Innholdsfortegnelse for April 2018 i Young Parents

Children need much more sleep than adults, and not getting enough affects their attention, concentration, reasoning and problem-solving – everything that is required for them to perform well in school, says Dr Chong Yaw Khian, chief of Sleep Disorder Services at Tan Tock Seng Hospital, National Healthcare Group. Sufficient sleep also keeps the memory in top-notch condition. Without it, it is harder for your child to remember what he learnt and experienced during the day, he adds. Here, we get the sleep experts to share six things that can sabotage a good night’s rest for Junior, and tips to fix them. 1 Your kid is too tubby Does Junior snore at night and appear very sleepy in the day? A good night’s rest can remain elusive if your child is…

Create a calm atmosphere in your house. Relaxing activities, such as listening to a story, help settle him. Even though you have an afternoon nap routine for your toddler, you may find that it’s no longer working. Now, he just wants to play all day instead. Your one-year-old’s physical needs change throughout this second year – he has more energy and enthusiasm, and he starts to assert his independence. So he’d much rather stay awake and play than get his afternoon nap. The problem is, without that quick recharge, he can become tired – and irritable. Here’s how you can get him into bed. Adapt his nap routine Six months ago, he slept for two hours just after lunch. Now he only needs an hour’s nap in the middle of…

Keep taking her there every day. Never let her stay at home when she says she doesn’t want to attend. You moved to a new home recently, and your five-year-old is delighted with her bigger bedroom. If only she could have continued going to the same childcare centre, with the same friends and the same teachers. In fact, she says attending this new childcare centre makes her miserable, because she has lost all her old friends. She doesn’t like the new centre. And she acts up whenever you take her there. Hopefully you had arranged a pre-attendance visit to the new centre so she could have a good look around before she started. That would have helped reduce her uncertainty and allowed her to forge a connection with the children…

Imagine this: A playground made out of nets, suspended between floors in a shopping mall. As surreal as that sounds, it pretty much describes Airzone at City Square Mall. Billed as the world's first indoor suspended playground, it offers four levels of fun for you and your little ones. Kids are allowed in as long as they can support themselves and walk unaided on the nets, but children under the age of six must be accompanied by an adult. Here’s what you can expect as an “Airstronaut”: LEVEL 1: BALL PIT This is Singapore’s only fully suspended ball pit, containing approximately 40,000 balls. You may have heard of the infamous “drowning” incident after a mum got stuck in the ball pit. Vivien Low, who runs parenting blog Beautiful Chaos with…

How would “forever four-year-old” Abbie Cadabby interpret Ed Sheeran’s famous song, Shape of You? To hilarious effect that will entertain both kids and adults! The act is part of a brand new show titled Elmo’s TV Time at the Pantages Hollywood Theater in Universal Studios Singapore. Sit in air-conditioned comfort and enjoy almost 20 minutes of song and dance by the endearing Sesame Street characters as they pit themselves against one another in a talent competition. The original production is available year-round and is free, but usual admission fees to the theme park apply. Refer to the daily schedule for showtimes.Visit www.rwsentosa.com. Can you eat clean at a buffet? Ash & Elm’s new Sunday Champagne Brunch comes close. Besides the usual buffet line-up, you get to choose from nine petit…

We had a ball of fun at Airzone at City Square. Read more on page 74. Your little ones will love the new Insta-worthy Dreamworks Kou Kou cafe. The highly anticipated Lego Marvel Super Heroes range doesn’t disappoint with its cool sets. The new Buds by Shangri-La indoor playground is a wonderland for kids aged one to 12. Clarins presented its new Hydra-Essentiel skincare range in this cute box made with sugar glass. The new Sunday Champagne Brunch at Ash & Elm features delicious seasonal produce. Follow us and find out what the Young Parents team is up to.…

Taking four months off from work may be one of the biggest challenges for many working women. After all, before Baby came along, your longest break from the office had been, perhaps, two weeks long. Even then, remember the amount of work you had to cover in advance before leaving for your holiday, and how much you had to catch up on when you returned? No wonder you’re feeling jittery at the thought of starting your maternity leave, especially when you’re advancing your career. But there is no reason why you can’t continue to climb the corporate ladder and be a good Mummy. Read on for tips on how you can integrate back into the office environment seamlessly and pick up right where you left off. 1 Before you go…

DEER INDUSTRIES This one-stop shop features an extensive range of European-designed baby and kids' furniture, as well as bedding and decor items. The furniture, which includes beds, cots and cribs, dressers and wardrobes, desks, vanities, bookshelves, playpens, armchairs and side tables, is functional and sophisticated, and made from high-quality, durable materials. With streamlined, minimalist designs, they're perfect if you're after whimsical or vintage-inspired pieces for your little one's bedroom. Complete the look with fun printed cushions and rugs, wall decals and stickers, cartoon nightlights, and animal-shaped wall hooks. The brands it stocks include Kidsmill and Bopita, both from the Netherlands. Beds are priced between $400 and $2,600, while dressers and wardrobes range from about $150 to $2,250. FIND OUT MORE www.deerindustries.com HIPVAN This online retailer specialises in affordably priced,…

“I didn’t have time to study for my test.” With so much on his plate, it’s important for Junior to stay on top of things – but this isn’t always easy. So, when he learns that he has a test in a few days, he may find that he hasn’t got enough time to prepare for it. Ensure he’s not cramming at the last minute by making studying a daily habit. Consistent revision means he’ll be better prepared. Charlie Spiller, head of Primary Courses at British Council, suggests working with your child to design a study timetable. Don’t forget to include fun or rest breaks and “spare” periods that can be used to go over any topics he isn’t sure about. And be strict about him following the schedule. “Studies…

apple pie language Founded in 2003, this centre aims to cultivate an appreciation for the Chinese language from an early age. The centre offers a range of daily, weekly and specially customised classes throughout the year, for children aged three to eight years old. Class sizes cater to kids who learn at different speeds. Its speech and drama-based programme improves your kid’s social and communication skills and boosts confidence in public speaking. Apple Pie Language also offers holiday camps during the school holidays. Tel: 6766-9820/ Website: www.applepie.com.sg mindchamps preschool If you live or work near Boon Keng, the upcoming Mindchamps Preschool @ Boon Keng (Kallang) is just a six-minute stroll from Bendemeer MRT station. Slated to open in the second quarter of 2018, the centre boasts 9,000 sq ft of…

THIS MONTH, WE ASK My kid speaks too softly. How do I get her to project her voice? First, it’s important to establish why your child is speaking quietly: Is it due to a physical reason, such as having weak vocal cords or a naturally quiet voice; a social reason, such as nervousness; or her personality, which may be naturally quiet and reserved. Help her overcome the problem with these tips: • Develop a love of books and enjoy reading aloud every day. Practise character voices – some loud, some soft. Have fun recording the reading and listening back to it together. • Show her how to breathe and speak from her abdomen, rather than her throat. Can she make her tummy go in and out? • Show her how…

Q I had some spotting during the first trimester of my pregnancy. Would resting more have prevented it? A Bleeding in early pregnancy is a common occurrence, affecting about 20 to 25 per cent of expectant women. It may be associated with abdominal pain, and sometimes not. Take heart that it doesn’t always mean that you’ve lost your baby, though. It may be due to implantation bleeding (when the developing embryo sticks onto the womb lining to grow) or threatened abortion (the pregnancy is growing, but there is higher risk of impending miscarriage). It may also be due to an ectopic pregnancy (when the fertilised egg does not implant in the correct position in the uterus) or that a miscarriage has already occurred. Other non-pregnancy related causes, such as a…

For many mums-in-law, grandmotherhood is much more important than all other social and leisure activities. DON’T SAY “I’m the baby’s mother, not you.” Okay, Grandma can become over-excited such that she behaves as though your baby is hers. But that's just because she is carried away with the moment, and she remembers what it was like when her first child was born. It's better if you say: “I'd like to try things my way because I have so much to learn.” DON’T SAY “That’s too old-fashioned; we do things differently nowadays.” Of course, there are trends in baby care, just as in other areas of life. Instead of reminding your mum-in-law about her advancing years, explain there are now different opportunities, methods and equipment for parents. DON’T SAY “You are…

It is convenient for your kids to attend the same class, but this can smother your middle child’s individuality. If you have three kids, consider how your No. 2 is coping with middle child syndrome. That’s when he feels hard done by because of his position in the family. He gets neither the advantages of the eldest child (who has all the “firsts” and is allowed the most freedom) nor the advantages of the youngest (often spoilt and allowed to do most things he was never allowed to). Learn how to prevent his sense of injustice in the following complaints. THE COMPLAINT “You always miss me out.” THE SOLUTION Make sure your middle child feels as special as his siblings. He needs to feel that he matters as much as…

Better focus, thinking skills and self-control are some of the many perks of learning more than one language. And that’s not all. “We also know that bilingual children are able to better relate to others from different cultures and backgrounds, as well as display greater empathy. These are vital skills needed in today’s global market,” says Huang Ying, principal of Chengzhu Mandarin Kindergarten. But how do you raise a bilingual child if you speak only one language at home? This is where school comes in. The majority of preschools in Singapore provide some exposure to a second language as part of its curriculum, but an increasing number of schools now offer immersion programmes that allow your child to learn in a Mandarin-rich environment. How do these programmes work, and what…

A good variety of sensory play experiences is an excellent way for babies to explore and learn, says Charlotte Wong, senior manager at the Kinderland chain of infant-care and childcare centres. Here, she shares how teachers create them and how you can do so at home. What is sensory play? It’s to provide your little one with hands-on activities that stimulate the sense of touch, sight, smell, taste and hearing. When a baby is born, he uses the five senses to learn about the environment and to receive comfort. This could be a hug or a kiss, a loving face, an assuring voice or a familiar scent. With sensory play, it supports your young child’s fine and gross motor skills, language and cognitive growth, social emotional development and even problem-solving…

A good Instagram feed makes your life look amazing, or so it seems. The folks behind Cassia Bintan obviously agree and did away with everything you have come to associate a beach resort with – the interior decor, at least. No, you’re not going to find the property awash in an earthy colour palette with extensive use of wood finishes and furniture. That’s too #sameoldsameold. Instead, this unconventional resort helps you step up your Instagram game with a riot of vibrant colours that will make you posts pop. We realised that once we arrived here for a three-day vacation. Caricatures on wall murals everywhere – by famous Indonesian artist Adi Dharma (www.instagram.com/stereoflow_id) – screamed for our attention, as did the luggage trolleys in neon colours. And in our spacious two-bedroom…