Activities for Preschoolers - Write, Color and Draw

What keeps preschoolers look forward to schooling each day are the fun activities they are made to do with other kids in school.  Besides playing, of course, writing, coloring and drawing are the usual activities that are being introduced to our kids in school. Prior to getting these kids enrolled in preschool, it would really help that they are also made to do these things ahead at home. Maximizing their learning potential at home would be a good preparation and training ground for them so that it would be a whole lot easier to undertake these activities later on in school. Teaching these things ahead, when we are at home with our kiddo, can really make a big difference in their performance at school. Also, doing these things at home not only strengthens the bond we have with our kid, it also keeps them busy that there would be no time for them to experience boredom.

her first day of school

A few days ago, I was supposed to blog about her first day of school and how it turned out for our little girl. Obviously, I didn't have time to do that despite the fact that there are 24 hours in a day. LOL. Blame it partly on the rainy season because we practically wanted to have more hours of sleep now. Anyway, her first day of school was technically not her first day to experience school since she already went to summer school prior to entering Nursery2 this school year. Still, I felt the need to file for a leave of absence from work to support her official first day of school as a preschooler.

The mom in me was telling me I have to be there to make sure her first day is a good one. I had to be there just in case she feels uncomfortable. We all know a lot of kids cry on their first day of school especially if they are used to being with their parents almost all of the time. However, this was not the case with my daughter. The moment we entered the gate of her school, she cheerfully greeted everyone 'Good morning'. Just like most 'first days' of school, their classes did not formally start yet. In fact, the students were dismissed early. It was almost like we were there in school just to have her ID picture taken, bring all her books, and get her school-related requirements. We then spent the rest of the day buying her requirements. In the evening after taking dinner, I covered all her books and notebooks. I didn't even notice that it was already past bedtime that night.

Oh gosh, for someone who is already thirty-ish, I still can't believe I already have a preschooler. I thought I shouldn't be surprised because I am not getting younger as well. Even some of my contemporaries were already sending their kids to high school. So, there's still a long way to go for us. Indeed, it's time to work even harder so we can provide a better future for her.

just another kiddie update

It's amazing how kids tend to grow up quickly. Seems like it was only yesterday when she still wants and likes to wear and change diapers. At 3 years old, we couldn't let her wear one anymore, even during bedtime; although, I know other parents successfully got off the diapering stage of their kids way earlier than we did. Anyway, we got even more impressed when she didn't pass the stage where she would pee on her sleep. Hubby and I didn't find it hard to wean her off from wearing diapers or to potty train her. It was something that we didn't force her to do. There was really no effort at all. Thanks to her cousins who are a couple of years older than her, she got herself interested to sit on her kiddie toilet seat as she saw them doing the same each time they would need to answer the call of nature.

Bonding with her first cousins

On the not-so-positive side, this 4-year-old is also at this stage where she would really insist on doing what she wants to do even if we told her it would do her good if she didn't. Also, it's hard to let her wear something she didn't approve of, even if we thought it's the more appropriate thing for her to wear at that moment. And if there is one particular dress she likes to wear but it is still hanging in the clothesline, she would insist on wearing them even when the dress still needs to dry. You can only imagine what a day is like with a little girl having tantrums because she can't wear her favorite dress. This is indeed the period that husband and I could use a little more patience. Now I remembered that this is what most parents refer to as "terrible-two's" stage. Now I wonder - what is it going to be like when she turns 6 soon? Still, it is something I'm looking forward to experience.

I guess we really can't stop our kid from growing up each day, can't we? Soon, a few more years from now, we will be parents to an adolescent. I wonder how we would fare to her as parents by then. I hope we can still be as close as we are right now.

on educating our children

We really appreciate it a lot that most schools nowadays are encouraging parents to work closely with their teachers when it comes to educating kids. After all, we are expected to know our kids' behavior better than they do. Because of that familiarity with our kids' attitude, we parents should know better how to discipline our kids and to get them to diligently do what is expected of them academically. In the case of our daughter who is taking a summer class in writing, we can't really expect her to quickly absorb all the techniques being taught by her teacher at once. Usually, it takes some practice for her to be able to write correctly. Her summer class is just for a month. This is certainly not long enough to cover everything. This is why we are also expected to polish what she has learned in school and to motivate her to improve her writing. With that, we are thankful for teachers who try to make sure that our kids have assignments to do at home so that we parents can also find the time to teach them and to monitor their progress.

practical remedies for prickly heat on kids

If there is anything I hate about summer, that would have to be because of the prickly heat it brings on my daughter's skin. After all, at her age, there is a good chance that her sweat glands might not be fully developed yet. The itch and discomfort she's feeling can be totally bothersome that it almost kept her up at night. This unpleasant thing she's feeling went on for a couple of days until I tried some of the tips I ran into while looking for remedies for prickly heat on kids.

Below are some practical tips I used to get her relief from prickly heat:

1. Switch to a milder soap. Prior to the prickly heat attack, she has been using the same brand of bath soap we are using. However, the harsh chemicals seemed to add more trouble on her skin. That's when we decided to use a mild soap which will not wash down her skin's natural oils and cause it to dry and itch.

2. Pat dry skin with a soft towel or fabric made of soft cotton. I learned that we should never rub it directly on to our child's affected skin after taking a bath or when she's sweating as this can be painful for her.

3. Let her skin breathe with loose clothing. A tight and thick clothing can trigger itching and discomfort when she sweats and perspires.

4. Let her drink more water to keep skin hydrated.


5. Use prickly heat powder as necessary to get her the relief she needs and to prevent her from sweating a lot.

6. Prevent her from getting long exposure to the sun's scorching heat. You don't want to aggravate her skin's condition any further. Use an umbrella if she must go out when the sun is up.


That's about it. If there are remedies for prickly heat that you might want to add, feel free to share them here.

Improving Our Kids' Moral Values

As parents, it is our responsibility to mold our children to become what we want them to be especially in terms of their morals and values. It is always our hope that they would grow up bringing with them the right manners, attitude and behavior that is both pleasing to God and the community in general. This is challenge for most of us parents because they do not only grow up with us and the environment we want them to be in, they also grow with other people in a community which can also contribute towards shaping who they can potentially become one day.

There are many ways that we can improve our kids' moral values but the most proven way is to be the best example for them. As they grow, children would emulate whatever they see and hear from us parents.However, it is already given that we are not perfect. There will be times when we fail to become the best example for them. In this case, we can still be an example for them if they see that we have corrected our mistakes and we let them understand the consequences of these mistakes.

signs of kids in the house

How can you quickly tell if there are kids in the house even before you get to meet them? That's easy. Check out the walls and doors for some tell-tale signs. Stickers and more stickers of their favorite cartoon character - makes me wonder sometimes why they are so fond of them, as if I haven't passed that stage once. My mother-in-law has 3 grandkids of different ages. And this is how their door looks like now upon entering the house. :-)