One of the killer points about owning a car in Singapore is Parking! As the family goes to the Orchard Area regularly, here are my tips about Parking in the Orchard Area.

In order to save money, I try to mix my Parking with Public Transport. As a result, I try to park close to MRT stations that are just outside the CBD gantries. With ERP charges going up to $2.50 at certain times, avoiding these gantries can result in good cost savings.

Parking close to City Hall

If you are going to the Bugis, City Hall area, and if you want to be near the East West Rail, Parking at Raffles Hospital is a good alternative.

Located just outside Bugis MRT, the Carpark only charges $1.83 per entry from Mon to Fri after 5pm. (Please be aware that this charge is only applicable to weekday nights and not applicable on weekends)

This is an ideal car park, if you are thinking about weekday shopping within the City Hall area.

Parking in Orchard Road Area

The most surprising thing about ION is the Parking Charges. Compared to Takashimaya – it is cheap!

On Mon – Sun, from 5pm onwards – expect only to $3.74 per entry!

That is really a bargain, considering its central location.

I also usually avoid Coupon Parking next to Wheelock Place, as Fatimah is “too on” at that car park. If you are late for 5 mins, you will find a parking fine on your windscreen.

A good alternative is Far East Shopping Centre. This is the one next to Wheelock and not next to Scotts Shopping Centre.

Parking Charges are at $3.50 per entry from Mon to Sat from 5pm onwards.

Sunday Parking is $3.50 all day! 

Parking near Paragon and Takashimaya

If you think that ION is a bit too far to your shopping area, you can also park at “The Heeren”.

This  “Ghost Town” of a mall offers great parking, as it has been largely forgotten by the shopping public.

From Mon – Sat, it is only $3 per entry from 5pm onwards.

On Sundays and Public Holidays, it is $3 for 1st 3 hours, and $1.30 for next subsequent half/hour.

That is definitely quite affordable considering the prices at the Paragon.

Ok…these are my Parking Tips for now…They are definitely not exhaustive, and if you have better spots, do let me know! I am definitely not a guru, but just a parent looking to save a few dollars!  

To get the latest parking rates, you can visit Sg Car Mart and One Motoring

One of my most pressing questions is:

How do I prepare my child for Primary School?

Recently, I met up with Fiona Walker (CEO of Julia Gabriel for Learning, Chiltern House Child Care Centres and Julia Gabriel School of Education), and I asked for her opinions on this topic:

How well a child copes with the transition into Primary One will depend on how well they are prepared for that move.

There are a number of factors for parents to consider.

Firstly how do YOU feel?

Your attitude will greatly impact your child’s attitude towards the new school.

You must be confident this is a positive move for your child, and one that with support he is ready for. If you are shaky about the transition your child will pick that up and lose faith in the belief that she will be just fine there.

When faced with a new and unknown situations, children will naturally look to their parents for cues on how to behave.

Talk to your child about the fun and joy you remember about your school days, the friendships you forged and the happy memories you have of that time.

Secondly, remember we are the sum of all our experiences.

Children will face a new situation with the knowledge and experience gained from previous activities, experiences and feelings. The more positive experiences your child has had outside of the home and away from immediate family the more confident they will be when faced with a new environment and people.

By enabling our children to attend activities they enjoy and arranging social play-dates and sleepovers we build up their confidence in managing in unfamiliar situations.

More than academic learning it is the life skills of confidence, positive communication, high self esteem, problem solving and creative thinking that children need to make a success of new situations. As parents we can help children develop these skills by developing trusting bonds, playing with them, enabling them to play with peers, modeling positive discipline at home, by reading together and listening to their ideas and thoughts.

Prepare your child for the transition by talking about the expectations in primary school, the need to buy food from the canteen, the need to be able to ask for help and directions when feeling unsure or lost. Some preschools visit a nearby primary school in Kindergarten Two and this can be a valuable trip for many children who are unsure of what primary school will mean.

You cannot prepare a child for P1 by putting them into intensive tuition programmes in the last term of K2. Yes, children do need to be academically ready but the expectations are not nearly as high as some parents remember them to be. If your child is able to read basic sentences, write basic sentences and do relatively simple mathematics they will be fine, as long as they have a sense of enthusiasm and look forward to making new friends and can adapt to new environments.

Thirdly, ensure you have realistic expectations of your child.

Each child is different and some children take on the new challenge with enthusiasm and hardly a backward glance, others will need a longer time to warm-up and may require more support and understanding from you and their teachers before they are really comfortable in their new school. Some children will find the academic work easy but may struggle with the organizational skills needed to be independent or the confidence needed to make new friends.

If you know what your child is likely to find more challenging you can help them accordingly. It is a common fact that children, and adults for that matter, learn more readily when they are happy.

So take the time to arrange play-dates and help them organize their school bag and books. Once they have friends and are confident in their new routines the learning will most likely fall into place.

Lastly, keep it all in perspective.

School is important, of that there is no doubt. But it is not everything!

There is a tendency to become somewhat consumed by ‘preparing’ your child for Primary One. But what you ultimately have to remember is school is not everything and not everyone will excel in all areas of school life. What we must remember is that our children heading off to ‘big school’ are only 6 years old and they have a right to a happy childhood.

Don’t become so consumed by making sure they are successful in school and the academic subjects taught there that we forget to ensure our children have a balance in their life.

As parents we must do all we can to make the transition to primary school as smooth as we can, we must be there to listen to their concerns, to help them understand what is expected of them and at the same time to make sure they have a balanced life. A childhood in which there is time to play, time to focus on other subjects they can succeed in, including art, music and sports, and a childhood in which they feel loved and valued.

As with any big change there will be a period of adjustment. Moving into primary school is one of the bigger transitions we face in our school life but it does not need to be traumatic; together you can face the new challenges with a sense of excitement, confident in the knowledge that there is much to learn and new friendships and opportunities just waiting to unfold.

The best thing you can do for your child as they prepare for the next step in their educational journey is to remain positive and available for them emotionally. It WILL be fine.

Everyday, they will ask…

“Where are we going Daddy?”

after giving them an answer,…the same child will ask,

“After That?”…

after giving them an answer…the same child will go

“After That?”…

and then they will ask “Why are we going there…” and “Why not here….”, “Why not there…”, “Who are you going with?”

And then child no 2 will start the cycle again and ask…

“Where are we going Daddy?….”

As “cute” as it may sound, being a Parent does has its “Moments”

Having 3 toddles constantly bombarding you with questions, when you are in the middle of another conversation with a colleague or wife, is not another moment you will “Enjoy”…

Which brings me to this Video….

(The Video is not in English…so you got to read the subtitles)

After watching it…I decided…

I better record the number of times, that they bombard me with questions, and I will exercise my love, hugs and kisses towards them.

Lest when I become old…I will suffer the same fate as this grandpa!

Advice from the Experts:

I put this question to the experts at Chiltern House and Julia Gabriel, and this is what Fiona Walker (CEO of Julia Gabriel for Learning, Chiltern House Child Care Centres and Julia Gabriel School of Education) has to say:

Children are Individuals:

The most important thing is to understand your child’s temperament. Some children will have a more fiery character than others. These children may become more easily frustrated and not be able to handle disappointment as well as easy-going children.

If you know this about your child, you can try to minimise situations that could lead to a tantrum.

Remember for a 2 or 3 year old it is all about NOW. It is very hard to explain that you can do this later. For about a year, I would go right out of my way to avoid ride on toys in shopping malls unless I was prepared to stop while my son had a play.

The common age for tantrums is between 18 months and 4 or 5 years old. The older the child the easier it is to reason with them, after their temper has subsided. Remember it is perfectly natural to get angry, but it is how we handle that emotion that is important.

What do I do when they my child throws a tantrum:

Remember to always remain calm!

This is not always easy in the face of a screaming, pulling, red – faced child who is doing everything in his or her power to embarrass you!

Once a child is having a tantrum you can either stand back and let him roar and kick or very calmly pick him up and walk briskly away. You are very unlikely to be able to reason with him or her at that time. Just wait – the storm will pass.

Do not give in to whatever it is that has triggered this. They will very quickly realise screaming and kicking gets them what they want!

Afterwards you can talk about how it is difficult when you really, really want something and don’t get it. It can be comforting for them to know that you understand that.

*End of Interview*

Ed Speaks:

I think that the most difficult thing about these public tantrums is remaining calm and not losing your cool!  That is why Parenting should not be done alone, but with your spouse as well.

There were times when I wanted to relent, but knowing that my wife was there to back me up, gave me the determination to see the ordeal to the end.

When they eventually calm down and receive their hugs and “pep-talk” from Daddy and Mummy, they will understand that throwing a tantrum, is not the answer to their problems. Doing this consistently is an important component in good parenting.

If this interview has been helpful to you, you may want to check out other questions that I posed to the educators at Julia Gabriel/Chiltern House. Fiona has also dealt with questions like Separation Anxiety, the need for Enrichment Classes or click here to see the full list.

Nathan is half-way through his toilet training programme. He can go diaper-less through the day, and would let his caregivers know when he needs to shishi (pee) or poopoo (poo).

But whenever that happens, it is a race against time to get him to the toilet. Most parents would know that at this stage, the pre-schooler only informs you of his toilet needs when he cannot contain the pee/poo any longer.

Well, last Monday, I was driving Nicole and Nathan to school. Just me and the two kids.

Along the way, Nathan shouted out loud, “Mummy, I need to shishi!”

Oh no! Mummy is driving, we are going to reach school soon. Can you ask the shishi to wait? Let’s ask the shishi not to come out!

(Okok… I know this is silly, but that’s what I always tell them. Address the issue, then distract them. Some parents told me you should just change topic and talk about something else. But I’m so worried, what if they pee when we are talking about Thomas the Train or singing The Wheels of the Bus??!?!?)

Ok. Shishi don’t come out! Shishi, don’t come out!

I drove as fast as I could. It was morning traffic. There was nowhere to stop the car & look for a drain, let alone a toilet!

Mummy, I need to shishi!

I know, I know… we are going to reach school soon. Let’s ask the shishi not to come out first!

Shishi don’t come out! Don’t come out! Mummy, Mummy, my kuku is going to explode!

AHHH! ok, Mummy is driving as fast as I can.

Mummy, if my kuku explodes, I will have a patpat right?

?!?!?!

For readers who are a little lost, in our family, we use baby vocab kuku & patpat for the male and female anatomy respectively. Don’t ask me why, but it certainly seems easier to say then the actual word ya?

In any case, we got to school dry. Nathan rushed in to the toilet, pee-ed his heart out. I was so tickled by his comments, I shared it with some parents. And I learnt new tips about this phase in their lives!

Parenting Tips for Toilet Training your Toddlers

1. Always have a spare pull-up diaper in the car

This works for ALL emergencies! No fuss at all!

2. For boys, STAND AS FAR AS YOU CAN FROM HIM.                                                                                                  

When they reach the toilet, always stand as far as you can from the boys!  Once the pants comes down, he SHOOTS!

A mummy shared that her shoes always get wet when she pulls down her son’s pants!

3.RUN!                                                                                                          

As soon as your child tells you he needs to pee, RUN to the nearest toilet/bush/drain. For all kids, when they tell you they need to go, the pee is probably already close to bursting point!

As an aside, my method of telling the shishi not to come out seems to work! I’ve not had any accidents ever!

But recently, Nicole said she wanted to poo. So I did the usual, “Tell the poopoo not to come out first”. And she answered me…

Mummy, my poopoo has NO EARS!

When the kids hit 4yo, there is another surge of pressure to send your kids for even more classes especially on the weekends. From language classes, music lessons, swimming, fencing, phonics, taekwondo, art, speech and drama…the list goes on.

Recently ED Unloaded had an opportunity to conduct an email interview with Fiona Walker (CEO of Julia Gabriel for Learning, Chiltern House Child Care Centres and Julia Gabriel School of Education) and she gives her input on Enrichment Classes for Pre-Schoolers.

1. Are enrichment courses necessary?

Enrichment courses should be just that – a course to enrich and enhance your child’s learning and experiences. The school system here offers a very comprehensive academic programme so if your child has talents or an interest in the arts or sports it is a good idea to allow your child to follow that interest and enrichment courses make that possible.

With young children you may not know where your child’s interests lie. Taking a music class, art class or tennis lessons, for example, for a term then swapping over will help you and your child discover what he or she may wish to pursue.

2. Some pre-schools offer this as part of the curriculum. Is it sufficient?

Generally Nursery age children can find a full preschool curriculum very stimulating so if additional enrichment programmes are built in I would imagine, yes this may be enough for now. You may have heard of a course which is particularly good and engaging but I would limit that to one or two weekly additional classes for young children.

As a parent you will have to judge whether or not your child is being tired out. Dragging a tired or unmotivated child to enrichment classes really can be a waste of your money. Once children are in Kindergarten they are more ready for classes which expand their experiences beyond traditional classroom learning.

3. Is there such a thing as too much enrichment for children?

Definitely! I have known many children with a schedule which would horrify a professional executive. Rushing from school to classes almost 7 days a week. There have been a number of reports on the increase of stress in young children here. I believe this stress is very much a direct result of children being robbed of their childhood and right to free play. By increasing our expectations and packing their schedule from around the age of three, we will actually be producing children who behave like hamsters on a wheel and not creative geniuses.

Children need time to think and use their imagination. Enrichment classes can feed their imagination and help them think creatively but it is no use if they never get the chance to explore and expand on that new knowledge and skill before being rushed off to the next class.

My thoughts?

Well, I would LOVE it if my child could play Bach on the cello, Sing “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” like Connie Talbot (From America’s Got Talent Fame), Read French with the right accent, and get a fashion spread at Young Parents. And if they could eat their veggies, it would be a nice bonus

But having three kids of such differing personalities, giftings and talents, I realised that exposing them to a wide spectrum of enrichment only makes it more difficult to make a decision! We’ll keep their official structured learning during school hours, anything after, will be based on their interest, likes and wants.

And my vote goes to more Family Time! where after school hours will be spent bonding as a family! We can’t do that together in Ballet or at Art Class, and this definitely can’t be achieved if I spend half the time finding a parking lot at the enrichment centre!

Furthermore, the extra enrichment classes are a real financial strain, and I think that quality time with the kids will be a better option…although I am a bit tempted with the Chinese Language classes, as we don’t speak enough Mandarin at home!

Recently, I was invited to a Media Event by Zespri and I realized that Kiwi fruits have:

• The Vitamin C content of 2 Oranges!
• 95% of the Vitamin C content that you need in a day
• High in Fibre ( which means good for poo-poo)

As compared to Apples, it KOs the apple in terms of nutrition…

In fact, if you want to eat a fruit…U should eat a Kiwi Fruit.

I thought that these facts were really revelational, and a group of Bloggers including myself,  were treated to a live demonstration by Renowned Food Blogger, Dr. Leslie Tay, on how to maximize our Kiwi Fruit Diet.

Besides sharing with us little facts like the Kiwi Fruit first originated from China and not New Zealand, he shared with us his home-made dishes on how to introduce the Kiwi Fruit into our diet.

There were dishes like Kiwi-sago Pudding (ala the familiar Mango Pudding, Kiwi with oolong jelly and even a Traffic Light Smoothie! This drink would have been a hit at Nicole’s Traffic Light Party!

We also got our chance to get our hands dirty, and make the creations for ourselves.

Nicole enjoyed herself making the Kiwi Fruit Honey Bread Sandwiches.

Check out Nicole’s Satisfied Face!

This was also our family’s first time at the Asian Food Channel kitchen, as it was fun, just trying to make all the concoctions that we were taught!

Many thanks to the folks at Zespri and Edelman for inviting us for this event!

But times have changed…and with a Pro-child policy in Singapore, it is a win-win situation to have children!

One of the Perks about living in Singapore is that the government is willing to help lighten the financial costs of bringing up a child.

Just the other day, I was asked by a friend, how much does the government give us in terms of “Baby Bonus” for having a child.

With 3 Kids,  I am supposed to be an expert…Unfortunately this Daddy has to look at the MCYS website to remember the figures…:)

Anyway these are the benefits in store for you:

Your child will enjoy these benefits under the Baby Bonus Scheme from birth till his sixth birthday. The total Baby Bonus benefits are shown in Table 1.

Therefore, in order to maximize your benefits, DO NOT stop at 1 child. Go for the 2nd child and more.

How does the money come?

Er…Don’t expect the stock to bring your Ang-Pow when the baby arrives at the hospital?

When I first became a parent, I thought that I would receive the money in a week’s time.

However, the cash gift is given in 4 is given out in 4 equal installments over 18 months from the birth of your child so that you can use the cash for new expenses arising from your newborn.

Above that, you would still get an ADDITIONAL maximum matching government contribution for your child’s Children Development Account (CDA)! Woopee!

To get the full story, go to this week’s article at Maybe Baby

And before I go…Don’t forget to Vote for me At the Singapore Blog Awards.

Each Person can vote once a day!

This May, Nicole had a Mother’s Day Recital in School! As it was only delivered by kids at her level, it was a smaller and a  more intimate experience. (Check out her other performances here)

The teacher’s really worked very hard at it as well and here is a picture of the banner that greeted us, as we entered the school. Cool right!

The school and classrooms were also decorated by the teachers, to deliver a Fun Party-like atmosphere!

When we entered the music room, there were lots of parents there already. Everyone was armed with a Video cam or a DSLR as we awaited the performance (If u are planning to be a parent, do get one of these optical equipment, as the memories are priceless)

I went to look for the kids before the recital started, and they were excited and ready to go…Check out their excited faces before the performance.

Nicole delivered a song and dance performance in Mandarin, and it was really touching, as our little princess sang with all her heart. She definitely gave her BEST and Daddy and Mummy were so proud of her. 

In fact, All the daddies and Mummies were so proud of their kids, that they were snapping like crazy. I thought that I was at a celebrity press launch!

Mummy who was the star of the show, was proud of her little princess!

After the performance, we also got to see Nicole play the piano, as she performed some of the items that she learnt in her music class.

The song items included movement and dance into the music recitals as well. (Nicole likes the dancing!)

The whole family was there as well. Grandma was especially proud of her little Maestro!

Nicole also played tour guide and showed us around her classroom.

And of course, no party will be complete without FOOD!

Looks like the kids were enjoying it more than the adults!

Well, it seems that all of us parents have to go through that sooner or later and recently, I had the privilege to conduct an email interview with Fiona Walker (CEO of Julia Gabriel for Learning, Chiltern House Child Care Centres and Julia Gabriel School of Education) to get her input about about choosing a Pre-School?

Fiona has had more than a decade of experience with Pre-Schoolers and I thought that this interview will be very useful for us parents.

Here are some of the questions that I put to her:

1. What are some factors to consider when looking for a pre-school?

Choosing the right pre-school for your child can be challenging for parents. Here are few tips that can help you and your child feel confident you have made the right choice.

• Decide what location you prefer and what your budget is. It is important that the school you choose will comfortably fit into your family’s lifestyle.
• Once you have narrowed down the possibilities, make arrangements to visit the schools. Many schools will have a similar sounding philosophy so it is important you know what to look for so you can see if it will work for you and your child.
• On your visit ask yourself – Do the children seem happy, are they actively engaged in a variety of activities, is the environment bright, cheerful and filled with children’s art work, is the equipment plentiful, varied and in good condition? Do the teachers seem happy, are they engaged with the children, are they good language models and are they observant and aware of all the children in their care, are the children comfortable and affectionate with the teachers?
• If you are happy with your first impression then make an appointment to meet the principal. You may consider asking the following questions:

· What are the teachers’ experience and qualifications?

· How important is the child’s social and emotional development as opposed to the more academic development?

· How does the school ensure the children are prepared for Primary One?

· How does the school deal with children testing boundaries and conflict? This is a normal aspect of young children’s development but it is important that you agree with the schools approach to discipline.

· How does the school ensure safety during pick-up times, outdoor play and field trips?

· How well is the curriculum suited to meet individual learning styles and personalities?

· How involved are parents? What channels of communication between home and school are encouraged?

2. What is the most appropriate age to send a child for pre-school?

Generally the most appropriate age to send children to preschool is between 2 and 3.

This is when children will generally have developed the language needed to express needs and wants, the physical development to be able to go to the toilet independently and the cognitive understanding to become familiar with the routines within the school setting. All of these stages of development are good indicators of whether or not a child will be able to make the transition to independent schooling without too much separation anxiety and distress.

3. What is the difference between a childcare/pre-school that is MCYS endorsed and MOE endorsed?

A childcare operated by the MCYS offers childcare for working parents as well as an MOE approved curriculum. Childcare centres must operate from 7:00a.m. to 7:00p.m., throughout the year.

Fees are paid monthly and a subsidy of $300 per month for full day is given to Singaporean parents.

MOE kindergartens run during the school term times of 40 weeks a year. They generally run for 3 hours a day and are not eligible for subsidy. Many kindergartens offer additional enrichment programmes for additional cost.

4. What are some factors that we can compromise if parents cannot afford the top premium schools.

Get ready for a list of “Do Not’s” here:

• Do not compromise on providing your child what is necessary for a happy day at school.
• Do not compromise on a cheerful, bright environment which is well kept and clean.
• Do not compromise on kind, caring staff who genuinely love their job and enjoy spending time with your child.
• Do not compromise on senior staff members who understand the needs of young children and can balance that with the needs of the Singaporean school system.
• Do not compromise on a curriculum which means children learn through active, hands-on experiences NOT teacher directed rote learning.
• Do not compromise on open communication with the school.

The most premium schools generally have small class sizes, expensive, imported equipment and very well qualified staff. Of course that is all wonderful but children can often flourish in a larger group with interesting, age appropriate resources as long as the teachers understand them, the lessons are well planned and involve active learning.

-end of interview-

I think that these tips are very useful considerations that we can take into account when we are considering a pre-school for our children.

Most importantly, I think we must find a good pre-school within our family’s budget as well.

I know of parents who take extra jobs just to provide a premium school education for their kids… We Parents must realize that Mums and Dads are the best role models for our children, and that there is no substitute for Quality Time!

Check out more Parenting Tips at the Julia Gabriel Blogger’s Forum.

Before I go, do remember to vote for me TODAY at the Singapore Blog Awards.

You can Vote again, even if you have done so already, and you can find out more details here! Thanks