The answer...

I have the answer to the question.

What question?

I used to ask myself....how do kids know these characters like Elmo...Barney...Mickey Mouse...etc?

The answer....TV.

Yes...I think Yasmin watches too much tv at times.But what's a working mum to do when she has to rush ironing,cooking,washing the clothes,cleaning the house in a mere 2hrs or so...(hoping that the rest of the available time will be for dd before realising always that she'll be "flat" by then)?

I let her watch Barney.Sometimes,I watch the tv with her....and the commercials...well...what can I say...the marketing principle really works.She saw this commercial on Bob The Builder with that catchy tune.And then she asks me to buy the tickets for her(hmmm...I wonder who has taught her that?).She's able to recognize Bob the Builder's mechandise and wants me to buy it.Btw,that's not the only cartoons she knows....

I seriously try my best to pick out at least suitable tv contents for her...eg,no mtv...no violent shows.That's the best that I could do.But to eliminate tv from her life...I don't think so.It's a useful gadget but only if with proper adult guidance.

Meanwhile,Yasmin has picked up a few songs from Barney...

"If you're happy and you know it...clap your hand..."

Parenting Yasmin

What's a correct way to parent your child? The hard way...dictatorship? The soft way....liberal..?I bet that's really no answer to this question which is why you see many books on how to parent your child in the bookshelves in stores.Every parent is desperate to find THE solution.

What do I think about it? That's no direct answer to it.You'll probably need to learn and read and try solutions other parents have used.... that you are comfortable with.Every single child is different...so different approaches has to be used.

So I have my dear Yasmin now....who "squeezes" my brain juices...just to think of the words to use when talking to her.It's tiring.It's tiring when I know reverse psychology doesn't work on her.She's a stubborn one.Dh says she's like me(hey....who's talking...aren't you too?...Or maybe that's why it's double the power?)But she's really a soft-hearted person too.Not coz she's a girl.She's just that kinda girl who sort of... fights for her rights.I do hope it'll come in useful when she grows up.

But for now....she knows that I mean it when I say it.Yes....it isn't fun to see your child unhappy not getting what she wants.But parenting isn't always making your child happy(which is hard since I have so limited time with her).

Yasmin loves to sulk and cry to get what she wants.She knows that whimpering lets her get away from the crime or lets her what she wants.She gives one cute innocent whimper....and walaaah....she gets it.Ezpecially works on dh most of the time.It works on me when her grandparents(paternal and maternal)are around.They are her saviours.It's difficult for me to "win" in such situation.

One way to survive her "angin"...IGNORE the bad behaviour.Praise the good behaviour instantly.Works wonders on her.But must have great...great....great patience for that.

And to make matters worse,she mimics your "nightmarish" behaviour in even less than a second.She used to follow dh's actions of smoking till I sort of explain in my best-kinda-explanation to a two year old kid and made her "beat" anyone who smokes especially her dad.Now,she reports to me of anyone who smokes.

"Mama,papa smoke."

"Tak leh eh.Nanti sakit.Go pek papa."

Yasmin spanks papa.

"Papa.Jangan smoke lah"

I smile.Mission accomplished.

I haven't seen her "smoking" till now.Although it doesn't quite work on dh.Sigh.

I think parenting itself is such a massive brain exercise.I just can't imagine if I have another child....I think my hair will be turning all white.But then again....some are already turning white.Gosh.

But looking at her again....I know it's all worthwhile.

"Camp"

That's dh and dd on dh's birthday.Dah tue jugak orang tu!
And of course dd just loves birthdays.Even when it's not hers!

Anyway,dh wouldn't be home since he'll be off in "camp" for duty.So I decided to "camp" in my parent's place.I haven't been there for quite some time since work has been keeping me busy most of the time.My mum has been calling me asking when I'm planning to put dd at her place.So I guess this is a perfect timing.

We stayed over for four days.Lucky for me,my mum has stopped bugging me about breastfeeding.I seriously think dad has managed to sort-of influence her of the benefits.And yes....to those out there mums-to be....breastfeeding toddlers has great benefits.

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/bfextended/ebf-benefits.html

And the stay-over just reminds me a lot of my childhood days.Of coz,I too got some pampering.Delicious food.Desserts-mum always makes some "kueh-kueh"(now,I'm regretting not "tapau-ing" the putri salat home.My mum's place is like a 24hr kopitiam.Name it....and mum whips it up.I like.

I brought Yasmin to our "old" playground.We played the swing(the only playground I know of that still have a swing).I love that swing too.Quite sentimental about the surrounding changes too.I've lived there since birth till now.So it's like my "kampung".And now,it's Yasmin's "kampung".

She really "digs" the "pasar" which my mum brings her to if I'm working.Then she "forces" opah to the playground.She gets her Yakult daily.Mum thinks it's healthy until she finds out it's also full of sugars.She bought Vitagen instead.Health-conscious opah!Yasmin gets her "sweets" from Auntie Ah Leng(mum's next-door neighbour)though I've rationed her share(or rather ate her share).She gets to spray my mum's mini garden.

And I too got some pampering(haha...don't wanna say much).Even got dad to fetch me back home on his bike(I like)on one of my super busy days.Tak tahan lagi...have to ask loh.

But now....we are back home.Cosy as usual.But back for reality for me.Aaarrrggghhh....housework....again.Save me.

The week long weekend..

Who created these blogs anyway?

It's certainly a distressing moment when you plan to blog....and the

(1)internet connections just go crazy...(unable to connect despite you shifting the modem and cable several times..
(2)you've just entered the blogger website....and the computer hangs..

Ok..ok...the causes are not many...but the distress they cause....masha-Allah(wants to throw pc on the floor kind-of-reaction...together with the cables and all)

Hey...wait....shouldn't the question be..

Who created these computers anyway...?

Anyway...back to the important issue...dd of course(although dh is complaining that I write more on Yasmin than him)Hmmmm....I think it's safer lah....or dh will "hentam" me if I write about him.

I had a week off or so from work recently....the joy...

It's like re-living my SAHM-days.Days filled with family events no matter how simple it is.

A family picnic at Sentosa....

A simple birthday celebration...

A simple outing to TTSH(suppose to visit a relative...

At home...

It was simply relaxing....until Yasmin got the flu bug.She got the fever for 3 days that went up and down.We finally see the doctor on Mon(If you realise,the doctor's closed on Sun...1/2 day on Sat-so don't start putting that finger at me hoh).She was basically so worn-out by the virus that she went to sleep straight after taking the medication.That never happens!But I was glad that I was still able to breastfeed coz throughout the ordeal she literally "hang" onto me all the time.She didn't have much appetite to eat.So thank God at least she takes it breastmilk since she threw up everything including fresh milk.She didn't lose weight(at least when SIL weighs her)but she just looks "long-ish"....till now she's about 95% recovered.

But the tantrums....

Ok...that's another topic