Do You Know Who You Really Are

So I have been watching more YouTube channels lately and I have subscribed to a couple of new ones.

Well, they are not new at making Youtube videos. Some have been doing it for almost 10 years. 

10 years of making short videos for a living! Amazing!

Something struck me the other day when one of them was having a hard time in life right now. Among other things, identity crisis was one of the reasons given.

It is hard enough to be at an age where you don't know what you want to be or how you're going to portray yourself to the world. I think it is even harder for someone from a minority ethnicity to be living in an environment where there is definitely going to be a clash of cultures.

Which brings me to something that I've always thought of for my own kids. 

How much Asian do they want to be in a Western world?

How much of a Bidayuh do they want to be in Australian society?

I used to think that Asian kids born into a Western society will be able to adapt themselves easily simply because they know no other way of life. 

But after watching and reading more on the struggles of these Asian youngsters living in the Western society, I may have to rethink of my way in approaching the issues that my kids will face in the future. 

The struggle is real, people!

Do you have similar experiences growing up? Or having one right now?

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Family-Friendly Places : Boneo Maze and Wetlands Centre

Boneo Maze and Wetlands Centre is one of the many family-friendly places that I've been to. Located at Mornington Peninsula, it is an almost one hour drive from the CBD.

The last time I was there was in the summer of 2012 and I think it was a lovely place to take kids for a short getaway. I do believe there have been more attractions being built since the last time I was there, such as the Adventure Zone.

Front entrance

If you enjoy walking inside a maze

Insects and plants are plentiful 

Don't be surprised by the artificial living beings there

Of course you can do some bird watching there

And they do have random signboards all over the place

Ha ha!

Yes people, do not disturb the trees!

Please refer to the next photo...

Mushroom village

More mushroom villages

Live sized chess set

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My Playgroup Adventures

Playgroup is a place to meet up other parents and their kids so both parents and their kids could enjoy the company of others.

A place to socialise and mingle, playgroups should be all fun and jolly.

Having taken my child to oh so many playgroups over the years, I have seen quite a number of very distinct pattern of interactions in the playgroups.

By interactions, I don't mean among the kids.

The kids interacts just like kids do so no issue there.

But I do see how parents mingle with each other, and how they handle their kids.

Playgroups in general can either have a paid or volunteer leader, or be parent-led.

A playgroup leader plans and runs the sessions. 

I have met volunteer playgroup leader before but the reason why they volunteer is because the sessions takes place at a hall that belongs to a church. So apart from running the sessions, the leader was responsible in making sure church properties are being well looked after.

As for paid playgroup leaders, they can either be paid by the council and the sessions are usually held at council owned properties, or they are paid using the playgroup term fees. 

I was a member to a playgroup that charged $50/term for a once a week session or $45/term for a twice weekly sessions. The fee also covers usage of the hall where the sessions were held.

Paid playgroup leaders by the council are subject to the availability of special grant or funding. They are usually with the playgroup for a limited time, about two to three terms until the group can be parent-led, or until the grant runs out. Or both.

Parent-led playgroups are most commonly found. Parents take turn to come early to set up the place for the sessions. Parents are assigned tasks such as clearing up toys for fruit time, clean up after that, cutting of fruits, washing dishes, setting up toys and packing them up before end of sessions. 

With parent-led groups and playgroups with volunteer leaders, gold coin donations for each sessions is an acceptable requirement. 

For all playgroups, a piece of fruit from each participating families is a general rule so that the fruit can be shared during fruit time.

The thing I like about going to playgroups is that my child could see and mingle with other kids. 

Apart from that the eating together during fruit time is a good practice for my child in preparation for kinder. Sharing toys and taking turns are great too.

But sometimes I do have some uneasiness with certain type of people in some playgroups.

I have been to many playgroups over the years and I've met pleasant people and also the not so pleasant people.

Top of my list of the not so pleasant people that I've met is the parents who are cliquey. 

I think I understand their 'need' to be cliquey (because of their race or where they come from), but please don't ignore other parents who are there as well. 

Our kids play together and yet there you are standing with your gang, looking intimidating to people like me!

Yes, they do look intimidating enough that I sort of learnt to ignore them as well.

I don't want to do that,really. But what do you do when you meet people who just don't want to at least smile or say hi to you. 

You either gang up with other ignored parents, or you move  on to different playgroups.

Now you know why I attended many playgroups over the years?

Sometimes I do think it was me. Maybe I wasn't social or friendly enough. But I do talk to other parents and share stories as well. 

Well apparently I'm not the only one feeling like that. Usually I would turn to online forums and read what other parents say about the playgroups available at their area.

Plenty of nasty things too!

Oh well, it was like high school all over again. You get by. No biggie :)

Sometimes I get to meet parents who just don't want to help out in running of the playgroup sessions. 

This usually applies to parents who have cliques. It is pointless asking them over and over again to help out because they will always have excuses.

There are also parents who comes to playgroups and leave their kids running around unsupervised, and relying on the playgroup leader to sort of become the childcare worker for their kids. 

Again this usually applies to parents with cliques.

There was once when I changed playgroup just because the other kids were boys. 

Yes, there were only 2 little girls in the group of 20 kids. The group was very good and pleasant. 

But my child was constantly aggravated by the other boys who plays like boys do; rough and loud.

Plus the pushing and pulling. Err, I thought to myself maybe we could do better in a different playgroup.

Which we did.

Above all the unpleasantness that I've mentioned, participating in a playgroup is a very good experience for the child and the adult.

You'll meet people who irks you.

You'll meet people who delights you.

You'll meet people who are just wonderful.

I'm currently not doing the playgroup rounds, but I'll be very happy to give it another go once the opportunity arises in the future.

x

The Day I left My Shopping at the Supermarket

Do you have days when it is imperative for you to go out to the supermarket with kids in tow?

You're out of milk or bread.

Kids are home with you and there is no way tomorrow's breakfast and lunchbox are going to be filled if you don't go out NOW to get the ingredients WITH kids tagging along.

So I had one of that kind of day recently and never thought that I would ever leave behind my shopping. Not with just 4 types of items.

Off I went to the supermarket.

It was sunny. Beautiful afternoon. 

My kids were on their best behaviour.

We were in the supermarket.

I got the food items.

Then decided to walk down another aisle because there were a couple of trolleys blocking our way to the check-out counters.

The aisle happened to be the medicine/toiletries aisle.

I saw something on sale at the bottom most shelf.

Dettol Touch of Foam Lavender hand wash was on 30% off.

Knowing that it is the favourite in the house, so I grabbed 2 bottles.

Then we walked to the check-out counter.

Usually I would use the self-serve check-out, because I don't have to chat to another human being and my kids like to help scan the items in the shopping basket.

This time however I decided to use the manned counter because I wanted to use my $20 gift card that I could not use to pay for things online,and there are very few places that I would normally go to that accepts that particular gift card.

The lady at the check-out counter was courteous, scanned all my shopping and proceeded with my gift card transaction.

Did it once. It was rejected.

Did it a second time. Successful. She had to key in something though.

Got my shopping bags and off we went home. 

When we got home and as I was unpacking the bags, I realised that something was missing.

Yes, upon checking the receipt the 2 bottles of hand wash were missing.

I have never left any of my shopping anywhere for as long as I could remember.

The next day I plan to see if I could get the 2 bottles of hand wash back.

I wasn't sure if I could get them back, but I wanted to give it a try.

So after the kinder drop-off and despite all the suggestions that people working in the supermarket could treat me harshly, I went to the supermarket and once there I asked a lady staff about my shopping from previous day.

And she said she was the one who put those items away earlier in the morning and told me I could take them back.

Wow, I never thought I could get my shopping back, and I was treated nicely. 

All I had to do was to sign in a log book of items-customers-left-behind-in-the-supermarket.

Happy to get back my items, I am also amazed that a big supermarket chain do keep track of things that could have been left behind by customers.

Moral of the story :

STICK TO ROUTINE

It is okay to leave behind your shopping bags regardless of whether you could claim it back or not.

Just don't leave your kids behind.

That could get you in trouble with the authorities  :-)

x

School Holiday Mania

I have been away from blogging for 2 weeks and I have the perfect reason for it.

SCHOOL HOLIDAYS.

At first I thought I could do more writing and planning on my topics during the school holidays because:

• since the kinder-going-kid is at home and I don't have to be out and about so I will have more time at home and do my planning
• kids can entertain each other and can play with each other thus leaving me alone to do my thinking and planning
• kids won't bug me as much because it is the school holidays (I know,very naive thought!)

How wrong was I! Not only did they bug me all the time, I couldn't keep up with my daily chores because they bug me much much more compared to non-school holidays time.

I have to entertain them all the time. Even with all the toys and crafting supplies that I have stashed in my drawer, they would complain (more whining and whinging actually) about their daily activities.

Oh yes, I appreciate that I don't have to wake up early and make the lunch box (I still have to wake up early and prepare lunch for the hubby!),but I do feel that I have more things to do when the kinder-going-kid was at home.

The first few days of the school holidays were mostly spent indoors because the weather was horrendous. We managed to make a trip to the Carribbean Gardens for their monthly baby,kids and maternity market. We managed to buy a couple of things and also the much needed play time at the playground.

Not wanting a repeat of the dreadful first week, I decided that I would look for free school holidays activities nearby. 

Monday: Charlie and Lola, Stud Park

Kids love these two characters. I think they are all right. Show ran for about 25 minutes. Children well behaved for the first 10 minutes. After that, some were distracted by all sorts of things going on around them and in the end they were unruly.

Tuesday: Peppa Pig, The Glen

Much much beloved characters among the kids (and parents!). I confess, I did sing to their songs as well! We actually came for the first show of the day, came 30 minutes early and when we reached the stage, it was jam packed!! So we went to the shops first, and came back for the second show,which was also jam packed but as least we got front row seat. Kids (and parents) well behaved for the first 10 minutes, and yes after that they were just unruly.

Wednesday : Beanie Crafting, Springvale Homemaker Centre

I did not take any pictures because there were none to take. We arrived, seated and started to decorate winter benies with stickers and markers. We were there for less than 30 minutes,but it entertained my daughter.

Thursday : Mad Hatter (Illusion and tricks show), Dandenong Library

I enjoyed the show,but the daughter wasn't too impressed. She was enjoying it for the first 15 minutes, then she was just deeply distracted by the people coming and going so we left before the show ended. Nevertheless, it was a very good show organised by the library. Yes, it went unruly by the time we left but it was mostly done by parent/s who shoved themself/ves and their kids to the front or middle of already seated audience. 

By friday, I was exhausted with all the activities, so I decided to just stay home. It was mostly motivated by how much chores had piled up, urghhh.

So I hope you had a wonderful 2 weeks as well.

Cheers!

x