of neurotic feelings versus legitimate ones. Without such awareness, I realize how a lot of my previous angsts have been largely drama! Richo makes it easy to accept the invitation to honor one’s self fully—both the positive and negative—trusting that it will all be for the best.
 
            Second, the importance of honoring timing. This is such a beautiful reminder for me, who just has to plan and schedule and keep control of everything. The universe—God—has His own timing, that time and again He has shown me to be the best. I think it is one lesson I have not learned well enough.
 
            Beyond these insights, I treasure Richo’s book for its quotables and sets of affirmation. We have ever more perfect eyes in a world in which there is always more to see. We will see only what we are truly ready to face. Love is our true identity beyond the ego. Forgiveness is the highest form of forgetting because it is forgetting in spite of remembering. The past is grieved fully only when the present is also healed. In matters of the heart, thinking (ironically) leads only to more confusion. No one is loyal or truthful all the time. No expectations are valid and not even agreements are always reliable. A continual shedding of illusions. To integrate is to contain comfortably both ends of the spectrum of change.
 
            In his beautiful prose, Richo makes me ache “to be an adult.” This is one book I will come back to after all has been read and done, this time to “be with the ideas.” I appreciate that his thoughts come across as doable. It feels like there is so much more I need to see.
 

“It’s the price you pay for the life you choose.” This has been Melissa’s greatest lesson from college. Through the many years since, she has been grateful for being able to afford the price for the life she chooses. Currently, it’s one that is devoted to her little one and her family while preparing for what lies ahead. She is working on (finally!) finishing her masteral thesis; enriching her relationship with God; growing with the centers of her universe; and becoming just a bit more kind.

]]> Miscellany by Melissa M. Wang 2008-11-10T20:38:27+01:00 Connecting and Co-Creating Elderhood http://www.kidsahoy.net/content.asp?ContentId=1068 Life is journey. And a learning one at that. The key is to find real meaning in that stage that a journeyman is in.

Inner self-discovery is also important. When the outward self loses its former glory (of physical beauty and strength), then it's time to look inside.

One huge lesson could be "Find your true voice instead of simply complying with external forces."

As Richard Leider wrote in his blog post on 16th August 2008:

"Midway through our lives, many of us find ourselves living as if our fundamental growth is behind us. We have, perhaps, accepted our society's dated view of adulthood--that the person we have become at midlife is done becoming.”

Wrong. Grown ups grow too.

Sometimes, mysteriously, we enter what the Swiss psychologist Carl Jung called "the second half of life." Jung wrote:

"Wholly unprepared, we embark upon the second half of life. . .
we take the step into the afternoon of life;
worse still we take the step with the false assumption
that our truths and ideals will serve us as before.
But we cannot live in the afternoon of life
according to life's morning--
for what was great in the morning
will be little at evening, and
what in the morning was true
will at evening have become a lie."

How do we grow in the second half? What exactly is growth? Does it happen to everyone?

We cannon (sic) tell if we have entered the "afternoon of life" by counting the number of candles on our birthday cake. We do not enter the second half just because we reach a magical age. To know where we are in our life's journey, we must learn to look inside. When we look within, we often discover that the second half is a new quest with new questions like:

* My passion is draining away. I'm losing my edge. Where do I find the spark?

* I chose my life's work years ago and brushed aside certain "gifts" that I had. Why are they coming back demanding to be expressed?

* I feel like I look old. I cannot hide the signs of aging anymore. Why does it bother me so much?"

But we should go beyond the past by crafting a present that leads into the future.

For that purpose, here are some guide questions from p. 233 of Eugene Bianchi's book "Elder Wisdom".

1. What do you feel have been the important successes in your life? The frustrations or failures?
2. What were the important turning points in your life? Describe.
3. What have been the most influential experiences of your life? Most influential people?
4. Are there periods of your life that you remember more vividly than others? Which ones? Why?
5. If you were writing the story of your life, how would you divide it into chapters?
6. What sorts of things frighten you now? When you were in your 60? 40s? 20s? In childhood?
7. What kinds of things give you the most pleasure now? When you were in your 60? 40s? 20s? In childhood?
8. If you could live you whole life over, what would you do differently?
9. Do you feel differently about yourself now from how you felt when you were younger?
10. If a young person came to you asking what's the most important thing in living a good life, what would you say?
11. What do you think has stayed the same about you throughout life? What do you think has changed?
12. How can one prepare for old age?
13. How do you feel about growing old now?
14. If you were going to live 5, 10, 20 more years, what would you do?
15. What is the hardest thing about growing older? The best thing?
16. What do you look forward to now?
17. Do you think about death?

Adapted from Ageless Self by Sharon Kaufman.

Now, to make better sense of the above questions and as a matter of personal legacy, I'd like to be able to set up my own pathway home for creative elderhood.

Here's a Pathway home model where I can enjoy my creative elderhood -

"While providing needed clinical care, the Pathway Home and lifestyle also attend to Elders’ quality of life by providing privacy, honoring autonomy and choice, creating a sense of safety, security and order, fostering enjoyment, providing meaningful activities, promoting functional competence, and conveying the importance of the individual’s dignity. "

Here are some typical goals of the daily program of my own pathway home:

  • To conduct exciting and fulfilling activities that sustain dignity and self esteem, confidence, social support, and stimulation
  • To enrich the lives of the elderly sharing their typical days with the home by creating a special time and place to enjoy warm, individualized and group attention in a safe, nurturing, creative, yet structured setting
  • To provide a comfortable environment for elders to maintain interdependence, re-discover friendships, and remain productive
Granted that the physical and social environment are set, crafting and developing one's creative elderhood would typically entail providing assistance to other elders in keeping a personal journal. The pervasive availability of Information and Communication Technology tools could take the form of a digital scrapbook or slambook. (That sounds like "the medium is the message.") But the services of a Digital Historian could also come in handy.

Blogging is a good place to start. The textual form can then be enhanced by multimedia contents of photographs, audio and video.

Part of my involvement would be delivering online training via video -- as a natural extension of face-to-face training/teaching which has been a major part of my earlier productive life. After all, my passion has always been to leave a meaningful mark on other people's lives through education and in the process become a lifelong learner myself. Who knows, that can be my way of co-creating a collective spiritual legacy.

Tessa Yuvienco's Concept Paper on Late Adulthood Program

References:

Berk, Laura E. Development Through the Lifespan http://wps.ablongman.com/ab_berk_lifespan_3/0,8180,981256-,00.html

Bernstein, Arn. September 2007. Spirituality and Aging: Looking at the Big Picture. Online. http://www.agingwellmag.com/septstory1.shtml

Biancchi, Eugene (1994). Elder Wisdom: "Crafting Your Own Elderhood".

Leider, Richard. Claiming your Place at the Fire: Living the Second Half of Your Life on Purpose - http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/1576752976/ref=sib_dp_bod_toc?ie=UTF8&p=S007#reader-link

]]> Miscellany Tessa Yuvienco 2008-11-10T00:27:40+01:00 Working children http://www.kidsahoy.net/content.asp?ContentId=1065 One of the requirements I had to comply with to secure a working permit for my little girl Reb before she could shoot a commercial was an interview and briefing on Republic Act 9231 or the Anti Child Labor Law. I was actually looking forward to it (that's the writer in me talking). I really learned a lot and got to appreciate this law as I think about the many children not just in the entertainment field (tv and ads) but more importantly those who got dragged into prostitution or other forms of abuse of the worst kind.

Before I let you into what I learned from the briefing, did you know that the first Global March Against Child Labor was held in the Philippines on January 17, 1988? Yes it was and it has since then grown into into a worldwide movement against the exploitation of children and their deprivation from education. The Global March Against Child Labor is the largest mobilization in the name of the 250 million working children worldwide. The Global March anniversary in 2004 celebrated the signing into law of RA 9231 by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, making the Philippines the first country to present model legislation reflective of the widely ratified International Labor Organization Convention 182 on the Worst Forms of Child Labor.

Pretty timely to push this law, considering that the National Statistics Office reported an estimated 4 million child laborers in the country in 2003, an 11% growth from 3.7 million in 1996. More than half are engaged in the worst forms of child labor, while around 30% or 1.25 million of these working children are not attending school. I believe, however, that poverty is a major factor that comes into play here. As parents find themselves unable to even provide the basic needs of the family, children are forced by circumstances to set education aside first to help the family financially. It is no excuse though to subject them to "all forms of abuse, neglect, cruelty, exploitation and discrimination, and other conditions prejudicial to their development including child labor and its worst forms".

There were provisions in the law that caught my attention. For one, the working hours of children provided by law was decreased from 8 hours (RA 7658, 1994) to just 4 hours. RA 9231 states:
"SEC. 12-A. Hours of Work of a Working Child. Under the exceptions provided in Section 12 of this Act, as amended:

"(1) A child below fifteen (15) years of age may be allowed to work for not more than twenty (20) hours a week: Provided, That the work shall not be more than four (4) hours at any given day;

"(2) A child fifteen (15) years of age but below eighteen (18) shall not be allowed to work for more than eight (8) hours a day, and in no case beyond forty (40) hours a week:

"(3) No child below fifteen (15) years of age shall be allowed to work between 8pm and 6am of the following day and no child fifteen (15) years of age but below eighteen (18) shall be allowed to work between 10pm and 6am of the following day."
This is good since 8 hours will really take its toll when it comes to kids. I mean, we ourselves feel the punch after 8 hours of work in the office. What more with kids?!

Another provision of the law that I think is very important too is that of ownership, usage and administration of the working child's income (which I believe is absent in the earlier laws). The law requires parents or legal guardians to set aside 30% of the child's total income. Income that is less than P200,000 should be placed in a savings account under the child's name. A trust fund shall be set up for total earnings amounting to more than P200,000. The law does state that "The wages, salaries, earnings and other income of the working child shall belong to him/her in ownership and shall be set aside primarily for his/her support, education or skills acquisition and secondarily to the collective needs of the family: Provided, That not more than twenty percent (20%) of the child's income may be used for the collective needs of the family." Makes sense to me.

The biggest difference of RA 9231 from its predessors is the amount of the penalty. In RA 7658, the penalty is a fine from P1,000 to P10,000, or imprisonment from 3 months to 3 years.

RA 9231, however, slaps higher penalties for the following violators:
  • Employers: imprisonment from 6 months to 6 years or fined from P50,000 to P300,000, or both.
  • Any person (the employer of the subcontractor who employs, or the one who facilitates the employment of a child in hazardous work): fined from P100,000 to P1,000,000, or imprisonment of not less than 12 to 20 years, or both.
  • Parents, biological or by legal fiction, and legal guardians: fined from P10,000.00 to more P100,000.00, or be required to render community service for 30 days to a year, or both.
These are just the tip of the RA 9231 iceberg. I am just glad that there is a law that will protect the rights of the children. A law that makes parents and legal guardians take responsibility for the development and safety of the children...and holds them liable for any infringement of this responsibility. I will not question though if this law has deterred further abuse since I am not in a position right now to assess this (maybe one of these days I will look further into this matter). Right now, I am just glad that I know how to protect my child as she formally enters the advertising world. And I am also reminded that as a parent, I must not forget that my foremost responsibility is to make sure my little girl has a childhood that swill allow her to grow and enjoy to the fullest. She needs to be a kid...and learn and enjoy like a kid should.
 
Nina Saldana is a writer/editor for almost two decades now. Although all her working experience is in business writing, what she really loves to write about is life and people, and everything else in between. She is doing freelance work (writing, editing, web design, among others) to hopefully have more time with her daughter.
Email: an.saldana@gmail.com  Mobile: +(63-920) 4007045 
Website: http://rebnin.multiply.com
]]> Miscellany by Nina Saldana 2008-11-09T20:24:52+01:00