Great News

Posted by: Sharmila Rajah Post(s) by this blogger

Look Mummy - I'm standing!

Shamindra has begun walking albeit with a limp. With every step he’s growing more confident and as his doctor said, he may be running soon. He’s thrilled about being able to walk again.

Our last doctor's visit confirmed that Shamindra is well on the road to recovery. His fracture line has disappeared and new bone mass was forming.

Shamindra first began walking by holding onto things and holding onto our hands; then he later braved himself to stand on both feet and just a couple of days ago took a step forward. After countless tries of walking and falling flat on his bottom, he is now walking quite steadily.

We’re all thrilled!

Thanks for all your kind support, concern and well wishes!

 

An update

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Still in high spirits..

It’s been a week since Shamindra’s fall. He’s adjusting to the fact that he can’t walk. He’s crawling to get around. He’s not quite comfortable putting his injured foot completely down. He is very cautious, taking tiny steps forward. He has begun by riding his trike.

We have an appointment with the orthopedic surgeon this week.

A Painful Tumble

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Shamindra had a fall yesterday and after an x-ray, the doctor has confirmed that he has a light non-displaced fracture on his left tibia (leg). This means that there’s a light break through the bone but the two pieces of bone are still in the proper positions, lined up with one another. We suspected something amiss as soon as he fell when he was unable and unwilling to use his foot.

No cast was required but the little one is not to put pressure on his foot. Shamindra is naturally miserable (not so much because of the pain) because he is unable to walk or run.

The doctor says he will be able to walk in a week’s time and run in two. In the meantime he’s to be carried.

Our hearts go out to him but it’s a relief to know that a child’s broken bone will usually heal faster than an adult’s and doesn't typically require surgery.

My Four Year Old

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The countdown has begun ….

Ayanna celebrates her fifth birthday next month and she’s excited!
We’re letting her in on planning her birthday party, which will be held with her friends at school. She picked the venue. Ayanna also chose a princess theme for her party. Now that she’s old enough it’s a great way of making her feel responsible and involved.

Ayanna’s moving into an exciting fifth year – one that’s going to involve a new school, new friends and teachers.

As Ayanna matures, there are times when she finds it a challenge to cope with her feelings of frustration or anger. If she begins to whine or get emotional, I usually tell her that I will leave the room but will count to five before I return and hopefully by then she would be in a better mood. It usually gets her out of her mood quite quickly. Taking a deep breath – inhale and exhale- helps. Other calming activities include taking a walk or heading out to the playground. Such activities help her learn to identify her strong feelings and they make her realize that she’s able to control them.

The Crucial Debate

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We’ve been discussing this for some time. After all Ayanna will be 5 next month and it’s about time we decided. The debate – Private vs. International school.

The latter has won the debate. After debating both pros and cons and narrowing down the schools that fit our budget and education preference, we’ve chosen an International school. Ayanna begins this September her foray into the next level of education.

We chose International over Private for several reasons –

- As preparation for a  future that may involve studying abroad
- An all-encompassing education curriculum that places equal emphasis on academics, the social and cultural development of a child through a diverse range of activities and extra-curriculum such as sports, music, art and drama.
- An education that uses English as its medium
- A class environment (smaller sized classes) that encourages and promotes interaction, critical and analytical thinking

We hope we have made the right decision towards providing Ayanna with an all-rounded education by choosing International schooling over other options.

What have you decided for your own child? Is your child already experiencing International or private education – if yes, what has the experience been like so far?

 

 

 

The Toothbrush Battle

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This is one battle that I seem to be losing. I simply cannot get Shamindra to open his mouth to brush his teeth. He says ‘done’ even before I can get the toothbrush in.

I try to distract him and while he’s playing with something else, I go in for the ‘clean-up’. It’s no easy task mind you. We’ve tried singing songs, making funny faces but nothing really works.

We allow him to brush, which he sometimes does. Shamindra simply does not like the idea of opening his mouth. We praise him and encourage him when he does, which is very rare.

Any suggestions how we could move closer to winning this battle?
What are your practical tips and tried-and-tested methods?

19th month update

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Up and up we go...

Shamindra is well past his one-and-a-half-year mark and settling into his 19th month.

He’s learning new skills and trying many new things. His hand-eye coordination and balance continue to improve yet falls are inevitable. He’s taken to climbing – not a chair or kitchen counter is left unexplored. This of course raises safety issues. We’ve had to make several changes around the house to accommodate this eager climber. We make sure that Shamindra gets plenty of opportunity to climb, whenever possible, at playgrounds and at Gymboree on the play structures.

Shamindra’s vocabulary continues to expand. He attempts new words and is able to fill in the blanks when we read familiar stories. Reading together, and labeling objects to him helps build his vocabulary.

He’s becoming increasingly aware of concepts such as heavy and light; he also loves matching shapes and colours together. He simply loves emptying boxes and containers before filling them up again. He’s also finally mastering the skill of stacking blocks before knocking them down, which he finds to be absolutely fun.

Shamindra loves to imitate, which means he’s an eager and enthusiastic helper who simply wants to assist in most household chores.

 

Welcome home daddy!

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We're happy you're home Daddy!

We’re ecstatic! Daddy is back home after being away for about three weeks. The extra tickles and giggles have returned; so have the goofy faces and the physical play.

Dads make priceless contribution as parents. A dad’s role has astounding influence on the social, emotional and intellectual development of a child.
I see this with Aynanna and Shamindra and how much they value their dad’s attention and time, especially at play. It’s true fathers play differently with their children, taking part in more physical and vigorous play activities. Fathers spend a larger part of their time (than mothers) engaged in play. Dads are seen to encourage teamwork and stimulate children to experiment with new games, skills, and to initiate children to push their limits and abilities.

Sports Day!

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My Pom Pom Girl - All dressed up

Ayanna finished the week with her Sports Day. She had plenty of fun performing the march past, drill with pom poms no less and her class sports items.

It was great watching Ayanna and her classmates compete together as a team. Though we were thrilled when she won first place and to have cheered her on, we emphasized that sports was about having fun and working up a sweat with some good exercises. For a group of four, five and six year olds, they certainly exhibited quite a good understanding of the concept of teamwork which involves sharing and taking turns. Everyone was a winner that day, receiving gifts even when they did not get the top three positions. Hooray!

An exciting week

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Ayanna has had an exciting week; one that’s been filled with plenty of activities. She started the week with her Yamaha concert, akin to a graduation concert (though on a small scale) from Book 1 to Book 2. The Yamaha system truly builds confidence in kids and nurtures a love for playing music. The kids in Ayanna’s class were so eager to perform; and they each displayed a strong sense of accomplishment at the end of it all. Each one of them had begun learning how to play with just the right hand, followed by the left and by the time Book 1 was complete, they were able to play a piece with both hands. No easy feat for these young pianists!

The importance of music
Toddlers and preschoolers have a lot to gain from listening to music. It's fun, for one thing, and it also encourages movement, which is important for young children who are perfecting their motor skills. The Yamaha system helps you bond with your child. Studies suggest that music lessons can increase brain power and the piano is a good instrument to start with.