Femme Power

Archive for the ‘Family and Parenting’ Category

Though my daughter is all grown up, I still love looking at cute Baby Clothes.  They never fail to put a smile on my face.

Here are some of the adorable designer baby clothes I found online that I couldn’t help but admire:

Pupa soft dress with diaper cover by Estella

Choosing clothes for our kids and babies do not only center on being cute and stylish but also on comfort and durability.  Being a practical mom, I personally like tops that are easy to match with any bottoms.  And even though I scrimp on a lot of expenses, I put a premium on baby clothing.  Having learned from experience, I wouldn’t go for cheap yet of poor quality baby clothes - those made of fabrics that stink, bleed, and shrink so bad (worse, with buttons and threads dangling after a few washes).

When you choose the right stuff for your little ones even if they’re a bit pricey, they can actually last for years and be handed down to your next baby or your niece/nephew.

Babies can’t complain about their getup. When garbed with uncomfortable clothes, they either get itchy, sweaty, develop skin rashes and allergies or they simply cry. That’s why comfort is on top of my considerations more than the cuteness of style.

I normally go for soft and comfy materials.  I also prefer fabrics that let the clothes breathe especially that my daughter is prone to respiratory problems.   When choosing a baby outerwear, it’s a no-brainer to take into consideration the weather condition and/or the climate to help you decide what material to choose and how thick or thin it should be.

Babies and kids are able to sleep better and play more freely when they’re wearing comfortable clothes.  No stress for the baby, no worries for the parents.

Since I’m still a little dizzy and incoherent to write a new post, I opted to share this fun quiz with you which I found over this blog. I tried it but I only had 80% correct answers. Either my mind isn’t back to normal yet or I really have trouble recognizing logos which I see on the Web almost daily. Sigh. Wanna try it yourself?

Math is the subject I most dreaded back in school.   Not that I even tried to study it by heart but I was sort of transfixed into believing that Math was a hard subject and since my classmates disliked it, I grew to dislike it too.  I mentioned this in one of my previous posts when I was narrating how I’m currently tutoring my daughter Bianca in a way that she’ll enjoy and understand Math better. This way, she enjoys Math and looks forward to our Math sessions every afternoon, after school. As for me, I don’t have a choice but review her reference books and learn to solve Math problems by heart so I can pass on my learnings to my Second Grader.  After all, you can’t teach what you don’t know.

Since Bianca is still in primary school, it shouldn’t be hard for me to teach her basic Math applications.  But since she’s also into Advance Math sessions in school every Saturday, she already encounters Math word problems that are a little harder than the problems they have in their daily Math class.

But thanks, there’s nothing yet like “five less than the total of a number and three” because I really get fuzzy with Algebra word problems, lol!  High School and College students are lucky now to have the power of the internet where they can find Math help online that’ll guide them to solve the hardest Math problems wherever they may be.  Tutorvista.com is the students’ key to finding Math answers with its thorough online tutorials.  They even have a homework help program, how neat is that? Their expert Math tutors cover Algebra, Geometry, Number theory, Calculus, Trigonometry, Discrete Math, Statistics and Probability and Boolean Algebra.  So the next time you encounter stuff like “If A = B x C, B and C are called factors of A,” and no one in the family can enlighten you with it, try getting some Algebra help online.

My daughter’s school recently launched a music program for its interested students.  The program is geared at teaching the kids how to play the guitar.   Since my daughter Bianca was so eager to join and she has lots of spare time after classes, my hubby and I decided to enlist her.

We bought her an acoustic guitar for P1,200 (around $25).  I say it’s a justifiable cost considering the skill she’ll learn and enjoy at the same time.  Each participant pays only P30 every session so it’s really a neat offer.

Bianca’s enthusiasm is unmistakable, she even tried to teach me the basics.  I don’t know but my motor skills don’t seem to work with it, I get my fingers pressing the wrong cords all the time.  Lol! What excites us parents is the recital that the kids will do as part of the program’s commencement exercises.  I can’t wait to see these kids perform on stage.

Having no time yet for some beach fun, my daughter chooses to frolic in her inflatable pool and apple tent at the rooftop.  No hassle, no cost, no need to skip classes for travel.  Yey!

Pamanhikan is a Filipino pre-wedding tradition where a man asks for a woman’s hand in marriage, with the blessings of her parents.  Normally, it is done by going to the woman’s house (or in a neutral place like a restaurant, etc.) to meet with her parents and other family members and to formally discuss the boyfriend’s wedding proposal. It normally comes with a dinner or a party hosted by the woman’s family as prelude to the upcoming union. The family of the would-be groom brings gifts and food as custom too.  Some pamahikans are grand and festive, some are practical and simple.  It is during the pamanhikan where the wedding plans are laid out and agreed upon by both parties.

I don’t know what other countries are practicing this but it is common in the Philippines.   My kuya (older brother) and my parents did just that a couple of days ago.  They drove for five hours from Davao City to Cagayan de Oro City to meet with the family of my kuya’s fiancee. The pamanhikan went well and I can never get more excited than this - My kuya is getting married!  Kuya Ryan, a military officer, is finally tying the knot with his doctor girlfriend this November.  That means I’ll have to fly back to my home island Mindanao for the wedding celebration and fulfill my kuya’s request that I take charge of the after-wedding program as emcee.

I’ll be more than glad! It’ll be great to be part of this important event in my kuya’s life.  I also can’t wait to see my parents and siblings again.   I know it’s going to be a lovely wedding!

Are you one of the many people who dislike Math?  You’re not alone.  There are a lot of different reasons why a lot of people hate Math but mostly it could come from a series of bad Math experiences in school.  Some may have had a stern Math teacher, or some difficulty understanding some concepts, etc.  In my case, however, I acquired it.

When I started grade school, I remember I enjoyed Math but most of my classmates dreaded it.  Plus our Math teacher wasn’t so encouraging, she was scary herself.  Then I realized that I was starting to dislike Math just like most of the kids in school.  I hated it when our Math teacher in 3rd grade would pit us girls against the boys in a flashcard challenge.  The game was to test how quickly we could add or subtract 2-digit numbers.  Not only was it a test of our aptitude in Math but also of our confidence and stability under pressure. Curiously, I didn’t hate this game whenever we played it with my siblings and cousins at home.  So why did I hate it in school?

Back in college, I hated my accounting class.  Not that I even tried, I didn’t give myself a chance to learn the basics because my mind was already wired that I disliked Math.  I was only forced to study it when my teacher almost dropped me out of his class for my numerous absences.  It was then that I realized accounting wasn’t that hard after all, what was I thinking? Why was I running away from it?

Now, as a mom, I don’t want my daughter to acquire that dislike in Math.  That’s why whenever I tutor her at home, I always make extra efforts to make Math learning fun.  I use props like popsicle sticks, toys, play money, and animal cut-outs to represent numbers.  I also cut out letters C,L,X,V, and I and use them in teaching my daughter the Roman numerals.  I also stretch my patience because scolding her for missing a few points wouldn’t help. I believe that when your child is having fun in learning, he or she absorbs the lesson faster and retains it longer.  Plus, she’ll look forward to your Math sessions everyday.  And if your child enjoys Math so much, he or she won’t easily be dissuaded by classmates to dislike Math like they do.

True enough, my daughter exhibits good grades in Math.  She currently attends advance Math classes every Saturday with a few classmates and so far, her first test result on this special class was very impressive.  And it was music to my ears when she told me, “Mom, I love Math!”