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Happy days Invites & Tryouts Milestones and growing up The Kao Kids

The Friso Play Experience, Kao Kids Style

September 21, 2015

I shared a while ago we’ve cut our living space and moved. Which also meant that prior to the move, we threw/ donated / recycled / left downstairs (for garang guni aunties and uncles of our previous neighbourhood to scour, hurhurhur) truckloads of stuff.

Boy, did we have A LOT of stuff. Toys and books and playsets and bath things that everyone has outgrown. Clothes that we would never wear. DVDs that we would never watch. STUFF that we would never use.

So the kids were feeling a little trodden by the month-long throwing out.

And it was nice to have the good folks from Friso come a-knockin’ our way last week, telling us they will be placing this right smack in the middle of our place. Which, of course, made the kids extremely thrilled. You mean, we can have new things to play with? was the first thing that crossed their mind.

Frios Play Set

More details on how you can redeem this, or experience this, at the end of the post

Yes, apparently so. Thanks to Friso Singapore, who’s all very keen to get children to experience PLAY, Nat, our littlest, together with the older two kids, had a chance to play – and play a lot indeed – with the Friso Experiences Play Set, consisting of a Friso tent, a Friso slide with basketball and hoop (in blue or pink), a Friso storage box with 2 cushions and a green carpet à la astro turf (a rather big piece, I must say).

So this was how Nat played:

When the play set first arrived, Nat was stoked to see something he was familiar with outdoors but not indoors. So off to the slide he went. We laid out the artificial grass, put the slide with basketball hoop on top of it, and the small spongy green ball given was quickly exchanged for a real junior basketball (because, really, you’re talking about Nat here) and here, you see the pro at play:

Ready, set, play!

Ready, set, play!

There really isn't any rules to slide and dunk, right?

There really isn’t any rules to slide and dunk, right?

The next day, I saw my older two join in the fun. Ben and Becks have been told that the slide is not suitable for older children and might not take their weight. But clearly, it became nevermind, Mom, we can get really creative, because it doesn’t mean we have to physically slide down a slide to have fun:

Making some obstacle course-ball-sliding down-but-won't-make-too-much-of-a-din-and-mama-will-be-happy kind of thing 'play'

Making some obstacle course-ball-sliding down-but-won’t-make-too-much-of-a-din-and-mama-will-be-happy kind of thing ‘play’

How creative are my kids? Oh, so very. They are always ‘inventing’ things like that. The slide with the chairs and stools in the house, plus pillows and wooden sticks from the tent have seen more than 5 combinations already to make some “super machines” since the play set came. I’m just waiting for them to turn the slide upside down and discover a whole new world.

A few days later, I heard a great deal of swooshing and whooshing in the living room, and when I headed out, I was tickled by what Nat was doing, completely with commentary F1 broadcast teams would be proud:

It's time for.... HOT WHEELS!

It’s time for…. HOT WHEELS!

Cars down the slide, here we come!

Cars down the slide, here we come!

The pictures I took were posed versions with cars, obviously. When I spied him with my little eye without my camera, this boy was racing four cars at once.

That weekend, we also brought the tent to Grandma’s place to try “camping” out. Ok, I have to say that the tent is a tad small for 3 children, so…

First, the kids tried to fit in the tent...

First, the kids tried to fit into the tent…

Next, get comfortable

Next, they got comfortable

Ok, how about let's do dinner here? Oops, no space!

Ok, how about let’s do dinner here? Oops, no space!

So much for camping. They had fun, nonetheless, trying to make the tent work. I suspect if you throw them more rods and cloth, they might end up constructing a super tent big enough to fit the extended family, Grandma and Grandpa included.

So this was how the Kao kids did it with the Friso Play Set – play their own creative way!

***

Friso wishes to encourage parents to experience more together by engaging in creative play with their little ones. From 1 September 2015 to 31 October 2015, parents who spend $350 on any Friso participating products at participating retailers will receive the Friso Experiences Play Set (worth $300). It will consist of a tent, a slide with a basketball hoop, 2 cushions, a storage box and a green carpet so that parents can bring the outdoors into their homes and experience more together with their child.

The participating Friso products included in this promotion are Frisomum, Friso Gold Cereal and Friso Gold 2, 3, 4. It excludes all infant formula for 0-6 months.

There will also be a special Friso Experience Play Zones at FairPrice outlets and Sheng Siong outlets. Parents are invited to take pictures with their little ones at the play zones. Friso ambassadors will be on-site to snap photos, print it out and present it in a Friso Photo frame to the participants during the weekends.

The outlets for the Play Zones are:

  1. FP Xtra Jem Mall — 1 to 30 Sept
  2. FP Xtra AMK Hub — 1 to 30 Sept
  3. FP Xtra Sport Hub — 1 to 30 Sept
  4. FP Xtra Nex Mall — 7 to 30 Sept
  5. FP Xtra Jurong — 1 to 30 Sept
  6. FP East Point — 14 to 30 Sep
  7. Guardian Plus Takshimaya — 17 to 30 Sep
  8. Guardian Compass Point (B1) — 17 to 30 Sept
  9. Guardian Causeway Point (B3-4) —28 Sep to 4 Oct
  10. Sheng Siong Woodlands 6A — 1 to 31 Oct
  11. Sheng Siong Bedok 209 — 1 to 31 Oct

Find more details here: apps.facebook.com/frisoexperience or follow Friso on their FB Page for more info.

***

“Play is a drive, a need, a brain-building must-do.” – Jeff A Johnson & Denita Dinger (Let them play: an early learning (un)curriculum)

Disclosure: We received the play set from Friso to play. The kids played. I watched. We bonded.  All opinions here are our own.

Becks Kao Fatherkao writes

daddy’s girl at last

July 30, 2015

Blog-01-Pic (1)

Once upon a time, God sent an angel down.

She had the sweetest smile and her father’s heart stirred.

The closest of angels whispered she was sure to be her daddy’s little girl.

But her father said, “I have two other children and love must be fair.”

Blog-01-Pic (2) Months passed and she grew strong and well.

She had the strongest of spirit and her father’s heart stirred.

The closest of family whispered she was sure to be her daddy’s little girl.

But her father said, “I have two other children and love must be fair.”

Blog-01-Pic (3)

 Years passed and she grew pretty and sensitive.

She had the most beautiful of hearts and her father’s heart stirred.

The closest of friends whispered she was sure to be her daddy’s little girl.

But her father said, “I have two other children and love must be fair.”

Blog-01-Pic (4)One day, when her father was asleep, she snuck onto the bed and lay next to him.

When he woke, she turned and smiled at him and her father’s heart melted.

God whispered she was sure to be her daddy’s little girl.

And her father finally said , “I only have one daughter and love will never be fair.”

 

 To all fathers, who have succumbed…

Ben Kao Happy days Invites & Tryouts Milestones and growing up The real supermom

Sundown with love, running at sundown with my loves

July 10, 2015

I wanted to give up long before race day. There were more than enough reasons to anyway.

I needed to focus on work and cancel out any distraction.  There were processes to settle, curriculum to prepare and ideas to incubate. I didn’t have time to train (except for the five calories-burning sessions at Active Hive – another post on that soon). My husband, who was taking part in the Sundown Marathon with me, was not well for a long while with a phlegmy cough that didn’t go away. Ben had been having the sniffles too with his sensitive nose acting up a lot these days.

But a commitment is a commitment is a commitment. I said I’d do the 5km Fun Run for Sanctuary House, which I’ve been attempting to canvass donations for.

When Race Day arrived – and we were supposed to report at 7pm – I was already totally exhausted from being at work 6 hours earlier in the day. Fatherkao had a headache and popped two panadols that evening. The only one raring to go was Ben. And I had two other whining, unhappy, digruntled children who wouldn’t give me a break with their incessant grumblings about why they had to stay home with the helper. Not even TV helped.

But still we went, because a commitment is a commitment is a commitment, and boy, were we glad we did. That cool, lovely evening on 4 July totally made it to one of the high points of my year.

It was beautiful to be running at sundown.

The sunset view from Fatherkao's phone camera

The sunset view from Fatherkao’s phone camera

Add to that, the thoughtful organisers timed the Fun Run flag off to coincide with the fireworks from the NDP Rehearsal. We stopped after 1 km, stood by the Singapore River facing the Fullerton, and took in the breathtaking sights of the fireworks display before our eyes. Absolutely spectacular.

How close did we come ti soak in this spectacular sight?

How close did we come to soak in this spectacular sight?

This close. What a treat for the run!

This close. What a treat for the run!

And then being able make it to the half way mark with my firstborn – holding hands, encouraging him to press on, and sometimes looking at him from the back (yes, he got ahead of his very exhausted Mama) and thanking God that I have been blessed with lovely, healthy children.

Had this picture of the boys' back edited as a sketch because it's more poignant that way. I want to give thanks for the fact that in front of me ran two healthy boys!

Had this picture of the boys’ back edited as a sketch because it’s more poignant that way. I want to give thanks for the fact that in front of me ran two healthy boys!

And also extremely grateful that my husband, who hates running very much, was doing this with us with nary a grumble, encouraging Ben and me along the way, and teaching my firstborn some of life’s precious lessons. Overheard many times was the father telling the son to press on, not give up and reach for our goal. There were so many precious bonding moments no amount of money can buy.

When we held hands and made it through the finish line, it was touching to see the look of pride my son had on his face. That beaming, proud face after experiencing his first 5km-run. That look that says he’s grown up a little more after that evening.

Just the 3 of us

Just the 3 of us

Ben's well-deserved medal!

Ben’s well-deserved medal!

We had a lovely night after the run, being hosted by the organisers for dinner at the VIP tent, and talking a nice long walk to the MRT station talking about the events of the day and what the run was like for us. It was really, really nice to be walking hand in hand – just the three of us – like we were the best of friends and it was a beautiful and special moment for our firstborn too. I want to be doing this some time soon with Becks and then with Nat. I think that would be equally incredible.

Thank you, OSIM and Hivelocity, for the invitation to join the Sundown Marathon as a Sundown with Love Ambassador. We received more love that day than we could give.

Donations for Sanctuary House via the Sundown with Love platform closes 31 July 2015. If you could show a little love, click this link.

Disclosure: We were invited to be social influencers for the OSIM Sundown Marathon. No monetary compensation was received. All opinions here are our own.

Family life as we know it Milestones and growing up Nat Kao The darndest kid quotes and antics

My littlest, 3 years, 4 months

June 30, 2015

Nat Kao_3years4months

Someone’s got a pretty good brain that’s been doing lots of quick thinking lately, not to mention the really glib tongue.

Someone who’s just barely turned three.

Someone who’s the apple of my eye.

***

Me: So Nat, shall we skip the diaper today?

Nat: Yes! Gimme my monster underwear!

Me: Remember to go pass urine in the toilet bowl, k. You have no diaper on.

Nat: Ok, I am a big boy now!

A while later, a yellow pool floods the sofa …

Ben: Ewwwww! Nat passed urine!!!!

Becks: (running away) Yucks! Nat passed urine!

Me: (running to the sofa) Oh no, Nat! Thought you said you would go to the toilet? Haiyah!

Nat: Haiyah! Why you didn’t wear diapers for me?

Me: -_-

***

Fatherkao: Who wrapped masking tape on the blind’s string? It’s all so sticky now!

Kao kids: (silence)

Fatherkao: Better own up now, whoever did it.

Nat: Dada, maybe the lizard did it?

***

Nat: Mama!

Me: Yes, my dear Nathanael?

A while later…

Me: Nat Nat!

Nat: Yes, my dear Elizabeth?

***

At the USS Gift Store

Me: Nat, check out your favourite fruit.

Nat: Come on, everyone, let’s do it!

Kao kids: Ba-ba-ba-ba-bu-na-na!

***

Banana Kao Kids

Ben Kao Enrichment Homelearning fun Learning fun! Reviews

Exploring vocabulary through My World of Words [Review]

June 19, 2015

I guess one of the good things about being a language person is that it translates to being a mom that’s extremely particular about vocabulary building for your kids. I am big on making sure my children have a rich deposit of words in their vocabulary bank and make it my mission to introduce new words in English (and in Chinese too) wherever we go.

Like telling Ben, ‘Look, the snake is slithering up the tree. And it’s sticking out its forked tongue.’

So a snake doesn’t just move. It slithers. It doesn’t just have a tongue. Its tongue is forked.

Or telling Becks that there are many shades of pink. It can be bright or dull in its simplest. But it can also be luminous. Or fuscia. There’s bubblegum pink, coral pink, flamingo pink. And no, it’s not good to say Mama has pink cheeks but rather she’s applying blush.

And so am I glad that Scholastic sent these Ben’s way – because here in this house, we’ve all gotta be building our vocabulary foundation well, brick by brick so that we can speak a little more descriptively in English!

These books provide early and transitional readers (see the type of readers here) a very colourful experience of reading thematically through picture stories, as well as discovering specific meanings and definitions of nouns and verbs. There are some simple writing exercises, creative writing tasks, as well as fun activities like crosswords that follow each picture story, and is a very good resource to hook a 6-year-old up with.

First, a picture story

First, a picture story

Then reading the definitions and filling the numbers into the blank bubbles

Then reading the definitions and filling the numbers into the blank bubbles

And then trying out the suggested activities

And then trying out the suggested activities

What I really like about these books is that they provide the plural form of each noun beside each noun description; and like a good dictionary, they have sentences to illustrate the meaning of every verb and noun. There is no differentiation between US English and UK English as well, because the book follows Standard English, covering a range of nouns and verbs used the standard way. There’s really nothing to complain about, because the book is really thoughtfully and colourfully designed to educate and enrich the early reader. Perhaps some sticker-activities, to keep the little hands occupied, would be my humble suggestion.

My World of Words and My World of More Words can be found in major bookstores.

Disclosure: The books were sponsored by Scholastic Education for the purpose of this review. No monetary compensation was received and all opinions here are our own.

Going Out! Milestones and growing up The Kao Kids

Of bouncy dreams and masak masak (ft. ZoomPark & National Museum of Singapore)

June 19, 2015

Holidays are stuff that dreams are made of. No fixed routines. No schedules. No rush.

At least for now.

I’ve made it the goal of this year’s March, June and September holidays that the kids play and play only. Apart from the older kids’ Chinese home tuition, I promised myself that they would not get any sit-down-with-mama-and-let’s-do-some-work sessions because this is pretty much the very last year Ben is gonna be a preschooler. Which makes it pretty much a very, very precious year for all my pre-schooling children to be having fun with one another with no other demands on their time and no other expectations on their lives. We all know how life starts to get hectic and time becomes a little more screwed up and messed up when a child makes his foray into the formal education scene, and whilst we are all bracing ourselves for the new journey to come – first for Ben next year – we are so not looking forward it.

These are golden years, my babies. Play and go wild as much as you want.

~~~

So during the March holidays (yes, I’m backtracking here a bit!), we had the time of our lives at this place:

ZoomPark 03

Bouncing up and down, left and right

ZoomPark 04

Slam-dunkin’

ZoomPark 05

Shooting a basket

ZoomPark 06

Aiming for the sky

ZoomPark 07

Rock climbing

ZoomPark 09

Racing to aim and throw

It was the wildest we ever got to do as a family. Not even Legoland was this wild.

Think non-stop bouncing, with Mom and Dad, and getting a seriously serious workout.

This is ZoomPark Asia (200 Pandan Gardens, #01-14, Singapore 609336 | Tel: 6334-4615). The healthy, bouncy folks there tell me that 10 minutes of being on a trampoline is equivalent to 30 minutes of jogging.

You bet I was jumping hard at this mega trampoline park. If we didn’t live so far, I would have made it a weekly affair to get a workout here.

ZoomPark 08

Takes a lot of hand, feet and eye coordination, this one

ZoomPark 10

Gives a whole new meaning to peng-san!

ZoomPark 12

Resting on foam blocks after free falling from the rock climbing

ZoomPark 11

We were bouncing alongside Sengkang Babies!

~~~

This June, we signed up as members of the zoo and River Safari again – because my children love the outdoors and animals! – and I had them direct their own homelearning about koalas after our visit to the koalas at the zoo.

Have you met Chan, Idalia, Paddle and Pellita yet? We don't know who's who though!

Have you met Chan, Idalia, Paddle and Pellita yet? We don’t know who’s who though!

Someone's awake!

Someone’s awake!

We kept really quiet in there, because the koalas were sleeping!

We kept really quiet in there, because the koalas were sleeping!

Koala plush mania!

Koala plush mania!

Kids decide what they want to do, and Mama prints them all from free printables online

Kids decide what they want to do, and Mama prints them all from free printables online

Colouring begins!

Colouring begins!

Finding out what eucalyptus smells like

Finding out what eucalyptus smells like

Koalafun 04

Making a koala enclosure and painting the leaves they picked

Wa la! Koala mask ready, koala mazes done and koala enclosure ready for visit!

Wa la! Koala mask put on, koala mazes done and koala enclosure ready for visit!

~~~

We also paid a visit earlier in June to the National Museum of Singapore where Children Season is back, and checked out the inspiring and interactive exhibits at Masak Masak 2015.

Masak Masak 2015 features familiar playgrounds and interactive installations by Singaporean and international artists at the National Museum of Singapore

Masak Masak 2015 features familiar playgrounds and interactive installations by Singaporean and international artists at the National Museum of Singapore

Becks and Nat doing a cute couple pose. The kids were super excited.

Becks and Nat doing a cute couple pose. The kids were super excited.

Spectrum of Paper by Mademoiselle Maurice (France): Step into a rainbow wonderland at the Rotunda and immerse yourselves in a kaleidoscope of colourful, suspended origami boats and planes!

Spectrum of Paper by Mademoiselle Maurice (France): Step into a rainbow wonderland at the Rotunda and immerse yourself in a kaleidoscope of colourful, suspended origami boats and planes!

Navigating the maze that is Wanderlust, made completely from crepe paper

Navigating the maze that is Wanderlust by Crystal Wagner (USA), made completely from crepe paper

Stamping fun with the iconic masak masak stamps

Stamping fun with the iconic masak masak stamps

Making patterns and lots of noise

Making patterns and lots of noise

Playing the eraser flag game, just that this one ain't erasers but giant cushion flags!

Playing the eraser flag game, just that this one ain’t erasers but giant cushion flags!

Making our own shadow puppet

Making our own shadow puppet

Ben's little squirrel wants to join the fun

Ben’s little squirrel wants to join the fun

Becks' little rabbit ready for shadow play

Becks’ little rabbit ready for shadow play with the backdrop of Jeremy Hiah’s (Singapore) Queen of the Forest

And off she goes behind the screen to tell her own story!

And off she goes behind the screen to tell her own story!

Simple Pleasures in Life by Jeanette Aw (yep, the local artiste - didn't know she was so talented)

Simple Pleasures in Life by Jeanette Aw (yep, the local artiste – didn’t know she was so talented), which is apt indeed, because the simple pleasures in life are made of these: adding colours to our lives

The kids had their doodling dream and major graffiti fantasy come true at this installation

The kids had their doodling dream and major graffiti fantasy come true at this installation

Opposite the colouring board is a huge black board which bids you come scratch it with all your might. A colourful background unveils. Ben is loving this - and also the fact the sound drives me nuts.

Opposite the colouring board is a huge black board which bids you come scratch it with all your might. A colourful background unveils. Ben is loving this – and also the fact the sound drives me nuts.

But none was as fun and wild as doing this:

Weeee!

Weeee!

Sliding fun at the bouncy version of the Dragon Playground

Sliding fun at the bouncy version of the Dragon Playground

And then again on the Elephant version

And then again on the Elephant version

Again and again!

Again and again!

And then climbing through the Watermelon one...

And then climbing through the Watermelon one…

Before taking a rest on the wooden carousel swings with Momolato popsicles with real fruit inside

Before taking a rest on the wooden carousel swings with Momolato popsicles with real fruit inside

These brought back so many childhood memories for me, and I am glad the next generation is getting acquainted with them albeit in a different way.

If you love to museum-hop or love being in the museums, Children Season is really the best thing that happens every June.

~~~

Hope your holidays have been as swell as ours so far!

Becks Kao Everyday fun! Homelearning fun Invites & Tryouts Learning fun! Reading fun Reviews

Hide and Seek Fun with Sam & Sally [A review + a giveaway!]

June 2, 2015

I am fighting a real battle limiting screen time these days. Everywhere there’s bombardment of the message – give your child an iPad! a smartphone! more TV! – and it’s hard to win the battle in this day and age with so many educational apps to download for free and the ever present temptation to chuck them a device to keep them quiet.

I confess. I forgot my activity book for Nat one of those days we were stuck waiting to be served at HDB (yes, we’ll be moving, but that’s for another day) and I had to give him my iPhone with the Bible stories app by Olive Tree. I was fascinated myself – the interaction, the graphics, the well-designed content – and it almost made me want to buy second hand iPads just to download the app for the kids’ bedtime stories.

But then I quickly chanted my personal mothering mantra: Let’s stick to the good ol’ and I was determined to banish that thought into the abyss forever.

I’m loving the folks at Scholastic Education because they totally understood my struggle. They’ve so kindly sent me the recently released new series of fun hidden puzzles for children, and I now have more activity books to keep my kids occupied while we wait at restaurants and during the children’s free time at home.

Sam and Sally are keeping my little Becks particularly thrilled, because colouring is her favourite thing right now. It’s making me thrilled too because I am getting her to recognise words to start her on her reading, and these books are coming in handy to help in the literacy bit. The series apparently aid in vocabulary building too since the puzzles are arranged by themes, and also help the child develop his spatial intelligence, since the reader has to be searching for the hidden items.

Here’s my little reviewer showing you how she bonds with Sam and Sally and not my iPad:

The 'Sam and Sally' Series come in a complete set of 3:

The ‘Sam and Sally’ Series come in a complete set of 3: Sam & Sally Go to School, Sam & Sally Out and About, and Sam & Sally at Home

Reading the words at the bottom of each page first...

Reading the words at the bottom of each page first…

Looking intently and pointing to each word

Looking intently and pointing to each word

Search and colour!

Search and colour!

Meeting Sam in his bedroom, and now, colouring the hidden items!

Meeting Sam in his bedroom, and now, colouring the hidden items!

I like that each book contains 28 picture puzzles and over 200 words, including a thoughtful challenge in each puzzle to encourage speaking and thinking. I like that even if I am not around to read the new vocabulary with my little girl, she is colouring on a page that’s print-rich. Most importantly, she’s exercising her ability to seek while the hidden puzzles hide, which could greatly aid in her spatial awareness.

It’s these things that my children should be investing their time in, and for their age, surely technological devices can wait.

And here’s a giveaway!

Scholastic continues to support teachers and parents as a trusted name in learning by remaining focused on encouraging children to learn to read and love to learn. The good folks are giving away ONE complete set of three Sam and Sally titles to one of Motherkao’s readers.

Simply launch the Rafflecopter app to qualify for chances in the draw:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

One winner will be selected by the Rafflecopter app after the giveaway ends on 10 June 2015 12:00AM. By taking part in the draw, you are also agreeing to collection of your prize (should you win) at the Scholastic Education office at 81 Ubi Ave 4, #02-28, UB. ONE, Singapore 408830.

Let’s say yay to more reading time and less screen time for our children!

Disclosure: Motherkao received a set of Sam and Sally series for the purpose of this review and giveaway. She did not receive any monetary compensation for this post. All opinions here are her own. Of course, please feel free to differ should you believe that screentime and engagement with devices are necessary for your child. Activity books are cheaper, actually.

Everyday fun! Milestones and growing up The Kao Kids

Boredom-inspired creativity

May 21, 2015

When you were a child, what did you do when you were bored?

And what have you become today?

My husband explored and got into trouble. I lay in bed and dreamed up imaginative worlds.

We are big believers of boredom – and we want our kids to get bored, feel bored and experience the frustration associated with it. Have you read this article that correlates boredom with creative thought? We want our children to be forced into solitude and edged into a mode of discovery.

When we first started, it was hard. It was hard for me too, by the way, to NOT structure and plan something for them to do.

So Ben comes and says, “I’m so bored, can I watch TV?”

Becks says, “It’s so boring I don’t know what to do.”

Nat says, “So boring. I want you come be with me.”

And I would say, “Go and find something.”

And after many rounds of being acquainted with boredom, my children have…

Found the guts to leave the confines of our house to peek at what the neighbours are doing. At one point, they even go around to greet them. Now, Ben is offering our neighbour, Aunty R, to throw her trash for 20 cents a day.

Nightly duty: 20 cents for throwing trash!

Nightly duty: 20 cents for throwing trash!

They also invented Running Man games…

Mission: Skate through obstacles in the house with these cloth baskets

Mission: Skate through obstacles in the house with these cloth baskets

Built…

So much fun with LEGO

So much fun with LEGO

And built…

How many minifigs can you see?

How many minifigs can you see?

And built some more…

More LEGO fun

More LEGO fun

And drew…

Nat loves to draw

Nat loves to draw

And made many somethings out of nothing – all because they were bored.

The kids did up a rainforest to welcome me home...

The kids did up a rainforest to welcome me home…

By placing animals everywhere and imagining the green table as a huge tree

By placing animals everywhere and imagining the green table as a huge tree – an excuse for a clever, structured mess

What's happening in the background: caught on camera is the littlest trying to make binoculars from two Yakult bottles!

What’s happening in the background: caught on camera is the littlest trying to make binoculars from two Yakult bottles!

And check out this sword - make entirely from toilet rolls!

And check out this sword – make entirely from toilet rolls!

They learned how to handle boredom and find something to do and exercise that little muscle I call the little creativity joint.

Invites & Tryouts Milestones and growing up Product Reviews Reviews The Kao Kids

Yummy gummies in our tummies

May 1, 2015

I’ve always brainwashed my children about sweets and how they, though delectably tasty at first, would come back to haunt them in the form of tooth decay and indigestion. It works, by the way. But also because I satisfy their sugar cravings with gummy-fixes in the morning after breakfast.

And their gummies are vitamins and supplements in disguise, really. They load up on calcium, mutli-vits, Vitamin C and Omega-3 in the form of naturally-flavoured chewy sweets.

We’re not a stickler for brands, but I generally choose these gummy vitamins that are from reputable sources from the pharmacy. And most importantly, as the one in-charge of distributing these every morning, I read the labels carefully and ensure that:

  • Each child takes the recommended dose 

My children only start ingesting these supplements after they turn 3. They get the recommended quantity every day and not any more throughout the course of the day. I make sure they chew them slowly and swallow them. They are to respect these candies-in-disguise as vitamins and NOT candies. Large amounts of vitamins A, C and D, as well as large amounts of iron, can be toxic, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, if children associate these gummies with sweet treats they can have on a free flow basis.

  • The vitamins are kept in a safe and cool place

Gummy vitamins may require constant temperatures and refrigeration to prevent spoilage. Heat can cause these gummies to melt and Vitamins B and C and other water-soluble vitamins to disintegrate.

  • They should never replace a balanced diet

Vitamins and other dietary supplements are not a good substitute for a healthy, balanced diet. The kids are to have their milk and breakfast every day before consuming their gummies. If they don’t eat well throughout the day, they might see some gummies taken out from their mini cups the next day, and would be forced to load up on their fruits and veggies. I usually have no problems with the kids on that. They love all kinds of food in moderate amounts.

We’ve had the privilege of trying out the new supplements for children by Guardian recently, and my three little reviewers have never been happier to be acquainted with new shapes and flavours.

170317 GUARDIAN GUMMIES FOR KIDS MULTIVITAMIN + MINERALS 60's

Guardian Multi-Vitamin + Minerals Gummies (SGD 23.90)

170316 GUMMIES FOR KIDS GUARDIAN OMEGA 3 60's

Guardian Omega-3 Gummies (SGD 23.90)

I like it that there is no gelatin and preservatives, and the fact that ingesting all those 4 gummies (two for each)  a day meant that they are getting important nutrients for their immune health, energy levels and vision, as well as 50mg of DHA and Omega 3 fatty acids, which support healthy vision and brain functions.

I’m happier that Omega 3 fatty acids didn’t come with any fishy taste – the naturally-flavoured gummies masked that all – and that they get their nutritional boost and sugar fix!

Guardian Gummies 01

Cheers!

Guardian Gummies 02

This is the way we pop our “pills”

Guardian Gummies 03

Yummy yummy, we got love in our tummy!

Guardian Gummies 04

And Becks said, Only TWO of each!

More details:

Guardian’s competitively-priced supplements are manufactured in the United States, employing the safest and most stringent processes. Its carefully formulated, tasty supplements contain high quality ingredients that provide the head start every child needs for healthy development. The vitamin gummies are now available in all Guardian Healthy & Beauty outlets.

Disclosure: We received the mentioned products for review. No monetary compensation was received and all opinions here are our own.

Ben Kao Milestones and growing up

Can’t handle the toof

April 30, 2015

Tooth fairy, tooth fairy…

Someone’s been waiting.

Dentist Chair 01

Dentist Chair 02

Shaky tooth up. Shaky tooth down.

Discomfort  is… all around.

But we’ve got a wonderful dentist friend who tells him, “Don’t worry. It’s because your adult tooth is coming out. Everything looks great and you’ve got nothing to worry about.”

Epilogue in momspeak:

It feels like yesterday my baby had a budding tooth. Didn’t I just see a baby with a toothy grin a while back? It’s been 6 years, really? (This boy now calls me ‘Mom’ instead of ‘Mama’ and whines about his shaky teeth and butterflies in his stomach about going to the dentist.)

P/S: This is not a sponsored post. We see a really friendly dentist at ToofDoctors at Serangoon Central.