11 November 2010 

 Hello there. I’m one of those mothers who does things last minute although tries to be as organised as possible. Well, at least, that’s the plan anyway. I had an opportunity to get everything done as soon as possible this time and that was to organise a holiday for the whole family. You might think that’s easy, but when there no travel agent, no husband helping out and school test week AND outing just before then that can be a real challenge…..

12 November 2010

Today is the day!! We’re off! But of course ‘Murphy’s Law’ comes into play….what’s that you may ask? It’s when you get that feeling that today is one of those days when everything goes wrong. So it couldn’t get worse really. I can’t write all of them (not to embarass my son…!) but here are the highlights…or should I say the ‘highly tense’ moments!!

1) Jo’s (my daughter) elastic pants snapped and she had to walk around the whole of HK Airport holding up her trousers. Quite a feat for a 6-year old! This called for a mad rush to Bossini and buying a pair of tight jeans which she looked pretty cool in I must say….

2) Tom (my son) was sick twice on the flight. I have no idea why as he took the travel sickness tablets. I knew he was nervous though because as soon as we walked into the plane, he said he could smell a horrible smell! Being prepared for any catastrophe, I had my 50 cents Park ‘n’ Shop bag ready and sure enough it was invaluable to me today!

Oh…after all that….I forgot to tell you where were heading for. We’re now at the beautiful Shangri-la Rasa Sayang Resort in Penang. I can’t see much as it’s pretty dark now (12am) but tomorrow I’ll be able to tell more….

13 November 2010

I should also add that last night as we arrived just after 12am, we were warmly greeted by a happy smile saying “Good Morning.” From that moment, I had a feeling this was going holiday….then the hotel gave us a surprise saying that we were upgraded to a family room….what more could I ask for – more space and more beds – something a HK mother would die for!!

I only wished that when my kids were younger I could have taken them to this hotel. It had everything they could wish for – and a mother too! Plenty of activities, an adventure zone club, swimming pool (which was toddler friendly, child friendly  etc with no sharps bits anywhere! ), plenty of high chairs, plenty of space to push the strollers around, toilets everywhere you could imagine….and then for the stressed parents, there’s a golf course, gym, jacuzzi and the most amazing spa you will come across.

14 November 2010

The beds were ‘just right’ (quoted from ‘Goldilocks and the Three Bears’!!). The hotel must make a special effort to make sure this is perfect. Of course the upgrade to a family room meant that we had an extra bed and a hall way. Heaven…..

We tried the ‘Guan Guan Cafe’ today which is about a 10 minute walk from the hotel. Perfect fried rice and bee mee (noodles)!

We visited the Butterfly Farm today – the kids loved it! Butterflies, scorpios, snakes, turtles, spiders….yuck!

And after all that walking around and excitement we went to ZEN  (right opposite to the hotel) for a foot massage.  It was the first time I’d ever had a foot massage with my 6 and 8 year old lying next to me and I think Tom has never had so much fun before – he never stopped laughing!! RM30 for 30 minutes, but well worth hearing them cackle!

15 November 2010

Our family loves food and Tom gets his huge appetite from his father. He eats about 3-4 bowls of rice for dinner whilst Jo is the fussy one, takes her time to eat and picks at her food. She eats brocolli because it is called (西蘭花 – or literally a ‘flower’)…I am sure I wasn’t like that as a child!

 We went to a well recommended restaurant today (in fact a suggestion given to me by my aunt who is Malaysian herself) called Sin Kheang Aun. Venturing out from Penang’s landmark in Georgetown, the Komtar building, we haggled with two rickshaws to take us there. Winding down a few roads and alleys, we finally arrived to a local 2-floor local restaurant. Must-trys were the soy sauce chicken, curry fish head and stir-fried vegetables. Tom and Jo ate as much as they could….unbelievable!

16 November 2010

There’s always a first time for everything. Today will be one of those memories which I will always remember and something to mention everytime I think of this holiday. Tom wanted to go on a beach buggy which was perfectly fine with me. The only thing was that he wanted his mum on the back. So I thought this looks pretty harmless….just a drive across some beautiful sandy beaches, even if we fell off, not much harm would be done. But alas, he mistook the beach buggy for ‘Super Mario Kart’ and started driving like a mad man with his mum hanging on and screaming for dear life on the back! He wheezed past kids playing in the sand and accelerated over sand dunes….this was the first time I had let him have full control and I wondered whether this would be the start of his independence.

All-in-all, a fantastic and memorable holiday. No fuss, no stress (not much anyways!), fabulous food, the hotel was wonderful and the people were very friendly and helpful.   

Check out this slideshow here and get packing to Penang!

If you have any comments on this article, please email carol@kiddikraft.com.

Building trust starts from an early stage and is one of the most fundamental needs for life-long success. When this is established, love is given and received. When pregnant, trust can begin to be built. By eating healthly and avoiding harmful toxins such as smoking, drugs and alcohol, you are beginning to build trust with your child. After your baby is born, you will sing, cuddle, feed, kiss and spend time with your child. You will also be able to respond to your child’s needs when they cry and this sends a positive message of love to them.

In the first few years, it is important to read and play games with your child. When we read to a child, our tone softens and we make silly voices and this can be relaxing for both parent and child. This is the quality time we, as parents, must build into every day. Playing puzzles, board games or even rolling around on the floor to play are simple, yet easy ways to instill trust. Laughter is a great way to give trust too. Tell a funny joke or dance around with your child to some silly music. Your child will love it and they will think you are great too!

Above all, eye contact is also important. Have you had a conversation with a child before and they never look at you? Always get down to their level if needed and make sure they look into your eyes. At the same time, look your baby or child in the eyes and show them that you are listening and want to communicate with them.

There are more tips which could be offered but these are some of the most effiective ones. Children who grow up with love, trust, care, laughter and quality time with parents are likely to grow up to be healthy, happy and intelligent adults.

10 Important Values To Teach Your Children

Children are like a blank piece of paper to begin with. As they begin to learn, they are like sponges. They take in everything around them, everything they see, touch and hear. The words and behaviours they learn from are usually from the adults and children around them. Sometimes children will shock you with what comes out of their mouth when you least expect it. So that’s why it’s important to instill in them the 10 most important values from the beginning. It’s not an easy process, nor is there just one solution….it takes patience and time, but in the end they will be equipped with values that they will at least be able to live full and happy lives.

1. Honesty

Somehow, children learn to lie. Not entirely sure when they start doing this and it may be they see parents doing it or learn from other children. If you explain the importance of honesty to them at an early age and reassure them you will always be there to listen to them if they know they have done something wrong, then they will find it easier too approach you. Many children are too afraid to tell you the truth for fear of being shouted at. If they do come to you, always praise them for recognising their mistakes and having the courage to tell you the truth.

2. Respect

Children copy behaviours they see at home (and from school later). Make sure you as the parents and home carer model how you want your children to treat others, as well as other people’s bodies, property and opinions too. It is important that they know and SEE respect and courtesy. Even starting from the basics such as using the words ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ and then moving onto ‘you’re welcome” and “excuse me” will be the first few steps to learning about respect and helping them to build positive relationships with people and things around them.

3. Generosity

“I want” are common words for children but as parents we should teach them about sharing. It needs to be emphasised at home in order for them to actively share at school. Take advantage of Christmas, when children may be thinking of what they want themselves, to explain to them that it is important to give during this time. Actively participate with them in helping those less fortunate such as through donating food or clothing, fundraising, wrapping ‘boxes of hope’ or visiting people in need. It helps them realise that it’s not about taking but also about giving too.

4. Gratitude

Sometimes as adults we focus on what is wrong with our lives instead of being grateful for what we have. As parents, we need to teach our children to be thankful everyday, even for the smallest of things. Help them start a ‘gratitude’ book so that they can say in their own way what they are thankful for. This will teach them to appreciate everything they have whether it is food, clothing, shelter, health or even a smile from their teacher or friend.

5. Uniqueness

When children get older, they tend to want to conform to peers around them – either it’s a fashion, the way they talk or what to believe in. They may not understand why children around them are so different from them. Younger children, on-the -other-hand, do what they want, when they want to do it and with whom they want to do it. Instill in them from an early age that individuality is what makes them special – so they can be interested in different things, hobbies, sports or even beliefs. They shouldn’t compare themselves to friends, although everyone is unique in their own way. Children may ask why a person looks like that or talks differently and as parents you can explain to them what special qualities there are in that person. This helps them open-up their minds to the differences in people and shows that it’s what’s inside of a person that really counts.

6. Positive Attitude

It is always easy to get wrapped up in all the negativity around us. As adults we know that some things don’t happen the way we want or we don’t get what we want, but we carry on. Some people may lose faith that things will be better in the future. Our children need to learn the importance of having a positive attitude because unfortunately, people and events in life will let them down. They need to move forward and have faith in the future. A positive attitude starts with having a positive attitude at home and from parents. Start now.

7. Humour

We can also learn from our children too. In their lives now, life is just a playground. They see laughter is any situation and live for the moment. They are able to bounce back easily and often don’t take things too seriously. Help your children to have this frame of mind throughout their lives. As they grow older, life gets a bit more challenging and they will have to face pressure, more school work and responsibility. Show them how laughter helps to make a life better and more fun by telling each other jokes or doing fun activities together like reading, playing at the park, or even just talking to each other about life. Knowing what makes your children laugh and smile strengthens your relationship.

8. Forgiveness

When children learn how to forgive, they learn compassion as well. They need to be taught how to forgive otherwise they will grow up to be bitter adults. When someone hurts them, listen to them talk, but explain to them in the end that holding a grudge against that person who hurt them will only make them miserable. That grudge gives the other person more power over them. Your children will not be able to live a happy life because of the bitterness inside them. Try to make them understand that the other person is also hurting and the only reason we want to hurt other people is because it’s our way of dealing with our own hurt.

9. Persistence

We never do everything perfectly and it is through persistence that makes us think positively. Persistence helps children to never give up and to keep on working hard for what they want. Babies learn how to crawl, walk and play through persistence and it is through trial and error that they learn these important skills. As children grow older they will face pressure, from school friends, exams and even from family. As parents, we can continually encourage them to do their best. When they face frustrations, guide them through it rather than giving them answers to their problems. If they learn persistence when they are young, they will grow to be hard workers and strive for their goals.

10. Passion

Teaching passion to your children is important – whether it’s passion for life or passion for people and things they enjoy. Passion gives them dreams and sums up all the other values because it makes them excited about life and can push them to strive for higher goals and be better people. Teach your children by showing your enthusiasm for even the smallest things. Your energy will rub off on to your children because they will see how wonderful life is.

There are so many more values that your children should know but these ten are the core of life and will help them lead happier lives and build better relationships.

If you have any comments on this article, please email to carol@kiddikraft.com.