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Family Bonds! Always learn to appreciate the blessings of having each other, treasure what you share, and strengthen family ties. By Raja Jumira
Happy families have strong family bonds. You can create this firm foundation by first committing to these four essential practices that will strengthen your family’s relationship.
Eat meals as a
family.
You’ve heard this before, and it really is important! Eating together sets the stage for conversation and sharing. Turn the TV off, and don’t rush through a meal. When schedules permit, have real conversations and enjoy one another. It can become a quality time most remembered by the young and old alike.
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Say
“I Love You”. Each day, tell your child how much you love them, and give them hugs and kisses, regardless of their age. Even on trying days, or after a parent-child disagreement, when you don’t exactly “like your child” at that moment, it is more important than ever to express your love. A simple “I love you” goes a long way toward developing and strengthening a relationship.
Play
with your children. Play with dolls, LEGO blocks, ball, make believe, sing songs, fly a kite, or any activity that is fun and interesting. It doesn’t matter what you play; just enjoy each other! Let kids see your silly side. Older kids enjoy cards, and computer games, while younger ones will have fun playing with anything... as long as it involves you!
Cook and bake
together.
Teach your children how to cook by making it a family fun time. Pass down family recipes from past generations, or get creative and come up with some new family recipes together. Start out slowly and remember to always supervise your children in the kitchen.
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grow
Brain-Building
Fun
Let’s start opening the windows of learning through brain-building activities, and find out why they are important for your child. By Raja Jumira
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child’s developing mind is nurtured by loving interactions, a secure and predictable environment, and hands-on experiences that invite exploration and learning. Parents, as children’s first teachers, should unlock doors and open windows that allow children to learn and grow. Think of a young brain as a computer – it has incredibly sophisticated hardwiring, but no software.
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A child has to develop their own software in order to utilise the power of their brain, hardwiring itself with every action and experience. Here’s how you can stimulate your child’s brain development. Provide an Children need interesting simple, handsvariety of brain- on experiences building activities for their brains and experiences to develop, such on a regular basis as rolling a ball on the floor, touching a cat or a dog, or flipping the page of a book. These experiences include touching, talking, listening, tasting, smelling, playing, singing, looking and running. All of these varied activities build young children’s brains. As young children are primed to learn from birth, the key is to provide a variety of interesting experiences over time. Exposing your child to new things helps the brain to strengthen old connections and form new ones. Think of one new activity or experience that you can introduce to your child every couple of days. Here’s what you can do Limit the time that your child spend on television, and encourage them to explore. For example, a bucket of water, a basin of sand, and a few cups and scoops can keep your child mesmerised for hours – and all along, they’re learning about volume and texture, liquids and solids. Plus, it’s engaging; they’ll develop persistence as they deal calmly with the fact that the water they’re pouring into the carefully dug hole keeps disappearing. Give time each Provide lots day to practise of time and and encourage opportunities repetition of for practise songs, stories and and repetition. other experiences There are a few things that build a child’s brain and
open opportunities for learning more than consistent repetition of healthy activities or experiences. Telling the same stories and singing the same songs over and over again may bore you, but it is not boring to children. Children learn through repetition. Repetition of an experience tends to set natural connections. For example, the pathways in the brain dealing with emotions are built and strengthened when parents respond day after day to a child’s smiles by smiling back or hugging the child. Have you ever noticed that young children like to repeat certain routines? For example, a child may prefer a certain bedtime routine each night, or a toddler may ask you to read a particular book over and over and over again. Why? This is because a young child’s brain is wired to encourage repetition of sounds, patterns or experiences that provide security, and therefore, developing strong neural pathways in the brain that become the highways of learning. Such repetition is good for your child, and is a practical and an easy approach to helping their growth and learning. Here’s what you can do Read stories or show pictures to your child over and over again. Children whose parents have read to them for 10 minutes a day, from age six months, have a brain that has received more than 300 hours of this type of stimulation by kindergarten. Talk, laugh and The key to sing – children language need to hear development in language a child’s brain is hearing language – lots of it! Children need to hear language from birth, long before they can speak. Toddlers, whose mother talked with them when they were infants, have bigger vocabularies and a solid basis
for later communication. Some of the ways that you can expose your children to language include playing rhyming games together, reading aloud, singing songs, speaking directly to your child, asking open-ended questions (not “yes” or “no” questions), and playing a variety of music from different types of instruments, cultures or genres. Music and language not only introduce children to words, but help them learn rhythm, sequences, spatial and math skills. Here’s what you can do Make up stories with your child, listen to classical music, read books and ask them questions about the story as you go. Young children Provide learn most opportunities that challenge efficiently and stretch a when they are child’s abilities provided with some opportunities to work slightly above their current ability – with the assistance of an adult, of course. For example, you may help your child learn to catch a ball, by first tossing a soft plastic ball to them lightly, and then slowly moving a little farther away over time as you toss the ball. Play games with children that help them learn new skills and provide a little challenge for them. Here’s what you can do Provide a bicycle for your child, and get them to learn how to cycle. Place their feet on the pedals, and push down one of the pedals with your hand to show the child how the bicycle propels forward. You can also give them a small push from behind while their feet are on the pedals. As the pedals move, let go slightly and your child’s legs will start to learn the pedalling motion through muscle memory. After which, just watch for smiles of pride!
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family
First Aid for Mums & Dads
When an emergency arises, how well do you know your first aid? Here are the top three common emergencies and what you can do to help.
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W
e know how your kids view you as their superhero, and there is nothing you won’t do to protect them. Be it at home or outdoors, having basic first aid knowledge can truly save the day! Scalds & Burns Scalds are categorised as first-, second- or third-degree, depending on the damage done to the skin. First-degree burns are limited to the top layer of skin and will result in redness, pain and minor swelling with no blisters. Seconddegree burns are more serious and would affect the skin layers beneath the top layer. They produce blisters, and cause severe pain and redness with a chance of the blisters popping.
The most severe burn is the third-degree burn. They involve all skin layers, as well as underlying tissues, and may cause the skin to appear waxy, white, leathery or charred. The burn is so severe that it might cause nerve damage. Second- and third-degree burns will require professional medical care, but minor ones or first-degree burns can be treated at home before heading to the docs. What to do Call for medical attention immediately if the burn comes from a fire, electrical source or chemicals, and is on the face, scalp, hands, joint surfaces or genitals. Remove your child from the heat source, followed by immediately removing any piece of clothing that is covering the burned area. Run cool water (not cold) over the burned area for at least three minutes. Do not use ice as it may further damage the injured skin. Contrary to popular belief, butter, grease or powder will not help soothe the burn. In fact, they might even cause infection. Apply Aloe Vera gel or cream to the affected area and protect it with a sterile gauze pad for the next 24 hours. Do not use adhesive bandages, as it is a choking hazard for young kids. Observe the burned area for the next few hours and seek medical care if it does not get better. Choking Choking is extremely dangerous as it blocks your child’s airway and might even cost them their life. If you notice your child gasping, wheezing, panicking, turning blue and becoming limp and unconscious, or have an inability to talk, cry or make sounds, it is time for serious attention. What to do For children above one year old, it is safe to perform the abdominal thrust. Otherwise, do not attempt it if you are not confident, or if the child is less than one year old. Instead, hold your child face down on your forearm and support your arm on your thigh. Ensure that your child’s torso is higher than the head. Use the heel of your other hand to thump your child in between the shoulder blades up to five times. Turn the child back up once the object is out, while still supporting the head and neck. In the event that the object is still not out and your child begins to lose consciousness, immediately call for an ambulance. In the meantime, perform CPR if you are experienced, or try to remove the object, but only if you can see it.
Cuts & Wounds As much as we would love to prevent cuts and wounds, they are bound to happen. They are painful and carry a high risk of infection if not treated properly. What to do For minor bleeding due to small cuts or abrasions, rinse the wound with water, and a mild soap if necessary, to clean out any dirt and debris. Protect the wound with a sterile gauze or adhesive bandage. Continue to observe the wound daily and consult the doctor if it is red, swollen or draining pus. Naturally, deeper wounds would need more careful attention. Start it off by washing the wound thoroughly with water, and take note of how deep the cut is. Ensure that your hands are completely sanitised, and then place sterile gauze over the entire wound. Apply continuous, direct pressure onto the wound for a full five minutes by pressing your palm against it. Do not replace the gauze, but simply apply another gauze pad should the blood soak through. If the bleeding does not stop after 10 minutes, your child might need stitches and it is time to call for the doctor. Continue to apply pressure until help arrives.
What’s In Your Kit?
You can opt to purchase a first-aid kit or alternatively, make your very own with these essentials: Antiseptic Wash and Wipes Sterile Gauze Pads Medical Adhesive Tape Band-Aids Tweezers Antibiotic Ointment Portable Scissors Sting and Bite Cream Non-Latex Gloves Hand Sanitiser
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With fun educational activities for boys & girls APRIL 4 201 149
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DragonHunters: Origins By Adan Jimenez & Felicia Low-Jimenez Illustrations Mabel Leng
Jared whistled to himself as he strolled down the main thoroughfare of his village. He was having a very good morning. First, the shopkeep at the fruit stall had given him an extra apple. Then, a galloping knight had avoided splashing mud all over him on his way to the royal castle. Finally, he had made it to the blacksmith's shop on time for once, thereby avoiding the master blacksmith's glare. Jared wasn't sure if these events happened by accident or design, but he wasn' going to question his good fortune. Brom, the master blacksmith, grunted his approval when Jared walked through the door. “Hello, Sir,” Jared said. “What would you like me to do today?” Brom pointed at the sword lying next to the whetstone. “Cool.” Jared put on the thick gloves they always used when handling hot metals, and then grabbed the sword. He could see where Brom had recently sharpened it, and there was steam rising from it. Jared grabbed the handle with both hands and carried the sword to the small pool of water they used for cooling things. He quenched it quickly as Brom had taught him, and steam poured out of the pool. When he was done, he turned to his master and smiled. Brom said, “Good. Now sweep.” Jared stopped smiling. It was his least favourite chore, but he knew better than to argue with Brom. He took the sword back to the whetstone and left the gloves where he found them. He went to the corner of the shop and picked up the broom. He had only just begun sweeping when he heard shouting outside. He stopped and tried to listen, but Brom was suddenly on his feet and heading towards the door. He
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grabbed his enormous broadsword on the way. Jared could not remember Brom ever lifting his sword
before. “Sir?” Jared asked. “Stay,” Brom said. “Sweep.” He was almost out the door before he turned back. “Sweep safely.” He slammed the door closed and was gone. Jared could still hear the shouting outside, but he knew better than to argue. He half-heartedly continued sweeping as the shouting got louder, and he heard something that sounded like explosions. He was starting to get really worried when a knight suddenly crashed through the door and landed on the floor. Jared dropped the broom and rushed to the knight's aid. Now that the door had been smashed, he could hear that the shouts were more like screams. “Sir, let me help you!” Jared did his best to help the knight to his feet, but the armour was heavy. “I don't know what I was thinking,” the knight said. “I knew this stupid armour would only slow me down.”
“You want to be helpful?” the knight asked. “Help me cut this armour off.” Jared grabbed two daggers nearby and gave one to the knight. He started cutting the straps holding the front and back pieces together as the knight removed his helmet. When Jared saw the knight's face, he stopped cutting immediately. “You're a girl!” Jared said. “And you're a kid!” Without her helmet on, the knight's long raven hair fell to her back, and it was obvious that she couldn't be much older than Jared.
“I'm sorry, Sir?” Jared asked.
“Why are you wearing knight's armour?” Jared asked.
When the knight finally stood up, Jared noticed he was actually about a head shorter than he was.
“Because I'm an idiot, now help me take it off!” she shouted. She turned to look out the broken door and
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Games PAST of the
What is your favourite toy? What games do you like to play? Do you think that children in the past had the same toys and played the same games as you? Let's learn about childhood games from the past.
Y
ou may be very familiar with computer and mobile games, but how well do you know the games of the past? Games of the past are simple and organic; they are made out of materials that people can find from their surroundings. Children growing up in the past had to be very creative and resourceful in order to play such games. Even something as
Zero Point
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simple as a pebble on the ground can bring so much joy and laughter! These games have changed and evolved as time passed, and some are still played by Singaporeans today. Here are some of the iconic games that your parents and grandparents used to play. Find out for yourself if you know them too.
This game requires the players to jump over the rope made out of connecting rubber bands. The levels get higher and are signified by the position the rope is placed – from the ankle to the knees and to the waist. For every level completed, the player earns one point. The player with the most points wins.
Capteh
Did You Know?
Capteh is made up of feathers attached to a rubber base, and is played by kicking it in the air. Players can play it on their own or with their friends, but the goal remains the same – they kick the capteh as many times as possible without it touching the ground. While we can still buy capteh at most of the neighbourhood provision shops, kids used to make their own by plucking or using chicken feathers, and nailing them onto bases cut from old rubber tires.
People who played these games stayed in kampungs. They are communities of wooden houses, which are very different from the tall and concrete flats that we live in today. With no playground to hang out at, children amuse themselves by doing simple activities such as climbing trees, catching fishes in the longkang (stream) and fighting spiders.
Goli Goli
A circle is drawn on a sand pit with a stick to mark the game area. The 'goli' or glass marbles are then placed in the centre of the circle. The players will then take turns to knock each other's marbles from a short distance away. Once outside the circle, the marble will be considered 'out' and will be confiscated by the person who threw it. The person with the most marbles at the end of the game wins.
Gasing
The ancestor to the 'Beyblade', the gasing – or the spinning top – is a traditional game played by the Malay community in the region. They come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. But in general, the top is made up of wood with a nail acting as the base. A rope is then coiled around it, and thrown quickly to cause it to spin. To win the game, players either compete by seeing which gasing spins the longest, or by releasing it near to each other in order to cause the opponent's gasing to fall first.
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