Our Best Holiday Interruption

Imagine this.  

You are frantically finishing your work as the year-end deadline approaches, you still have a number of Christmas gifts sitting unwrapped in your living room, you barely have time to attend your next get together with friends.  Then just as you have finalized your hectic schedule, your perfect plan gets interrupted. 

About two weeks ago, I was re-introduced to a parable that I have heard a hundred times in Sunday School. It was the parable of the good Samaritan.

The Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37)

²⁵ On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

²⁶ “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”

²⁷ He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.”

²⁸ “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”

²⁹ But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 
³⁰ In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. ³¹ A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. ³² So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. ³³ But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. ³⁴ He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. ³⁵ The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’  
³⁶ “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” 
³⁷ The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” 
Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

In Christine Caine's book, Undaunted, she tells of how God spoke to her through this parable by emphasizing the phrase found in verse 34. "He went to him" 

Four simple words.  But that was all it took to set the Samaritan apart from the priest and the Levite.   Christine shared how the Lord impressed a message upon her when she read this verse (I have rephrased it a bit but the message remains the same):

“The only difference between the Samaritan and the religious people was that the Samaritan crossed the street.  The Samaritan was willing to have his plans interrupted.  He did not only stop but stooped down to help the broken man.  Stopping and Stooping are two very different things.  Because compassion is only an emotion until you cross the street. Then it becomes an action.” 

The priest and the Levite were not necessarily evil people. They were just busy people who refused to be interrupted.   

We do not always welcome interruptions. Unfortunately, through the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, the last thing that we allow ourselves to be interrupted with are the unspoken (or sometimes spoken) requests of our children to stop and spend more time with them.  When you go home tired with a thousand and one things on your to-do list, playing football for an hour or redecorating your daughter's dollhouse for the nth time do not rank high on the priority list. Often times, our children get whatever is left of our time and, more often than not, have to contend with a stressed out parent.

With that realization, Dens and I made a conscious decision this year to spend more fun, un-stressed, and un-interrupted time with the kids.  Regardless of the season, they do not deserve our spare time. This does not mean we will skip Christmas dinners with friends. It simply means we aim to arrange our schedule wisely so that there is still sufficient time spent with the children.

This holiday season, let us build beautiful Christmas memories for our Children.  Let them not remember Christmas as a time when their parents are most stressed out.  Spend more time with them. They are the interruptions that matter the most.

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The Beauty of Tutoring Our Children

Who loves to tutor their kids? I am sure most, if not all, moms do not enjoy being the resident tutor. Some days the kids amaze you at their speed of learning but there are also those days when you just want to pull your hair.

 

I, for one, have not been a fan of tutoring the kids. It usually starts out on a very pleasant note. Everyone sits down and happily listens to you. Then they start to get restless and you start to get impatient. Then before you know it, voices are raised and books starts to fly. Okay, I'm exaggerating on the last part. I don't really throw books but that is what I feel like doing sometimes.

 

Since our children's first language is now English, the Filipino subject is often the most difficult to study. I mean, they cannot even understand the instructions written in Filipino! But we try our best to review and lately, we have been persevering.

 

A few weeks ago my four-year old daughter had her mid-term exams in Filipino and she came home excited because she got a really high score. When her teacher and yaya told her she did a good job, she consistently replied "Because mommy helped me!".  Two weeks later my seven-year old son also had an exam in the same challenging subject. When he got home the day of the exam, he told me that his teacher told him he did a great job. He said he told the teacher "It's because mommy stayed up all night reviewing me".  Then last Monday as I was waiting for him at soccer practice, he saw me and ran to me with so much excitement. He said "Mom! I got 100% in my Filipino exam!" and he went on to say that the first thing he said when the teacher gave him his test papers were "Mom will be so happy!"

 

The past weeks' incidents inspired me to try my best to be a better tutor to my children. I never realized how much my children value the time I spend helping them with their school work.  And you know what? Something changed in our study time. There are now more laughter than tears. On most days, my children look forward to studying with me and I value the time we spend together even if it's over books and homework. I realized that I have become more patient and they have now appreciated the results of their hard work.

 

I have often told Dens that I don't need our children to always be at the top of their class. My priority is for them to enjoy school and value education. But now I am also realizing that getting good grades does not only mean avoiding failure. It is also a means to encourage them and let them know that they are capable.

 

So to all tutoring moms out there, there is so much value in what we are doing. On days when you feel like you're wasting so much time going over the difference of Panghalip and Panghalip Panao, know that time with our children is never wasted time. We are building their character and molding them to be confident individuals that can change the world, one subject at a time.

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The Decisions Parents Make

This post is inspired by one of my sister's best friends, Hannah, who is an only child. Whenever she is asked to do a task that can be a bit risky (anything from skydiving to eating a chicken meal by the streets), she would usually decline by saying "Only child ako".  While we always found her comment funny, there is indeed some truth in it.

The other day while running on the treadmill, i was lost in my thoughts and i remembered her statement. Then it made me realize how, as a mom, i have grown to have the same careful nature. Not because 'Only child ako' but because i am the only mom my kids will ever have. 

Before the kids came into the picture, i was more carefree. I grew up knowing my liver was not in tiptop shape but that never fazed me until I had Troy.  I started doing more research on how to take care of my health and overall live a longer and healthier life for my children.

My children will now always be a consideration on each decision that I make.  When you know that someone you love is very much dependent on you, you tend to make decisions to care for yourself on behalf of the other person. Any decision that may possibly hurt the other person will have to be thought twice or thrice over.

Motherhood indeed changes us.  Now it is up to us whether we will change for good or otherwise. I challenge all parents to start taking care of yourselves more. You are the only mom or dad your child will ever have. Make your life count. You are irreplaceable to them.


 

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The Real Joy of Our Children

So last weekend we found ourselves in Oslob, Cebu on another family trip. We did a host of amazing things with the kids from swimming with the whalesharks to taking a dip under the breathtaking Tumalog falls.  But amidst all those fun things, one event stood out for Troy. Shopping and spending time with me.

On our last day in Cebu, we visited a mall which was right across our hotel. Everyone had their own mission so we decided to split up. Troy decided to go with me since both of us did not have any agenda.  We just walked aimlessly around the mall.  To me, it was not an extraordinary experience as I just shopped like i normally would.  Once in a while, I would ask for Troy's opinion on some products that i liked and he would ask me the same on things that he saw. We walked around chatting and laughing like good friends. As we were heading back to the hotel, Troy was smiling from ear to ear and he suddenly said "You know mom, you're not my normal mommy today". I did not know what he meant so i prodded. He further explained that i was so happy and so much fun to be with that day.  Eeps! That compliment stung a little.  We talked about it some more and i understood his heart.

I have been thinking about what Troy said ever since he said it last Sunday.  I reflected on the many times that we enjoyed things together.  How did that short shopping trip have such an impact on him?  Then I realized that I was a friend to him that day. I was not the parent who had to say "Look only but we're not buying, okay?" when he wanted to look at toys. I realized that I did not treat him like a child when i spoke to him about the things that I bought.  After one of my purchases, i even told him "I'm so happy i am finally able to buy this! I have wanted this for so long!" I did not realize it then but now that i think about it, i realize that it's something i would probably say to Dens but not really to my children.

While our kids need us to guide them since we are their parents, they also need us to be their friend. Time spent with them does not automatically make it 'Quality Time' even if we're doing things that they enjoy. Laugh with them and be silly together. Last night i played Wii with Troy and we had the time of our lives laughing at each other's wrong moves.  I did not try to make it into a teachable moment but simply had fun with him as i normally would with my friends.  I hope that i can consistently be the 'not normal mommy' for Troy.  Someone he would love to always spend time with even when we're not doing anything exciting.  And one day when he is all grown up and still loves spending time with me, that would be such an awesome reward.

 

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Bangkok for Kids!

I've always thought of Bangkok as a shopping haven. Well, rightly so. But our last visit made me realize that they also have a lot of fun places for the kids.  I'd like to share with you two fun parks in Bangkok that the kids enjoyed during our recent trip.

(1)  Siam Ocean World

The aqua marine park is conveniently located at the basement of the Siam Paragon Mall.  It is perfect for families who cannot decide whether to go shopping or visit a children's park.  You can finish Siam Ocean World in 2 hours and spend the rest of the day shopping and dining inside the mall.

The park contains a lot of interesting sea creatures that are not usually available in most aqua marine parks.

Some poisonous frog - think Rio 2

King Crab!

Here are some fun activities the whole family can enjoy at the park:

The Glass Bottom Boat Ride is an ideal adventure ride for the whole family. This is the best way for the kids to experience riding a boat in shark-infested waters.

  

For thrill-seekers, i encourage you to try to dive with the sharks or do the Ocean Walker in the same shark aquarium. My sister and i were planning to do this but we didn't have enough time since we had to meet some friends for dinner. Maybe next time.

Another fun way to enjoy the huge sharks in the park is to watch the 5D Cinema Xtreme which is a virtual ride that allows you to have close encounters with the deep sea creatures.

Shark Feeding Show

Watch the divers feed the sharks. The sharks were so impatient they dove into the basket to get their own meal.

Shark Feeding

You may also check out the park's official website for the park schedule and ticket prices: http://www.siamoceanworld.co.th

(2) Safari World

The highlight of the trip for the kids is definitely Safari World. Troy came back telling Dens that he'll bring his dad there one day. He thoroughly enjoyed seeing the animals in a wild but controlled environment.

One thing that really amazed me in Safari World was feeding the Giraffes up close. The place claims to have the largest herd of Giraffes in the world - counting over 300 as of today. 

The kids enjoyed petting and feeding these amazing animals. I never realized Giraffes were that big until we saw them up close and personal in Bangkok. Some of them had heads almost as big as Dawn! No kidding.

Another Safari World highlight was the elephant show. You simply cannot visit Thailand and not see an elephant show! Troy and Dawn wanted to ride the elephants but got too scared to try when we had the chance. I was even able to volunteer to have an elephant walk over me during the show. I only have the video but will try to share some pictures when i get the chance. My mom was so scared the elephant might crush  step on me.

My sister, Tammy, riding an elephant

The kids also enjoyed the Orangutan show. The set was very colorful and the show was funny...well, funny for the kids. I honestly had more fun watching the kids laugh to their hearts' content. 

Finally, there was also the bird clinic where they kept pregnant birds and their babies. It was pretty awesome -- not to mention a good break from the heat since this area is fully air-conditioned. 

Visit their website for more park information http://www.safariworld.com/

One thing i learned from this trip is that there is truly no country that is unfit for kids.  This is simply because there are children in all countries. If there are no widely-known theme parks, then you just have to find the places where locals bring their kids. 

My kids left Thailand with so much fond memories. I'm sure they don't mind going back next year. Maybe they will be brave enough to ride the elephant then. We'll see.

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Tried and Tested Tips on Traveling with Kids

As you know from my previous post, i recently traveled with my two kids to Thailand. Here are some tips and tools that helped me go through it with ease.

1. Fill out all embarkation cards at home.  It's very difficult to be too busy filling out the cards in a crowded airport when you need to fix your eyes on your kids every 5 seconds. Likewise, i also suggest filling out disembarkation and custom & immigration cards inside the airplane for the same reason.

2.  Bring a stroller.  This will be your best decision ever. Of course, you need to train your children to ride in strollers beforehand. Otherwise you will find yourself chasing the kids while carrying the stroller. Not glamorous at all.

My personal favorite is the Aprica Karoon Plus. I love how lightweight it is and that i can open and close the stroller with one hand. 

global.rakuten.com

3. Another option is to use a Backpark with Harness. I bought ours a long long time ago but never had the heart to use it. I was torn between safety and having people think we're treating our kids like dogs on a leash.  But this recent trip made me rethink my priorities. There were times when Troy was tired and Dawn would offer the stroller to her brother.  This means she will need to walk with me instead. I would still hold her hand (and the leash) while walking. But at least in case i had to use my hands to fill out forms or get some things from my bag, there is no risk of her running away on her own.  So i decided that people may judge all they want but my kids' safety is more important than that.

http://www.oocities.org

 4.  Bring out new activity books or download new games or movies on your iPhones and iPads. These will keep them entertained during the waiting period (in flight and pre-boarding). Please note that it has to be NEW. Old games and books may not excite them enough to keep still for a long time.

5.  Bring water bottles that are half-filled with water. I personally use the Thermos Funtainers for my kids because it's spill-proof.  The reason it's important to bring them is so that you don't need to ask for cups with water while eating inside the airplane. Imagine the chaos when they accidentally flip the table and spill the water. Not cool (or ironically, that's all your legs are going to feel when the water spills). I always just ask the flight attendant to fill the water bottles with water in case we run out. I prefer them half-filled since i don't want to carry heavy containers inside my bag.

6.  Put your safety on!  I found two very useful identification tags for my kids.

The first is the MyTag (http://mytag.ph) Klein slender silicone bracelets.  It's really chic and useful. I had my kids' names engraved together with our contact details (mobile number and email address) on the steel tag. I taught my kids to show these to the security guards in case they cannot find us. They only cost P400 each which already comes with the engraving.

The next one is the Safetytat Tattoo (http://www.safetytat.com/).  It's a temporary tattoo that will last for about 3 days of sweat and shower. I used this on my 3-year old since she may be too young to fully explain the concept of the ID bracelet.  I like her contact details to be immediately seen in case someone needs to reach us. I placed the tattoo on her arm and wrote down our contact number using the special pen that came with it.

7.  Finally, talk with your children before the trip.  As i've mentioned in my previous post, they are more matured that we usually give them credit for. Explain the dangers of being too rowdy in a crowded place and what they can do to help make the trip enjoyable for the entire family.

That's it! Hope you found these tips helpful. Have fun on your next vacation.

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Are Your Kids Protected?

Last December, some members of our family had severe bouts of diarrhea and it was just awful.  Most of us had to take oral hydride tablets to avoid getting dehydrated. My mom almost wanted to admit me to the hospital for dextrose - but thank God my friend sent some Oral Dextrose which i diligently drank every hour.  During those days, one of my fears was really getting my kids infected. I know that diarrhea could be dangerous for smaller children as they're more prone to dehydration.

Ria Tanhuatco-Trillo interviewing Barbie Almalbis-Honasan

A few days ago, I was invited to attend a talk at the Makati Shangri-la Hotel by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK).  GSK launched a No Hope Lost campaign to educate parents to vaccinate their children.  The discussion focused on the top two leading causes of mortality and  morbidity among children less than 5 years of age.  Upon hearing 'pneumonia' and 'diarrhea', the mommy in me listened intently. I've heard of friends and families with kids getting confined due to pneumonia and diarrhea. I knew there were risks but i honestly did not realize the gravity of it. 

Facts about Pneumonia:

• Pneumonia is the single greatest cause of death in children worldwide. In fact, pneumonia is the leading cause of illness and death among Filipino children less than 5 years old. National statistics show an estimated 37 Filipino children die of pneumonia every day.1

• Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung which affects primarily the microscopic air sacs known as alveoli. 

• Symptoms: cough, fever, chills, headaches, loss of appetite, wheezing, chest pain, fever, and rapid or difficulty breathing.

Facts about Diarrhea:

• Diarrhea is defined as having loose or watery stools at least three times per day, or more frequently than a normal individual.

• Complications: Acute cases can lead to significant fluid loss and dehydration, which may result in death or other severe consequences.

• Cause: Rotavirus Gastroenteritis (RVGE) is the common cause of diarrhea and severe dehydration in young children.

• Rotavirus infects virtually every child within the first 5 years of life, irrespective of race or socio-economic status. That is why it is called a “democratic virus.”

On top of the above facts, i also found out that the Rotavirus can stay on solid surfaces for several days. So it's very easy to get infected. This idea frightens me because daughter still thumb sucks once in a while.  I can only imagine the things that she has touched before the thumb goes to the mouth.

Here are some tips that protect your children:

• Exclusive breastfeeding for at least 6 months (yay! check for both my kids)
• Adequate nutrition
• Vitamin A supplementation. Make sure it's included in your child's multi-vitamins
• Frequent hand washing
• Vaccinate

SoMoms on the Commitment Board

I was surprised to learn that a lot of parents are still not aware that there are vaccines available to prevent Pneumonia (Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine or PCV) and Rotavirus (Rotavirus Vaccine or RV).  We had both our children vaccinated early on and you should too.  Both vaccines can be administered to infants as early as 6 weeks of age. It is important to follow the correct vaccination schedule as the Rotavirus is more severe and frequent in infants aged 3 to 24 months.

Parents, please ask your pediatricians about these vaccines and protect your child from these lethal diseases.  As the saying goes, an ounce of prevention is always better than a pound of cure.

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