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 Stressed Out Kid? (A Question and A Realization) http://www.kidsahoy.net/content.asp?ContentId=1228
 
Stressed Out Kid?
 
I have read an article in Smart Parenting regarding the Stressed Out Kid, and how can you tell if you have one. Crankiness and getting no focus at all is an example. I have been observing Caine for the a month since I have read the article. Everyday she is cranky, she has no focus and can't seem to stay put. She is hyper-active, clumsy and naughty. That's my 4-year old daughter. Yes, she is cranky everyday, but not all times, 4:00pm seemed to be her snooze time so by then, you would expect her to be a primadonna. She has no focus, It could be my fault, I let her try anything that would interest her and I get so overwhelmed with things that she likes to do, I can not control her. Hyper-active, it's ok as long as he doesn't hurt herself or anybody at least. Clumsy, her tiny little fingers can not hold it all so better not let her hold any breakable objects. Naughty, she loves to play with water, she loves to walk barefoot, mash slimy toys, sometimes it's cute but I put limit to it, but the thing is when I tell her to stop, she'd say, "Mommy you're timed-out!"
Tell me, am I still in denial? Because I know and I feel she is not. Why? She is still so sweet, she is getting good grades, and I think many are still interested to become her friends. Well, to be safe, I should be stepping backwards for a while just to check if I have been expecting too much from my daughter. And this picture?? She posed for it, I asked her to look mad and match it with her hair messed up..Yes, really!
 
 
*** The blog above was written to assess how my daughter is coping up with everything. I have gathered comments from friends and these are my realizations:
 
1. She is definitely not a stressed-out kid.
2. She is definitely hyper-active and that's okay than not responding to her environment at all.
3. It will probably take a while for her to focus on something that she'd prefer developing as talent or skill, and I should be really thankful that she could be versatile after all.
4. I receive good remarks from her teachers in school.
5. She follows instructions.
6. I realize that there could be something she wants but she can't seemt to know what, and it's making her cranky. It's natural, even I have that mood, I feel hungry but can't seem to know what I wanted to eat. NO, I know what you are thinking..I am not pregnat haha!!
 
So, I thank my friends for helping me arrive with these realizations and I know there will be more results to my on-going assessment.
 
 
]]> Mommy Mhellai Mommy Mhellai 2009-03-01T01:55:17+01:00 Party Pooper http://www.kidsahoy.net/content.asp?ContentId=1211 Caine loves dancing and i do love dancing as well..The hula dance is just so perfect for us so without thinking twice I enrolled myself and Caine for 8 sessions. I think it will be so nice the two of us dancing together with other mommies and their daughters..and I didn't expect something would go wrong..Daddy didn't allow us to join..but why? I didn't ask him anymore because the moment he said "no you are not going" is enough for me not to utter anything...and that I know he is different from the Daddies whom I have met..Yes, I envy my friends for having husbands who have been very supportive of things that will allow their wives and kids to explore other things..I couldn't argue anymore because he was brought up without being introduced to "flexibility"..I do not say this because I am frustrated..it is true, he doesn't want to try new things..he knows he wouldn't like it but how can he when he never tried it..I am not mad at him at all since that is how and what he is..and I should accept it..All of us have flaws, and If I think what he believes in is wrong, there must be something in me that he thinks is weird too..

 

I wrote this to air out what I am feeling right now..caught between word of honor and the respect for his decision..I don't want to have any fights with him over this..so instead, I agreed to his decision..and what about my word of honor? I will still keep it, joining the hula dance at least one session or two to give my daughter a feel of it since she has been expecting it..Do you know when she heard we are not joining, she said.."I wanna go to the hula dance mommy please"..and I was heart-broken..twice..because one, I promised her and promises are meant not be broken..two, because I already confirmed..perhaps it won't hurt Daddy if I let my daughter get into it at least once or twice..Kidsahoy is part of our system now..I know I will have sleepless nights if we don't go..at least I have tried to ditch my dillemnas over this and will make my daughter happy, my relationship with my husband wonderful, my love-struck for Kidsahoy developing and a guilt-free me.. :-) and yes Daddy is still a party pooper!!

]]> Mommy Mhellai 2009-01-08T07:06:56+01:00 Project Happiness http://www.kidsahoy.net/content.asp?ContentId=1205 December 13, 2008 It may not be the first time the kids shared their pre-loved stuff to other kids, but this activity was one if not the most heart-warming event every person would experience. Kids of different ages, different personalities bond together and shared a similar objective, to make everyone happy.. It is not just receiving when we get happy, but it is also when we give. The goodwill shown is authentic.That when you give, you do not expect something in return, nor give when you know there will be a favor to be asked for later. We saw kids performing and sharing their talents..we witnessed proud parents..we ate yummy treats...but the most wonderful moment there, was when we saw the smiles of the FCED children, enjoying the day with their new found friends from Kidsahoy!
 
]]> Mommy Mhellai 2008-12-19T01:30:36+01:00 Understanding a 4-yr old's drawing http://www.kidsahoy.net/content.asp?ContentId=1179
her version of Pluto
 
her colors of mickey with her name on it
 
daddy and me and Caine's concept of our house
 
It is with guilt that I judged my 4-year old daughter's scribbles as non-sense, that I thought she couldn't draw. I was not aware that maybe I was expecting too much from her. Why? Because when I was her age I can already draw recognizable figures, yes, I can. But I wasn't able to pursue it because it's not what I really like to do. I was even an art club member during my school days but still didnt like the idea of doodling.
 
Until I posted her drawings and coloring patterns which caught the attention of an optimisitic mom. Hey, I am optimistic too hehe, dont get me wrong. Actually, it was not the drawings which caught her attention, but the lines I wrote.."My daughterr can't draw"..I know she can't stand it and told me, hey not just yet, that I need to understand her scribbles first, after all, she is just starting with it. She gave me this article, a developmental look at child art, by Craig Roland. The title itslef made really guilty. Like duh! I am a progessive person, why am I being cruel to my child? I am a gender-sensitive, child advocate, peace-loving specie etc etc. Now, I am being subjective and worse, to my daughter, my own daughter..I haven'f finished the artlicel yet, but as I read through, I am beginning to understand why they would start with circles attached on a stick, some are even funny looking creatures, (as Yona draws ipis!). And as they go on with it..they exert effort in planning and constructing "concepts" which we grown ups tend to take for granted. We thought they are just playing with crayons..I will try not to expect much, I just thought.hmm I know she can do better than that..Oh dear, am I a bad mom?
 
Btw, the person with a sanguine outlook I just told you about? No other than our dear Mommy Joanne..hey, thanks for bringing me back to my senses..CJ is very lucky :-) with a mom like you, who guides other moms like me..how can we go wrong? Naks! ;-)
]]> Mommy Mhellai by Mommy Mhellai 2008-12-01T20:44:20+01:00