Innholdsfortegnelse for June 2017 i Young Parents

When we first set out to do a Father’s Day feature on involved dads, I wondered if we would be able to find three. After a short search, writer Lynn Wee unearthed quite a few potentials and we had to pare our list to fit the allotted pages. What makes these dads special? They say they’re not, deferring instead to their better halves, whom they say do much more than they do. They’re right to some extent, but I think it’s still important to share inspiring stories of fathers who embrace dirty diapers and sleep deprivation as much as they enjoy doing the fun stuff. Parenting is teamwork and dads who give their all don’t just see benefits in their kids, they also build a much stronger relationship with their…

You don’t need a bathtub to have fun with this trio, which are made of PVC and free of BPA and lead. Just fill a basin with water, let your little one fill them up and squeeze to let it “rain”. And when they’ve outgrown them as bath toys, use them as room decor instead. They’ll always bring a smile to your face. A Little Lovely Company rainbow, teardrop and umbrella bath toys, $14 each, from www.privi-kids.com…

What’s a birthday without cake? And who says that the pretty confection is meant to be eaten? A long-standing tradition that may have originated from the US, first birthday cake smashes have gained a following in Singapore over the past three years, largely due to social media. It gets messy, but the photos are priceless. At least five photography studios in Singapore are cashing in on this celebratory trend. While most are done as a fun way to commemorate a baby's first birthday, studios tell Young Parents that they have seen older kids coming in for a smashing good time, too. “We’ve even had adults doing a cake smash for their 40th birthday,” says Maryann Koh, head photographer at The Studio Loft. Bambini Photography introduced the service last year after…

If there’s one comfort food that appeals to families and guests, it’s pizza. And why not? It’s a meal you can have at any time of the day, and can feed many at one go. There are different varieties to choose from, and you can add whatever ingredients you like. Plus, it’s easy to make, and you can even do it from scratch. This recipe by executive chef of multiconcept eatery SPRMRKT, and partner chef of Bosch, Joseph Yeo, needs only a couple of ingredients. Most of them may already be in your kitchen! Get the kids and your friends to help put them together for a fun and flavourful feast this June holiday. THIN CRUST PIZZA WITH CHICKEN, CHEESE AND MUSHROOMS Makes 6 pizzas Prep time: 45 minutes Baking…

It’s amazing how your toddler gets more curious and independent every day. He just loves to explore his environment, and can’t help touching and mouthing things. Which is why you have to be extra vigilant. “Young children under the age of three are at increased risk of choking,” advises Dr Leo Deng Jin of Thomson Paediatric Centre. “They have not yet fully developed the ability to chew and swallow food,” he adds. “They also have smaller airways, which are more vulnerable to obstruction and won’t be able to generate coughs as strong as adults’ to clear them during choking episodes.” WATCH FOR THE SIGNS How do you know if your little one is choking? According to Dr Leo, the symptoms are quickly noticeable. “There is usually a sudden onset of…

Take help whenever it is offered, whether by family members or friends. If nobody volunteers, then just ask. Having two children close in age can be extremely energy-sapping, especially if one is a baby and the other's a toddler. For example, you're breastfeeding your new baby and your two-year-old wants your attention at the same time. Yet you're alone with them and have no helpers. Here are sanity-saving ways to help stay-at-home mums cope: Plan and organise ahead If you know there are times of the day when both kids are likely to need you at the same time - for instance, they need to be fed at the same time - some preparation will make life easier for you. Having your toddler's meal ready in the fridge means that…

THE BABY WHISPERER Growing up, Muhammad Irfan, 35, did odd jobs like delivering newspapers and pizzas. It’s no wonder then that this dad of four – Ziqry, eight; Dinny, seven; Zaqyr, three; and Jannah, six months old – is accustomed to waking up at 5am. His day starts with preparing Dinny for school and having breakfast with her before the school bus arrives at 6.10am. He then wakes his two sons up, showers them, and ferries his eldest son to school, before heading to the office, where he works as an operations manager. “All my kids are always demanding my time,” he says in a tone that makes it seem like it's the first prize in a lucky draw. They hide and wait to surprise him when he returns, or…

send us your child’s best photo & win! Each child featured on this page wins a free consultation and paediatric tuina session at selected Eu Yan Sang TCM clinics. The Chinese therapeutic massage works best on kids below six years old, and can strengthen a healthy child’s immune system. It also helps treat a range of illnesses, such as flu, fever, cough and vomiting. Visit www.euyansangclinic.com/paediatric-tui-na to find out more. To take part, upload a clear JPEG photo of your child (at least 300dpi) to www.youngparents.com.sg/cutie and fill in your details. Terms and conditions apply.…

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BAMBINI PHOTOGRAPHY Fees start from $499, and include a cake from Creme Maison Bakery and 20 high-resolution images that can be printed up to 10R size. WHERE #01-24 Oxley Bizhub 2, 62 Ubi Road VISIT www.bambiniphoto.sg FIREFLY PHOTOGRAPHY Packages range from $200 to $300 (cake not included), depending if the shoot is in the studio or outdoors. All unedited images and a minimum of 40 edited photos will be given in soft copy. WHERE #07-19 A’Posh Bizhub, 1 Yishun Industrial Street 1 VISIT www.fireflyphotographysg.com LITTLEONES PHOTOGRAPHY Its packages start from $300, and include a cake from Temptations and an acrylic photo block. WHERE 5 Walton Road VISIT www.littleonesphotography.com THE STUDIO LOFT Fees start from $400 for a baby cake package and $500 for a giant cupcake package.…

When Rosalind Tong’s premature baby girl died in 2011, she and her husband had the heartbreaking task of finding an outfit to cremate her in. The hospital had wrapped their daughter in a white cloth and placed her in a plain cardboard box, Rosalind recalls. The clothes she had bought for her daughter were too large. “But something had to be done,” says the 41-year-old stay-at-home mum, who has a son in Primary 1. She ended up buying a dress for her daughter from Mothercare at Vivocity. It was still too big, so she had to fold it around her baby. Rosalind, whose 44-year-old husband is in business development, said it took two years before she could step into that store again. A few months after the death of her…

 One of the appealing feature of many family hotels and holiday resorts is that they offer kids’ clubs, where relaxation-minded parents can leave their children behind for some me- or couple-time. Don’t book your child into the club on the day you arrive, even though the signs for the spa in the hotel seem to be calling out to you. Give him time to get comfortable with the new surroundings. That way, everyone in the family can have fun – except that your three-year-old refuses to be left in that environment without you, no matter how exciting it appears to be. You desperately want to go for an adult-only spa treatment or join a snorkelling trip, but that becomes increasingly unlikely as your child clings tighter and tighter to you…

The minions are back! This time, their reformedsupervillain boss, Gru, gets entangled in sibling rivalry. His long-lost twin brother, Dru, wants to team up with him and battle Balthazar Bratt, a former child star obsessed with his 1980s’ character. The movie opens in cinemas on June 15. FIND OUT MORE www.despicable.me Discover art in a novel way at the Children’s Biennale 2017, which runs until Oct 8 at the National Gallery Singapore. There, you’ll find Homogenizing and Transforming World, which immerses the little ones in a multisensory experience – balls change colour with touch, along with sound and visual accompaniments, and the Obliteration room, where children will have fun covering the furniture and walls with colourful dots. Activities are free. While you’re there, catch the Singapore International Children’s Film…

the little gym, singapore Children with more highly developed motor skills demonstrate a greater level of school-readiness and fare better in kindergarten than those with less developed motor skills. The Little Gym, Singapore has applied this research to its mission to help children aged four months to 12 years old develop their skills and confidence. They also develop self-confidence by participating in programmes designed to be fun, interactive and non-competitive. Trained instructors supervise all activities, which may include tumbling, balance-beam exercises, and other gymnastics equipment. Recreational equipment such as balls, scarves and bubbles are also used to help younger kids develop skills like hand-eye coordination. Its courses also include gymnastics, karate, dance and sports skills. Tel: 6336-9734 (The Little Gym of Singapore East), or 6238-6331 (The Little Gym of Singapore…

LEARN ELM Tree (#05-31A) ELM Tree has every kind of book you can plus CDs, puzzles, and interactive learning programmes for English, Chinese and Maths. One bestseller is My Busy Book: Smurfs The Lost Village ($19.90), an illustrated storybook that comes with figurines and a playmat. LEARN Growing Fun (#05-01) Combine enjoyment and learning with toys from Growing Fun. They are educational, safe and wallet-friendly. A bestseller for ages 3 and above is Math Balance ($39.90), a game that helps your child to learn addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. LEARN MindChamps PreSchool (#06-19/20) While you shop, let your kids join in the fun-filled Child Minding sessions based on literacy, creativity and physical coordination. For ages 2 to 7, every Saturday from 11am to 5pm. EXCLUSIVE ! Quote “YP Paragon Junior”…

1 DONATE OUTFITS You can donate wedding gowns, bridesmaids’ dresses, baptism dresses, formal dinner gowns or white tea ceremony dresses. Other items the group will take include lace, white bias tapes, pearl buttons and white ribbons. There are five areas in Singapore to drop off your outfits: Tampines Avenue 8, Sembawang, Anchorvale Link, and Bedok and Choa Chu Kang MRT stations. Outfits will not be picked up personally, nor will the group bear courier charges. E-mail angelgowns.sg@gmail.com or send the group a private message on its Facebook page, Angel Gowns Singapore. You can arrange an appointment with the volunteers to drop off your gown and get the exact addresses. You can also mail your outfit to Angel Gowns Singapore, My Mail Box 883823, Singapore 919191. 2 DONATE MONEY The money…

She is old enough to understand that her behaviour has consequences. The more you emphasise this, the more she’ll think twice before allowing herself to become angry with her pals. Your probably expected your child to outgrow tantrums once she passed the toddler stage. However, you might find that even now if she asks for something and is denied it, there is an outpouring of tears, whining, and tantrums. Here are four typical scenarios specific to this age group and suggestions on how you can prevent this tornado of emotions. The scenario When she comes home from kindergarten, she ›ies into a rage when you ask her to do her homework straight away. What to do Since you know your child is tired at the end of the school day,…

BRIGHTON MONTESSORI E contact@brightonmontessori.com.sg W www.brightonmontessori.com.sg T 6588-3883 @ FORT ROAD 16 Fort Road, Singapore 439077 @ FRANKEL AVENUE 125 Frankel Avenue, Singapore 458235 @ GREAT WORLD CITY 1 Kim Seng Promenade, #02-41A/42 Great World City, Singapore 237994 @ LOTUS AVENUE (NEW!) 35 Lotus Avenue (near Sixth Avenue), Singapore 277618 @ MOUNTBATTEN 764 Mountbatten Road, Singapore 437764 @ SUNSET WAY 41 Sunset Way, #02-01/02 Clementi Arcade, Singapore 597071 @ THE GRASSROOTS’ CLUB 190 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 8, #02-01 The Grassroots’ Club, Singapore 568046 LEARNING VISION E enquiries@learningvision.com W www.learningvision.com T 6781-0888 @ ALPHA (SCIENCE PARK II) 10 Science Park Road, Singapore Science Park ll, #01-02/03 The Alpha, Singapore 117684 @ BIOPOLIS One North, 11 Biopolis Way Helios, #02-01/03, Singapore 138667 @ CET EAST CAMPUS (PAYA…