As your kids hit 18 months, there is a subtle pressure to send your kids for enrichment.

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!

Since young, many of us have been told to eat our vegetables and fruits! Our parents therefore stuffed us with as much apples and oranges, when they could not stuff the vegetables down our throats!

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!

Do you remember seeing these posters? I used to see them everyday, as I was growing up Singapore in the 1970s.

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!

As a parent, I just love it  when the kids have a recital or a performance in school. Amazingly, it stirs up a spirit within us to want to see them excel and it’s really heart-warming to see the broad smiles on every parent’s face, as they see their little darlings perform.

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!

Are you facing the stress of choosing a Pre-School for your children?

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