Author: immrseio

After shifting to their new place this year, Mrs Eio decided it’s time for Eio kids to do more “self-servicing” at home as compared to the past since they are now older & this can save her more time & trouble. Eio kids can also learn to be more independent. 

  
Nevertheless for some of the pointers below, adult supervision & guidance are absolutely necessary to ensure the children’s safety. The kids also need to know how to “self-service” correctly right from the start so that they need not unlearnt & re-learnt what they have already know. Patience are very much needed at the initial stage so parents try not to loose your cool when the kiddos miss the mark. (A reminder to Mrs Eio herself!) Mrs Eio stresses on age appropriateness & readiness of the child. In the long term, this will relieve the SAHM/ caregivers who are looking after the kids at home on their own. 
 

 1) Place a stable stool at the sink for them to stand wash hands on their own. 

Place hand towels lower (at their height) so that the kids can reach them easily to dry their hands. 

2) Install/ Set up a lower laundry rack so that the kids can help to keep & sun clothes

Some days Eio kids helps to fold Mr Eio’s handkerchiefs. 

3) Set up a work station (at least a table & chair) so that the kids know where to go automatically to complete their assignments or school homework. (Mrs Eio is still trying to refine this after Em goes Pri school. Probably a more conducive corner in a room… For the time being, Eio kids enjoys doing work at their windy front balcony.) 
  

Just last months, Eio kids shared a table when their do work, but Mrs Eio soon finds them distracting each other. Her in-laws gave her another table. There are time they work together but it’s good to separate them to work at different places when necessary. 😊

4) Place books & a box of toys at the living room or at a corner so that they kids can play or read in the morning while waiting for mommy to wake up. Lol. Eio kids has been going to their play or reading area quietly in the mornings when they woke up earlier than Mrs Eio these days. 

Books at the TV console & a box of train set etc. Messy as they’re very much in use. 😁

Mrs Eio separates the toys into a few boxes & the boxes are rotated every week so Eio kids have “new toys” to play with all the time. Lol. 

Mrs Eio is sure most kids are told not to draw on the walls etc, it’s good if we can also provide an area or an easle /whiteboard for them to scribble & express themselves. 
  

5) Use a jerry can or container with a tap for the kids to get drinking water on their own. 

  
Place their cups (unbreakable) near the edge & at a height that they can reach. 

El is pouring water for mama. Simply lovely! 
 

**having a stool at the sink also allows the kids to wash their own cups after use. 

Eio kids tell Mrs Eio that they can wash their own cup after use when Mrs Eio asks them to place the cups at the sink for her to wash.  

6) Lower the shower head & place the children’s soup on a lower shelf so that they can bathe on their own. 

 Em is able to bathe on his own after some guidance. This really save Mrs Eio lots of time everyday & she can prepare meals etc while he’s showering. But she’ll do spot check once in awhile.

 
Ps. This photo is posted after having Em’s permission. 😄 

7) Store/ place the socks & shoes at a good height within the children’s reach so that they can put them on on their own. (They must be taught how to put their shoes & socks on properly initially). 

  
** Having a lower shelf to store clothes & socks or storing them in the lower compartments of a cabinet will also allow the kids to help us store their clothing after they have taken it from the laundry rack. 

   
 Others: Mrs Eio has tried getting the Eio kids to prepare their meals, lay the tables, clean the table after meals, vacuum & clean the floor etc etc but that’s not everyday for kids 2-6 years old. Well… They are still kids right? Lol. 

  Em is better & more particular in cleaning the area under the dining table. Lol. 
The pointers above are not exhaustive. Mrs Eio is sure there are parents with very good tips too. Please share with us so that we can all benefit & make lives as SAHM/ main caregivers easier & happier!!! Cheerios!

“I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” Philippians‬ ‭4:13‬ ‭NIV‬

Mrs Eio bought a number of “cheapo” things for Eio kids from her visit to USA this March. These stuff are selling at usd $1 at Target. So she simply buy without blinking her eyes. Lol.

She still has some stock & is rationing/ taking out the “toys” only during “rainy days” when Mrs Eio is desperate & wanna keep the kids occupied.

For this long weekend, Mrs Eio took out these colourful rubber bands to tie El’s hair. It’s a packet for usd$1. After awhile, she decided to used some of them to teach El counting & colors.
Show mama the purple rubber band…

Counting…

Still counting…

Mr Eio decided to play a game with El by throwing the rubber bands into her small pail.

El’s turn to aim & shoot! She did it. Hi5 from papa.

The next day, El is asking everyone to sit down & play with her. She told us she has a new game to share with us.

Well… She arranged the rubber band like this & explained that whoever place the rubber and on the green plate is the winner! (Err… What is this 2 plus years old thinking about??)

After while, she said she’s making an improvement for her game & we must put the rubber band around micky’s head.

Some time later, she decided to walk around the house. She said she’s trying to think of ways to make improvement.

El came to Mrs Eio crying as she can’t think of ways to improve her game. We tried to console & affirm her that she’s doing a good job & she’s has come up with a nice game. We can slowly think of ways to improve it later on… 

From this episode, Mrs Eio realised how creative human beings are. (We have a creative creator… It’s in our DNA! ) We innovate & constantly seek to make improvements.

It takes a couple of years for Mrs Eio to truly/ better know how to empathize with Eio Kids. El’s effort to “invent” a new game would be less appreciated & her frustration would seem ridiculous to Mrs Eio if this happened years back. Mrs Eio is still trying to adapt & learn as the kiddos grow but she can definitely understand their “lingo” after these years of “staying home”.

I hope this little girl’s desire to innovate & improve don’t stop here. Though we’ll face challenges, we will overcome!

We are overcomers in Him!!!

Thank God Em got into P Pri school through phase 2c balloting. 120 registrants for 81 seats. God is faithful. God showed Mr Eio 1.5years ago that Em will get into P. We bought our current place 2.5 years back without thinking which sch to enroll em. We just want a place nearer mrt. 1.5 years ago, when we are praying about which sch to enroll em, around the same time Mr Eio dropped his hp after we all get off the taxi. (We don’t have a car then). An old lady found his hp but dunno how to answer his sumsung hp. (See pic for the number of missed calls!) 

Cut long story short, they manage to arrange to meet somewhere. Aft retrieving Mr Eio’s hp, he took a taxi home but somehow the driver make a detour & pass by our new place & a road sign that show P Pri School. Mr Eio even took a photo in the cab & showed me.  

(See picture taken in Jan 2014) I asked him if I should sign up as a parent volunteer since God showed him P Pri sch. As a teacher, It’s more likely for me to get through the interview for pv. Mr Eio told me trust God & not to spend my time this way. 
The reality came this year when we wanna register El to sch & didn’t get into the Pcf nearest to our new place due to dragon year babies even though we registered her last year. The center told us to try again next year 2016 & they also somehow lost our form. It’s divine when the center call us in April this year that there’s a place for El when we planned to shift to our new place in May. So timely! And the best thing is that El’s pcf is just next to P Pri school. 
Last night, Mr Eio told me there’s no need to go P Pri sch to witness the balloting. Just call the sch at 11am to confirm that em is in the sch. I said if we all sleep beyond 8am, (which is usually the case for the kids to wake up around 8.30am) then I’ll not go. But this morning somehow em woke up at 7am!! So, off we go to P Pri school after having breakfast at a coffeeshop. Frankly, when I stepped into the sch hall, the atmosphere is very very tense. There’s many parents & some brought their kids. I thought ops!!, I should not have brought em here. Can see some parents rubbing their hands & grabbing their hand bags tightly etc. 

  
Em sensed the stress & he prayed to Jesus to help him. Thank God we didn’t have to wait too long & can exit from the hall in less than half an hour after seeing that his number is drawn. 

 This wait is not so easy though I tend to forget about this enrollment issue most of the time in my busyness & as I try to entrust it to God, plus there’s nothing I can do. I’m not suppose to be a parent volunteer as instructed by Mr Eio. We have to miss the phase 2A1 registration early this July at Mr Eio’s alma mater. The intensity heightens when friends & neighbors with kids registering for Pri 1 starts panicking & asking me questions etc. (while my hubby is totally cool about it.) At times I wonder should I just register Em elsewhere as we heard there’s some discipline issues in P Pri sch & all students have to study HCL which means more work & stress for em & me right? I was sharing that if em don’t get into P Pri school, I’ll just try to enroll him in any other primary school near my place. (Well.. That will be for the next 9 years as El will enter em’s sch) Thank God em got into a sch nearest our home. P1 reg would be easier for El (the dragon baby) in 3 years time. His revelation to us come to pass. I know this is a beginning for all of us, especially for Em. I’m not sure what is in store but I know in all situation God is with us! God knows how this mommy lacks faith & hence told us 3x that her 1st born shall be named Em- God is with us! All glory be unto God!!!