When to send your toddler to school?

When is the right time to send your kids to school? Are you eyeing the traditional system, progressive, montessori or how about homeschooling? Honestly, I really don't have an idea. I really don't want her to start too early nor too late. More so, I don't want my lil' china doll to experience what I had experienced before.

My first preschool stint was not a smooth sailing one. There was no progressive schools way back. Instead, traditional school was the only option available. Our set-up then was the students were squeezed inside a classroom with one teacher in front. I was sent to school when I was 3 years old and could no longer recall the name of the school.  I'm with my 2 cousins back then. Our first task was to write on our notebook what was written on the board. I was sooooo scared because I didn't know how to write. I'm not sure if that's my parents fault or the teacher who assumed everyone knew how. I even pleaded my cousin to write for me once she finished her notes. Lo and behold, I went home without a single letter or scribble on my notebook.

I cried and told my mom, I didn't want to go to school anymore because I couldn't write and I would always be left behind. Because of that, they gave me another year of  school break and thought I was too young to go to school.

After 3 decades, I have L who is an only child and has no other playmate in our household nor inside the village. This is the only reason which triggered me to find and to send L to school at her young age. May be she's too young for abc's and 123's but my main goal is to improve her socialization skills and the rest are just extras.

Initially, I tried sending L to Gymboree when she was 11 months old but I thought it was not successful. All through out the session she was clinging to me and too afraid with her surroundings. The teacher then was very accommodating. She tried to call L's attention every now and then. But my child still chose to be with me until the end of the session. Afterwards, I never enrolled her in a full class instead, we always visit Gymboree for playtime. We needed to at least utilized the paid membership fee.

lil china doll was too afraid to try

star for the lil china doll

Then this May of 2013, I found a preschool near our area. I'm so glad that they were accepting students as young as L who is 20 months old. I'll be discussing L's experienced on a separate blog. But to summarize everything, I think my child had a great time :)

my lil' miss curious

Fever, fever go away...

As a mom, I may not have black and white job description like what I used to have at the corporate world. But one thing I'm sure of I wanted to protect my little china doll from sickness, harm and pain.

My little china doll is never sickly when she's younger. But when she reached the toddler stage, my dilemma as a mom started. Last Feb 23, little china doll was confined at SLMC QC for 5 days due to boil. I haven't heard anyone who was confined due to boil. I knew there was something wrong. I even questioned my ways in handling my daughter and where did I go wrong during those times. I really can't imagine that we stayed 5 long days at the hospital due to boil.

But my dilemma did not end there. 3 weeks after recovery, we need to go back to her pedia because of stile on her eye. It was similar to her boil incident with almost same location. Boil was between her eyes while stile was on her left eye. I started to conclude that little china doll is prone to these types of infection. "S'ya na ang pigsain." 

After 2 months being perfectly healthy, L is sick again my poor baby. She has a fever since Monday, May 13. The pedia is also checking where the infection came from because she has no cough, no colds, stool is clear and she's still "makulit at malikot." Right now, I was advised to monitor her fever. I was also advised that it can be Roseala. It's a measles which is very common to infants and toddlers. What are the symptoms of Roseala? 3 days on and off fever and on 4th day, the rashes will appear and spread on the entire body. But if the fever will persist, it's something else.

I'm praying and hoping that her temperature will subside. If only I can take away her illness, I would. But I know, I can only protect her as much.

Be well my little china doll.

Babies are blessings and mothers are God's gift

Yippie!!!

The 3 of my most loved childhood friends just delivered healthy bouncing baby girls. Time really flies fast. 19 years ago, we're talking about crushes, teen issues, school activities, dreams and etc. Now, we're discussing about motherhood and our role as wives. Congratulations: Amy, Tin, May and to your husbands! Welcome to the world of selflessness and the club of sleepless nights.

Indeed, babies are blessings to our families. They give extra joy to everyone's heart. But I always believe that mothers are God's special gifts to us. She is our first concept of super hero. She willingly risked her life just for us to see the world we're living now. She works 24/7 in order to ensure you are raise according to God's plan. One day might not be enough to commemorate all the love and sacrifices that we children receive.

To my mama lot, my mother-in-law mama beth, my 2nd mom Aunti Ching, my relatives and friends who are mothers, happy mother's day to us,

Let's enjoy our day with our loved ones.