For the video, visit Motherkao’s fb page.
After the meningitis scare, I’d thought I could finally shake some legs. I even promised Ben some ‘special time’ – just me, him and Universal Studios.
Who would have guessed that the bubbly littlest one would come down with a stomach flu so bad we had to rush him to A&E and almost had him warded for an IV drip. The baby who’s turning one in a few days’ time had severe vomitting and high fever on Saturday night and could not even keep medicine and water down.
I think we used up all our Dettol these two days scrubbing the tiles every time after he wretched. There’s also baskets of laundry to rinse by hand before we could throw them into the machine. On Saturday night alone, between fatherkao and I, I think we took a total of seven baths after having vomit soak through our clothes, underwear and hair.
We also had to endure the sight of a bawling baby in constant discomfort.
I can’t wait for the worst to be over soon cos’ the boys’ birthdays are around the corner and I want to be partying instead of taking baths.
(P/S: There was no child abuse. I had to take this while he was wailing for me to carry him because he needs to know when he’s older that my heart ached everytime he cried like this.)
Family life as we know it Milestones and growing up Motherkao loves... The Kao Kids
Gong xi gong xi fun!
February 11, 2013The days of dong dong dong chiang, bak kwa and pineapple tarts are back!
What’s not to love about Chinese New Year? The kids get to pig out, wear new pjs and pretty samfus, and collect red packets.
This is our first new year with three in the brood. What an awesome time to attend gatherings where free baby sitting is provided and child minders are available to entertain the kids on end.
Happy Lunar New Year! Gong xi gong xi!
Becks Kao Ben Kao Family life as we know it Milestones and growing up Mommy guilt The Kao Kids
Mealtime woes: finding new ways to win this war
February 7, 2013I’m officially raising the white flag in the battle of wills at mealtimes. You see, despite my efforts in making things like these…
…the kids still aren’t very keen to eat or feed themselves. They don’t want to sit at the dinner table and finish their food. They want to play and have me feed them while they are at it. I’ve compromised my standards of table etiquette and manners. For a while now, I’ve stopped making bentos (they didn’t care much for it anyway!) and I’ve allowed them to play with their Lego Duplo every evening while I sit next to them and feed them.
Because they run around with the Lego they construct, I’ve found it really tiring to feed them. Dinner can last as long as an hour. I’m sure if I ran along and chased them, it would take less than that but I’m too lazy and I refuse to set a precedence for that. Instead I’ve settled for the ‘you come for your next mouthful to where I’m sitting when you’re done chewing’ rule.
So I’ve restrategised to minimise my anguish at dinner time for now just so we can get through this. So yes, *gasp*… I’ve turned on the tv and am allowing tv time during dinner time. One episode of Word World every evening. For now.
So far, they’re not gagging and fussing, and with their eyes peeled to the tv screen, they hardly even care what they are eating. I get to sit down without them running around and finish my job of feeding in about 30 minutes. I’ve also managed to shove a lot more “unpleasant” Chinese food into their mouths – things that they dislike – like the luffa, beef stew and chicken. Plus, they are learning how to spell watching the show.
But it’s not a strategy I’m comfortable with and I would be rethinking it as soon as the stay-home gig kicks in in March this year. Research has shown that TV interferes with the natural cues children’s bodies send them about whether they are full, and can lead them to overeat or undereat (Source: http://www.rps.psu.edu/probing/kidtv.html).
I may have lost this battle, but the war ain’t over yet.
Becks Kao Happy days Love language Milestones and growing up
You, me and our special time
February 6, 2013The biggest challenge of parenting, in my opinion, is to always make sure that our children’s emotional love tanks are full. When we see a kid act up a lot, that’s a sure sign that his love tank is depleting and needs replenishing. A child misbehaving with a problem that calls for discipline is usually an empty love tank problem. This is when we would remember the good advice of a wise someone.
Long before we became parents, someone wise once told us that apart from spending quality time together as a family, we need to make time for alone-time with our children, one on one. The parent is to give the individual child unreserved affection, and lots of eye contact and focused attention during these parent-child dates.
For us, this means that we get six possible variations with three kids – Mama and Ben, Dad and Ben; Mama and Becks, Dad and Becks; Mama and Nat, Dad and Nat – just so all kids get alone time with both parents.
This also means I wish I had more than 24 hours a day. While it is impossible to work out the six permutations every day, we try to schedule in time alone with each child when we can, and if we need to.
Lately, Becks has been throwing a lot more tantrums than usual and clamming up, grunting and whining more than she talks. Her teachers at daycare have also been commenting that she’s been crying for no reason during meal times and after her nap, and she’s been wailing “I want Mama” every day when she’s at school. At home, whenever I spoke to her, she would refuse to reply me or smile.
Red light alert. It’s time for some time together, just me and her.
So I picked her up alone after her nap at childcare last Friday. She was shocked to see me and searched around for her father and brother.
“Becks, would you like to have ‘special time’ with Mama, just me and you?” I asked.
“Where’s Dada?” was her reply.
“No Dada. We’re going out alone, ok?”
It took some time for her to change from grumpy to happy but as we walked out of school, there was a skip in her steps.
I took her by bus to one of the ice cream joints along Upper Thomson. It was her first time on a public bus. We sat together, looking out of the window and holding hands all the way. I think she was very glad to be given all the attention that afternoon.
We went to Neli’s Ice Cream and had waffles with sea salt chocolate and vanilla ice cream. She ate happily and we took some happy pictures together.
We then took a long walk to Thomson Plaza. Along the way, she kept talking and asking me questions. I haven’t heard her yak so much in a while so it was refreshing to hear her as she spoke randomly. We did some shopping together and enjoyed each other’s company; well, at least I did!
I think her love tank was filled up that day with a bus ride, an ice cream, a long walk and some new clothes. Yay!
Becks Kao Milestones and growing up The darndest kid quotes and antics
Return of Lil’ Miss Bossy Becks
February 4, 2013You really need to live with us to know how this little girl bosses us around every day. Here’s just a glimpse of what happens on a daily basis.
You better make sure
Fatherkao had just returned home from a hard day’s work…
Becks: Are you going to bathe?
Fatherkao: Yes
Becks: Make sure you wash your face!
Fatherkao: Ok
Becks: Make sure you wash your hair!
Fatherkao: Ok
Becks: Make sure you pass urine!
Fatherkao: ??!!!???!!!
Little Miss B, the disciplinarian
Becks: Ok, let’s play this game! (takes out the Angry Birds 3D game set)
Nat: Urgwakkkaaaa (proceeds to destroy what she’s laid out)
Becks: Ooi, didi!! WASSUP? You dare to make a mess! Do you want me to discipline you?
Me: *facepalm*
Hair Affair
Becks: Mama, can I comb your hair?
Me: Since it’s a question, can I say no? Every time you comb my hair, you yank it and it hurts.
Becks: MAMA, I WANT TO COMB YOUR HAIR!
Me: WHY??
Becks: Because it’s TOO LONG!
Me: -_-
Lil’ Bossy Becks and her ultimate cuteness
Everyday fun! The darndest kid quotes and antics The Kao Kids
Rawr-ing shoot-a-dino fun
January 30, 2013A few days ago, fatherkao started using all the cardboard we collected from bulk ordering the kids’ diapers and milk powder, transforming them into standing paper dinosaurs.
The kids were thrilled to be asked to help. So they went crazy, of course; they were on the roll, literally. They used up ROLLS of scotch tape to help make those standees. And make, they did. The three of them made a HUGE bag of these target boards.
Along the way, Becks also got distracted and starting taping the whole house, one wall at a time. Thanks to her, I am still discovering sticky tape everywhere and peeling them off till today.
The next thing I knew, my house became Jurassic Park that’s got dinos on the loose but stupid enough to stand in line to be shot – and my kids were shooting them silly with the Nerf guns they’ve gotten for Christmas.
And after each dino was shot, an even scarier baby-monster-dino by the name of Nat would gum them down and tear them apart with his bare hands.
Big Papa Dino Hunter then comes along with his super-duper-ultra machine gun to obliterate them all.
They do the victory laugh together. Muahahahaha, hurray for the Kao dino hunters!
Becks Kao Learning fun! Milestones and growing up The darndest kid quotes and antics
Little blue and little yellow (plates), by Becks Kao
January 26, 2013My kids love Leo Lionni’s little blue and little yellow, a cute story of how two best friends discover something amazing happens when they hug. They make me read the story again and again, in English and Chinese (mostly in English), and remain ever so fascinated by the simplicity of how blue and yellow can give us the colour green.
Just last weekend, my daughter decided to skip her nap, and while all of us were fast asleep, she took hold of my craft box, selected blue and yellow paint from my stash, and went wild mixing the colours on paper plates.
Little Blue & Little Yellow, by Becks Kao
When I got up, she saw me and went, “See, Mama! Little Blue and Little Yellow!” I went beserk initially at the mess and the fact that she ransacked what was forbidden to her, but calmed down quickly cos’ what she did, well, it was kinda cute. I would have never allowed her to do this while I am awake so it was good that she did it while I was sleeping!
Bento Attempts Parenting 101 The darndest kid quotes and antics The Kao Kids
A nugget of junk
January 21, 2013I’m not sure if I’m winning or losing the mealtime battle. It’s getting a little complicated.
Although portions still go unfinished and I end up spoonfeeding almost 99% of all their meals at home, the kids have shown me some things that have shocked me:
They would choose Cheerios over Honey Stars, anytime. (For the uninitiated, Cheerios have no taste. It’s just bland multigrain cereal. Honey Stars are sweet, and taste like, erm, honey.)
They finish cherry tomatoes by the tens in seconds.
They love broccoli, cauliflower and edamame.
They’ve tried curry and like it.
They’ll eat fries, yes they would, but would automatically stop at the tenth or eleventh fry handed to them.
Just last weekend, I thought I’d prepare something special and indulge them a little. I made angelhair aglio olio with salted butter, ham, bacon and tomatoes. I baked salmon with some rosemary and olive oil. I reheated a ready-made pack of clam chowder. I toasted some chicken nuggets and even made a guacamole dip for that.
I’d thought they would gun for the nuggets and ask for more. To my surprise, the cheddar cheese on the pasta was finished first, followed by the cherry tomatoes. The salmon was overcooked so it wasn’t too popular. The clam chowder was slurped in a jiffy. Ben tried the dip and declared he wasn’t a fan. They struggled to finish their portion of the angelhair pasta and they did manage to finish their carbs with the ham and bacon after almost forty-five minutes of spoonfeeding. But what was most surprising was that both of them refused to bite into the chicken nugget. They’ve tried nuggets before and the last was at the Christmas party at their school. But this time round, they were gagging and saying no vehemently. Jamie Oliver would be proud.
I don’t believe it, my kids rejected nuggets.
So tell me, is this battle won or lost? They aren’t eating the variety and the portions I would like them to, but hey, they’re rejecting junk. That should be good news eh?
Becks Kao Ben Kao Invites & Tryouts Reviews
Hamster food can be tasty too! [In support of Rise & Shine]
January 21, 2013The Rise & Shine Breakfast Team recently gave me an almost impossible task. They delivered a pack of granola to my home, as part of the Rise & Shine Breakfast Campaign, which is a community effort that aims to promote healthy breakfast eating on a daily basis among children aged 4 to 12.
I say it’s impossible because granola is something my kids think hamsters eat.
My kids, Ben, Becks and Nat, eat their breakfast every day. If they are in daycare (which will continue for only two more months), the school serves a variety of breakfast food ranging from oatmeal to egg sandwiches. Baby Nat gets brown rice cereal every day too. On weekends, we look forward to getting our local fare fix. I take them to the wet market and hawker centres and they get their tastebuds localised to the deliciousness in kway chap, wanton mee, fried carrot cake and kaya toast. They meet Milo Dinosaur and Rose Bandung, and on rare occasions, Ronald MacDonald’s. On rainy days, we stay home and I make them pancakes or mushi-pan.
I assure you they still eat healthy – I trim the fats in their kway chap, add water to the bandung and remove the generous slabs of butter in their kaya toast.
But the Rise & Shine Breakfast Team clearly had a MUCH healthier alternative in mind when they sent me a pack of granola.
In the spirit of eating healthier for breakfast, I got the kids to try some granola last Saturday. It was a rainy morning, so we stayed home and had some hot pancakes topped with yogurt ice cream with granola sprinkles.
The kids were very excited to be having ice cream on a cold day and took their first few bites with much enthusiasm.
The verdict? Fatherkao and Ben went yums and loved the crunch of the granola with its rolled oats, dried fruits and nuts. As for Becks, she announced after three mouthfuls, “I don’t like the beans. Gimme the ice cream.” By beans, she meant the rolled oats. I had myself a hearty and healthy breakfast too, cleaning up her “beans” and eating the leftover pancakes!
More information:
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The Rise & Shine Breakfast Campaign is a community effort by a group of final year students from NTU Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information that hopes to raise awareness of healthy breakfast eating among children. Their efforts include ambient installations at libraries, malls and primary schools, storytelling sessions, educational theatre performances and cooking demos. Find out more at breakfast.riseandshine-expo.com. The site also features healthy breakfast recipes you can create for your kids.
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Rise & Shine is a nationwide campaign supported by government agencies and prominent partners aimed at helping parents raise healthier and happier kids.
- The Rise & Shine Carnival is happening on 3rd March 2013 at The Lawn @ Marina Bay. There are grand plans to set the record for the Largest Breakfast Picnic Event in Singapore! Check out carnival.riseandshine-expo.com for more details.