Category: Education

Education, Kids/Children

Stories from an Apple 🍎.

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Getting Eio kids to eat fruits has been easy these days as they can “self-service”.  

Mrs Eio thought of sharing some pointers she taught the kids using an apple. As a SAHM, having a proper sit-down lesson is a luxury. 

Does Mrs Eio has 21st century competencies, PETALS framework, differentiated learning…(all that she learnt from MOE as a school teacher) blah blah blah.. in mind when she teaches Eio kids? 

Nope.

Most of the time, concepts & “lessons” are taught to the kids amidst of preparing meals, laundry, housework, changing bedsheets etc… best part is.. there’s no need for a lesson plan! Haha. 

Em was told to leave the apple on the plate & to observe the change to the apple after an hour. 

Needless to say, the apple turns brown. A natural question he asked is “why?” 

Here comes our 1st learning point:  

1) oxidisation. 

Mrs Eio showed Eio kids this YouTube video to help them better understand the concept. 

(Photo above: browning of an apple after 1 hour. )

Besides sharing on the oxidisation of apple, Mrs Eio also shared another concepts that are related to apple with Eio kids. 

2) Apple is a fruit. Mrs Eio shared with Eio kids how a flower on an apple tree grows into a fruit. 

3) the story of Isaac Newton’s discovery of gravity! Wallah!! Apple! 

There are many other stories (concepts) one can teach using an apple. 🍎 

Having shared all the above, Mrs Eio thinks Proper “sit-down” learning & intentional teaching are important so Mrs Eio does set aside time for these.

Well… Learning can take place anywhere, anytime but not just from anybody though. 🤔

Education, Family, Kids/Children

My son – the big brother

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Mrs Eio is grateful to have Em around to help her take care of El. This is especially true when Mr Eio works overtime or is overseas. 

Disclaimer: To be frank kids being kids, they still bicker, quarrel & fight among themselves.. but there are days, they are simply loving. 😘lol. 

As a SAHM, there are things that she looked forward to…

Eio kids playing harmoniously together.. 

Cooking together…

Having outdoor fun together… 

Couple of months ago, Eio kids were instructed to do their Quiet Time before bed time. Mrs Eio is amused to hear Em leading his sister in prayer. He read this prayer bookmark (picture below) aloud. Word for word! El repeated after him. When they are done, they proceeded to reading. Mrs Eio was so touched that she wanna cry. Anyway… she had a good shower that night. 

This is a “prayer corner” (photo below) set up beside their bed. Not well “decorated” but serves its purpose. Ultimate aim to for them to “self-service” if they need prayer guides. 

There are days Em will do flash cards with El.

Mrs Eio thinks it starts with the parents reading with the kids. Then the older child picks up reading habits & read to the younger sibling. Frankly, Mrs Eio never once ask Em to read to El or do flash cards with her. It’s his own initiatives. Thankful…🙌🏻

Em reading to El… there are days Em read to El in the room & the house is just so quiet while Mrs Eio is preparing dinner. One important thing to note is that they must be within mommy’s sight. Mrs Eio will instruct them to read in the living room where she can see them while preparing meals in the kitchen. If Mrs Eio is bathing or in the toilet, she must be able to hear what they are doing & she will call El to report to her in the bathroom about their progress! 

Lo & behold… after Em goes to primary one & sits for tests after tests… he came to Mrs Eio with a test script one evening & said El failed the test!!! Mrs Eio wondered what happened?!?!! Em set a test paper for El & guide her to complete the questions. For goodness sake! If El can do all these questions correctly, Mrs Eio will sure progress her from pre-school to primary one!! Haha. 

Well… there are good & bad days. Look forward to the good days & the bad days will be insignificant. A grateful heart is what it needs she guessed. 

Mrs Eio is thankful for his son- the big brother! – With love. ❤️️

Education, Food, Kids/Children, Little Kitchen Helper

Dumplings making with Eio kids! 

immrseio

Eio kids love to eat dumplings! Weeks ago, Mrs Eio made dumpling skin (refer to the earlier post:  Dumpling making  | I am Mrs Eio: https://immrseio.com/2016/08/02/dumpling-making/ )  together with them but they didn’t have the time to really master the skill of wrapping dumplings. Mrs Eio has been waiting for a chance to teach them how to wrap dumplings but the plan was put on hold as El was unwell for a week…

  
El had to rest at home for a week. Here’s the day when El was better & Mrs Eio’s tired of cooking dinner. She’s thinking of a way to keep the kiddos occupied, yet having them to settled their dinner & prepared for their meals to come. No time to make dumpling skin that day & Mrs Eio already bought the ready made Wu Li Hao Taiwan dumpling skin from the supermarket a few days ago. Be sure to get the right ones (NOT shui jiao skin 水饺/ NOT Yun Tun 云吞 skin) . Otherwise, the skin will be soggy after cooking. 

 
Here’s the ingredients for the fillings. 

  • Minced pork 400g
  • 1 egg (realised one is enough)
  • 1.5 cups chopped carrot 
  • 2 cups chopped chives 
  • 2tsp of grated ginger & it’s juice
  • 2 tsp of sesame oil
  • 1 tsp of soy sauce
  • 2 tsp of fish sauce
  • 1/3 tsp of salt 
  • Some pepper 
  • 4-5 tsp of corn flour (depending on the size of the egg & how wet is the mixture) 

Mixed the ingredients together & chilled it in the fridge for 1-2 hours for the ingredients to absorb the seasoning. 

   
Eio kids were extremely excited. They kept asking Mrs Eio when were they going to start making dumplings while the fillings were chilling in the fridge. Finally the time has come. Here they go! 

 
Mrs Eio was amazed that Eio kids picked up the dumpling wrapping skills really fast! Never belittle little children.  


Step by step:

  1. Wash your hands!!!
  2. Take a piece of the dumpling skin & put it on your palm. 
  3. Scoop a tsp full of meat unto the skin
  4. Dip your index finger into the water & put a bit of water on the edge of the dumplings skin. (Explain to the kids that the water is acting as glue here to stick the skin together when they close the openings. 
  5. Fold the skin into half & pressed the sides to close the openings. 
  6. You can make gathers at the sides as you close the openings so the dumplings look prettier! 😊

 

Quality versus quantity

Eio kids were following Mrs Eio’s instructions. This whole process tells a lot about their personalities. Em would put the dumplings on the plate so that he could focus on making gathers at the edge. He wanted to make pretty dumplings. El would simply close the openings of the skin flat & move on to make the next one. She wanted to make many many dumplings. Lol. 😅

  
After making a few dumplings, Em realised it’s easier to put the dumplings on his palm to make the gathers. 

Lo & behold, Mrs Eio & Eio kids made 68 dumplings in less than 25 min👏 (exclude time used to prepare & chill fillings). They freeze the dumplings for subsequent meals. 👍👍
 
Here’s their dumplings for dinner on the next day! 

 
Mrs Eio wanna take picture of Eio kids eating their dumplings but in less than 10 min (while Mrs Eio’s washing dishes), El had finished eating all the dumplings in her plate. She swallowed 8 dumplings!!! Yummy! Em still admiring his dumplings & how lovely they looked…haha. How they loves dumplings.❤️❤️

Education, Family, Kids/Children, Little Kitchen Helper

Little kitchen helper: Eio Kids make egg burgers

immrseio

Mrs Eio is starting a new category in her blog- Little kitchen helper. 

Practical Reason: some of her SAHM or mommies friends are asking what she does with her kids at home? How she get them to help to prepare their lunch or dinner? What exactly Eio kids do when they help to prepare meals? 

Here’s some photos & descriptions for easier references. Just sharing some ideas. She’s sure many mommies are doing similar stuff or even better job out there!👍

Please note that most of the photos are back dated as Mrs Eio didn’t really take photos recently when the kids help out. Will try to make an effort to take photos if possible. 😁

  

Why does Mrs Eio need helpers in her kitchen? Very practical reasons again! 

  1. It’s a life skill they need to learn. Just like some parents think learning how to swim is important. 😊
  2. It’s educational. Eggs are not scrambled, poached, fried or sunny side up. There’s egg white & yolk too. Lol. 
  3. Instead of them playing & starting to get bored… bickering around evening time… Come on! Do something constructive with/for mommy & the family! 
  4. Kids to learn the process & be appreciative. If Eio kids ever question their mommy why cook this dish today or gets bored with certain dish. OK! DIY!!! After the kids started helping in the kitchen, they can better understand it really takes effort for mommy to prepare a meal for them!
  5. Eio kids like to help in the kitchen. They like to stand around to see how Mrs Eio prepare a meal. Aiyoh! Don’t stand around. Help out lah! 

  
There’s couple of “things to note” before getting the little helpers to help in the kitchen.

7 key pointers for mommies: 

  • The task assigned must be age appropriate! You can’t expect a 2 years old to fry an egg?!?!? Probably learn how to crack an egg is more age appropriate.
  • Starts with small & simple tasks. Please refrain from getting the little helpers to do complicated tasks when they are asked to help for the first time round. There’s a possibility of them messing things up. If mommy starts to get upset due to the mess, they get discouraged. 
  • Set rules & boundaries. Be clear with your instructions. Hello! They are kids! There’s stove, knives (dangerous items) etc in the  kitchen. You really want the kids to know this is not a playground right from the start! Especially if you have more than 1 little helper! 
  • Avoid wastage & unnecessary “volcano eruption”(getting upset). Eg. You may wanna scoop out the pasta sauce or put some ingredients into bowls to avoid the little helpers from spilling the entire can of sauce or messing up all the ingredients. 
  • Preparations needed depending on what you are getting the kids to help you in. Eg. Stools if your kids can’t reach the table top. Cutleries that’s suitable for kids’ use etc. 
  • Provide compliments & affirmation when you see job well done or good behaviors. Practice makes perfect. The more the kids do, it’ll get better. 
  • Last but not least, adult supervision is absolutely required!!! They are little helpers. Not adults. It’s important to teach them how to use a plastic knife & supervise how they do the task. 

    
Egg burgers: 

As you can see the Eio kids crack eggs & add the sesame oil, salt & pepper to the egg. Beat the eggs. But Mrs Eio did not let them fry the eggs then as they were already very hungry. As of now, both kids can crack an egg. Em can crack it beautifully without breaking the yolk most of the time. El is still trying to attain that standard. 

 Making burger… Spread butter… Add tomatoes, eggs etc. 

   
Eat lah! Yummy! 

From level of difficulty 1-5, 1 being easiest. This kind of preparation is considered level 1. Easy for both their age. For el perhaps it’s 1.5.. But still, very safe & easy to manage. 😊

 
Frankly speaking, when these little kitchen helpers prepare their meals, they tends to finish everything. Lol. 

Enjoy…😄

Education, Family, Kids/Children

Singapore Maritime Gallery (Eios 3-part Marina excursion)

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Eios 3-part Marina excursion includes gardens by the bay, Marina barrage & Singapore Maritime Gallery. If you are looking for an educational & less crowded place to bring the kids, welcome to the Singapore Maritime Gallery. 

  
A place with various experiential zones. Parking car could be longer than usual as there’s limited lots but it’s worth the wait as the Eios had the gallery all for themselves last school holiday. 

 

Interactive screen to find out things that Singapore imports (ship in) from other countries. 

  

Learn about how Singapore’s port develops over the years. 

 

Viewing the exhibits.    

Do they know what they are doing??
  

Ring the bell!! Em can’t reach it. Lol. 

  
  

Beautiful view of the port.  

  
  

This is the most fun part for the kids. 

  

What do you want to be when u grow up?    

You may email the photos to yourself. 

   

Touch screen activities. 
 

A place worth bringing kids to. Discover Singapore’s Maritime story… 

Check it out: http://maritimegallery.sg

Education, Kids/Children

EtutorStar Reading Pen 易笔通

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Mrs Eio bought Etutorstar reading pen last Nov/dec school holiday from a promoter at Popular bookstore. There’s a couple of reasons why Mrs Eio decided to buy this pen (not cheap) : 

1) Since Mrs Eio has never send Em for any CL enrichment class, she thought it’ll be good to get this gadget to read to Em while she read to Eliz. 

2) something to get the kids occupied during the dec holiday.

3) this pen can read “好朋友”. The magazine that Em has to purchase when he’s in primary school. However, the content of the magazine has to be downloaded from the website into the pen for it to be able to read it. 

4) this pen encourages independent learning & self-learning. 

5) there’s other functions in this reading pen (Eg. Voice recording function) which can be useful for Em. 

6) Mrs Eio’s mouth can rest a bit more from reading to the kids. Lol. 
  

One may purchase the books at a discounted price if you buy the reading pen. 
  

There are books more suitable for preschool level & another set of books for primary level. 

  
  

So far, the pen is pretty sensitive in terms of reading the words that it’s pointing to.  

  

Em learning to pronounce the words after the reading pen.
  

Eliz also enjoys using it. Frankly speaking, Mrs Eio think this reading pen is more suitable for students from Kindergartento primary  level & above. Em can maximise the usage of this pen but Eliz needs more guidance in using the pen. 

  

Em’s reading using the reading pen while I read with Eliz. 
 

Mrs Eio decided to share this post only after she has reap all benefits from this pen for the amount ($) she spent. The kids are still using the reading pen. Em will ask for permission to use it so its viewed as a privilege to use the reading pen. After all, people need to increase their exposure to the language if they want to learn it well. 

For more information, please visit their website: http://www.etutorstar.com

Education, Family, Kids/Children

Fun at Changi Airport Terminal 3

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Finally, Eios at Changi airport terminal 3 Star Wars photo taking. 

  

Eio kids choose their costume & pose for the camera. 

 
 

The plane can only hold up to 100 kg. Em’s very excited to get into the plane though it’s just for 1-2 min. 

  

You will receive a hard copy of the photograph after the photo shoot. 
   

After changing out of the costume…   
  

  
The display is till 5th jan 2016. You may enlarge the photo below to check out the photo taking schedule, as well as the terms & conditions. 

 
After photo taking, Em enjoyed this free slide ride at basement 2. It’s about 2 story high. The queue was not long that day. The children must be above 1.1metres. So El didn’t get to enjoy this slide ride. 

   

It’s very much self automated. There’s only one staff mending this slide.     

Em on the move!!
    

Parents can walk down the staircase to “fetch” your child or they can just simply walk up on their own. There’s another 4 stories high slide but the child must be more than 1.3m & above 7 years old to take the ride. It’s tougher for parents to “fetch” their children after they slide down as the child need to walk up the staircase & take a lift from basement to level 2 after sliding down. 
  

The slide is just beside the playground. El continued with her play while em enjoyed the slide.  

The children can do colouring  at basement 2 too. This area is just next to the water fountain. Food court & many food stalls are also at basement 2. Its really convenient. 
 

In Singapore, Changi airport is not just a place to board the plane or touch down from other countries. It’s also a hub with many activites. A place for leisure & fun. 

Education, Kids/Children

Story behind Em’s song “Thank you God for everything”

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Past few weeks were long & busy. One of the nights was punctuated by Em spilling his full glass of milk on his table all the way to the floor & piano. Mr Eio was working OT. This happened when Mrs Eio was bathing El. Hoping to chase Eio kids to bed asap. Em’s pyjamas was wet. Milk was everywhere. When the Eios had a helper, this probably won’t be so frustrating. But now everything’s diy. Mrs Eio was speechless.

Em kept apologizing that he spilt his milk accidentally. Well… Em just swam a few laps during his swimming lesson that evening so Mrs Eio tried to control all her emotions as she cleared up the mess… But looking at the extent of the spillage, Mrs Eio had to bite her tongue real tight. Well… It’s worth it!


Eio kids has been running after Mrs Eio to read bedtime Bible stories with them every night. Frankly, by the time Eio kids are about to go to bed, Mrs Eio is absolutely “low battery”. Sometime, Mrs Eio hope to skip it all together. That particular night, she read the story of Abraham to Eio kids.  Eio kids gave thanks to God. Em prayed to Jesus to chase the rain away that afternoon as he wanted to have his swimming lesson. True enough, the dark clouds went away & it didn’t rain that evening. So em could have his swimming lesson. After the kids gave thanks to God, em sang this…

 Thank you God for Everything

 Thank you God for a butterfly

Thank you God for everything

Thank you God for the land & the sea

Thank you God for everything

Thank you God for a beautiful tree

Thank you God for everything

Thank you God for fish that swim

Thank you God for everything

Everyone is so happy &

God created you & me.

Link to the song that em sang is attached below:
http://picosong.com/QsZG

Mrs Eio thought em learnt this song in the Sunday school but he said no… Em said,”these words just came into my head.” Mrs Eio googled & can’t find a song with similar tune & lyrics. Interesting… Once in awhile, em will blurt out songs like this.
Mrs Eio wondered if she had just burst out in anger & scolded Em when he spilt his milk. Will he still has a heart of thanksgiving & worship? He’ll probably be crying non-stop just before bedtime & the frustration & drama could overspill to Mr Eio who was home late that night.

Mrs Eio was glad that she exercised some self-control. Oh wells… This is life.

Education, Family, Kids/Children

Eios @ National Gallery (Keppel Centre for Art Education)

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Finally the National Gallery is opened this week. Eios make our trip there with lots of excitement & anticipation!   
Mr Eio booked the tickets online. We thought we had to park at Funan center & walk over but we were so glad to find carpark in National gallery itself (basement). 

Once our e-tickets were  scanned, our journey began…

 
Eio kids having fun with this maze- like structure. The gallery is actually quite big. So it’s good to grab a map at the entrance before proceeding. 

   
Walk walk walk to another wing to enter the Keppel Centre for Art Education. 

  

Mrs Eio loves the benches & chairs she sees along the way…

At the former Supreme Court holding cell. Em amazed at the toilet in the cell. Nowadays, kids seldom see squatting toilet right?

Look at the structures & designs…  
  

Yes! Finally Keppel centre for art education!!

  

Due to the large number of visitors, we could only have 45 minutes in this centre. 
  

There are a number of “work or exhibition rooms”. E.g, 1 room where the kids can colour & do different kinds of worksheets (different level of difficulties) FOC. The project gallery where the kids can do some crafts (chargeable).  Children museum etc. 

  

Eio kids enjoyed themselves at the Art playscape. There’s a guide telling them stories & bringing them around the area. 
  

Going up the slope for kids 1m (height) & below. El was fearful to go up alone. 

  

How about having tea with papa…
  

Beware of crocodiles…

Finally, El went up the slope with Em.   
  

Spot Mr Eio!

  
  

After the story telling session, the kids were free to roam around. 
  

Roar like a tiger with the “tigress”! Lol. 

  

After exiting from the playscape, eios went into the woods. 
    

Rest time…

   
   

More chairs…

  

More galleries…
  

Tired & squatting around. Lol.   
  

Victorious!!

    

Errr… Frankly speaking, Mrs Eio must say only the Keppel Centre for Art education is more suitable for El (3 years old). The rest of the exhibitions are more for the adults. Em could probably understand some of them as he asked thousand & one questions. 

  
  

If you are bringing young children to the National gallery, Mrs Eio would strongly advise you to do so after their meals as there ain’t cafes or restaurants suitable for them. If you brought snacks for the children, you may want to exit the gallery & feed them outside as we really don’t want to dirty the place. (Not sure if food is allowed too…)

  

Time to go home… Mr & Mrs Eio will visit the gallery again. Err.. Probably just the 2 of them. Heehee…
 

For more info, visit their websites:

https://www.nationalgallery.sg

https://www.nationalgallery.sg/learn/keppel-centre-for-art-education

Education, Family, Kids/Children

Visit to the Fire station (Tampines)

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Every Saturday from 9.00 am to 11.00 am is Fire Station Open House. (except for Jurong Island Fire Station). Eios decided to visit Tampines Fire Station on one of the Saturdays. 

  

Eio kids were excited about this trip. Once we reached the station, Mrs Eio presented her Nric to one of the officers on duty at the entrance to exchange for an entry pass into the station. 

  

The children visiting the station will receive the SCDF helmet. Once Eio kids put on these helmets, they were all ready to act as firemen! 

  

When we were at the Tampines Fire Station, the alarm went off 3 times. The fire engines & ambulances went off immediately. What a busy day for our Civil Defence Force!
  

We are very grateful to the officer who took us for a tour around the station. With his wealth of experience (more than 20 years), we learnt a lot from his explanations. 

  

Some hands-on & sitting in a fire engine. 
  

Powerful water spray gushing out from the fire hydrant. All kids are excited to have a try to on off the hose. 

  

Em’s turn… He tried a short while… let not waste water & give other children a chance to try it out. 
  

This pole is 3 storey high.  The firemen could injured themselves if they are not careful when they are sliding down the pole. 

  

In the command center… This is when we filled in the feedback forms. We were really pleased & truly enjoyed this trip. 

  

Taking Fa mily photo before making our way home. Really appreciate our SCDF for saving lives & making Singapore a safer place to live in. 
    

Thanks to our SCDF officer for our fruitful trip! 


Individuals who want to learn more about scdf & parents with children should visit one of our fire stations this school holiday. For a group of more than 10 people, it neccesary to submit an online application.

Link as below: 

http://www.scdf.gov.sg/content/scdf_internet/en/scdf_247/others/visit_our_fire_stations.html
For smaller group, you can just walk-in. Mrs Eio doesn’t want to disappoint Eio kids, so she called up the fire station a few days before the visit to make sure they are not holding any event on that sat. 

    
Salute to our SCDF! 

 

Transfer of learning. Role play at home after our Fire station visitation. It’s educational, on a non-sch day (sat), absolutely FOC. So what are you waiting for? 😃