Here are a few of the activities that fall under LIFE SKILLS that we tried today, and I’m so happy that we were successful…My child was able to accomplish the tasks well, and I was pleased that even as we did a few over and over, she was able to remember what to do.  I still plan to reinforce the learnings by repeating these activities in the coming days.

• Setting The Table

I traced utensils and a plate on a rectangular piece of paper with a marker so that she could match the silverware and plate with the  the corresponding shape on the paper.  After letting her correctly place the utensils and plate in its proper place, I turned the sheet of paper over (the side without any markings) and let her set the table by herself.  She was able to remember the right placement of items.

• Learning To Use Clothespins

This was the only activity that my child didn’t like, perhaps because we tried using small scrapbook clips instead of clothespins. This activity helps muscle coordination. I should have used bigger clothespins. When I finally found a bigger clothespin, my child had lost interest in the activity. I plan to try this activity again using big clothespins that her little hands can use.

• Buttoning A Shirt

It was fun teaching my child to button her shirt. She was so intent in putting the buttons through its buttonholes, and I was pleased to see that she was able to do so even after I unbuttoned them and let them do it herself for several times.  This promotes dexterity and hand-eye coordination.

• Learning To Pour

We used beads and I showed my child to transfer the beads from one container to another without spilling. This is a good way to train them to pour. Later on, I allowed her to use water from a plastic glass and let her pour the contents into a cup. The bead pouring exercise worked like a charm, there were minimal spills and later on, no spills at all.

• Learning To Transfer

In the beginning, my child was so eager pouring beads from one container to another that she still kept doing so, but in this new activity, I let her use a spoon to transfer beads from one container to another.   She was able to finish this activity. My next step was putting the beads away. And then we proceeded to pour Froot Loops cereal into a bowl and letting her use a spoon to transfer the contents from that bowl to another container.  It was to my delight that after completing the task, she happily scooped cereal from the bowl straight into her mouth, munching happily. No spills at all.

• Opening and Closing Objects

As you can see, my child was busy putting away her bowl of Froot Loops before doing her next activity, which was learning how to open and close objects.  I laid out a cereal container, a breakable cookie jar, a milk separator and a plastic food bin on a tray, leaving their caps next to them and showed her first how to close the objects. Then I opened them. She followed suit.

• Threading Buttons/Lacing Beads

We lingered a little longer over this activity since threading buttons or lacing beads helps improve hand-eye coordination and dexterity. We used her lacing threads and beads. I modeled the activity by picking out green beads and lacing them on a thread, making a necklace.  My daughter happily followed my example and was giddy when she was able to finish the activity. We always “make necklaces” for her teddy bears to wear.

Apart from some of the life skills activities we tried, we played “Peek-a-Boo” together. It’s a game that teaches the child object permanence (the awareness how objects continue to exist when they are not visible to us), and it’s simply a fun way to imprint information about emotions and expressions.  I let Drian “hide” in her Mickey Mouse playhouse as we took turns playing “Peek-A-Boo” and later on, “Hide and Seek.”

“Now You See Me…Now You Don’t!”

We also went through a few pre-k activities:

• Sorting, Grouping,  and Identifying Colors

I let her sort her lacing beads by color by using a muffin tin that had several cups in one pan.

• Identifying Shapes By Completing Shape Puzzles

I let her enjoy completing two colorful shape puzzles, and I could see her glow with pride when she was able to complete the puzzles without help. I know that doing so helps her independently focus and finish an activity, and of course, she gets to remember shapes and colors as she goes about the task.

It takes some genuine time and effort but I do appreciate taking time to do these things with my child.  In the next few months, she’ll be moving on to a whole-new experience…attending nursery classes. And I believe that being able to “unofficially homeschool” her these times will prepare her for the exciting learnings up ahead. More importantly, I love our bonding time together.  I appreciate my child’s teachers and their wonderful efforts in helping us, parents. I realize now more than ever that while kids get to enjoy school and its numerous and countless benefits, learning truly begins at home. I’m still in the process of learning even more how to be a good teacher and mentor to my child.

More to share in the coming days! If you have suggestions and comments or simply would like to share your own experiences in teaching your children life skills and other subjects, feel free to share! Would love to hear from you.

 And it doesn't hurt that my husband and I can enjoy these as our own snacks too.

-One feels lighter and he has more energy when he is able to detoxify.

Action Item:

We have started taking wheatgrass drinks for a few weeks now and it is a great detoxifier and energy-booster.  Whatever brand you decide to go for, try researching about the benefits of taking wheatgrass.

Here's a link you may want to check:http://www.wheatgrasscan.com/

- Yoghurt is a good replacement for sour cream or cream in cooking.

Action Item: I've been able to incorporate yoghurt in making my cream-based dishes like carbonara, dips, marinades, and we've also been stocking up on fruit yoghurt as snacks. My child isn't so fond of some yoghurt flavors, but I know in time she'll also acquire a taste for it.

Plus it's so healthy!

Will add more of the steps we've been taking to a healthier lifestyle...It isn't just about shedding holiday weight for me and my husband, but modeling good eating habits and getting enough exercise and influencing our child to take care of her health and body.   What about you, what are your steps to healthier living?  

http://www.parenting.com/article/should-babies-eat-fish

I have this recipe for a yummy salmon-and-bacon pasta dish that I’ve been cooking since college. I’m so happy that ever since I tried feeding my toddler this dish, she has happily polished off her plate, and to my delight, has enjoyed the benefits of fish without me having to go through the long hours of convincing her to eat.  I know some parents may have difficulty feeding their kids fish, so I thought it best to share this recipe that’s so easy to make, and a great dish to enjoy and share, even at potluck parties.

CREAMY SALMON & BACON PASTA

What You’ll Need:

Spaghetti or Fettuccine Noodles (cooked according to its package directions)

1 big can of pink salmon

1 tbsp butter

1 chicken bouillion cube

1 small onion, diced

1 small piece of garlic, crushed

3/4 cup bacon bits

1 egg, beaten lightly

1 cup grated cheddar cheese (kids love this!) or parmesan cheese, if you prefer that…Or both!

1 cup grated carrots

1 can Cream of Mushroom (You may use Cream of Chicken if you don’t have Cream of Mushroom)

2/3 cup milk

1/3 cup water

Procedure:

Saute onions until translucent in butter. Add garlic and sauté until light brown. Add bacon bits and fry until crispy. Add the pink salmon and cook until covered in onion and garlic mixture.  Add chicken bouillon cube. Pour in cream of mushroom, grated cheese and carrots, milk, water and beaten egg.  Simmer until the mixture is thick and creamy. Pour over cooked pasta and serve with melted cheese.  This is best consumed right away, much like a carbonara dish, since it has eggs and bacon.  You can also choose to put the pasta and sauce in a microwave-safe dish and bake for 2 minutes until cheese topping has melted.  Enjoy!

I managed to whip up this one-dish meal last night, and it was thankfully a success. You’ve got your starch (mashed potatoes), dairy (milk,butter,cheese,egg), protein (chicken…I even added chinese cooked ham apart from the chorizo de bilbao the recipe called for), and vegetables (onions, bell peppers, carrots). Enjoy!
CHICKEN ALEXANDER
Ingredients-
1 1/2 cups water
1 whole chicken or depending how many guests you’re serving
2 onions, quartered
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp pepper
2 tsp margarine
1 onion chopped
1 chopped red or green bell pepper
2 small carrots diced
2 pcs chorizo de bilbao
1/2 cup chicken broth
6 med sized potatoes
1/2 cup margarine
1 slightly beaten egg
Breadcrumbs
Asparagus tips and green peas for garnish
Cooked in salt and water and mashed

Procedure:
Boil the chicken with the first four ingredients for 20 minutes. Remove the bones and dice rhe chicken meat. Set aside.

In a separate pan, saute onion in margarine. Add the chicken and chicken broth. Season to taste. Arrange the mixture in a pyrex dish. Arrange one layerof asparagus tips or peas. Set aside.

To the mashed potato, add the 1/2 cup margarine, milk, beaten egg, and seasonings. Mash until smooth. Put on top of chicken mixture.

Sprinkle with breadcrumbs and bake in preheated oven, 350 degrees for 20minutes or until top is slightly brown.

Enjoy!! I also added cheese to the breadcrumbs and waited for it to melt.

Cheesy Mac and Cheese with Ham

What you’ll need:
1 small pack of uncooked elbow macaroni noodles
3-4 cups water
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
A pinch of salt

4 tsps butter
1/3 cup chinese cooked ham (i used the Excelente Ham we had for New Year’s Eve), diced finely
4 tbsps cream cheese
1 small carrot, grated
1/3 cup Kraft cheddar cheese, grated
1 eggyolk
1/4 cup milk

Boil the macaroni according to package directions (the number of cups of water will depend on how much noodles you’ll be cooking) with the oil and salt.

For the cheese sauce:
Melt butter in a saucepan. Add diced ham, cream cheese, cheddar cheese, egg yolk, grated carrots, and milk. Stir until mixture becomes a creamy texture. Pour in cooked macaroni. Make sure that all the macaroni noodles are coated with the cheese mixture before serving. Enjoy!

Since the holiday season is upon us, we had our “first day” of not having to go to toddler class, and being “officially on Christmas vacation.”  But I decided that it would still be a productive day of fun, creative play and a lot of learning for my daughter Drian.

I find that being able to expose her to a toddler class a few times a week while teaching her at home on the days she doesn’t get to meet up with classmates and teachers is a good balance in keeping her well-rounded.  There is much time to teach and lay the groundwork on moral and biblical foundations and reinforcing readiness for big school while at home, and there is also a lot of opportunities for her to make friends and get to understand authority figures like teachers on the days she attends her toddler classes.

I am glad that I have been investing in a lot of fun and educational materials and books here at home, and learning toys.  I snapped a lot of photos of my child as she went about her morning and lunchtime, guiding her gently in some activities, feeding her and cleaning up.  When I put her down for her nap early this afternoon, I looked through the photos on my camera and found, much to my delight, that most of her activities were creatively stimulating, and helped improve a lot of her pre-kindergarten skills. I thought I’d share some of the photos as well as the skills we were able to tap today:

Math Readiness Using Her “Let’s Count!” Fabric Poster

Drian counted from one to ten using the objects found on her fabric poster, and enjoyed the feel and texture of the velcro and colorfully sewn animals and objects on the cloth objects, like 10 apples that could be placed in the cloth basket, 9 mushrooms that could be stuck back on the poster with velcro, 8 fishes that could be returned in their net, 7 kites, etc.)

Reading Readiness

She identified the letters of the alphabet while pointing them out on her ABC poster as she sang “The ABC Song” and pointing out the letters on her alphabet ruler as well.

Color Identification and Hand-Eye Coordination

I let our child play with lacing beads, where she was able to make a little necklace by leading the beads on the string.  Using the same colorful beads, I asked her to group them into colors by making use of the bowls.  She also had fun pouring the beads from one bowl to another.

Music and Movement

Since it’s the Christmas season, we put on a Dora The Explorer DVD that had an episode called “Dora’s Christmas,” with a story about Dora and Boots helping each other to make sure they would be able to deliver Santa’s present up to the North Pole in time.  My child sang “Feliz Navidad” with the characters as she pretended to play the banjo.

Confidence-Building, Shape Identification, Visual & Spatial Relationships, Problem & Puzzle-Solving

I sat with my child and watched her play with her Mighty Mind puzzle games, and praised her when she completed three puzzles by herself.

Tidiness / The Value Of Keeping Things In Proper Order

Reinforced the lesson of being able to “pack away” and clean up after playing. She did so while singing to herself, “It’s time to pack the toys away, the toys away, the toys away…”

Hand-Eye Coordination, Bilateral Coordination, Brain-building, Right and Left Brain Activation

Drian played with her Stacking Cups and created her very own “pyramid structures.”

Reading Readiness (AGAIN! Haha!)

Sat with my child and read to her and with her the following books she chose from her bookshelf:

• The World of Dick & Jane and Friends (I remember reading these books as a child, and it tickled me pink to find that my child also enjoyed reading about the adventures of Dick and Jane and their little sister Sally and their pets Puff the cat and Spot the dog.)

• Ang Hukuman ni Sinukuan by Filipino author Virgilio Almario (I encourage Drian to read local children’s books as well, they help her learn Filipino words and phrases, and familiarize her with Filipino legends, fables, and culture).  With this book, she was able to learn the Filipino names of animals like Pagong (Turtle), Alitaptap (Firefly), Kabayo (Horse), Palaka (Frog), Lamok (Mosquito), and Crab (Talangka) and get to know the legend of Maria Sinukuan of Mount Arayat.

Here are a few easy recipes we’ve been able to try that we’d love to recommend, using no-fuss and easy-to-find ingredients, like instant cake mixes, eggs, oil, and some ready-to-use frosting or icing, some M&M candies, and fruits.

Butter Muffins with Cream Cheese Frosting (Topped with Blueberries)

What You’ll Need:

1 box of MAYA Oven Toaster Cake Mix

1 egg

1/3 cup water

1/3 cup oil

cream cheese you can mix with instant frosting (Vanilla flavor)

blueberries for topping

What To Do:

1. Pour the cake mix into a bowl. Crack open an egg and pour it into the mixture.

2. Add the water and oil. Mix well. (I usually let my child do the mixing of the batter, I make sure I hold the bowl well as she stirs)

3. Follow the instructions on the box to bake the cake.  (We used the cake mix and poured the batter into muffin-cup molds)

4. Once the muffins are cool, take them out of the muffin molds and start decorating (this is the fun part my child looks forward to.).  Mix cream cheese (it’s up to you how much cream cheese you’d like to use) with your (vanilla) frosting, and spoon it on top of your muffins.  Allow your child to use a variety of candies (like mini M&M candies) and blueberries as topping.  You can also use the icing writers that can be bought from pastry stores.

(*Blueberries have the highest antioxidant properties among all fruits and vegetables.  It’s packed with Vitamin C and E and have been discovered recently to improve memory!  Check out this link for the benefits of Blueberries:http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?dbid=8&tname=foodspice )

Triple Chocolate Muffins and A Chocolate Chimp Cake

What You’ll Need:

1 Box of Duncan Hines chocolate cake mix (or any chocolate cake mix)

1 egg

1/3 cup oil

1/3 cup water

M&M candies to decorate the muffins

What To Do:

1. Combine all the ingredients except the M&M’s (for decorating, later on).
2. Follow the instructions on the box re: baking time.
3. After setting the cake on a cooling rack to cool, allow your child to decorate the cake.  One tip would be to segregate the M&M candies by color and allow her to identify and sort the candies before coloring. It’s a good way to help her identify colors and teach her about grouping/sorting.

The words “loving correction” was mentioned during the parenting conference.  These very words struck a chord in me, and as I was browsing through the shelves of a bookstore the other day, I caught sight of a little book that had the very same words.

Written by Lary Tomczak (an internationally known Christian leader who has been church-planting and conducting leadership training for over 35 years), this book called “The Little Handbook On Loving Correction: How To Raise Happy, Obedient, Respectful Children” couldn’t have appeared at a better time.

My husband and I are parents to an active, very inquisitive and curious, precocious three year old.  And yes, she is at that stage she gets to test our patience the most, what with the typical toddler reactions and bouts with defiance and disobedience.

This book has greatly helped reinforce our beliefs about the LOVING DISCIPLINE we so want to impart to our child, even at her young age.

According to the book, “Loving correction is the biblical procedure for training children in righteousness so that they will become disciplined individuals.”  I like its concept of overseeing your child’s choices in an atmosphere of unconditional love.  I like how it means far more than punishing.  Punishment is what you do TO a child.  Discipline is what you do FOR a child.

Punishment is part of loving correction.  It means inflicting pain on a person for misbehavior.  It doesn’t mean that parents should whip their children in anger for a misdoing, it means that you are pointing out to a child that, in the even of misbehavior, he has disobeyed, and disobedience merits a spanking.   It is a jolt given to those needed into a sober realization of the urgency of the hour.

Applied in love and control, correction given to a child by using a rod/small flexible branch or a wooden stick can result in the “peaceful fruit of righteousness” (Hebrews 12:11).

We are firm believers of the Scripture “Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it.” (Proverbs 22:6)

I appreciate how this book shares that kids know the difference between an objective spanking administered in love, and a beating that sprouts from anger and hostility.  The Bible tells us that loving and parenting discipline yields peacful self-control.

But it’s important to keep in mind that we can discern if our child is in need of discipline because of a disobedient act (refusal to obey or discerned rebellion), and not just because the child committed an age-appropriate kind of behavior, like how a two year old spills juice on the floor because he can’t fully grip his juice bottle, or can’t walk fast enough because he is still learning how to.

And what’s also important is making sure that there is a period of processing after the spanking is done, asking the child the reason why he has been spanked (allowing the child to answer will enable him to remember what acts not to do again), and that you as the parent are upset with what he did, not who he is.  Remember that saying “Hate the sin and not the sinner?”  At the end of the talk, after making sure that your child has understood the reasons why he has been punished, it is wise to engulf your child in a hug and soothe him with comforting words of love and reassurance.  This moment of “restoration” allows the child to understand that when he would disobey, he would receive discipline, and that he would know what mistakes not to commit again.

I highly recommend parents to read this book. One important lesson I learned from the parenting conference and from this very book is never to discipline my child when I am angry.  When I do feel that I am reaching the breaking point, I turn to my husband and ask him to help me by being the one to administer the spanking, since I know that when in anger, one can have the tendency to lose control.

It breaks my heart to see my child cry.  But inflicting a small amount of pain by using the rod on her bottom to make her realize her mistake is a sacrifice I am willing to make, since my husband and I are making sure that she knows that we are coming from a place of loving discipline and not from hostility and rage and anger.

In my own pursuit to be even more organized while packing for my family’s upcoming trips, I have stumbled across a few handy tips and ideas on how to make things just a little bit more compartmentalized.

Packing Your Favorite Toiletries Need Not Be A Chore!

Knowing very well you can’t pack huge bottles of your favorite shampoo or lotion or big tubs of moisturizing cream, it is wise to invest in tiny, travel-size containers.  I was able to label mine using some leftover sticker letters from my daughter’s sticker pad. At least I know that I’ll still be able to use my own personal brands/preferred cosmetics and toiletries or face products this way, instead of just getting stuck with the kind of toiletries they have in hotels.

“Bottle Cleanser”

“Moisturizer”

“Baby Bath”

My child uses banana-scented natural shampoo from Human Nature, a Philippine-made brand that carries wonderful natural beauty products and toiletries. Stored it here in this little atomizer and labeled it.

With the exception of our toothbrushes and toothpaste kits, our travel-size toiletries are all labelled in the same “font”

Pack Efficiently With “Packing Separators”

I caught sight of these wonderful see-through packing separators in different sizes, and they make packing and organizing items in suitcases so efficient, particularly when I started packing things for my child.  Diapers went into a compact plastic separator, and a bigger one held her winter clothes.  And a medium-sized one went into my hand-carry to store a change of clothes for me and my daughter. That way the items would be protected from any potential spills or possible disarray.  These “packing separators” are like bag organizers in a way, since you get to flatten them and maximize the spaces in your suitcase or carry-on luggage with other essentials, thus saving so much space for more things you need.

Using Clear Plastic Zip-Up Pockets For Travel Documents Make Passports and Other Papers More Accessible and Easier To Locate In Your Bag

These handy zip-up pockets or small document zippers made of clear plastic (sometimes colored clear plastic) are available in bookstores.  I recycled this zip-up plastic folder from one of my old school supplies binders, and labeled it using leftover colorful stickers.  You can decide to place neatly-folded photocopies of your travel documents, itinerary here, as well as a well-protected zip-up container for your passports.  The clear plastic makes it easy to see what’s inside, so that you won’t have to spend too long rummaging in your hand-carry to locate your stuff.  Make sure that you pack these important documents well and keep them under lock and key (like the personal vaults you have in your hotel rooms) during travel.

Hope I was able to share something helpful to you as you pack for your trips. Have a blessed and safe holiday!