Innholdsfortegnelse for February 2018 i Young Parents

Rice and noodles are go-to staples in an Asian diet, but if you are looking for an alternative to keep meal times interesting for the whole family, why not try this one-dish wonder? It’s a comfort-food classic that’s budget-friendly, and comes complete with meat and vegetables in a rich homemade sauce, topped with a flaky golden pie crust in a shape of a bear (or any other shape you fancy)! Serve it piping hot from the oven or freeze it for a quick snack later. This recipe was demonstrated at the Young Parents Fun Family Cooking Workshop on Dec 9, 2017. CHICKEN AND POTATO POT PIE WITH PUFF PASTRY BEAR Ingredients: 3 tbsp olive oil 2 chicken thighs 1 large onion, diced 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 stalk leek 1…

ASK THE EXPERT This question was answered by Dr Natalie Epton, a specialist paediatrician and neonatologist (www.doctor-natalie.com).Got a question? E-mail us at magyoungparents@sph.com.sg. Q flight I’m taking with a my 14 toddler -hour for the first time. How can I make this a smooth, happy experience for us? I know – everyone has told you to A just give Benadryl or some other sedating antihistamine, and your life will be peachy. Please do not do this. Firstly, around 15 per cent of children will have a paradoxical reaction to the antihistamine. In other words, instead of having the sleeping angel you hope for, you may end up with a screaming kid scaling the walls of the cabin for the next 12 hours (believe me – I’ve been called to see…

Your friends send their two-year-olds to childcare centres with amazing facilities and highly qualified staff, then sign them up for a huge range of fantastic toddler activities. You worry when you hear them talking with one another about all of this. These services and activities are so unbelievably expensive – you could never afford them – and now you are suffering badly from parental FOMO (fear of missing out.) Here are five ways to overcome the FOMO blues: Focus on parenting basics Your toddler can’t care less about how many designer shirts you buy for her, or how much you paid so she could bounce around in that fancy new trampoline centre. She’s just as happy when you painted her face like a cat as she would if a professional…

You're thrilled your child has an obvious talent (for example, playing a musical instrument, excelling in a sport or drawing creatively). Even better, he actually seems to enjoy these classes. He practises hard between lessons without you having to nag at him, and his teacher has told you that she wants to train him for competitions because she thinks he has a real talent in the field. What worries you, however, is that this extra pressure, which goes with any form of competitiveness, could kill his interest. Of course you want to push your child as far as he can go in this activity, but at the same time you're afraid that although he's good, he may not be good enough to be one of the country's top achievers in…

Gautam Venkatraman found it hard to keep his eyes closed when he first started meditating at the age of seven. “I kept blinking or opening my eyes. Now, I can do five minutes straight,” says the nine-year-old. He was then taking part in a workshop two years ago that taught children about mindfulness. Mindfulness is defined as a form of awareness of the present moment. Meditation and breathing exercises are among the techniques that can bring about this heightened awareness. There are overlaps between mindfulness, meditation and yoga, which can be confusing. Some centres offer versions of all three, while some specialise in one area. Proponents say the practice of mindfulness has benefits, such as reducing stress and improving concentration in an environment filled with smartphones, gadgets and other distractions.…

As Annabelle Chew’s family grew bigger over the years, her ideas about spending quality time together evolved. Annabelle, 46, a vice-principal of a preschool, and her husband, operations manager Victor Ong, 51, have five children aged between three and 21. She says: “Back when we had two or three kids, I used to think everybody must gather together for family time. But I realised that as the children grew older, they had different needs and interests. It was better to be flexible, to connect with each child, one to one.” She decided to go on individual outings with each of her five kids, in addition to spending time together as an entire family. Her husband sometimes does so, too. Over the years, their cycling sessions or meals out with individual…

The Jacob Ballas Children’s Garden at the Singapore Botanic Gardens has always been a favourite spot for parents to take their kids on a fun day out. After its extension, the Garden has doubled in size to 4ha – that’s around the size of seven football fields. It’s now the largest children’s garden in Asia and features four brand new zones and educational programmes, which encourage children to experience and learn about different ecosystems. The new attractions are now accessible to children up to 14 years old; previously, it catered to those up to age 12. Here’s what you can expect: FOREST ZONE Your little ones will love the brand new Forest zone (main photo). It boasts tree houses, a trampoline and even a flying fox zipline. Kids can drink…

The newly unveiled Maritime Experiential Museum features five brand new galleries and hands-on activities your kids are sure to love. We made and shot these cute newspaper doggies for our feature on babies born in the Year of the Dog (page 30). We miss our holiday at the Sheraton Okinawa Sunmarina Resort, which has an outdoor pool with long, spiral slides, and this cosy indoor one, too. At YP’s Fun Family Cooking Workshop, parents and kids bonded while making bentos and other dishes. The little ones will have so much fun with the interactive activities at the Treasures of the Natural World exhibition at the Artscience Museum. We had such an amazing time watching the comedic production Flying Through Time at the Resorts World Theatre. Follow us and find out…

Leanne Ho was 40 when she signed up for an Instagram account. Her first photo was a bottle of SK-II lotion which she placed unceremoniously on her toilet seat cover. It got just a few dozen “likes” at first. But it was enough to spur her on. Five years and 4,260 posts later, Leanne has amassed a following of 60,100 on her Instagram account @loveforskincare, with each post of a beauty product typically garnering between 400 and 1,000 likes. She also has a beauty blog of the same name that grabs thousands of eyeballs a day. Today, she is pursued by hundreds of cosmetics and lifestyle brands. Many offer her freebies or a fee to have their products featured on her platforms. On top of that, she gets invited to…

You are exhausted, but Baby just won’t sleep. You feel you might even doze off while on your feet. Remember, losing your temper will simply make you and Baby more agitated – and both of you will be less likely to sleep. Instead, calmly work through a list of practical strategies to soothe your crying newborn. These can include gently rocking him in your arms, playing soft background music or singing a lullaby. You can also try taking him for a walk in his pram, and even allowing him to cry for several more minutes to see if he nods off by himself. You have expressed milk, but she wastes it by barely touching it, or you accidentally drop the bottle on the floor. These “I can’t believe it” moments…

She was once dubbed a rising star with a bright future in showbiz. But in 2005, Evelyn Tan gave it all up. That was when she welcomed her first child with actor-husband Darren Lim, now 45, and made the decision to become a stay-at-home mum. Today, the 41-year-old homeschools her four children – Kristen, 12; Jairus, 10; Way, eight; and Elliott, four – and wants to inculcate in them the idea that “life is not all about academics”. Even more surprising was the family of six’s decision to live on a yacht for five years (they are now land-based), and their six-month sailing expedition in January 2016 to Phuket and Koh Samui. Young Parents caught up with the radiant mum at the launch of popular German brand Frei Ol in…

Quick question: Which Australian city would you want to take your family to visit? I bet none of you said Canberra. In fact, the Australian capital probably isn’t on your travel radar, but it should be. During a whirlwind two-night trip there, I had the chance to see why Lonely Planet named it the third hottest destination to visit in 2018, after Seville in Spain and Detroit in the US. Kids will love Canberra’s wide, open spaces and fresh air – literally, as it’s the third cleanest city in the world according to the World Health Organization – and there’s plenty of child-centric activities to make it an unforgettable holiday. These attractions impressed me most: National Arboretum Canberra Don’t leave Canberra without taking the kids to visit the delightful Pod…

A love of food unites all Singaporeans, so what better way to bond with your kids than making a meal together? With that aim in mind, Young Parents held its Fun Family Cooking Workshop 2017 on Dec 8 last year at ToTT in Dunearn Road. Here are some of the highlights. Look out for more exciting family events from YP this year!…

time to get one Flik Flak’s new C’est Chic collection for kids pairs well with Chinese New Year outfits and looks good all year round. Daisy Bee features happy honeybees and “love me, love me not” daisies on a pink background, while Scott’n’Terry (pictured) is all about canine cuties. Part of the Swatch group, Flik Flak offers watches that are Swiss-made, shock-resistant and come with machine-washable textile straps. Prices unavailable at press time. Visit www.flikflak.com/en/store/singapore . blend and glow Fans of Korean beauty brand Laneige will want to get their hands on its new Two Tone Correcting Bar and Two Tone Contouring Bar. Lightweight and comfortable on skin, they feature a unique two-colour combination that you can easily apply to conceal flaws, even out skin tone, and…

It’s something all parents of young children wish for – peaceful meals with the little ones eating their vegetables or whatever healthy food you’ve prepared. The reality is probably the opposite; a stressful battle-of-wills to feed rebellious children who are more interested in candy. One trick parents can do is to make food attractive and colourful so that kids are engaged and interested to eat. You’ve probably seen bentos with cute cartoon characters made from sushi rice, egg, seaweed and other ingredients. Some even look too good to eat. The thing is, it’s not too hard to do. You can also ask the kids to help and turn it into a family bonding experience. The recipe below, demonstrated at the Young Parents Fun Family Cooking Workshop on Dec 9, 2017,…

The first 201 days of Oliver Shan Yu Hanson’s life were spent away from his parents’ embrace, inside an incubator at a hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit, with tubes and tapes all over his tiny body. He needed help to breathe, stay warm and receive nutrients. Outside, the apprehension was equally stark. Brendan Hanson, 46, and his wife, Tan Soo Lin, 41 (pictured), had to grapple with the most difficult question that any parent could face: When do you let your child go? The boy was born in November 2015 – 15 weeks too early and weighing a mere 580g, which is less than the weight of two soft drink cans. Doctors said Oliver could have severe brain damage and may end up a vegetable, never to wake up. “When…

@scarletsnowbelo Scarlet Snow Belo Number of followers: 1.8 million Scarlet’s parents are Victoria Belo and Hayden Kho – two of the Philippines’ most well-known doctors. However, the little starlet isn’t one to hide behind the shadow of her famous parents. Scarlet models part-time, and makes guest appearances now and then. @tabloisdad Haru Lee Number of followers: 2 million At eight years old, Haru might be the oldest of the crop here, but she has always been famous. She grew up in the limelight, thanks to her father, South Korean rapper and entertainer, Tablo. She appears in his shows, too. @asahdkhaled Asahd Tuck Khaled Number of followers: 1.7 million His Instagram account is just as flashy as his dad’s (if you haven’t already guessed, he’s rapper DJ Khaled’s son). The toddler…

You are fed up. Your husband doesn't think he needs to chip in with household chores such as ironing clothes, washing dishes and cleaning windows. He assumes this is your domain (read: responsibility), so he leaves it all up to you. You don't have domestic help, and you're already exhausted with Baby. To get your husband to play his part, it's important to get his support to tackle those necessary but tedious tasks at home. Learn how you can speak your mind - tactfully. What you want to say to him “When did we agree you’d slob around all day doing nothing while you watch me do everything to keep this house clean?” Say this instead “We both have day jobs. Your job is to go out to your office…

Your preschooler will occasionally insist that her friends’ parents allow them to do this or to buy them that, and you are stricter and meaner. These comparisons drive you to distraction. You are also fed up with her constant questions: “Why can’t you be like my friend’s mum?” “Why do you not love me enough?” You hate thinking that she feels that others have a better home life, and you feel sad she seems to rate other mothers more highly. Don’t believe a word of it. Rest assured those supposedly wonderful, permissive, free-spending “friend’s mums” who apparently treat their five-year-olds like royalty are a figment of your child’s wishful thinking. This is nothing more than a sign of her creative imagination. She mentions other mums to you for one purpose…

Fun The very thought of having to arrange a babysitter or getting the kids off to bed at a reasonable hour is enough to make you both decide to stay at home. But go out and have a date anyway, because you are a couple as well as parents. Purpose It’s very easy to get so caught up in the daily hustle and bustle of family life, you forget why you rush about so much. Stand back and reflect on what you are trying to achieve as parents, about your values and aspirations. That reminds you of the goals you share with your spouse. Intimacy Libido is always under threat when you are a parent – the sounds of a screaming child, the prospect of that unexpected knock at the…

It’s compact Canberra is a planned city and many of its attractions are a short drive away. Hire a car for convenience. It’s vibrant Canberra turned out to be more exciting than I had imaged, with trendy restaurants at the Kingston Foreshore and Lonsdale Street, and a modern mall, Canberra Centre, which has over 260 shops. Have a bite at the Instaworthy Pollen Cafe (ww.pollencafe.com.au) at the Australian National Botanic Gardens and then go for a stroll in the beautiful Gardens – I saw a wallaby while walking off my lunch; kangaroos are a common sight, too. The popular Frugii Dessert Laboratory (www.fb.com/Frugii) in hipster Lonsdale Street churns out deliciously exotic ice cream flavours, including Tim Tam and peanut butter and bacon. It’s tucked inside a nondescript building, but there’s…

It’s billed as Singapore’s biggest carnival, and it doesn’t disappoint. The Prudential Marina Bay Carnival occupies a space larger than three football fields, and features 22 rides and attractions, as well as 29 game booths. One of the most Instagrammable attractions is the Star Flyer (pictured), a carousel ride that takes you 35m high and gives a 360-degree view of the Marina Bay skyline. Kids have to be at least 1.2m to go on it, but there are many other rides and games to keep the preschoolers very happy! Don’t worry about going hungry here. There are more than 20 food options, including burgers, pasta, satay and desserts. Admission is free, but each game and ride costs at least $4 per go. The carnival is open till April 1, from…