Better parenting friendly practices at work = better parents?

According to a recent employment survey performed by the Ministry of Manpower, more firms in Singapore are providing flexible work arrangements and leave benefits to help their employees with family commitments. Employees are now expecting and are getting more benefits/arrangements to achieve better work-life balance and generally be happier at work.

While I do appreciate the growing flexibility and options when it comes to parenting-friendly practices, we do need to re-think some of the following parenting choices which are becoming more common.

Going on unpaid leave to accompany their child taking a major exam
Even if the exams are getting tougher or more competitive these days, it is the children who need to go through the exams themselves. Surely the values of self-discipline, self-confidence, independence and responsibility would better help the child tackle the trials of life in the future than having fantastic PSLE scores that are aided by overly concerned parents? How many successful people in life do we know had the best scores back in school?

Working from home to keep an eye on their naughty children
There are many reasons why a child would be naughty or exhibit undesirable behaviour. It could even be a phase that needs no intervention to resolve. I would think the long term solution would be to tackle the root of the problem, instead of circling around our kids and watching like a hawk? The last thing we want to see is our naughty children exhibiting rebellious behavior as a result of our 'good intentions'.

Going on unpaid leave to help a child studying abroad to get used to the new environment
This seems pretty counter-intuitive to me. Studying abroad is a great (and expensive) opportunity for a young, sheltered person to learn independence, stretch themselves and broaden their horizons. Being put in a foreign environment encourages our children to adapt and be excited about new people, experiences and places. However, being physically there takes away the impetus to adapt and explore. Save your money and get used to Skype/Facetime/Google Hangouts!

I'm not against parenting-friendly practices don't get me wrong! However, I do think that as parents, we should be with our children at the moments when we are truly needed and appreciated. For example, watching our children perform or compete, nursing them when they fall sick, spending quality time with them when it is not possible on weekends, or just being there to offer our uninterrupted emotional support when they go through a bad patch.

We now have better tools, but are we using them to become better parents?

Reviewed: Stuck on You Labels & Personalized Gifts

When the time came for us to prepare Aiden for play school two years back, we were overwhelmed. We had to prepare a whole list of personal belongings for him including his own water bottle, mug, toothbrush, milk bottle, milk powder dispenser and label them for easy identification in school. I happily shopped around for a bag for him before we received the list of items to bring for school, and needless to say, it was only big enough to contain half of his belongings! The labels we used were also the non fancy, black on white name labels and they faded over time through repeated washing of the bottles and mugs.
This was until we discovered Stuck on You and I was really impressed by the wide variety of prints, colors and they were not just pretty to look at, but also very durable (they stick and stay stuck in the dishwasher and microwave!). From kids labels to clothing label and personalized gifts like drink bottles and lunch bags, they make such ideal gifts especially for toddlers preparing for school and families with more than one child.

Everything looks so gorgeous, and the Stuck on Your team are always introducing new products and designs to keep customers returning again. The easy navigation throughout the website made purchasing online a breeze and the website gave me many inspirations on gifts for birthdays. The drawback? I had a really tough time deciding on the designs for Aiden and Ava, and spent way too much time than I should on the website.

After shortlisting my favourite items, I explained to Aiden what we were getting for him and his little sister, and roped him in deciding on the final designs, fonts, colors and icons for the labels. It was a fun session with him as the product previewer makes it easy to visualize.

For Aiden, we picked a Stuck on You Lunch Pack which includes a lunch box and a drink bottle, and Classic Small Name Labels to personalize his belongings for school.

Gift ideas under the Food & Drink category

Save money by selecting the Lunch Pack consisting Lunch Bag & Drink Bottle

First, select the color of the lunch box

Next, select the design. Aiden loves both the vehicle & animal designs

For the drink bottle, first select the design

Use the product previewer to see how your name looks on the bottle

For the name labels, select the colour, font and icon!

Aiden's final selection for his name labels

Tadah! These arrived under two weeks to our home.

The boy couldn't wait to go out with his lunch bag.

Unveiling what he's packed for our short trip out.

 

Putting the name labels to use :)

Couldn't take his eyes and hands off his personalized bottle

Refuel on the go for these mighty hot days.

The lunch box is perfect for short trips where we select his snacks to bring along together. We love the durable poly canvas material used for the lunch bag, and it is fully lined and cleaning is a breeze too, simply use a damp cloth to wipe and allow to air dry.

Aiden loves his new stainless steel BPA free drink bottle. It comes with a plastic spill proof cap but do remind your kid to press down the cap after drinking and for safety precaution, not to place the bottle upside down in the bag.

For Ava, we chose a Junior Backpack and Little Kids Labels Pack, which includes clothing labels and shoes labels perfect for when she starts school.

Select your preferred design, font & decide if you like it on the previewer

Select the design, font and icon, Totally spoiled for choice with the variety of designs.

The product previewer is a great tool for fun and easy browsing online.

After we were done with our selections, the secure payment gateway makes checking out a breeze. Delivery is made to your doorstep so it is a really convenient way to shop, a big plus point for time pressed mums.  

Love the pastel colors on the labels for Ava

In this Little Kids Label pack, it contains 30 Cool Kids Iron on Clothing Labels and 26 Cool Kids Name Labels and 4 Shoe Dots. This is a great value pack as the quality of the labels are made to last, ideal for day care. The iron on labels are permanent labels that are both washing machine and dryer safe, and the name labels are super sticky with a scratch proof resistant coating - no more missing belongings when the labels fade or fall off.

Ava's first outing with her lovely Juicy Apple Junior Backpack

A happy one :)

Getting her bottle out for a drink

The lovely designs on the Junior Backpacks are a collaboration with Penny Scallan Design. This backpack measures 25cm (width) by 27cm (height) by 11.5cm (depth) and is ideal for a short outing. We packed her milk bottles, diapers and a change of clothes and had spare space for a blanket & toy. It is made from durable poly canvas with a coated front panel for easy cleaning, a very important point for mums. The padded adjustable straps, and mesh side pocket is comvenient. One drawback of the bag is the zipper, with the closing near the base of the bag, your belongings may fall out as you open the bag.

We love how easy it is to personalize each of these products and labels with our kids' names and the previewer which shows us how they will look on the products. Ordering online to the time it is delivered to our doorstep takes about two weeks so shop away for the new school term!

For a limited period only, enter 'SGLAST20' upon checkout to enjoy 20% off your purchases, so hurry on now!

More about Stuck on You ®

Labels are how Stuck on You ® got started over 17 years ago and are still one of their most popular products. The range of name labels has now grown to include many designs, colours, fonts and optional icons that stick and stay stuck in the dishwasher and microwave. Clothing labels are hugely popular products at Stuck on You ® too. Offering Iron Clothing Labels and Stick On Clothing Labels these can also be personalised.

Personalised Kids Clothing at Stuck on You ® ranges from personalised pyjamas and t-shirts for kids as well as personalised clothing for babies such as jumpsuits and bibs.

The Stuck on You ® product previewer makes shopping online for name labels and personalised gifts easy and fun. Simply select your product from our huge collection then add the name into the preview screen and have fun choosing colours, designs and fonts to create completely personalised gifts and labels.

Website: http://www.stuckonyou.com.sg/http://www.stuckonyou.com.sg/

Disclaimer: This blog post is in collaboration with Stuck on You. All opinions are our own.

Safe Water Play For Babies & Toddlers

It's hot and humid weather for most of the days in Singapore. For some respite from the heat, we enjoy playing in the water with the kids whenever we get the chance to.

However, the harmful rays from the scorching sun had me thinking twice some days and I slather on sunblock on the kids before bringing them to the pool.

When we found out about Poolzies, pool shoes with anti-slip protection for those tiny toes, we were sold! Before we had pool shoes for Aiden and Ava, bringing them to the pool would have me worry about them slipping while playing at the water fountains. With the Poolzies Pool Shoes, I feel reassured that the kids can enjoy their favourite water play while being safe. They can walk, run, jump and swim with the pool shoes without any restraint to their movements.

Ready, steady, splash!

The Poolzies pool shoes are also durable, with a non slip and abrasion resistant sole. As such they prevent slips and falls while protecting your child's feet from hot surfaces. No more 'Mummy hot, hot! Carry me!' when they get out of the water. The fabric also has a UPF 50+ sun protection.

Nautical black stripes for Aiden & a splash of pink for Ava

Love the packaging they come in, ideal as gifts

Nice touch to the package we received - a thank you note

We find the fabric of the pool shoes soft and flexible, fitting snugly around your child's feet. It will leave a slight mark on those chubby feet but they closely mimics barefoot walking so it is maximum comfort and flexibility for your child. In fact, they are so light weight, Aiden wore them into the pool and back home.

Stylish pool shoes that will turn heads

Some tips on cleaning:
Hand wash or machine wash gently using cold water and a mild detergent and leave to hang dry. Do not soak them and keep them out of direct sunlight.

A wide variety of designs available in PriviKids, Changi City Point. $35 a pair.

Girls can never get enough of clothes, and the same goes for swim wear! Who doesn't like ruffles? We think ruffles on swim wear are absolutely too sweet to resist. Rufflebutts swimwear boosts of bikinis, one piece swimsuit all adorned with the sweetest ruffles. 

Be the belle of the pool, a hit at the beach with these adorable frilly styles.

Cross back style on this Aqua Lime Bursts swimwear

Waiting for the moment...

Making waves at the pool!

This Rufflebutts Aqua Lime Bursts one piece swimwear on Ava is covered front and back in playful aqua and lime color bursts on white. It is trimmed in a fun lime fabric, including a front ruffle at the neckline and across the back with three coordinating rows of green ruffles.

The fabric used is also sun and fade resistant and bottoms are fully lined.

Now, to get your little ones ready for the beach and water play, come by to PriviKids, Changi City Point #02-04 to pick out these new swimwear today.

Reviewed: Seedling Ready to Grow Dino Egg & Spitting Frogs

Daddy Darren & I both believe in exposing the kids to electronic devices like the iPads and electronic games at a later stage possible. We enjoy engaging them in good old fashion face to face games and toys encouraging creativity and imagination. When we discovered the collection from Seedling, we were excited to introduce them to Aiden. Here are two of our picks from their Pocket Money Collection, which makes great fillers for those Christmas stockings.

Seedling Ready To Grow Dino Egg

When we first showed the dino egg to Aiden, his reaction was, 'Huh?' A dino egg?' with a really innocent puzzled look on his face. His recent obsession was on dinosaurs and from then I wasn't spared of all the questions on which species, where can we find them, what do they eat, and so on. Then as Daddy Darren explained to Aiden about the steps he needed to do to hatch the egg and how a dinosaur would hatch from the egg, he got really excited and wanted to hatch it immediately!

Aiden carefully turned the cap of the jar open, and Darren helped him to remove the nest. He filled the jar with water and decided on a favourite spot in the house to place it. In the morning, he jumped right out from bed to inspect the egg. 'Mummy mummy I can see the dinosaur's head!' Gasp, it's only 8am on a Saturday morning.

We carefully removed the shell with him and added water to the brim before leaving the dinosaur to grow. When we returned home that evening, the dinosaur has grown indeed!

Aiden very carefully took it out and dry it with a towel. I find that he's extremely gentle and am happy to see that he is extra careful with the baby dinosaur. He brought the dinosaur to the rest of his dinosaur collection and played with them. Welcome home dino!

I think this is perfect as a gift for kids who love dinosaurs and above the age of three. It teaches them the concept of time and patience, and a very fun way for young kids to have a 'pet' of their own. I gave this to a friend's son who turned 4 and his reaction was priceless. My friend enjoyed 48 hours of peace at home with her boy asking everyone to be quiet as the dinosaur doesn't like loud noises. He also told my friend that they need to bring him to the forest so he can return home to his family. How sweet.

Amazing Spitting Frogs

Ready for some old school fun? Let's race to the bathroom and see whose frog spits the furthest!

This jar of Amazing Spitting Frogs from Seedling Pocket Money Collection is really a great gift this Christmas and a good value buy at $14.95. Each jar contains 6 different colored toy frogs and they suck up water and when you push their tummies, they spit it out!

Here's why we love the frogs and recommend them for gifting:

1) They come in a handy size, and can be kept neatly into a jar under 10cm. Fits well into the kids' kiddy bags as well and does not add much weight.

2) Ideal as an on the go toy to occupy the kids during a car ride and while waiting for our food at meal times. Stops them from repeatedly asking 'Are we there yet?', 'Is the food here yet?'

3) No more screaming at the kids during bath time! They voluntarily race to the bathroom and Aiden always asks to bathe with Ava, so they get to play with the frogs together. Some good bonding session for the kids but be prepared to get wet too as you join them in the bathroom.

 

4) Trains those little fingers when they need to use their pincer grip to suck water and spit water from the frogs. Trains hand eye coordination especially for Ava as she grabs at the frogs, 'catching' them and giggling happily at it.

5) Aiden names each frog after someone in the family and uses them to narrate a scene or role play as the family of frogs swim and play together. Good old fun and imagination from a three year old.

If you haven't decided on Christmas gifts for the kids, come by PriviKids, Changi City Point #02-04 and browse our Seedling collection in store or visit Privi-kids.com today.

Disclaimer: This blog post is in collaboration with Seedling. All opinions are our own.

Review: Seedling Make Your Own Snow Globe

Love crafting? Love bonding with your child?

Discover ways to bring out the creativity in your child and indulge in quality time creating unique keepsakes together with Seedling. Aiden picked out a snow globe for Christmas, and the best part - he gets to think up the scene and put it together from scratch (with me!) with Seedling Make Your Own Snow Globe.

It helped that all the materials you need are all included in the kit (except for markers, scissors and stickers for decorating the globe's base). We love how Seedling kits foster a child's creativity and help them learn new, rewarding skills. A tip on maximizing the enjoyment out of the activity is not to worry if you don't finish the project in one session. Pack it away for another day. We all know kids, they may not have the attention span to complete the entire activity in one sitting.

Here's our step by step guide and tips on making our own snow globe.  
Note that this activity requires baking and cooling time of about 24 hours and an adult would need to help with the baking part. 

1) Spend some time thinking about the scene you'd want to create before you start. Encourage your child to visualize or even draw out the scene he has in mind.

'Cars mummy! I want to make a car! Zoom zoom....' and off he went to get me a few examples of the vehicle he would like to make with the clay.

2) Get your clay ready. Break off small amounts of the clay and rub it between your fingers to warm it up so it softens, making it easier to sculpt. It is really hard at first so your child may need some help here. It helped that Aiden learnt about moulding different shapes at his art class and he knows the shapes he needs to make for a car.

3) Prepare your base by creating a little hill as a base for the snow globe. Do this by rolling a piece of clay and use the globe opening as a cookie cutter. After which, build a hill above this, about 2cm high. This mould needs to be in the same diameter as the globe so that it won't fall out or rattle around.

Before you bake it, slot it inside the globe so that you can check that you are happy and satisfied.

 

5)

4) Bake it & cool it!
Pre-heat the oven to 130 Celsius, line a baking tray with baking paper and place your sculpture on top and bake it for 30 minutes. Leave your sculpture on the tray to cool for around12-24 hours. 

 

5) Design your snow globe base
While waiting for the sculpture to cool,  design the cardboard base with materials you can find in the house. Aiden decided he wanted to cover the base with his favourite color green, and use his stickers to decorate it.

6) Make your cap

Using the plastic globe cap provided, press down onto the EVA sheet to make a visible dent and cut out the shape.

7) Assemble your globe

Fill the globe with water and sprinkle some glitter. Place the sculpture carefully into the opening.

And...... here's our masterpiece!

About Seedling
Seedling is founded in New Zealand in 2007, bringing in activity kits that sparked hours of imaginative play. The Pocket Money collection followed in 2012 and took the international toy world by storm, establishing Seedling as the go to brand for stylish, quality children's products. Their mission is to create beautiful, innovative family lifestyle products, and they are passionate about growing young imaginations and celebrating the parenting journey one moment at a time.

A selection of Seedling products are now available in store at PriviKids, Changi City Point #02-04 (Tel: 6443 8802).

Disclaimer: This blog post is in collaboration with Seedling. All opinions are our own.

Model your own figurines, add water, glitter and shake to make it snow! This Seedling Kit contains: Plastic Globe, Make and Bake Polymer Clay, Snow Globe Stand, Glitter, EVA Sheet & Instructions Recommended for Ages 6+ years - See more at: http://www.goodthingsforkids.com/product/90/#sthash.q39IBLjt.dpuf

Model your own figurines, add water, glitter and shake to make it snow! This Seedling Kit contains: Plastic Globe, Make and Bake Polymer Clay, Snow Globe Stand, Glitter, EVA Sheet & Instructions Recommended for Ages 6+ years - See more at: http://www.goodthingsforkids.com/product/90/#sthash.e6zUjdRw.dpuf

Model your own figurines, add water, glitter and shake to make it snow! This Seedling Kit contains: Plastic Globe, Make and Bake Polymer Clay, Snow Globe Stand, Glitter, EVA Sheet & Instructions Recommended for Ages 6+ years - See more at: http://www.goodthingsforkids.com/product/90/#sthash.e6zUjdRw.dpuf

Model your own figurines, add water, glitter and shake to make it snow! This Seedling Kit contains: Plastic Globe, Make and Bake Polymer Clay, Snow Globe Stand, Glitter, EVA Sheet & Instructions Recommended for Ages 6+ years - See more at: http://www.goodthingsforkids.com/product/90/#sthash.e6zUjdRw.dpuf