Some Baby Photos of Jason

Hi,

I found these photos when clearing my drawer and found them in my old filofax, which has been replaced by gadgets like PDA and calendering in mobile phones or MS-Outlook.

And this is a photo of Jason playing in my brother's home in Melbourne, Australia.

BTW, I bought myself a scanner to convert my film images into digital images but have yet to use it. I used to take one whole roll of 36 exposures of Jason over a weekend....! Rather than scanned the printed photos, I want to scan the original film negatives instead.

Merry Christmas again!

David

Christmas - Best Time of The Year

Hi,

Why it is the best time of the year?

Jason will be asking for his presents, of course.

Or rather, he will be asking for things that he wants throughout the year and we will buy them as Birthday or Christmas presents in advance! But then of course, we will still buy him a surprise present for the actual day itself too!

If I follow this rule strictly, I think we have bought him presents for many years in advance already! Ha..ha....

Now as parents, it is difficult to say 'No' at times especially if you can well afford it.

Even if parents cannot afford it, I think we are likely to save on our expenses and save enough to get them what they want, most of the time.

I would say that we spoilt Jason more when he was much younger, say 10 years old and below, compare to his teenage days. I suppose the reason being that we can reason with him and get him to make decisions or choices even if we can afford all the items he wants.

As I mentioned in my earlier posting, I told him that he can have either the ME-20 for his electric guitar or the Wii Console for this Christmas. He decided on the ME-20 and we bought it in November so that he can enjoy it during the school holidays and wrapped up the box and it is placed under the Xmas tree now.

(BTW, the Wii consle is more expensive but I think he will benefit more from the ME-20. So he made a wise decision, with a bit of influence from me...?)

To be fair to Jason, he started to buy us something though he may not very well know what we want and he also has a very tight budget ( his only savings are from his Chinese New Year red packets ) as I just give him enough pocket money for his daily use.

This year, he bought me a musical CD and a hair pin for his Mum. He actually asked us for a list of 5 items that we would like to have. Mum said that she wants nothing so I bought the present on behalf of Jason instead when Mum & I were shopping in KL recently.

At the end of the day, it is his thoughts that count. We normally tell him that we wants hugs and kisses for our presents.... this worked well when he was below 10 years old and he gave it freely , of course!

2 years ago, he bought me a pair of sandal costing $70.....! It was for my birthday and he decided on the spot and paid me when we reached home. So I proud of him.....!

Well, we will not help him next year and see what he will come up with.....?

We will open our presents this Christmas Eve evening and there will be a few surprises for him.

As parents, we are happy to see them surprised and happy with what they got.

So let me take this opportunity to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year in 2009.......!

David

Gaming Consoles like PS2, Xbox, PSP

Hi,

I wanted to buy Jason a PS2 as it seems like the standard gaming console that most kids have then and I was also curious about this gadget too, being an IT man and also started gaming on the PC.....!

But Mum would not have any of it for fear that it may get out of hand for Jason. We have heard of parents having to lock up the console and only let their children play on weekends only. So when the weekend comes, the children refuse to go out with the parents as it is playtime with the gaming console...ha..ha..ha...!

But one day we met my wife's uncle who just returned from his posting to Hong Kong and China, and he told us that he has been playing such gaming console as it was family entertainment and it was the thing that kept him sane after work in a foreign land...... He was a bachelor then though but he still play them with his children now.

After some convincing and influence from this uncle, we bought Jason a PS2 console but we told him that we do not want to have to lock it up but regulate the playing time instead.

( In fact, we bought it one year later as we decided to donate the money to a girl who was dying from her illness and she wanted to buy a notebook or PC to use before her days were up. Her case was reported in the papers and we were proud that Jason was agreeable to it. I think Jason was only 5 or 6 years old then. )

Initially, my wife insisted that he completed his homework before playing it but it caused more problems as Jason could not focus on his work and thinking of the PS2. I decided to switch strategy and let him play 1 hour first and then start his homework.

We never have serious problem managing him playing on the PS2. He grew out of it eventually. We also got him an Xbox one Christmas but it was my idea though. Both these consoles have been sold to our Philipino housekeeper now and kept.

Jason has moved on to PSP and I was the one who suggested to have one! Now, his Mum is also playing a game most evening.

I was curious about PSP as I read about adults and celebrities having one. I was looking for an external storage for my digital photos when we travelled. It did not meet my expectations so I never used it until yesterday when I decided to watch a movie that he asked me to convert for him for his recent trip to Ipoh. I was watching it on the MRT and I found that the quality was good and it helped to 'kill' time.

>PSP is a fantastic gadget...!

This Christmas, Jason wanted a Wii console to play 'Guitar Hero' and I also thought it was a good idea as the family can play tennis, golf and Wii Fitness together at home. But when I worked out the cost of it and then he also wanted a ME-20 for his electric guitar, he has to choose either one and not both as they are really expensive. Well, he chose the ME-20 and I also think it is a better choice too as he should benefit more from it than Wii console.

So at the end of the day, I think we cannot avoid these gaming consoles but must learn how to manage it and use it for the family entertainment purposes rather than let your children yearn for it and lost control over it.

I have attended a Parenting Talk and I was shocked that there are parents who banned their children from watching TV and no PC and gaming in total. They shared that when the children went to school and got exposed to other kids, her children were amazed or thrilled to learn of Power Rangers, PS2, etc and started to yearn for them since they are not available at home. Their children also seems 'strange' to their classmates.

Now do not get me wrong as I think parents have to decide what is best for their family and I do not blame them for their actions. A family counsellor was also in support of such actions and that to keep the children away from such undesired elements as long as possible. And they based it on studies done in US.

In my opinion, I think we need to move on with the changes in the world and we, as parents, should exposed such changes to our children and guide them in today's world and not run away from them. We cannot hide them from the world outside there but to help prepare them for the challenges ahead of them.

Just my opinion only.

Happy parenting..... and Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year in 2009

David

Early Exposure To PC Gaming

Hi,

There was some news on gaming addiction in the papers so here is my experiences with Jason.

Be prepared to be shocked....!

As I am in the IT profession, I have a PC at home for work.

I was keen to introduce Jason to educational software and I bought a few especially those on learning Mandarin.

During one visit to Challenger at Funan IT Mall, Jason was watching some kids playing the game, The Age of Empire. He was interested and got me keen on it too. BTW, I was not into any gaming at all then.

So I bought it and then we tried to play it. I was no good at it and Jason was still not schooling yet so he cannot read the instructions on the screen. Jason cried when our soldiers got killed! I was up to my wits as it was my first time on gaming. I actually went to the Internet to buy an instruction manual to learn how to play, for USD5 I think. Downloaded it and read it in one go but it did not help much other than giving me the bakground to the game but did not teach me how to fight and not die!

Somehow, we managed to overome the problem and it motivated him to learn to read English else cannot follow the instructions on the screen,

Importantly, I made him rest after every hour and since he did not know how to switch on the PC then, we only played in the evening.

He never really spent much time on all the educational software so I gave up on it and father and son got into playing more games. Mum also got into a few of his games and played with him, one of them is Road Runner I think. It is a game where you are riding on a motorbike and using weapons to beat your opponents who are along on their bikes too....! Ha...ha..... Shocked?

I would have to played with him and showed him how to go about it as he was only 4 years old then! I know many of you may not approve of it ...!

I think the important thing is to be involved and educate your kid what is good and bad or what is real and entertainment only, as you cannot escape all these things in our daily life. You cannot paint an unreal world where there is no such thing as violence or bad guys or things out there but you create awareness and teach the kids how to deal with it.

Anyway, Jason got me sucked into gaming and sometimes he would have gone to bed by mid-night but I would continue playing till 1am to move up to the levels. It also became a distraction from my work stress. It may looked like I was addicted to it for a short period but importantly, I was able to walk away from it anytime and not ignore my family or work.

One observation though. As Jason was exposed to PC gaming early under our guidance, he was able not to be addicted to it and took it as another learning experience or phase in his growing years. His cousins or friends who were only exposed to it or learned about it when they started Primary school, became so intrigued by it that they neglected their school work. Whereas it was like no big deal for him as he has been playing PC games years ago.

I think early controlled exposure is good provided the parents are involved and give adequate guidance. But you have to decide on it based on your own principle and background or beliefs, what is good for your kids.

Similarly, for watching TV and other console gaming like PSP, Ninendo....

Jason's Baby Photo - Playing On Bed

Hi,

This is one of our favourite photos of Jason when he was a baby.

As mentioned in my early posting, we always played with him on the bed before we slept.

Night was and still is the best time of the day as the family gets together in the master bedroom for some playing when he was young and sleeping with us, or having a chat now before we sleep.

Jason may grab a mattress to sleep with us sometimes too, these days, and we could be either watching EPL soccer or a late night movie to sleep, or somtimes talk a bit with the lights off.

Here is another photo of him playing on the beach along East Coast Park. He was scared of the sea water and the small wave so we just let him playing with the sand. He was a few years older in this photo.

My wife and I have to think of places to take him outdoors during the weekends and to expose him to the outside world too. More of this later....

David

Watching Your Baby Sleep

Hi,

I used to carry Jason a lot to put him to sleep especially when he was a baby less than 2 years old.

There were many occassions that after I have put him to bed, I would look at him in his sleep.

He, and I believe all babies that age, would look so cute and peaceful.

I would look at his facial features ( from eyebrow, eyelashes, tiny nose and mouth, ears too,.... ) and then touch his tiny hands and fingers, and his feet and toes.

So do take some time and appreciate how lovely your baby can be.

I still remember that there was one occassion where we were lying in bed but I have his head on my left shoulder and my left arm cradling him. Jas was sleeping so peacefully and I dared not move, for fear of waking him up. We kept our position for at least an hour before my wife came in and saw us in such a loving position. All that while , I was watching over my tiny fragile baby in my arms.

Even today, I would crawl into bed with Jas when I am trying to wake him up and hold him for a while. Also, took a few minutes watching him and see how much he has grown since then.

So parents, no matter how tired you are or many tasks at hand, find the time to watch your baby sleep.

It is very refreshing and comforting indeed......

Happy parenting..!

David

How Well Do You Know Your Children?

Hi,

This is not a trick question but how well do you know your children?

Again, it all boils down to the amount of time you spend with them and how you observe their behaviour or character.

Let me share with you my own experiences to illustrate what I am trying to say with you.

When Jason was young, he got sick quite often and I think it was normal as he was growing up and being attacked by all the bacteria or virus. This is typical of any child in their growing years; running nose etc.....

So after visiting the doctors and always getting the same medication, we started to stock up the remaining bottle of medicine in the fridge after consulting the doctor.

1st incident :

One evening, the maid made some bird nest soup for us and we decided to give some to Jason. after all, this is expensive stuff and can only do good and not harm him thoguh he was maybe 3 or 4 years old then.

After taking some bird nest, Jason started to develop a running nose and watery eyes ( much later, we learned that this is a typical symptom of allergy for all of us ). I gave him some of the medicine that we had kept in the fridge but he started to breathe heavily and experienced some difficulty. ( BTW, the doctor told me that I did the right thing by giving him that medicine otherwise the situation could have been worse! )

We immediately took him to a 24 hours clinic. I was carrying him and could feel his heavy breathing though he was almost 'knocked out' or sleepy. When we finally saw the doctor, he told us that he is allegic to bird nest and it is very common among children. That was news to me!

There was an option of medicine ( recovery would be slow ) or an injection ( immediate recovery ) and Jason decided on the injection. It was only then I realised that he must have felt very uncomfortable. Apparently, the allergy has caused his throat or upper windpipe to swell and close the passage for breathing. On hindsight, I should have taken him to A&E instead as we waited for about 1/2 hour before we saw the doctor!

So what I am saying here is that if I have not be observant about Jason's condition and just let him go to bed for the night, I cannot imagine what could have been the outcome. He could have been choked and never wake up again..!

Remember your child may be too young to tell you what he feels and he may just go to sleep ...!


2nd incident :

After dinner, my maid gave Jason his usual dosage of multi-vitamins.

I received a call from the maid saying that Jason was complaining of being a bit choked and has something in his throat but he could still breath. He was a bit older then and could tell us his discomfort.

I rushed home from office and decided that Jason being a very tough boy that I know, he would not complain over something that was not bothering him. Thankfully, he could breath easily.

I took him to our family doctor and he could not find anything visible that could have caused any discomfort that Jason mentioned. But I insisted that there must be something otherwise Jason would not be telling us about it as I know he is a tough boy and can handle much pain or discomfort.

So the doctor tried to make him vomit or cough out whatever could be in his throat. Initially, nothing happened and just when we were to give up, Jason coughed out his vitamin tablet!

Apparently, Jason was suppose to have chewed the vitamin tablet which was a star shape but he somehow swallowed it instead.

In this case, knowing that Jason is a very tough boy and would not lie to us, I supported his complaint that he has something in his throat. Luckily, it was a vitamin tablet and I suppose it could have dissolved very slowly eventually but what if it was something else...?

So you must know your child well and not take their feedback or complaints lightly, especially when they are young.

Quality Time With Your Children

Hi,

Both my wife and I were near the peak of our career when Jason came into our life.

As in case of most young couple in Singapore without parents living with them, we have to employ a maid to look after Jason while we were at work during the day.

In our case, my parents from Penang came down to stay for 2-3 months to train our maid. We also decided to send Jason to Kinderland childcare school so that he could socialise with other children of his age instead of spending so much time with our maid.

We fear that he would get too close to our maid and learn to speak Philipino English; after hearing such stories from friends.

Still, I would say it was a risk that we took to leave the kid and the whole house to our maid. But that was typical of young working couple and even it is happening today, I believe!

So we claimed that we spent Quality Time with our son......!

Honestly, sometimes I think it is just an excuse or a term that we used to justify the situation that we have to face.

Why do I say it as such?

Jason also woke up early and he saw us off to work. Most of the time, he cried at the door when we left for work. We left with a heavy heart to work...sigh.... I can still remember that pitiful look of his at the door.

We would try to rush home but hardly on the dot, due to the nature of our work as executives or managers. So we were left with only a few hours with him before we call it a night.

I must say that my wife was able to give more of her time to Jason during the first 10 years before I was able to spend more time with him. Luckily, our career allowed at least one of us to be there for him; eg . My wife attended all his kinderarten concerts while I missed a few of them and in Primary 1 and 2, too.

So what is quality time?

I think that you can only called it quality time provided you are able to give your 100% during that period with your child and not distracted by your work or other matters.

We realised that we were not giving Jason 100% of our time when he was in Primary 5 and 6 as we were so occupied with our office work. We started to do more work with the availability of notebooks and broadband at home to link up to the office mail system. Also, we were at the peak of our careers.

But after having said that, there were memorable quality time that I spent with Jason playing with him on bed ( eg. remember our wrestling in bed, in my earlier post ).

However, I still remember what I read in the New Straits Times on a high profile lady banker when she retired. She said that there is no such thing as spending quality time with her children as she always had her work at the back of her head, working at such a high position in the bank, and she regreted not being able to spend more time with her children and watched them grow up.

So my dear firends, it is still a challenge to find sufficient Quality Time for your children, I believe.

As one of my friends told me, parents will only have 10 years of your children life as they will want to be on their own when they reach puberty.

Very true, while Jason is still very close to us today and we still spend the weekend together as a family committment, he is now in his teens and he goes out with his classmates more and also wants his privacy. We can only hold his hands or hug him at home else we will embarass him.

So parents, make the best of the first 10 years with your children and lay a good foundation for the family, especially in terms of communication and family values.

Many parents did not make time for their kids when they are young but when they reached puberty, they begin to worry and try to be close or 'control' their movement. Too late...my friends!

Find that quality time NOW!

Happy parenting,

David

Cut On The Back Of The Head

Hi,

During Jason's first year in kindergarten, he was pushed by another boy and fell, having a small cut at the back of his head.

My dear wife was called by the school and she took him to the doctor and subsequently to a nearby hospital for an x-ray on his head.

We were upset but happy that there was no serious injury shown by the x-ray other than a cut that was stitched up on the head.

While we did not make a big fuss over the accident though my wife was quite upset about how the teachers were looking after the children during playtime.

The parents of the boy who pushed Jason, bought him a toy and apologised through the school and subsequently withdrew the son from the school. We did not pursue the matter so I am not sure whether the parents felt guilty about the matter or the school has asked the boy to leave..?

Anyway, after a week or so, I took Jason back to the hospital to have the stitches removed.

Today, there is not hair growing there but there is a scar on the head. Luckily, it is not visible or easily noticed unless you search for it.

If you have read my earlier post, this is the 2nd major accident and he almost blinded himself in the 1st incident.

David

Give Your Kids Advance Notice

Hi,

This is a very good parenting tip that my brother taught me, give some advance notice to your kids so as to better manage their expectations.

What do I mean by that?

This is best illustrated by a few examples.

When you take your kids to the playground and it is time to leave, tell your kids that they have another 10 minutes to play.

When your kids are playing at home and you want to take them out for a meal or some appointments like visiting relataives, shopping, etc..... tell them that we are leaving in 15 minutes time.

By doing so, we have founnd that the children are more prepared to stop what they are doing and follow us eventhough they may be reluctant to do so.

Though when they are young and may not even understand how long is 5 or 10 minutes, it seems to work for our kids. There was one or two occassion when I forgot to give ample notice; ie. I was rushing for time so I said that we have to leave in 10 minutes but I actually left after a few minutes instead. They would usually protest and said 'So fast already...?' or 'Can we have another 5 minutes?'.

I still give Jason advance notice today but of course, I cannot cheat him with the timing though...ha..ha... He may negotiate for more time though if he is playing some computer game and cannot complete it in good time.

So try it out on your kids.....give them some advance notice.

BTW, I think it works on adults as well too.

Happy parenting..!

David

Watch TV With Your Kid

Hi,

Please find time to watch TV with your kid and be involved with what they are watching.

What do I mean by that?

Sitting next to your kid while he is watchng TV and you are doing something else is a NO..NO..!

To be involved means to watch it with him and be able to discuss about what both of you are watching.

Why?

Firstly, you may want to censor or control what he is watching. Eg. I would tell Jason that this is could be a scary movie and that it was not suitable for him though we did watched a few episodes of X-Files...!

Secondly, you would want to explain to him that some of the action that he is watching are not real but stunts. Eg. Superman flying in the sky or Spiderman jumping all over so that he would not try to imitate the acts.

Thirdly, you should also explain or discuss the lessons that could be learned from the shows. Eg. the sense of friendship or loyalty as shown on the TV.

So if you find the time and watch TV with your children, you can make it into a learning experience with them besides laying the foundation or principles that you want them to internalize.

Of course, do not 'kill' the thrill of sheer entertainment by always putting forth some values in life or making watching TV into a teaching affair as your kids would 'shoo' you off ...ha..ha...

I watched cartoons, children programmes ( no matter how silly it may seems to us, adults! ) and even programmes like WWE or World Wrestling Entertainment..!

For eg., while watching WWE with Jason, I told him that it is all fake because if I really punch a person like what he saw on TV, it is unlikely that the person could stand up that soon. It is all glamorous stuff on TV.

Luckily, we happened to see a documentary on how they recruited and trained wrestlers on TV and he was convinced by what I said. In fact, it was an eye-opener to both of us...to be honest! After that, we lost interest in watching WWE.

However, we would wrestle in bed almost every evening at one stage and we really have fun and bonding was definitely established. We did moves like those we saw on TV like The Rock...... BUT I told him this is all play and not to play like that with his friends. He was around 4 years old then..!

BTW, we saw the WWE in our Indoor Stadium when they were in town and it was a fantastic experience for both of us! He was a few years older by then, around 6 or 7 years old.

Today, we still watch TV together.....eg. we would watch Channel 8 9pm serial and discuss about the various roles in the show.... and partly, to improve our Mandarin too.

Ocassionally, we still go to the movies together if his friends have seen them without him for whatever reasons.

So my tip to parents is that you must be engaged with them when watching TV with your kids and take the opportunity to share your values with them or solicit their thoughts too.

BTW, Jason & I watch EPL soccer games during the weekends and we are Manchester United (MU) supporters...! Here we are in MU jerseys taken on his 14th birthday.





Happy parenting!



David

Do You Cane Or Spank Your Child?

Hi,

This is quite a controversial issue and I think it also depends a lot on our family upbringing, culture and where you are living too.

Recently, there was quite a debate or news on this matter as a Father caned his son quite badly and was reported to the Police by the neighbour. The father has been sentenced to jail and also sent for counselling. Without going into details, I will leave this as it is.



It brought back memories of how I have disclipined Jason when he was young.

Somehow, I was the 'bad' cop and Mum was the 'good' cop..... you know this playacting that you see in the movies or TV shows....?

I must admit that I am a bit bad temper by nature but I have simmered down a lot as I aged and more at peace with myself ( maybe through recent meditation and revisitng my Buddha teachings, etc ..?). So we were always concerned that I might hit Jas too hard and hurt him.

I remember that I do not have a cane at home but in the midst of talking to my colleagues, one of them told me that she caned her daughter, her only child. After that, I thought about it and I bought a cane. Of course, my parents and wife were not too happy about it though I said that I would use it as a threat or cane him lightly.

You see, the rationale was that the kids are too young to understand what we are telling them so the most effective way is to inflict some pain so that they know that it hurts if you did something wrong. ( Many years later, when I was in Jas's Primary school, I was appalled that the teachers were shouting at the children to stop running etc... But when I joined the school as a Parent Volunteer, I understood that the children react fast when shouted at rather than pulled them aside and explain why they are wrong, etc.....).

Ok, I can guess some of you are not in agreement with me, and that's fine as I said this may have a lot to do with our culture, upbringing and where we lived ( ie the country ).

This is my personal experience so let's not get into a debate on who is right or wrong and what is correct or not.

So you must be curious what happened after I bought the cane?

Well, there are no cane marks on Jason...!

True enough, I used it to threathen him and I also used it to let go my anger by hitting the cane against furniture like the wooden door or stairs ( you can still see the cane marks there, today ). Of course, everyone almost freak out in case I really use it on him then.

Was it effective?

I think so..... as I really think that he is too young to understand why he should not be doing things that we did not approve.

Importantly, I always told my wife to explain to him why he was 'caned' and then made him apologise to me. The same if Jas upsetted my wife. We would hug each other and that was the end of the episode.

When we visited my brother in Melbourne, Australia, he reminded me that caning was not accepted there and I may be accused of child abuse, etc.... So no beating or spanking of Jas in public if he was naughty! Well, in all our visits there, Jason was well behaved so no problem.

Honestly, I do feel hurt myself when I lost my temper and shout at him etc...... but I tried not to hit him even with my bare hands as the force would have been too great for the little fellow.

I stopped using the cane when he started Primary School as he was old enough to understand why we felt that he was naughty and deserved punishment like no TV etc....

I really do not have any memories of spanking him so badly when he was a baby or pre-school days. Though I remember my wife and I would be quarelling a bit when I lost my temper, for fear that I might hit Jason too hard I suppose.

Please do not get me wrong that I totally support caning! But if I could find a more effective way to get the same results, I would use the alternate way.

You have to choose the best way to discipline your kids and it is very likely that you could be influenced by your cultural and upbringing, not forgetting to mention which country you are living in too.

So happy parenting as it can be fun!

David

Jason Bungee Jumped in New Zealand

Hi,

Jas is back from his school trip in NZ and he told us that he did a Bungee Jump during the trip.

This was not part of the itinenary but there was an opportunity and he took it with 3 of his mates.

He did mentioned to us before he left that he would like to try it but we were naturally a bit concerned and advised him to think through it properly. If he really wanted to do it, then so be it!

Well, he did the Bungee Jump and here is his certificate. I like the part that says he is of sound mind and body......ha..ha.... to jump off from a height of 43metres or 142 feet tower..!

Well, it is difficult to left go and let him made some of his decisions. But it is better to have discussed it than he did it behind our back and we are not any wiser about it.

Anyway, Mum & Dad are proud of you but please do not take unnecessary risk in future.

Loves, Jas!

Jason's First Step Forward

Hi,

I was working when Jason took his first step forawrd on his own....!!!

But my parents and my maid saw it instead.

The excitement of Jason being able to walk on his own was great and I can still remember him smiling in triumph when we urged him to walk.

That weekend, I went to buy a video camera to film almost every movements of his.

Do you know that I could easily take 1 whole roll of film of Jason over a weekend?

No digital camera then so it was quite inconvenient as you have to develop the film and then see all the no-good photos. Besides, you also have to wait for 1/2 to one day to see all the photos.

Anyway, please do take as many digital images and you can make them into a slideshow for viewing on PC or TV easily these days.

I am now thinking of buying a film scanner to convert all those photos taken prior to the digital age and then slowly make a slideshow or digital album for Jason.

An entry level digital camera is good enough and the prices have dropped tremendously. They even now have video capability and with media like SD cards, you can also easily upload the photos into you PC and then make slideshow, digital album, post them on to the Interent to share them with relatives ...etc.....

Have fun.... I do and enjoy it temendously and you need not be an IT geek to do it too...!

Here is a sample of a slideshow :

You can register and use this tool for FREE so check it out at http://www.slide.com/

Enjoy...

David

Vomitting on the Bed

Hi,

I remember Jason has a tendency of vomitting on our bed when we scolded him just before bedtime, and he would cry until he vomitted on the bed.

Sigh.... those few times were tough indeed as you have to clean up and replaced them with new ones.

Fortunately, we have a maid so it was more tolerable.

The babies seem to love to do it as a few of my friends also have the same experiences.

Mostly likely, they just have their dinner and not fully digested yet as I do not remember him vomitting like that during the day...?

Yes.....but we do miss him as a cutie baby to play with in bed..... lying on top of my tummy ( not that it is huge..., of course! ) .....

And now in his teens, you are not allowed to hold or hug him without permission...!

So while you may wish that your baby quickly grow up and be a lesser burden to you, I would also strongly advise you to spend more time and enjoy their company while you can.

David

Parenting Guidebooks or Manuals

Hi,

I am sorry to tell you that there are no complete Parenting Manuals or Guidebooks..!

Having said that, I am not saying that you should throw away all those books you could have bought to-date.

Importantly, we need to know our babies and children and apply what we have read or listen from our parents and friends.

What do I mean by that?

Firstly, our parents have brought us up into this world so they definitely must know a thing or two BUT it also does know means they are always right as time and technology have changed tremendously.

However, I still believe our parents are still most experienced and we should tap their knowledge.

Talking and discussing with our friends, colleagues and fellow parents are another big source of sharing parenting information.

However, listen and then decide what best suit your children as our kids are unique in their own ways. Not everything that works for other children will work for your own kids.

Finally, we will do some reading on our own if we have time. Again, digest what you have read and then modify them to suit your kids needs.

There is no ONE standard parenting manual for us though majority of the ideas may be common..!

Well, it may be tough but it is not any worse than like making any decision for your work or home.

Importantly, you have to be ready to take up the challenge of being a parent before you start a family.

Enjoy and love your children for what they are no matter how much a burden it may seem, at times.

Happy Parenting..!

David

Jason's First Trip Overseas Without Us

Hi,

My wife & I just sent Jason off to New Zealand, early this morning at the Changi Airport.

While Jason has travelled overseas many times with us but this is the first time he is travelling on his own, though with a group of 9 other schoolmates and 2 of his teachers. This is a school study trip.

So what is the significant or big deal?

Well, he has to be on his own.

What do I mean?

For a start, I guided him in his packing of his luggage so that he knows what he is carrying and where to find all his clothings etc.....

In all the earlier travels with the family, I am the 'butler' and is responsible for all the packing etc...... He will just ask for what he needs and I get it for him from the luggage bag!

Well, there were some disagreements on what he should be wearing etc... but I gave in to him if it did not matter so much but I tried to talk some sense into him and I won most of the time. For eg., I am more concerned about the weather but he is more concerned on how he looks.....! I suggested that he takes his MP3 player with him to listen on the coach when they are on the road for an hour or so and he said no. This morning, he decided that he should be bring it along and we have to look for the charger last minute!

He will be responsible for his passport and the money given to him...etc as the teachers are not going to 'mother' him..!

Well, another major milestone for my teenage son in emerging into a responsible adult!

I have to trust that I have groomed him well all these years and that he is ready to fend for himself.

I was telling my wife that in my teenage days, my brother & I have to apply for our overseas study in Australia, went for the interview in Kuala Lumpur (KL), and flew on our own to Melbourne without any guidance from my parents as they were living and working in KL while we were studying and being cared for my our grandma and aunties in Penang.

My brother & I made it on our own but Jason has so much guidance from the family, so he is so much better off today.

Anyway, while we will miss him for a week but we will not worry too much for him.

We will have to learn to let him go .......

David

Bedtime Stories

Hi,

We were eating in front of the TV during lunch time today, as it was raining heavily outside so we decided to stay indoors instead.

Guess what was showing on TV?

Power Rangers!

It used to be one of Jason's favourite shows and we spent quite a lot of money buying him those big toys; around S$100+ each. I think we have a complete collection of it and I have not disposed of them till today.

Anyway, my wife was reminding us that Jason used to make us tell him bedtimes stories involving Power Rangers.

The funny thing was that we would make up the stories and in no time, we were actually mumbling or deviated from the story as we actually were falling asleep. Jas would nudged us or woke us up as we were talking nonsense.....ha...ha...ha...

It is true and we both have gotten into such a situation many times...!

Ah... those were the days.....

BTW, Jas seldom slept earlier than mid-night no matter how early we all retired to bed.

And it is even worst, if we played with him in bed as he would be so alert and cannot sleep but we were so tired from work!

DO you have similar experiences...?

David

How To Handle High Fever In Kids

Hi,

One of the most scariest thing to deal with is when your baby is sick as they are too young to tell you how they feel. So you need to know your baby well and be very observant of their behaviour.

When you observe that your baby is not well; eg. typically, they sleep too much or not as active as usual, you need to feel his forehead and body for high temperature. You should get a child thermometer that measures the temperature by putting the instrument into the ear and not into his mouth or anus.

Of course, the first thing to do is to get the baby or kid to your family doctor and get the necessary medication.

But this is not the end of it!

You still need to monitor the baby in case the fever does not subside but goes up instead especially overnight.

Having spoken to my friends, I learned that you should try to sponge your baby or you can take the baby back to your doctor or to the hospital ( if it is at night to the Accident & Ememrgency section ). We were told that if you take the baby to A&E or the hospital, they are likely to put ICE around the baby and it can be quite a sorry state and very pitiful for the baby.

As such, we have spent the whole night sponging Jason to bring down his fever despite giving him his medicine. This happened to us a few times.

Believe it or not, our friends actually recommended this approach than looking at your baby sleeping with ice around him and you can do nothing but just wait. They said that they felt helpless about the whole situation!

What did we do?

We got a pail of cold water and a face towel. We wet the towel and made sure it was damp and applied it on the chest and under the armpits. We found this most effective through trial and error. Of course we also placed it on his forehead and the feet and hands too. Practically, all over Jason. It sounds easier than said as there were times that Jason resisted the attempts to sponge him. When he is lifeless, you also worry about it.

It is tough but with patience and continuously monitoring the temperature during the progress of the sponging, the temperature will eventaully go down.

I have a disclaimer here.... If you are not comfortable with what I have just shared with you, please do what is best for your baby or child and consult your family docotr or go to the hospital.

BTW, I also do the same for adults too; eg sponging my wife when I came home and found her with high fever and too weak to move at all. If the adult or child is old enough and not too weak, taking a cold shower is another option.

As parents, you will have to decide what is best for your baby or child.

Happy Parenting...!

Jason Playing At Home

Hi,

Yes, we finally got him home from his nanny after almost a year and with a Philipino maid to look after him while we were at work.

He is 1 year old plus in these photos.

His teeth were starting to come out then.......

Still not able to stand on his own yet .....!

Gosh..... time flies.......! I missed those cutie days .......

Bringing Jason Home

Finally, we decided to hire a maid and bring Jason home when he was about 1 year old.

We got a Philipino maid and requested my parents to come to Spore to supervise the maid during the first few months. My parents have to cut short their trip in Melbourne to come to Singapore.

The maid was Merle and she took care of Jason for about 2 years before she went home due to the death of her mother. Merle was a very young girl and below 20 years old then; inexperienced too but I cannot remember why we chose her then.

My parents did a good job training Merle and they maintained a good relationship after 2 months of guidance by my parents.

Apparently, Jason was quite naughty and he would beat Merle on her back when he played truant. My mother told me that Merle dare not report him to me as I was very bad temper and she was concerned that I may beat Jason.

That's very nice of her indeed!

Initially, Merle slept with Jason in the second room with the air-con on during the night. We have a remote monitor and realised that Merle slept like a pig and not sensitive to Jason's crying etc.... So we brought Jason to sleep with us instead.

We made every effort to spend time with Jason once we were home; eg feed him and play with him. This was to ensure that Jason does not stick to the maid like glue...ha..ha..ha...

In fact, we managed to get Jason into the nearby Kinderland as we do not want him to be with the maid for 8 - 10 hours during the day while we were at work.

Also, we heard that Kinderland would be in a better position to train or teach Jason to bathe himself, change his clothing etc.... and to socialise with the other children too. In fact, he met his best friend, Ryan Tay, there.

More to come....stay tune!

Jason Almost Blinded

During his first year as a baby under the care of his nanny, Jas almost got blinded by a large safety pin.

When we arrived at the nanny's home one evening, we saw a long cut across Jason's right cheek. Our hearts sunk and we were speechless for a while.

The nanny said that Jason was playing with the big safety used to hold his nappy in the afternoon.

Luckily, all was well and Jason did not show any signs of trauma over the incident.

Thanks GOD for looking after Jason.

Jason's First Year With His Nanny

Both LLM & I were almost at the peak of our careers when Jason came into our lives.

Being new parents and still very involved in our careers, we outsourced the caring of our newly born child to a nanny in Pasir Ris.

During the weekdays, we would finish our work around 8pm daily. We would then have our dinner and took a taxi to Pasir Ris to spend at least 1 hour playing with Jason. We would take a taxi back to our home in Opera Estate, reaching around mid-night.

The nanny told us that we need not visit Jason every evening but we felt that we needed to connect with him. Jason would be at the door waiting for us and then would not be so happy to see us go but he never cried.

Every Sat, we look forward to bringing Jason home. Those days, we still worked on Sat so we would have our lunch and then took a taxi to Pasir Ris to fetch him for the weekend.

However, we would find it very taxing looking after Jason being inexperienced parents and without help then; eg the cooking, nappy changing, feeding him. By Sun afternoon, we would look forward to returning him to his nanny. Typically, we would send him back to Pasir Ris after our dinner.

While we were relieved to be home without him, but we started to miss him again....! Ha..ha..ha...

And the whole vicious cycle continued for a year!

Baby to Teenager

Hi,

Here is our ( my wife & I ) favourite photo of Jason when he was a baby.

We like to put him on our Queen size bed and played with him before we all go to bed.

Jason is so chubby and cute....!

15 years later, with his funky hairstyle.....

Apparently, his classmates introduced him to a hairstylist that only charges S$10 for cutting and styling student hair, including a hairwash too!

My wife took him once to her hair stylist and it cost us S$30 and he has been wanting to have his haircut at her saloon since then...!

Now we save S$20..!!!

Any girsl interested in Jason, please make an appointment for an intereview with his parents first.....ha..ha...

Just joking-lah!

Welcome to My Blog !

Last year, while I was visiting my parents in Penang, I came across a book written by a Singaporean father on his experiences in his lifetime. This book was dedicated to his only son. It was very enlightening and touching too and I also bought his second book on my next visit.

Since then, I was inspired to write something similar for my only son, Jason.

When I see some of the photos when Jason was a baby, his years in Kinderland and Temasek Primary School days.... it brought back many memories.

Time flies and he has grown into his teens and I have crossed over to the 50s too.....

When he was below 10 years of age, around 8 - 10 years old, I remember that I told him how I wish that time can stand still as he was so cute and lovely to play with during that period. Also, I was scared to lose him when he hit puberty as a friend told me once that I can only have 10 years of his life .... When they reach puberty, they will not want to be seen with us and want his freedom....!

I am glad to say that while Jason does not let me hold his hand in public like when he was a baby or a kid, he is still very close to us. We still spend a lot of time together and weekend is reserve for the family where we go out for meals, some shopping and even a movie occasionally.

So let me take you down my memory lane .....

David