Innholdsfortegnelse for January 2018 i Young Parents

Joanne Peh & Qi Yuwu  www.instagram.com/joannepeh www.instagram.com/qiyuwu First, a girl; now, a boy! The couple announced the birth of their son on April 21 at Mount Elizabeth Hospital. He arrived after a 16-hour labour, during which Joanne chose not to use any pain relief again. Well-meaning friends have been assuring the couple that the second delivery would be much smoother, but this was not the case for the 34-year-old who was thoroughly exhausted. “Experienced mothers have been telling us that giving birth to the second child will easier. But it isn’t true,” Yuwu, 41, said in an interview. “After 16 hours in labour, Joanne told me that it was just as painful and as long as the first child. We felt a little cheated.” Fiercely protective of their children’s privacy,…

Q Will my milk supply be affected if I become a vegetarian while breastfeeding? A You need not worry about this. The nutritional needs of a breastfeeding mother on a vegetarian diet does not differ from that of a woman on normal diet, says Nehal Kamdar, a consultant clinical dietitian in private practice. Depending on the type of vegetarian diet you are following, your nutritional intake may need to be adjusted to ensure that you are getting adequate calcium, iron, vitamin B12, omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D. Vegetarian food sources for calcium include milk, yogurt, cheese, beancurd, broccoli, spinach, nuts, and fortified products, such as calcium-fortified soya milk. For iron, take eggs, green vegetables, beancurd, legumes, nuts and dried fruit. Vitamin B12 is in milk, fortified soya milk, eggs…

When you are a new parent, interpreting your baby’s body language can be difficult. In her first few months, crying is her only means of communication. As she grows, her body language broadens to include gestures, and arms and leg movements. Learn what your little one is telling you: 0 to 3 months: “I want something to eat.” When your baby is hungry, she cries. The hungry cry follows a rhythmical pattern. She cries, then stops to breathe, then cries. This pattern is regular and persistent, and stops only when she is fed. “I am not very comfortable, Mum.” This cry is urgent, sharp and short, then breath-holding momentarily, followed by a quick breath, and another cry. Find the source of distress, for example, a soiled diaper. “It’s time for…

You have two children, each with a unique personality, talents and abilities. It’s terrific, except you realise you “get” your younger kid easily, while the older one is a complete mystery. You know you love each as much as the other, but you are also aware that you understand one better than her sister. What’s worse, the one who is more distant might complain that you never understand or listen to her –because you love her sibling more. To help improve your relationship with this child, ask yourself these questions: How hard am I trying to connect with her? You are only human. Instinctively you will spend more time with the child you are most comfortable with. After all, it is tiring to deal with a kid who is grumpy,…

Young children often like to listen to the same stories over and over again. This could exasperate some parents, but not Shamsiah Samsudin (pictured right). The 37-year-old reads her children’s favourite books to them repeatedly as part of her strategy to teach them how to read. For one year, she read Knuffl e Bunny: A Cautionary Tale by author Mo Willems, about a toddler and her stuffed rabbit, to her elder son, Adyan Darius Juffrey, now six. After that year, Adyan, at age three, could recognise and read some words that could be found in its sequel, Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case Of Mistaken Identity, whose plot involves jealousy over plush toys. By age four, he was “quite proficient” at recognising words, says Shamsiah, a part-time instructor at an enrichment…

If you can’t get enough of these loveable yellow characters, say “bello!” at Singapore’s first Minions pop-up cafe. We visited the stunning Genting Dream and explored the cruise ship’s plethora of kid-friendly options. We were among the first to go on the world’s first Lego virtual-reality roller coaster at Legoland Malaysia. We were blown away by this Pod playground at the National Arboretum Canberra when we visited the Australian capital city. This edible Hexen House Town set-up at Muji Plaza Singapura was a Christmas treat for the senses. Everything on the Sanrio-themed EVA airplane, including this kid’s meal box, screams kawaii! Follow us and find out what the Young Parents team is up to.…

By the time he was 50, Vasu Menon (pictured above) had given up on marriage and having children. He felt this way even though playing with his two nephews and niece, now aged between 14 and 24, and taking them on outings over the years, had boosted a desire for kids of his own. “I kind of gave up on marriage just before I met my wife. I told myself it wasn’t meant to be,” says Vasu, 53, who has an elder and a younger brother. When the vice-president and senior investment strategist at a bank met Jean Lim, 40, an in-house legal counsel, they hit it off and wed after a nine-month courtship. Two years ago, he became a father at 51, the same age as Hong Kong superstar…

It’s true what they say, that the kitchen is the heart of the home. After all, there are few other places where you can gather with your loved ones, share a few laughs and work together to create something special. A home-cooked meal is also a symbol of love – remember coming home to a delicious hot meal when you were a child? So what better way to relive those childhood memories and express your love for your kids, than with a yummy dish? While cooking is a fun way to bond with your little ones, it’s also an opportunity for you to introduce a variety of skills. Showing them how to weigh ingredients and measure out portions, for example, is a great way to teach them about maths, and…

These days, Singapore parents not only have to contend with steep preschool fees, but they also have to budget for the extra costs that come with giving their tots the “full educational experience”. Parents are forking out a few hundred dollars a year – sometimes up to a thousand – for anything from concert costumes, to field trips and graduation photos. Excursions, for instance, are held around four times a year, costing about $15 to $50 per trip depending on transport charges, entry fees and whether lunch is provided. These can be to places like Sentosa or the zoo. Meanwhile, costumes for concerts can cost from $30 to close to $100. FEAR OF MISSING OUT While these are considered “optional”, many parents say they would still pay for them, for…

If you travel frequently for work – and if this is unlikely to change in the near future – you may be concerned about keeping your relationship strong and positive with your toddler. You might be afraid that “out of sight” will mean “out of mind”, and that you’ll simply become a dim, distant memory to your growing child. Don’t worry, however, there is plenty you can do to avoid this from happening. Here are ways to make sure you remain a key figure in your toddler’s life. Maintain frequent contact Digital communication is not the same as face-to-face contact, but it is the next best thing. Your child’s face will light up when he sees you on the computer screen during a Skype session. It is difficult, but not…

Your six-year-old is plodding along quite nicely, but you know he can achieve so much more. One way to boost his confidence is to have him take on new challenges. Here’s how to get started this new year: Talk about his schedule Ask him to recall the last time he tried a new activity and suggest he doesn’t always have to reach for his tablet after finishing his homework. Explain it’s an opportunity to consider something else. Dump the “same-old” Identify activities he’s been doing but without progress or enthusiasm, and drop them. Suggest new activities Junior may resist new activities because they are beyond his comfort zone – they might too challenging or he might fail. Suggest two or three activities anyway, and persist until he agrees to try…

When you’re travelling with kids, something is bound to crop up and derail your best-laid holiday plans. For my family of four, the ultimate vacation bummer always involves a kid falling sick. On our recent Batam getaway, a nasty tummy bug reared its ugly head. In Australia, it was the winter flu. Midway through our Taiwan holiday some years back, a mysterious skin rash made my toddler’s toes swell and itch for days. My kids’ experiences with travel bugs are not unusual, given that families here are becoming increasingly adventurous. “Once we step out of Singapore, the risk (of coming down with a holiday-acquired bug) opens up,” warns infectious disease expert Leong Hoe Nam of Rophi Clinic at Mount Elizabeth Novena Specialist Centre. Singaporeans also tend to be nonchalant about…

If you are out shopping at the supermarket and a three-year-old is face down on the floor, screaming and throwing a tantrum because he didn’t get a Milo, it is very easy to shake your head and mutter: “Obviously, not enough discipline from the parents.” When you hear a story in the news about a teenager throwing a bicycle down a stairwell, it’s likely that most of us will remark: “That boy’s parents have a lot to answer for.” But I’ve stopped making such statements. In my own small attempt to make the world a more compassionate place, I’ve stopped judging parents on the behaviour of their children because, while the way you raise and discipline a child has a massive impact on the sort of person he will become…

EDUCATION Brian Caswell is the dean of Research and Program Development at Mindchamps. He has 15 grandchildren. Helen Marjan is the CEO and director of Studies at Lorna Whiston Schools. Her three children are in their teens. June Rusdon is the chief executive officer of Busy Bees Asia. She has three kids in their 20s. Tina Stephenson-Chin is the executive director of Pedagogy and school principal at Etonhouse Newton. She has a five-year-old son. Fiona Walker is the group managing director of Julia Gabriel Education – Julia Gabriel Centre, Chiltern House Preschool and Chengzhu. Her son is aged 13, and her daughter is 10. PSYCHIATRY Dr Cornelia Chee is a psychiatrist and director in the Women’s Emotional Health Service at the National University Hospital. Her daughters are aged 12 and…

You know Barack Obama as a dignified former US president but, as a kid, his larger-than-average ears made him a prime target for teasing and taunts, he once revealed at an anti-bullying conference. First-time mum Dawn Ching felt that fear when her baby, Oliver, was born with irregular-shaped ears. She had them corrected when he was just six days old so they would look “normal”. Oliver had a condition known as lidding in both ears, where the top part of his ears was folded over. There was also an abnormal fold of cartilage across his ears. “Although my mother said he might outgrow it, I didn’t want to take the chance,” shares Dawn, 30, a tax manager. “There was nothing wrong with his hearing, but we were worried that he…

When people offered their congratulations to Annabel Chow when she said she was pregnant, she felt “lousy”. She had suffered depression during her pregnancy – known as antenatal or prenatal depression – while carrying her first child more than nine years ago. She recalls experiencing insomnia, anxiety and fatigue. It was also frustrating “when others kept telling me that I should be happy, that I was lucky to be having a child”. “It added to the guilt I felt that I was not happy,” says Annabel, 40. This incongruence between the reality of women’s mental health and common beliefs about pregnancy and maternity is one reason prenatal depression is not easy to diagnose, says Dr Chan Herng Nieng, a senior consultant in the department of psychiatry at Singapore General Hospital…

DETERMINE THE CARE SERVICE OR PROGRAMME YOUR CHILD NEEDS Playgroup, infant care, childcare and kindergarten are the different types of care services and programmes available in Singapore. Playgroup is designed for children aged 18 to 30 months old, with sessions lasting from two to four hours. Elisabeth Lew, principal of Learning Vision Surbana One, says playgroup is a good choice if you’re looking for a short programme that allows your child to interact with other kids and help build his social skills. Playgroup is usually adult-accompanied, and the activities, facilitator-led. Infant care is suitable for children aged two to 18 months. Fiona McDonald, head of learning support at Chiltern House, says that centres offering infant care may offer half- or full-day programmes. These centres provide an environment and activities that…

Eight-year-old Jordan Justin’s handwriting used to be so untidy that he could not read his own writing. His mother struggled to read it, too, and after receiving feedback from his teachers, she enrolled him in a handwriting improvement class. Offered by Write2Win, an enrichment provider that focuses on handwriting, the class teaches children how to form letters and pay attention to the size of words, word spacing and margins. It is suitable for children aged six and older, and takes about three weeks to complete. Jordan’s handwriting improved by “90 per cent” after 21 sessions, says his mother, Mary Rajini, who is an IT manager in her 30s. “Now everyone can understand what he writes. Before, the spaces between his words were irregular and he did not start sentences at…

Should we leave our kids behind and go on a vacation? It had been a while since my husband and I spent quality time together. It turns out that I’m not the only one who’s entertained this idea. A recent Expedia.com.sg survey found that 41 per cent of parents in Singapore would do that, making them tops among families in Asia – ahead of Hong Kong (27 per cent), Taiwan (23 per cent) and Malaysia (19 per cent). But when we broached the subject with the kids, our five-year-old son turned on the waterworks. Then there was the disappointed look on our 10-year-old daughter’s face. Guilt won and we caved in. We would make it another family holiday, but at Club Med. The resort chain always comes to mind when…

eat There’s a new reason to head to Keppel Marina, and it’s not just for family-friendly Prive. Its new sister restaurant, Bayswater Kitchen, is visually stunning – its nautical-inspired decor is relaxed yet refined, as is the cuisine, which is seafood-focused. Hearty eaters should try the Fisherman’s Feast ($38 per person for at least two people), a smorgasborg of lobster, prawns, mussels, fish and other seafood in season, cooked with seafood stock & tomato and served with hand-rolled linguine. The lamb cutlets ($38) and fish & chips ($19) are must-tries, too. We like that the foosball and ping pong tables keep little hands well away from their tablets. 2 Keppel Bay Vista. Visit www.bayswaterkitchen.com.sg. do If you’ve always wanted to visit›London’s Natural History museum, you won’t want to miss the…