Building An Ark in Singapore
Posted in General
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Just a quick one coz I keep getting SMS-es and emails congratulating me/us about benefitting from the revised, revamped and supposedly very generous Marriage and Pregnancy Package.
Unless there are further modifications, we do not get a cent out from the government. And the only child that benefitted was #3. Yes, only ONE out of our 6 children received the Baby Bonus. But it's ok. After all it is Jehovah Jireh, not the government, eh? ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Articles for the Christian SAHM can be found at : |
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Posted in General
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I just came across this post at Rocks in My Dryer who has a What I'd Like You To Know series going on. This posting is from a mom of 12 with children ranging in age from 3mths to 21 yrs. I so, so agree with all that she wrote. Larger than normal families have it tough in a society that hates children. Anyhow, here is an excerpt of what she posted. First, and perhaps most obviously, many people with larger families encounter negative attitudes almost daily. Snide comments from strangers, nosy questions about their private lives, or unsupportive extended family all combine to make the members of a big family feel more like a circus side-show than legitimate members of society. The announcement of a new pregnancy is very often not met with joy, but with condemnation (if you are on the receiving end of such an announcement, be the exception and offer a simple congratulations). I could compile quite a list of all the obnoxious things that have been said to those of us with a passel of young’uns, but I'd rather not go off on that tangent. You'll just have to take my word for it that for many people, there does not appear to be any sort of regulatory gizmo betwixt their brains and their mouths. Yet I persist in believing that it's really not that difficult to be kind, or at the very least, silent! Along those same lines, it often seems that families with lots of children are viewed with a more critical eye than those with the standard two. If a child acts up, it is of course because they come from such a large family and obviously don’t get enough attention. If their clothing is threadbare, it is because the parents must be financially strapped. If the baby has a dirty face, it is apparent that no one cares enough to clean it. Whereas a smaller family might be given the benefit of the doubt (all children throw tantrums at times, like to wear one item of clothing until it consists of three strands, and smear food upon their faces), for the larger family it becomes an opportunity to criticize. A mother pregnant with her second child is offered sympathy as she struggles with morning sickness and fatigue, but ask a mother pregnant with her fifth if she was offered any. This makes it difficult, even in a church setting, for those parents to share any difficulties they are having. I personally struggle with painful varicose veins that are aggravated during pregnancy. However, asking for prayer has sometimes been met with the attitude that such are my “just desserts” and so why would God heal me? I suspect the same attitude crops up when rebellious children, or money woes, are the issue. Parents of large families are not out to prove anything. We’re not vying for your admiration, we aren’t trying to win any awards, we don’t view childbearing as some sort of contest (someone asked my husband during our last pregnancy if we were trying to “beat the Duggars”), and we don’t think you’re less spiritual than we are if you have fewer than we do. We aren’t asking anyone for special treatment, but it doesn’t seem too much to ask for common courtesy. Resist the urge to count out loud as you see us go by....... For the full article visit : http://rocksinmydryer.typepad.com/shannon/2008/07/what-id-like--3.html ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Articles for the Christian SAHM can be found at : |
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Posted in Family
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Sigh....In the past 10 years as a SAHM I have had countless number of people telling me that I need a maid*. When I had 1 child then and now when I have 6 children. This refrain is repeated ad nauseum! Sigh. Does it annoy me? YES!!! Why do people do that?! And I have noticed that it is people who have a maid who'll tell me to get one! Then in the same breath they would complain about their maid. I was thinking and thinking about this after a very recent suggestion that I get a maid (like this morning!) and I think I have got it figured out! Haha! The answer could be this very telling reply I had from a fellow SAHM who has a maid : You need a maid because since I can't handle the children and the household without one, how can you?Meaning : if I, with less children need one, you with a lot more children and younger ones at that, definitely need one. Hmm... So is it a case of maidless SAHMs making SAHMs with maids feel bad/inadequate that they need a maid? Would they feel better if we finally get a maid? I hope not coz I am sure that is not the intention of maidless SAHMs. Would I like to have a maid? Yes and no. On bad days when the house is in a mess and I am so, so physically tired, Yes! So that I do not have to do the housework and other stuff that I don't like to do - dusting, changing of bedsheets, cleaning the fans, the toilets.....And perhaps the occasional need to run some errands/dr's appointments without 6 small bodies tailing along. An extra pair of hands is definitely helpful. And how nice to just open my mouth and get things done without me having to get off my butt! But generally, no, coz I really cherish the privacy we have right now. Plus the need to watch out for, manage and care for another person will probably stress me. Even if she is a good helper. But mostly, I like not having to look over my shoulder all the time, being able to leave money and other valuables around. Even having my parents or ils over at my place when I want to rest makes me feel awkward. Can't imagine having a stranger in the house all the time! Will I never get a maid? Well, I have learnt to never say never! We may have to one day. Like if I ever get blessed with twins But I tell you what I am planning to get to ease the workload (besides training the children to be helpers in the home), I am getting the....Roomba and the Scooba from iRobot!!! And do you know what I would really like? A cook! Yes! A Edited : No, I made a mistake, I don't want a live-in cook either! Lol! I just want a personal chef that'll come, whip up delicious meals and leave - 3x a day! * maids - This for you US and Australian moms ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Articles for the Christian SAHM can be found at :
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Now these can be my maids and I don't have to bother about them intruding my privacy! 
I told dh that if they work out, they would be better value for money than a once-a-week part timer cleaner since they can be used daily! Ok - so I still have to dust and wash the toilets but hey! that'll be a fraction of what I do around here! 
In Singapore (like the other SE Asian countries), a live-in maid is relatively cheap. And so, it has become very common to have a maid in the home. When one doesn't have one, one is looked upon with either admiration or as if you have 3 heads on you. 
It is as though one's household cannot function without a live-in maid. But there are households without maids even WOHM households.Posted in General
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What's up? 1. On the home front Can you tell that I have been busy decluttering? All that decluttering and re-organising was caused by our decision to finally get a carpenter to come in to construct a built-in wardrobe for the girls' room - after 3 years of living with make-shift wardrobes and shelves. We also fixed doors to our numerous bookshelves- 7! So the reason for my lack of blogging here and over at Building Up Moms website was all these activities! And yes, it took me all of July to get them done. But the girls' room is so much neater now and our bookshelves are much less dustier than before! The amount of dust here!!! 2. School We finished our school year in June - yay! and was on a 1 month break. Then I had to do school planning for the upcoming school year. I had already gotten almost everything ready and all I had to do was to divide it up by the months we were doing school. But then, I forgot that I had a really inquisitive toddler who's into everything! Everything then took three times as long to complete! Argh! It took me days and nights of planning and keying into the computer to get them all done! I am so cross-eyed by now! And then of course, I had to do up their individual planners so that they can be responsible for their own work. But... It is ALL done for now! Whew! i certainly pray and hope that all that work was worth it as we start school tomorrow! 3. Family As mentioned, the toddler (14mths already!) is into climbing! She climbs anything and everything in sight that her little legs can get round to! The triumphant look on her face when she's successful is priceless though! But it means all of us are kept busy making sure she doesn't climb on anything too wobbly. Thankfully, I have 5 extra pairs of eyes now! We are also in the midst of training the older ones to take on more household chores. Now that is an exercise in itself - for me! As you can see, we have been busy! And since we start school tomorrow, I doubt I'll have time to blog regularly. So if you don't want to keep checking here and finding nothing new to read 4. Economics and Politics Oh, before I end this, just wanted to say - do you realise that everything in this world is coloured by politics or economics? I watched the Beijing Olympics Opening ceremony on Friday night and found it really amazing. I am sure the Chinese people were very proud of themselves. It made me proud to be Chinese! But I just read in today's Sunday Times that the though the praises came loud and clear from Asia, the West was not so effusive. But not coz the ceremony was lousy but rather coz they had to make references to China's communist past and "bad" human rights track record, etc... Why couldn't they just enjoyed the show and give credit where credit is due? Then there is the economics factor. It was World Breastfeeding Week last week. But there was so little publicity that I doubt any non-breastfeeding mom knew about it! Actually, I wonder if all breastfeeding moms knew about it! It is just an uphill task breastfeeding advocates face against the mainstream tide of formula milk companies and their huge arsenal of advertising and marketing gimmicks. Breastfeeding will never be top priority in any government initiative since it doesn't bring in any big money! Just like SAHMs will never be acknowledged save for some lip service since we don't bring in the big money either! Oh well, we do what we do, not cause of clever marketing or monetary push. We do what we do coz we believe it is right and best for our families. Right? ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Articles for the Christian SAHm can be found at : |
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TRULY AMAZING...BEYOND HUMAN WORDS A son asked his father, 'Dad, will you take part in a marathon with me?' The father who, despite having a heart condition, says 'Yes'. They went on to complete the marathon together. Father and son went on to join other marathons, the father always saying 'Yes' to his son's request of going through the race together. One day, the son asked his father, 'Dad, let's join the Ironman together.' To which, his father said 'Yes' to. For those who didn't know, Ironman is the toughest triathlon ever. The race encompasses three endurance events of a 2.4 mile (3.86 kilometer) ocean swim, followed by a 112 mile (180.2 kilometer) bike ride, and ending with a 26.2 mile (42.195 kilometer) marathon along the coast of the Big Island. Father and son went on to complete the race together. View this...
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Posted in Announcements
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{Updated and edited to reflect status of books 2 Aug 08} After more de-cluttering (how did we accumulate so much stuff anyway?!) I have more books to clear that some of you may be interested in. Prices do NOT include postage and handling. All sale on a first-come-first-served basis. No reservations unless full payment is made. If interested, please email to buildingupmoms@gmail.com. Thanks for looking! Adults : How to pamper your pregnant wife by Rob and Sam Shultz $1.00 PB. GC. Feeding Your Allergic Child by Elisa Meyer $3.00 PB. Fair. Creases on front cover. Slight yellowing
The Complete Wok and Stir Fry Cookbook $5.00 200 step-by-step recipes with over 1000 photographs. PB. Fair. Slight creasing on covers. Children :
Jay Jay the Jet Plane - Lot of 7 for $3.00 PB. Fair. Two books has been mended.
Escape from the Slave Traders – David Livingstone by Dave & Neta Jackson (Trailblazer Books) $7.00 PB. Brand New. Lot of toddler books $1.50 Includes : Moses and the very special basket by Sunny Griffin. (HC), Tommy Teddy meets the Farm Animals (HC), Incy Wincy Spider and other nursery rhymes Ladybird (HC) and Alligator Baby by Robert Munsch (PB).
Readers :
Previous Titles Still unsold :
God Peels An Onion by Maureen Onions $1.00 PB. VGC. Much is being said about the Toronto Blessing and there are many who long to experience a touch from God. Questions frequently asked are : Will this experience and its effects last? Are prophetic words given really an indication of God’s plans? Carnal Christians and other words that don’t go together by Rich Wilkerson ($0.50) PB. Fair with yellowing of pages Basic Christianity by John RW Stott $0.50 PB. Fair with yellowing of pages One I Love by Joy Jacobs & Ruth Dourte $3.00 PB. GC. A devotional for couples, includes study guide Prayer Strategy Resource Book by Ruth Shinness $3.00 (Unlock the Heaven through praying Scriptures) PB. Spiral Bound. GC What Happens When God Answers by Evelyn Christenson $1.00 PB. Fair. Yellowing of pages
In Search of Spiritual Excellence by Andrew Murray $0.50 PB. Fair. Some yellowing. Life? Any questions? Findng spiritual meaning on the fast track by Greg Laurie $1.00 Is That Your Money or His? By George Wan $1.00 |
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Posted in Announcements
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I am clearing out our bookshelves AGAIN We no longer require these books. Would anyone be interested in taking them off my hands? They are all priced mostly at $1.00 with the most expensive at $5.00. Please note the terms and condtions : 1. 1st-come-1st-served. 2. Prices do NOT include postage/handling. 3. No reservation unless fully paid up. 4. Payment via internet/ATM transfer. 5. NO prior viewing and selection. 6. Priority given to those who make bulk purchases 7. Email me at buildingupmoms@gmail Ok here is the listing of the books : God Peels An Onion by Maureen Onions $1.00 PB. VGC. Much is being said about the Toronto Blessing and there are many who long to experience a touch from God. Questions frequently asked are : Will this experience and its effects last? Are prophetic words given really an indication of God’s plans? God Grows An Onion by Maureen Onions $1.00 PB. VGC. How do you hear from God? Does God speak to ordinary people today? Can you know the will of God in your life?
Carnal Christians and other words that don’t go together by Rich Wilkerson PB. Fair with yellowing of pages. Basic Christianity by John RW Stott $0.50 PB. Fair with yellowing of pages One I Love by Joy Jacobs & Ruth Dourte $3.00 PB. GC A devotional for couples, includes study guide Becoming Soul Mates by Les and Leslie Parrott $1.00 Cultivating Spiritual Intimacy in the early years of marriage PB. Fair. Yellowing of pages. Prayer Strategy Resource Book by Ruth Shinness $3.00 Unlock the Heaven through praying Scriptures PB. Spiral Bound. GC What Happens When God Answers by Evelyn Christenson $1.00 PB. Fair. Yellowing of pages Great Joy a 31-day Devotional by J I Packer $1.00 PB. Fair. Yellowing and some highlighting Great Grace a 31- Day Devotional by J I Packer $1.00 PB. Fair. Some yellowing. ~~~Buy both for $1.50~~~ In Search of Spiritual Excellence by Andrew Murray $0.50 PB. Fair. Some yellowing. Life? Any questions? by Greg Laurie $1.00 Finding spiritual meaning on the fast track PB. Fair. Yellowing Bible IQ by Rayburn Ray $1.00 1000 questions to rate your scriptural savvy PB. Fair. Some yellowing of pages. New American Standard Bible $3.00 Brand new. VGC. With tabs and maps Family Altar by Rev Francis Ngoi Ngie Huat $1.00 Guide for sharing of spiritual food In Chinese and English PB. VGC Using Your Money Wisely by Larry Buckett $3.00 Biblical Principles under scrutiny PB. Fair. Some highlighting and yellowing. The Heart of Success by Rob Parsons $3.00 Making it in business without losing in life PB. GC. Slight yellowing on edge of book. Planning your financial life by BJ Ooi & Andy Ong $3.00 Your guide of financial success in Singapore during good and bad times PB. VGC. Ten Golden Rules for Financial Success by Gary Moore $3.00 Riches I have gathered form legendary mutual fund manager Sir John M. Templeton PB. GC. Some highlighting. Is That Your Money or His by George Wan Tian Soo $3.00 An introduction to the stewardship of money and Christian prosperity PB. Brand New. How to raise a family on less than two incomes by Denise Topolnicki $5.00 PB. Fair. Some highlighting and yellowing. More Brain Maths by Tan Thoo Liang (EPB) $1.00 Using puzzles and teasers More Brain Maths promises many hours of mental enjoyment. PB. GC. IQ MAths Two Contains interesting puzzles and quizzes to challenge lower primary students PB. GC. Thanks for looking! |
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Posted in My Say
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Yet another rant... Why do people ask for advise but refuse to take them?! I'll let it pass once, twice, maybe even three times, but consistently so??? I get annoyed. If you don't trust my judgement and advice, then why ask me??? I am not saying I know everything or I am always right, but really, if you don't like what I say, disagree with my philosophy of life, then why ask? Strange. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Articles for Christian SAHMs can be found at :
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Posted in Pregnancy and Labour
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Praise God! Another lady who attended our Experiencing God In Pregnancy talk gave birth early this month and she had an awesome birth! No pain! I am just beaming with joy for her and awed by the awesome-ness of our God. Check out her birth story on her blog at Precious Memories. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Articles for Christian SAHMs can be found at :
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Posted in Family
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Recently there was a spate of articles in the Straits Times about parents spending huge amounts of money to make sure their child/ren are kept ahead of the pack. I already wrote briefly about this on Of Babies and Tuition. In case it wasn't clear in that post, let me state again - I certainly do not believe in hothousing our children. BUT I believe in encouraging them to do the best they can and will not hold them back if I can help it;. Why do I say that? My oldest read very early. He read "milk" to me at the grocery store one day when he was barely 21 months old. And most of our children are able to hold a pencil and write simple letters by the time they are 2. Does that mean I was/am hothousing them??? NOPE! They learnt what they learnt through our daily life and through their playing with each other. When I mentioned that most could hold a pencil and make lines that became letters Oh please! I have 6 children, 10 and under. I need to cook, homeschool the older ones, keep the younger ones out of trouble and clean the house. Do you think I have time to hothouse them even if I wanted to??? I don't hold back the children. This is what I'll say. If they show interest in reading, and I am able to give them simple 10 minute lessons on phonics, I do it. If they are interested in counting and matching numbers to the things they count, I buy them simple number matching "workbooks" from Popular and let them play with it. If they get it wrong, they get it wrong. If they get it right, good for them. They have progressed with no stress on either them or me. But this is not hothousing lah! There - I have gotten this outoff of my chest! ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Articles for the Christian SAHMs can be found at :
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Posted in My Say
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Here we go again. There's been a huge discussion about using the cane on children over at the Asiaparents list. Every once in a while, this discussion comes up, as do the discussion on sleep training. You'll hear the same arguments put forth by the same people unless they have left the group. Over and over, these hot topics keep coming up. Over and over the same points put forth. In the beginning I used to put in my few words and cross swords with those who oppose using the cane and sleep training. After being on the list for many years (5? 6? I don't remember) I have learnt not to bother. It takes up too much of my effort to craft and write my response. There is truly a wealth of information out there and if these parents are truly at their wits end over how to discipline their children, they can do their own research and come to their own conclusion. I almost succumbed this time though. Someone mentioned that they would cane the child if the child didn't get his schoolwork, like spelling! Please! Use the cane for disobedience, not for schoolwork! Then someone else mentioned that the cane worked when the kid is young and then fail when the kid grows up. Of course it fails by then. By the time the child is 8, the cane should be used very sparingly, if had at all. There was also mention of the cane or any corporal punishment causing a rift between the parent and child due to the fear it creates. I personally believe that the cane administered correctly does not do that. Our children are afraid of the cane, not of me. And only when they have done something disobedient. Look - they even use the cane as a "horse", riding it all over the house or brandishing it as swords! Our relationship has its ups and downs, as with all relationships between inperfect, sinful people. But my children are always free to tell me if they feel they have been unfairly treated. There was once they "ganged up" to tell me that I am as fierce as a tiger or a dragon. That my angry words are like the fire the dragon spews forth (this comes from watching too much Shrek, I tell you!). It was very funny. They were most puzzled when I burst out laughing coz they thought that I may be upset with them. But I thought it was cool that they could tell me such things. So no, I disagree with all the bad stuff associated with the cane BUT with a disclaimer. Use it CORRECTLY. Don't use it over every small little thing (like sleep or homework!) and never in anger. The child is a child. You are the adult. Learn self-control. Stop blaming everything around you. Those against the use of the cane (and sleep training) can be very persuasive. But I stand my ground. I believe in both and have seen postive results in our children. PS : Do note that this is my opinion on my blog. You are free to disagree but please don't be rude. And I still reserve the right to delete your comments. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Articles for the Christian SAHM can be found at : |
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Posted in Announcements
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Just to let you know that my dh, Henson is conducting a 2-day session on Building a Household of Faith at Christalite Methodist Church on 5th & 12th July, 2008. A synopsis of the session is found below. More details can be found at Christalite Methodist Church's website and here. If you would like to attend, please contact the church directly. Building a Household of Faith
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Posted in General
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The past month has been a fun time of getting re-acquainted with old friends either via email or face-to-face meet-ups. It is always amazing to me that we can just pick up our friendship anytime even tho we may not have seen or spoken with each other for years! I once read that this is due to our emotional banks being very "full". Meaning, as we make friends and acquaintances, we deposit into each other's emotional banks that we withdraw from over the years. A healthy relationship has both credit and debit accounts, aka give and take. But an unhealthy, needy relationship is one that has one party often debiting from the account with little or no credit back to it. Over time, we would tend to avoid this relationship. Ok - this is my impression of what emotional banking means so don't go around quoting me! But I think this theory holds water for me. As I look back (as tho I am that old, huh? I started balled when I was 7yrs old with a Australian lady called Mrs Simon. Then I switched to Sylvia McCully School of Dancing (at Thomson Plaza now) after finishing Grade 4 because Mrs Simon only took girls up to Grade 4. It was at Ms McCully's school that I really bloomed and enjoyed ballet even more than I had before. I spent many days and nights at Ms McCully's studio for my regular class and for rehearsals. (I guess that's when a lot of emotional banking accounts were set up!) It was at Ms McCully's school that I discovered the thrill of performing infront of an audience! Since I spent most of my waking hours at the studio, it was only natural that the people I met there became some of my closest friends. We became a tightly knit group. When a performance loomed, it wouldn't be unusual to find us camped at the studio the whole day and night. We probably spent more time with each other than our siblings! So I guess it isn't surprising that we are able to pick up from wherever we left and continue our relationship. We have grown from giggly schoolgirls to mothers. That's a lot of history between us! I pray and hope that we will continue to be good friends till we are old and gray coz friends like these are hard to find nowadays. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Articles for the Christian SAHM can be found at : |
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Posted in General
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In a bout of de-cluttering frenzy (inspired after reading Organizing the Playroom over at Organized Junkie's blog and the video links she provided), I lugged 2 big trash bags of junk and a unused vacuum cleaner to be disposed of at the "Bulky Refuse" collection bin. As the lift doors opened, a young lady stood at the lift entrance, blocking my exit. Now mind you, I had 2 huge bags of trash and a vacuum cleaner with all its attachments. Never mind that she did not hold the lift doors for me (I had to use my foot to hold it open) but what annoyed me was the fact that she was blocking my exit from the lift!!! Even as I looked at her squarely in the eyes, she averted her gaze and looked at the floor, and did not budge an inch. Afraid that I may just say something rude or worse! I did not open my mouth. I just pushed out my bags and the vacuum cleaner around her. Frustrating! Why do people behave like this? I do not expect anyone to help me but they could at least not block my way, right?! But ... in the evening, when I lugged another 2 bags down, this time with baby in tow, I had a much more pleasant experience. A young couple with a young toddler who entered the lift with me, was not only nice enough to hold the lift doors for me but the wife helped me carry one of the bags to the collection bin! Granted the bin was just round the corner but hey! after the mornings "adventure" I was grateful to anyone who showed some manners! Thank God for nice, considerate persons! ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Articles for the Christian SAHM can be found at : |
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Posted in My Say
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Hmmm....this competitive rat race is getting ridiculous. Everytime I hear of parents drilling their babies with flash cards ala Glen Doman or some other gifted programme, I feel sad for the babies. Why can't we let babies BE babies? Flashing cards at them at 2months? Better still, I just read that someone is letting their 9 month old baby watch a video to learn numbers?! Are we really that desperate to get our children ahead of the crowd? Which brings me to the issue of tuition* in Singapore. When I was growing up (erm...I am not that old, ok? But nowadays, the tuition industry is alive and buzzing (some earn up to $20K per month, according to a Sunday Times report last week). It is the norm to have tuition. And one is considered weird or probably poor if one didn't have a whole slew of tuition/enrichment classes to attend. From being viewed as something to be avoided at all costs, tuition is now seen as a MUST HAVE item or one would fail. Sad isn't it? So since every kid is going to be needing tuition and/or enrichment by the age of 6 or 7, shouldn't you let your baby at least enjoy his/her babyhood? * In the Singapore context, tuition refers to extra paid classes conducted either by a private tutor in a one-to-one or group scenario. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Articles for the Christian SAHM can be found at : |
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Posted in Breastfeeding
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Almost everytime I hear this from new moms - I express my milk to let dh feed the baby so that he can bond with the baby. Noooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You do not need to feed the baby to bond with the baby! Yes, you read that correctly. Your dh or mother or sister or cousin....can bond with the baby some other way. Nursing your baby should be your job. Especially in the early days when the baby and your body are getting acquainted with each other. Don't complicate matters by expressing your milk just so that someone else can bond with the baby. There are legitimate reasons to express milk in the early days but definitely letting dad bond with the baby is not one of them in my books! Dad can bathe the baby, change the baby, burp the baby or rock the baby to sleep. And these are great things for dads to be doing so that all mom needs to think of is nurse the baby and rest! Leave the baby and the mom alone to nurse and enjoy each other. Not everything has to be done equally by both parents, ok? I get very worked up when I hear that a new mom has to go through the hassle of sterilising and expressing her milk (and getting distressed at the same time coz pumping in the early days yield little milk) just so that dad/grandma can bond with the baby. Get creative lah! And that is my very opinionated view! ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Articles for the Christian SAHM can be found at :
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Posted in Pregnancy and Labour
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A friend just birthed and had a wonderful time. It was painfree though tiring labour and birth experience. I am just so pleased for her. Since 2004, dh and I have been sharing our birth experiences at Wesley Methodist Church under the title "Experiencing God In Pregnancy". She was so keen to make this work that she attended TWO of the talks! One before she was pregnant and the 2nd when she was pregnant. She'd called me on Friday night when she had her show but no contractions. I told her not to go into the hospital just yet. To complicate matters, her doctor was away! He would not be returning till Monday. And she had originally booked her hospital bed at Mount Alvernia Hospital (Mt A) . But the stand-by/stand in (?!) dr at Mt A was also away! Now that caused some stress I told her that if it were me, I'd go with the doctor than the hospital. In her words - it was not painful but it was uncomfortable and tiring! Her baby is also nursing like a champ. What a way to enter motherhood! I'll see if she is up to writing our her testimony anytime soon. If so, I'll put a link to her blog, with her permission of course! These kinds of stories must be shared! All we hear are the 24hr long labours and excruciating pain, etc.... ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Articles for Christian SAHMs can be found at : |
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Posted in Family
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Yep the baby of the family has turned one! Our family tradition is to throw a Thanksgiving Birthday Party when the baby turns one, to give thanks to God for watching over the little one in his/her 1st year of life. We did this when we had our 1st born more than 10years ago. It is not your normal birthday party. So, no, no balloon sculptors or magicians It is actually a simple affair with the main focus on giving thanks and glory to God. It is also a time to fellowship with friends and relatives who have supported us in prayer and gifts and love the past year. The 1st year of a child's life is often fraught with excitement and anxiety. The entire family has to adjust to the baby and depending on the baby's personality (high need? low maintenance?) it can be a long or short period of adjustment. And then if the baby should fall ill in his/her 1st year of life, it is again worrying since the immune system of a baby is underdeveloped and complications can occur due to a simple infection. This time round, with the children being older, we could involve them more. We started the programme with a worship session led by dh, with ds#1 on guitar, dd#1 on vvocals & ds#2 as the powerpint "operator"! Dh also got ds#1 and dd#1 to present a song that dh had written some tears before. Dh & I had to give our "speeches" as well. So as I prepared the night before for my "speech" - something dh has insisted that I do the last 2 parties Hebrews 13:5 - 6. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” As I look back on the past year, I can only say THANK YOU LORD for your mercy and grace. And Lord, I sure need more of it in the years to come! The Surreal Birth In order to start this right, I think we need to start with Deborah’s very unorthodox and very exciting birth story. One that will be very hard to forget! Deborah was birthed not in a hospital delivery suite but in the hallway of the hospital’s 24 hr clinic! If you want more details of the birth, do check out my website at www.BuildingUpMoms.com under Pregnancy & Labour. Suffice to say that the birth was and is a great testimony of how great and good our God is. When I was told that my gynae was going off for his holiday on 7th June 2007, God gave me Hebrews 13:5-6 which says, For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we may boldly say : “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” And truly He was my helper. God was my midwife, my gynae. He was indeed my Helper. If I had to do this again, I wouldn’t change a thing! And for those who are curious, I still had to pay delivery fees to my gynae who was not there. In Thanksgiving Besides the awesome, supernatural birth, I have many things to be thankful for as I look back. 1. For God who was truly my Helper 2. For my dh who has helped every time he is available even when he has tons of work that needed to be done (This is the 1st time he actually took the entire month off to help me during my confinement!) 3. For the children who have been such great help and who have matured nicely the past year. a) Ds#1 has been a great help in carrying the baby when I am busy. b) Dd#1 has been a help in entertaining the baby especially on long car rides. c) Ds#2 is extremely patient with the baby and is willing to look after her for long periods of time without complaining. d) Dd#2 is very helpful in making sure the bb doesn’t fall off the bed if I need to take a quick shower. e) Dd#3 is quick to bring toys and books to the bb the moment she hears her crying. She’s also very quick to offer me to her! f) And they are all very good at following the bb up and down the stairs to make sure she doesn’t topple over. 4. For grandparents who helped to cook, bring food, entertain and watch the children when we had to go for doctor checkups. 5. For friends who cooked for us again and again and again.... Brother Andrew and Aunty Helen (who cannot come today) we love your food and are extremely grateful that we get fed when mama is too tired to cook. 6. For friends who prayed for us 7. For friends who listened to me vent and complain when the going got tough The Adjustments There has been many, many adjustments to make as we grew from 5 to 6 children. Going from 1 to 2 children is often a shock to the system, right? From 2 to 3, you sorta get a hang of it and then from 3 to 4, you think – hey! This is easy. Then...going from 5 to 6 ... woah! We are truly, truly outnumbered! And this is when we need the older ones, even the 2 year old back then, to be helpers. And praise God, they really rose up to the challenge. Yet despite all that, everyone has had to adjust. There is one more person to look out for, to think of. But I think dh and I had to adjust the most! Going out with them always presents interesting challenges. Many things had to slow down or come to a standstill the past year. Ministry commitments, school even housework had to take a back seat at times. But throughout it all, the presence of the Lord was palpable. Who else can we go to for wisdom and counsel but Him, our Helper. As we struggled and cried and fought in the past year to adjust, God has been an ever present Help. Thank you for giving me an opportunity to share and give a testimony to His goodness and faithfulness. * * * * * * * * Of course I didn't follow my script exactly |