I'm a full-time mummy

I came across this article which I must definitely share with you guys as I'm very interested to know your thoughts on this. For your convenience, I have copied the excerpts from the article here:

Researchers in Sweden suggest that by covering up a pram – even with a thin cloth like a muslin wrap – actually creates a furnace-like heat within the pram, reducing the air circulation.

Young children are more sensitive to heat than older children or adults as their body temperature can rise three-to-five times faster. This puts them at greater risk of heatstroke and other health risks such as SIDS as their body temperature reaches dangerous levels much sooner. And those prams can get pretty hot. “It gets extremely hot down in the pram, something like a thermos. There is also bad circulation of the air and it is hard to see the baby with a cover over the pram,” Svante Norgren, paediatrician at the Astrid Lindgren Children’s hospital in Stockholm, says in an interview with Swedish newspaper, the Svenska Dagbladet.

Following on from the suggestions from Dr Norgen, the newspaper conducted some experiments of their own to see just how hot it could get inside the stroller. They left a stroller out in the Swedish sun between 11.30am and 1pm on a warm day.

Without a cover the pram the temperature reached 22ºC. A thin cover was placed over for the next 30 minutes, by which time the heat has risen to 34ºC. After an hour it had reached  37ºC. Remember, that is Swedish summer heat – around 30ºC tops – here in parts of Australia we see temperatures much higher than that. So what is the advice here?

NSW Health suggests: “An enclosed pram can get very hot; try to ensure that the air circulates around your baby by removing the back panel (if possible) or placing them in more open strollers.” Aerated covers made of mesh material also circulate air better. And regularly check your baby’s temperature manually. If he or she is sweating or feels hot to touch, it’s time to get out of the sun.

Hot weather affects your baby or child because their bodies cannot adjust to changes in temperature as well as adults. Babies and children sweat less, reducing their bodies’ ability to cool down, and they generate more heat during exercise than adults. They are at risk of overheating and developing a heat-related illness. Heat can also make existing illnesses worse.

40ºC is the temperature at which serious kidney or brain injuries may occur – it is also the body temperature at which fatalities can occur meaning that heading this advice is so, so important.

While we think that offering bubs some shade is helping them in the heat, we may be endangering them. The risk of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) is dramatically increased when a young baby is exposed to intense heat. SIDS Australia says, “Thermal stress (overheating) has been implicated in Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) for many years and avoiding overheating has been one of the strategies to reduce the risk of SIDS.” As for covering the pram? Dr Norgen says, “It would quickly become uncomfortable and potentially dangerous for the child … if a child gets too hot then the child may think that it is back in the womb, which is why breathing may stop,”.

** 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 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 revolves around this angpow with the design of snakes and ladder. You cannot play with this angpow as there is no proper number to follow at all, just plain snakes and ladder design on it only.

This angpow reminded me of my simple childhood, back when there is no iPad, no PS whatever, heck, my childhood days were filled with pretend play, masak-masak (cooking), dress up paper dolls, playground, board games, card games (UNO, Snap, Happy Family), hopskotch, cycling around the village, catching fishes and grasshoppers and many many more.

Anyway, last year we introduced board games and card games to our eldest kiddo. It took a while for him to be interested in it but as of now, every now and then he will ask to play snakes and ladder.

I think this game helps a lot with our kiddo as initially when our boy played this game, he lost and threw tantrums as he wanted to win. It took a few more round of games for him to finally get the meaning of playing board games.

The lesson where, sometime we get ahead, sometime we lost and get eaten by snake.

That sometimes it may seem we are falling behind like a tortoise but we might end up getting ahead and winning.

The point is, winning or losing is not everything. It is not the end of the world. It is just a game where everybody just play to have fun, to enjoy it while it lasts.

Most important is the spirit in playing the game or anything for that matter, to be happy for other people's win and not to drown in sorrow if you lose. Just try again and enjoy the ride.

** 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 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 revolves around this angpow from Unicef. At first glance, this is a simple looking angpow, illustrations possibly drawn to replicate child-like drawing. What attracted me to this angpow is not the 2 kiddos on the angpow. It's not the kite being held by the boy. It's not the house way behind the 2 kiddos at the background.

It is the dragonflies on the angpow.

Long ago, when I was in my pre-teen phase, there was a phase when us kids are crazy with doing this knot craft using polypropylene cord. With some tutorial from my classmate then, I made a dragonfly using these cords. And I gave one to my late mother during her birthday. Together with a piece of RM1 cash and a piece of paper handwritten by my young self wishing her a happy birthday.

I forgot all about the dragonfly...

Until 8 years ago when I went through my flat before shifting to our current house now. My hubby then boyfriend helped me to dismantle my bunk bed while his mum helped me moved the plates and kitchen utensils into boxes to move it together. I was going through my late mum's kitchen cabinet and throwing away old newspapers and stuff and I found the dragonfly craft. My late mum kept it in good condition, together with the RM1 and the paper I wrote.

I kept that dragonfly craft but not sure where it is (small) but it is somewhere in my box of stuff I shifted along. I never knew a simple and silly craft I made when I was 11-12 years old would leave an impact still. Of course, I'm touched that my late mum treasured my silly gift.

** 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.