Confident Parents: Kids Are The Best Teacher!

Creating and raising another individual is a hard work. And so is parenting. It's not an easy task to do but it is doable. New parents and parents-to-be should not lose their heart. This can be learned and the best teachers are  our own kids!

There are many books and magazines about parenting of course. They are helpful why not. But in the end, you are going to adjust them to suit your kids temperament and needs.

My 8-year-old daughter is a crying lady... err girl. And when her temper bursts with crying, it's hard to make her stop. One day she came from school crying. Two of her classmates were following her telling us she had a quarrel with their teacher.

Camille didn't want to talk when asked what had happened. But making her feel that we know how she felt, she started to tell us in details.

One of her classmate hid her crayons and she started to cry. No one can stopped her even her teacher. And as a result, she and her teacher got a not so good conversation that only make her crying worse. When asked to leave the room, that 8-year-old kid made a louder cry. 

The next day, her teacher told us many bad things against my daughter's behavior. Was that made my confidence to be shattered? Not at all.

That one math session did not define my daughter. Kids may do crazy things, but that didn't mean that they are bad or you fail as a parent. That incident taught me to be patient and made me more determined to instill good behavior in my child. Why should I let that one silly incident stop me from doing my duties as her dad?  I realized that during those times, that I learned the most!

The best thing to do in those times is to get back to being a dad right away regardless how other people sees my kids. Remember, we know our child more than they.

One of my friends had an austistic son. Imagine what he had felt the day he learned about that. His self-esteem parts. He blamed himself constantly. He was inconsolable. But after sometime, he said enough is enough.  The winds were howling and the rain is heavy.  "My son needed me and there is no way I am going to leave him in the middle of nowhere!", he said full of courage.

Learning to be a confident parent is not limited to books. It is best learned from experience. From years of taking care of your children.

Smooth seas do not make good sailors. I became stronger, more confident father in the eye of the storm.
 

:)

TIPS on Saving Money

Are you having some trouble in saving money? Are you trying to save for a rainy days but feeling like you can't get ahead of the storm? Welcome to the club!

In these trying times, saving money are getting tougher. In fact, there instances that it seems as if the whole world is conspiring against you. Ha ha... you're not alone.

But making some money-saving tips may help us a little in our money problems. How ever small are these but collectively it can make a big difference.

Here are some:

Transportation

Walk in every chance you get. Not only save energy but also you also get energized (unless of course if you have a heart problem). Or have a grocery shopping every two weeks to save gas.

Groceries

Have a list and a calculator with you. This will help you buy all what you need before you buy what you want. And don't hesitate to join in supermarket promotions. You not only save some pesos but get some freebies as well. If you can, Buy in a bulk and wholesale. Buying big pack of detergent powder is actually cheaper than buying in a stacks of sachets. 

LPG

When cooking, put the heat to low to medium level. It may take you a little longer in cooking but your LPG consumption will be lower.

Electricity

Minimize the consumption of electric appliances. Have the ironing of clothes once a week for example. When you only have a couple of clothes left to iron, you can unplug it. Use energy-efficient appliances over electricity eating monster. 

Phone bills

These days, cell phone companies are offering discounts and unlimited offers on texts and calls. Smart got good deals on their consumers. Globe telecoms  got their own terms. TMs subcribers also give less discounts. Some are giving free cell phone which you can sell. 

Or get a Sun Cellular. Really!  

Life is hard. The economy is still down. But sometimes, finding more money is not only the solution. One need to be very intentional with the money we have. 

Hey, I bet you got a brilliant idea! Please share.

:) TIPS ON WHAT TO DO ON ELECTION DAY

Children Go On Banking!

Teaching children to save money isn't easy. They usually want to spend money once they receive it. Giving them a piggy bank  usually do the trick. My children feel so proud when they are able to put their coins in theirs.

Then open a kiddie account for them. Find a savings account for them to deposit all their coins and let them watch their money grows. You can look for an account that doesn't have monthly maintenance fees or minimum balance requirements or the lowest you can afford. In addition, make sure there is no limit on the number of small deposits. Also watch out for banks that charge fees for inactive accounts and read all the small print before opening the account.

METROBANK FUN SAVERS CLUB

We chose Metrobank Savers Club for its many features. Though it has a minimum P500  requirement, it gives more than just interest on saved money.  It comes with a P50,000-educational trust fund that your kids get as a beneficiary in case of accidental death of a parent or guardian. They also give the parent or the guardian a free personal accident insurance worth twice the average daily balance (ADB) of the month prior to the month of the accident, not to exceed P1 million. Other benefits include a welcome kit that comes with a membership card that gives your kids privileges in some establishments. Your kids will also receive greeting cards on their birthday.

Life is getting harder. 

Let's encourage our children. 

Let them fill those piggy bank to the top!


:)

Money Lesson For Kids

Kids must learn money spending. And this lesson should come from the parents. If not... they gonna turn on television or friend or the internet.  The thing they could learn from them is spend, spend, and spend.

Liana, my daughter, used to ask to buy her toys she want to have. But what a price! There are something in children today that tell them what are the branded ones. And they won't settle in lesser brand but with more affordable price. 

I explained them that we are gonna be short of other things if we always buy every toy she wants to have. By telling them what are more important things to have like our food  (of course they don't want to starve), electric bills (they had experienced how bad it is during power failure) and the likes, makes them understand. Kids now are bright and can apprehend more if we explain.

I told my daughter that we can have the toy if she will save some money for it. I require her to save part of her allowance in her piggy bank. And she did. While still in school, she has a daily allowance. Aside from her sandwich and juice or cold water as she always prefer to drink,  she also got herself P20. She was in her 3rd grade then. She learned how to budget her allowance by not spending much.

We should teach our children how to spend money wisely. They should know how to save. How to budget. If you don't show them how, no one will!

BILLS! BILLS! BILLS!

Another monthly dues. Electric bills. Water bills. Phone bills. Almost everything are going higher and higher. From meat in the market to vegetables. 

Cutting some of our needs and things we used to do are necessary in this hard times.

But not the quality time for your kids. My wife and I see to it that as we try to lessen some spending, we still enjoy our family ties. 

So instead of going to mall on weekends, or eating to their ever favorite Jollibee, we thought nature as good playground for them. We took them to the garden. We asked them to collect some stones, leaves and dried branches. We talked about size, shapes and texture.

With these, they also increased their vocabulary because we uses new words to describe what they saw and felt like smooth, rough, soft and hard, tall and short.

They became aware of their surroundings. They enjoyed watching the small butterflies that flies from one flower to another. Beetles and bugs in plants. Different insects in the ground. They even noticed the singing of the birds and the wide blue sky. We even played telling what animals or objects the clouds formed. 

See. It's enjoying simple natures with your family without spending much money.


:)

Amazing Facts About Kids

Kids nowadays are terrific. Ask them about the show they are watching in television and they sure fire the detailed answers. They know the characters. Their names. Their specialties. Their powers. Who's the good ones and the bad ones. I was amazed how kids know every duel cards that to me is hard to memorized. The characters for me looks the same.

Kids are so spontaneous and they seem to be born clever. Their listening power has developed so great. Just listening in a song and they can easily memorize them. Ha ha no wonder why Kris Aquino's son, Baby James, said Villar when asked who is his bet. I bet the boy can also sing Villar's campaign jingle just like so many children.

Kids can think freely without being imposed by others. They speak their mind so clearly. They seem to know less but yet they know so much. 

Nowadays we come across children who are so intelligent that they can count before even they can read. When I say intelligence here, I do not mean only the bookish intelligence that a person can develop but the intelligence that develops through experience. By intelligence I also mean, the clear mind with which a child judges the circumstances. 

Sometimes we face so many constraints when taking a decision and might end up taking the wrong decision. But to the kids, the obvious is the only solution. Sometimes, there are some obvious reasons that we fail to see but can be easily pointed out by a child.

I had noticed these. Maybe you also had something to share. I gladly want to know.

:)

Tooth Decay

Our children can get tooth decay as soon as teeth appears. So we should not wait for a full set of teeth appears before we took care of them. 

My wife used a cloth in cleaning my baby's first tooth. She practically do the brushing for them everyday until they got used to brushing their own teeth.

Some think that tooth decay in children are harmless and a just natural for kids. That's wrong. Temporary teeth should be the one to be taken care of. They are the one which make the space for the permanent teeth.

Taking care of the temporary teeth helps ensure normal growth and developement of the jaw that directly affects the eating habits and speech and most important is  your child's smile.

Tip For Stuck Glasses

 

One day, Lani asked me some help. She was preparing a Goldilocks Cake brought by a friend. She was about to pour some Coke into the glasses when she noticed that the glasses sticked into one another. She was afraid that she might break the glasses into pieces.

How To Stop Nose Bleeding?

"Help! Mommy, my nose is bleeding!"

We had just arrived from SM Baliuag. The weather then was too hot. Minutes after we had finished doing the groceries we bought that day, we just heard that loud voice from our son. We rushed into him and saw how terrified he was. He can't feel anything wrong but his nose is bleeding continuously.

"Relax", I said to comfort him as I helped him sit on a chair. I pressed his nose. Gently at first as I slowly put a little pressure on it. His head is slightly raised. Soon enough the bleeding was gone. My wife came in with an ice wrapped in a towel. She applied it in his cheeks and nose.

Girls of my Life.

There are things that we want to keep.
Things that make us happy.
That makes us laugh.
Sometimes cry.

And there are things we always want to see.
Things that we consider precious.
That we really treasure.

And I had that something in my heart.
Praying we will never be apart.

What Should I Do If Baby Cries? (3)

PART 3

Always remember that patience is a virtue of all new dads.  It takes extra time to learn how to work with the crying baby.  Try to understand and educate yourself in the reasons why baby cries. It's a big help in knowing your child.  Here are some of other things you can do if baby cries.

What Should I do if Baby Cries? (2)

PART 2

New dads should learn how to work with the crying baby.  And I tell you, it's great feeling to understand and know what your child needs specially when she cries.  So be patient.  Learning and understanding your child's crying needs an extra measure of patience.

What Should I do if Baby Cries?

PART I






There's no reason to panic. Baby cries because it is his one way to communicate. There are moms who knew what their babies want just by the sound of their cries. To the newly couples sometimes they got alarmed. Some thought something bad happened to their child. But it's not always the case.

Books vs Computers

Nowadays, computers are almost a necessity. If you don't own one, there are many Internet shops where one can go. It is so useful that with the use of Internet, almost anything can be answered. Type in your question, even a phrase or a word, then your just a click away and you have it. From people to the different places around the globe. Animals from millions years ago to the present smallest living organism. Say it and the net has an answer.

One day, a man stood front our door. He turned to be a book salesman. He introduced the Grolliers Encyclopedia. Of course, using his skill and knowledge in selling the books,

Babies Are Music Lover

And this is true with mine. Babies really responds with music. We had observed this when my wife was still pregnant. Whenever we play music at home, our baby who was still in her womb reacts.

And so, I often sing and hum songs to my children since they were babies. During nights, when all of a sudden,

5 TOUGH QUESTIONS CHILDREN ASK

We all sometimes face some questions that make us feel we've been on a stand. I do. And believe me, children's questions are tougher because those have to be answered.

President Obama: A Call For All Dads

Silence please. This is only less than a minute.

Know Your Child Development

It's a wonderful feeling to know that your already a Dad. And it should not just stay like that. Responsibility follows our love we feel for our children. We had work to do. We had to watch them and guide them as they grow.

And it's important for us to know what are the expected developmental milestones in our children are. There are norms that from their early months must be observe. And we must consult proper persons what are these norms.

Fatherhood: Who can teach Us?

Nothing prepares you for fatherhood. Funny but in my six years in grade school, four in high school and five in college, I can't recall we had studied the art of good parenting. And even so, I think no amount of algebra and literature preparation will make the journey to parenting a less rough road or less joyful ride.

But it seemed natural. The very first time I held my daughter in my arms though everyone reacted especially her grandma (maybe afraid that I miscarry her), was like I already knew how.