All in a day's work... (or not!)

So I have been dead quiet recently on the blogging front besides some giveaways. The main reason is that P3 has taken a toll on both me and the kiddo where I sort of lost my blogging mojo with the larger scheme of things.

In January this year, I attended a Parent Teacher Briefing with the hubs where we saw the kiddo’s new form teacher for the first time as she was with the same teachers and classmates for the past 2 years. The new form teacher shared on what they will be doing for each of the subjects and *dang dang dang dang* the amount of daily homework.

The homework load was something which I have heard about from well meaning friends but experiencing it, trying to manage the kiddo’s schedule and encouraging her to attempt the work properly is an entirely different matter.

We were told that MOE’s guideline is that the kids’ homework (at this level) does not exceed 1.5 hours at this stage. On the average, if the kiddo has homework for 2 subjects daily, it will come up to 1.5 hours as she’s still learning to focus on the task at hand (read: taking longer than usual to clear!). Added to the fact that I am anal about vision breaks, the work sometimes can take more than 2 hours for her, with 3 subjects. Plus, our engines were a tad cold when we started the year; everything has been slow to start. It has been trying and I have been doing remote control parenting – calling to ensure that she’s started on her work. This is because if the work is not completed before I get home, it will be a mindless mad rush when I get home!  

Now that we are into week 9 with last week being a tad mad with all the CAs (for all 4 subjects), I think we both have finally settled into our new routine (without me having to nag much. Phew!)

Here’s sharing some tips which work for us:

• Have an hour break after school for some R&R plus lunch time before attempting to clear any work
• Getting the kid to list down all the items she needs to complete and then crossing them out when she’s done (it gives her immense satisfaction to cross them off the list too)
• On this note, my earlier challenge is that she does not have a habit of listing down the homework in her daily journal. *sweat* So there were instances where she completely forgotten about some. So I started some reward programme for her to record her homework and being a stationery lover, here's what I bought as some of the "rewards":

• For the kiddo, her focus and energy wane a bit after some time so I always get her to work on the “harder” stuff first
• Get your kiddo to place a clock / watch on the table so that he/she is able to manage his/her time better. This is also where I have been getting her to set targets for herself to finish by a certain time. This is our clock LOL 

• Vision breaks after 45 mins for at least 15 mins. During this time, she’d make / take a drink, call me, head for bath room breaks, etc. before she starts the next task.

Having said that, with some new classes she has decided to take on, this also means that we needed to work out a new weekend schedule but it has been a good balance of sports versus interest versus work so far.

How’s your kiddo coping with the new academic year? 

A Family Package "Giveaway" to Singapore Repertory Theatre's Peter Rabbit!

"Once upon a time there were four little Rabbits, and their names were—

Flopsy,
     Mopsy,
          Cotton-tail,
               and Peter.
They lived with their Mother in a sand-bank, underneath the root of a very big fir-tree.

“Now, my dears,” said old Mrs. Rabbit one morning, “you may go into the fields or down the lane, but don’t go into Mr. McGregor’s garden: your Father had an accident there; he was put in a pie by Mrs. McGregor.”"

:: Synopsis 

Singapore Repertory Theatre brings us on this wonderful journey as we laugh and cruise along with Peter Rabbit. Peter is tired of doing the chores and dealing with his goody two-shoes twin sisters. Peter Rabbit breaks the rules and steals from Mr. McGregor's garden.

Knowing that he has gone too far and afraid of what his mother might say, the only option for this little fugitive is to leave his warm rabbit hole and run away into the big world – somewhere he can do whatever he wants and be free of responsibility. But as Peter struggles to live with other animals, from feisty squirrels to sewing mice, he begins to realise his life at home might not have been so bad after all.

A Peter Rabbit Tale is based on the beloved children’s classic by Beatrix Potter and beautifully reimagined by Sarah Bundt and teaches us to treasure our family and loved ones. 

Let your "hare" down this March holidays as I am pleased to share that I have a set of family package worth almost $150 (of 4 tickets for 18 March, Saturday, 11am show) to give away!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

:: Terms and Conditions

1. These tickets will be to the 11am show on Saturday, 18 March. 
2. Winner is to collect the tickets at least 30 mins before the show time.
3. Tickets are not exchangeable for cash or for other dates, and are not transferable.
4. Please remember to leave a comment below as an answer to "Why do you wish to watch this production?"
5. The giveaway is not endorsed, associated with administrated by Facebook.
6. As the play takes place in Singapore, this giveaway is opened only to Singapore Residents. GOOD LUCK! 

Can't wait for the giveaway results? You can purchase tickets here!

:: Event Date

Friday, 24th Feb to Fri, 14 April

Weekends & Public Holidays: 11am and 2pm 

Weekdays: 10am 

:: Venue

KC Arts Centre - Home of SRT

Disclaimer: The giveaway is kindly sponsored by Singapore Repertory Theatre. We are not compensated for the post. All opinions expressed are entirely ours.

If you have enjoyed this post, please follow me on my Facebook Page where I share my parenting thoughts, food photos (be prepared for tons of them!), early shout outs for giveaways and interact with you, my readers! You can also follow me on Pinterest and Instagram!  

The Ant and the Grasshopper Giveaway by I Theatre!

Returning after a sell-out run in 2014 which Dumpling and I thoroughly enjoyed, The Ant and the Grasshopper returns this year with the same catchy songs BUT with bigger and more spectacular set and props! A fast-paced and interactive production full of fun, specially created with the younger – Primary and Pre-Primary audience in mind, but with unexpected twists and turns to keep even the grownups engaged, involved and on their toes!

The 50-minute run time is great for young children while the values touched on, in all I Theatre’s productions, will resonate well by the older children.  Previously portrayed as a puppet, the key character Nessa, returns as a “live actor” in this production where the transformation into a butterfly is more spectacular!    

:: The synopsis

Once there lived an Ant - a hard-working and ever-busy Ant who never seemed to have time for play or relaxation. And then there was Grasshopper, with time on his hands and nothing much to do all day.

And visiting from time to time, there is Caterpillar!

Somehow they were friends. All day long Ant would work hard, without stop or rest, collecting grains of wheat and storing them carefully in her larder.

And Grasshopper would laugh, and say. 'Why do you work so hard, dear Ant? Come, and rest awhile, listen to my song. Summer is here; the days are long and bright. Why waste the sunshine in labour and toil?'

Whilst Caterpillar calmly carried on, doing what caterpillars do best…

But Summer does not last long – and soon Winter and the frozen cold will come…

What will happen to Grasshopper then?

What exactly will Ant do?

And where will Caterpillar go?

:: A Note from the Artistic Director/Producer – Brian Seward

This is one of those stories you really think you know – until you examine it a little closer. In the original Fable by Aesop, the ants work all day, never taking time to appreciate the world around them. Whilst the Grasshopper does not see the value in working…

In Singapore we like to think that the Ants are the perfect example of what we should be like. But is the Grasshopper completely wrong in his point of view? And are the ants really following the best path in life? There could be something valuable to learn from the Grasshopper, and the other insects you will meet on the way. In our tiny Island nation I am sure we can learn something from this tiny insect world!

I am pleased to share that I have 2 sets x family package (4 tickets each package) to give away!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

:: Terms and Conditions

1. These tickets will be to the 11am show on Sunday 19 February. 
2. Winner is to collect the tickets directly from I Theatre office @ 27 Kerbau Road by 15 February (no onsite collection is allowed) during office hours.
3. Tickets are not exchangeable for cash or for other dates.
4. Please remember to leave a comment below on "What is your favorite Aesop Fable and why?"
5. The giveaway is not endorsed, associated with administrated by Facebook.
6. As the play takes place in Singapore, this giveaway is opened only to Singapore Residents. GOOD LUCK! 

Can't wait for the giveaway results? You can purchase tickets here!

:: Event Date

Sat, 18 Feb - Sun, 19 Mar 2017
18 Feb - 10 Mar 2017,  Thu - Fri: 10.30am
14 Mar - 17 Mar 2017, Tue - Fri: 10.30am & 2.00pm
Sat & Sun: 11am & 2.30pm

:: Venue

Sota Drama Theatre

Disclaimer: The giveaway is kindly sponsored by I Theatre. We are not compensated for the post. All opinions expressed are entirely ours.

If you have enjoyed this post, please follow me on my Facebook Page where I share my parenting thoughts, food photos (be prepared for tons of them!), early shout outs for giveaways and interact with you, my readers! You can also follow me on Pinterest and Instagram!  

Making Connections to the Real World - STEM Health Technology Workshop

One of the things which I feel Dumpling benefited a lot on from our early years homeschooling is that she was supported in her interest in the world around her. We made the decision to homeschool her because of her inquisitiveness and this was evident in the way she used to (and still does) question about things around us and how things work.

With the formal education system, to be honest, I feel that there's only so much that the school and teachers can do in extending on the topic of inquiry due to limitations on time and resources. At the start of last year, I organised a private STEM workshop where the children learnt about Aviation. Through the hands on team project, the kiddo understood about "thrust" and "drag" but in a really engaging manner.

In December last year, I helped coordinate another STEM workshop which is on Health Technology. The session was conducted by Yen Siow from Discovering without Borders where she is also the founder of the organisation. The objective of the workshop was to educate the children about the functions of our hearts, the biology behind it and the health technology that supports doctors. 

Yen started off with the introduction and leading the discussion with the children on the functions of the heart.

Yen, during her introduction 

A close look at the chambers of the heart. Can you spot the holes along the walls? 

 One of the workshop participants holding an occluder
(this wire mesh helps to close up holes in heart)

 Dumpling, together with her cousins, listening intently to Yen

Besides discussing closing holes in the heart, the children also learnt about heart rate, the clogging of arteries, diet, etc. Having 3 boys of her own, Yen is no stranger to engaging young children. In the workshop, Yen got the children to do a series of exercises to measure and chart their heart rate, something which they thoroughly enjoyed! 

Children holding on to "plank" for a minute to get their heart rate up

Documentation: an important part of Science. Here a participant documented her heart rate after each activity

The authenticity of the workshop shows in the sharing by Yen. Through creating their own ballooning "procedure" the concepts are made meaningful to these young participants. 

Understanding blockage in the arteries and the ballooning procedure

One thing that I learnt from Yen's workshop is that it always consists of a STEM challenge where the participants engage in a group project in building a "device" / an invention. What I personally appreciate is that Yen provides mainly recycled materials for the children to build their projects with. From a parenting perspective, I find this a good approach as I believe that children should also understand that they can have fun and build their own toys too, as opposed to parents buying them toys all the time. 

 

In the STEM design challenge that morning, the children were given a case study. From there, they are told to look into the "issues" of the person and to think up a device which will help the person.

The children broke out in teams where they then collaborated on the drawing and the planning of their devices to help the patients

Clearly someone had too much junk food!

Science, to me, is beautiful that way as it encourages children to question, think critically and to explore. So, when it comes to such workshops where there's group collaboration, projects and presentation, I usually take a backseat to listen and observe instead of stepping in.

The children were all given chances to speak up, explain and present their devices to their peers.

R demonstrating how the device works like a timer


A really cute device from another group

The device Dumpling's group came up with is a robotic dog which is able to scan and measure BP and Heart Rate, as well as dispense medication. The robotic dog (code name Alex LOL) has an inbuilt voice activated phone which the patient is able to make emergency calls too. (Seems like they watched Baymax too many times)

What I really like is that Yen's workshop goes beyond the school syllabus as the children are exposed to a larger spectrum of things and unit of inquiries. The topics are about the real world and it is about equipping our children with an understanding about the world and how they can contribute to it using STEM. I am amazed at how she was able to bring topics like Health to a level that these children not only understand but show interest in. 

The hands-on activities are of course a winner in my books. It is through the "doing" and the "tinkering" that give these children time to process and internalise, something which I find lacking in many of the instructional classes children attend these days. The STEM challenge is of course the cherry on top as it serves to tie in all the discussions they had where they now put their understanding to the "test".

The challenge encourages creativity which is clearly something Yen advocates. As she made her rounds to talk to the participants, she also probed them to think deeper with her line of questioning. She was both encouraging and enthusiastic, something which the children caught on as they happily shared and bounced their challenge ideas with her.

After attending 2 of her workshops and witnessing how the children enjoy the activities, I intend to make this a regular thing (once every 2 - 3 months) for Dumpling and her friends. If you like to join our private workshop, please drop me a line at beanienus(at)gmail.com :)

Discovering Without Borders

contact@d-w-b.org

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1649652445258369/

If you have enjoyed this post, please follow me on my Facebook Page where I share my parenting thoughts (both on the kiddo and my furkid), food photos (be prepared for tons of them!), outdoor fun, useful reviews, early shout outs for giveaways and interact with you, my readers! You can also follow me on Pinterest and Instagram!  

New Year Giveaway ~ Uncle G's Handmade's Signature Crackling Pork is back!!!

In just a span of 3 over years, Uncle G's Handmade has evolved to a household name that “market go-ers” hunt for.

Started up by a husband and wife team who are both food lovers, I previously did an interview with Uncle G here. Having made a name for itself with its crackling crispy roast pork, the duo is now offering a Christmas Party package!

How many times have we ever been stuck in a situation where we need to source for X’mas goodies from various eateries? Uncle G Handmade solves all of that for us with its latest X’mas offering: party package! Here's the menu:

:: Christmas Package : $20/pax

Greens

Roasted Vegetables

Carbs

Shepherd’s Pie (Lamb) or Cottage Pie (Beef)

Proteins

Crispy Roast Pork

Dessert

Creme Brulee / Tiramisu

I don't know about you but the menu hits all the right buttons for me!

With the new offering, I couldn't help but posted them these questions:

:: Why the sudden offer of a party package?
Uncle G: Uncle G's Handmade in fact is not only about our signature roast pork. 

We do have a range of products to offer, depending on occasion and customers. Hence, we offered the party package to introduce our other products. Fun fact 101: Our first product was actually pineapple tarts!

:: You shared that the package is customizable, if that's the case, what are the other options they have? 

Uncle G: Other options are actually customized based on customers' request. We have made, just to name a few, Shepherd's Pie, prawn paste fried chicken wings, chicken roulade, bread, cakes and cookies for different customers. 

We are also available as a food vendor for both public and private events where we can also customize the menu. For example, We recently made Korean Style Chicken drumettes for a private event.

Excited much? I am glad to share that Uncle G has kindly offered to sponsor 1.5kg (good for between 10 - 12 pax) of their signature Crispy Roast Pork again this year just in time for your New Year celebration!
(The Roast Pork is also one of the key items in the Party Package!)

Take part via Rafflecopter below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Terms and Condition:

1. As this giveaway is a food item, all participants need to be reside in Singapore

2. The giveaway is for 1.5kg (weight before roasting) of roast pork (good for up to 10pax!)

3. Collection will be by the winner at Ming Arcade, 21 Cuscaden Road, #05-04 on 31 December either between 12 - 1pm or 5 - 6pm.
4. By taking part in this giveaway, you agree to share your information with the sponsor

5. As the giveaway is a food item, it must be consumed within 3 hours of collection

Disclaimer: The giveaway is kindly sponsored by Uncle G's Handmade. 

Kenneth and Joey being featured in 联合早报! 

About Uncle G's Handmade

Uncle G’s Handmade was started together by Kenneth and Joey, a husband and wife team in 2013. Uncle G's Handmade debuted as weekend traders at Pasarbella’s soft launch, where it first introduced its Signature Crispy Roast Pork.

Kenneth has always enjoyed cooking and was inspired from watching cooking programmes and Michelin chefs’ videos on YouTube. Trained as an engineer, he enjoys hands-on hobbies which range from cooking, assembling and painting of model kits, wood work to mini electrical stuffs. This is why the word ‘handmade’ was added. However, cooking remains as his number one passion.

Together with his wife Joey, who loves research and all things pretty, they went on to attend professional baking classes and have since added chocolate, pastry and bread skills to their repertoire. In every pop-up, Uncle G’s Handmade strives to serve something new as they enjoy seeing others enjoy their food.

If you have enjoyed this post, please follow me on my Facebook Page where I share my parenting thoughts (both on the kiddo and my furkid), food photos (be prepared for tons of them!), outdoor fun, useful reviews, early shout outs for giveaways and interact with you, my readers! You can also follow me on Pinterest and Instagram!