I'm a full-time mummy

I have previously read in some FB parenting groups I'm in that letting their children sit on a gym ball helps them to focus. I don't really believe it until I tried it out on our 6.5-year-old boy. He just cannot sit still and focus 100% when I'm teaching him. Frustrated, I told him to roll out the gym ball that daddy bought long ago but was not frequently used and has since been kept in the storeroom. His face lit up when I told him to sit on the ball to do his worksheets.

It took less than a minute for him to learn to balance himself while sitting on the ball and doing his worksheets but after he got the hang of it, I have a very peaceful uninterrupted minimal whining and no more loss of focus phases from him. He got his work done promptly and was bouncing himself on the ball as he passed back the completed worksheets to me. Win-win!

Apparently, in 2003, a study was published in the American Journal of Occupational Therapy concluding that in students with ADHD (not that ours have ADHD), sitting on therapy balls improved behaviour and legible word productivity. In other words, students using ball chairs were able to sit still, focus and write more words clearly. Awesome findings!

Also, in a simpler and easier to understand terms, because of the ball's instability and in order to remain balanced while sitting on one, the child's body instinctively — and continually — engages core muscle groups. Constant movement is required in order to stay seated on the ball. And that movement, however slight, helps them focus. Lovely, lovely!

I will continue to let our boy sits on the gym ball for now and see how it goes from here...

For further reading:

** Note: I have disabled the commenting feature on my blog engine thanks to all the spammers who happily spam my blog every day. If you wish to ask me any questions, you can find me at my Facebook page (I'm there almost everyday) or just drop me an email if you wish to maintain some anonymity.

I received this question from a fan asking to post this anonymously. Do note that parenting is a life long journey, we learn on the job and nobody is perfect. Don't assume, bash or judge unless you are in the same shoes. Please refrain from bashing anyone and just share your thoughts and experiences, provide your positive and/or encouraging support, else, move along to the next post.

Hi! I would like to ask this question anonymously. Yesterday night, my girl (6 yrs old) flipped the encyclopedia and came to this page...

...and was about to ask me questions when I quickly told her, "Oh, now is time to sleep, faster keep the book..."

We have yet to return back to this topic.  

How do you approach the topic of sexual intercourse with your child, especially this young? Please share your approach and tips.

**** Disclaimer: I am NOT responsible for any comments/suggestions shared by others and may not have time to moderate all the comments, please trust your instincts and rely on common sense, research as much as you can on the suggestions you've been given before implementing it. I will add the helpful responses received from the FB post thread into this post for future references.

I have been sharing some of my favorite angpow pieces on an angpow collectors group in Facebook and some members have been telling me to continue sharing my memorable stories and so I thought, why not write it down, that way, our kiddos can read about it when they grow up next time, eh?

For those of you who are not familiar or never heard of the words 'Angpow' (also known as 'ang pau', 'ang pao', 'angpau'), here is a quick definition:

Angpow = Red Packet (filled with cash inside) given during festivals

So for today's angpow story, it comes from this piece of lovely angpow:

Today's storytime is about ice cream! Seeing this angpow makes me happy!

Malaysians especially, who remembers the many classical types of ice cream back during our childhood days? I got the pictures below from Google search, these were some of my childhood favorites!

Ice cream lollies in the plastic tube which costs 20 cents? It's just colored syrup poured into the tubes and freeze.

Some came with asam boi inside. Yums!

Then we have the ice cream potong (cube shaped ice creams). Red beans, corns, durian flavors.

Who remembers waiting for the ice cream man? Hearing the comforting horn or bell sound as the ice cream seller sits on his motorbike scouring the neighborhood area and stopping to sell ice cream to kids and parents alike?

Who remembers the magical feeling of peeping into the metal box on the motorbike, trying to see what ice creams are sold?

Those were the good ol' memorable days!!

** Note: I have disabled the commenting feature on my blog engine thanks to all the spammers who happily spam my blog every day. If you wish to ask me any questions, you can find me at my Facebook page (I'm there almost everyday) or just drop me an email if you wish to maintain some anonymity.