Mommy Pehpot, Author at Mommy Pehpot

Should You Give Money Allowance To Your Kids?

Last year when I still have two pre schoolers, I prepare their snacks and they don’t bring money with them. I am all against to pre schoolers having money allowance for their snacks. I do believe that giving money at this very young age is not appropriate. This can lead to kids not eating enough. How can you be sure that the kids are buying nutritious food? or what if they are not buying food at all? I am just glad that the pre school section of my kids’ school have no canteen.Now, this year, my oldest boy is in Grade 1. And during their classes, they were toured around the school (including the canteen). That spiked an interest on my boy. It’s very simple to him, there’s a place where he can buy things, so why won’t he buy there? Knowing him and his curiosity level, I just have to give what he wants. Of course, I need to moderate it. So I told him he can only bring money on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The first week was not successful, he bought candy and a lot of other stuff (I gave him 20 Pesos). The next week is worst. His dad gave him 50 Pesos! So he bought erasers and even gave some of his money to his classmate. I know that the intention of my hubby is to teach him how to handle money. But I think it is rather too early. So the next week, I threatened him that if he buys a candy again, I will no longer give him money for allowance. And of course I have to give him a smaller amount. Now his allowance is only 10 Pesos, just enough to buy him cookies.

How about you? Do you think you should give money allowance to your kids? Why and why not?

Cruise Deals For The Family

When people contemplate where to spend their hard-earned vacation, a cruise is high on the list of choices. However, some people think a cruise is simply not affordable; this is no longer the case. Many cruise deals are, in fact, affordable. For example, many cruises are all-inclusive – no extra costs for food. Cruise ships often feature multiple swimming pools, hot tubs, games and activities for children, entertainment, bars, and much more. Onshore activities are also available, based on location, giving passengers a chance to explore many places during one trip.

Vacationers also have an option to use a service or agency that will arrange the trip on one of the major cruise lines – any destination is just at your fingertips when booking through an agent. A cruise is the perfect vacation for many travelers as there are activities for singles and families. In fact, there are singles cruises designed for individuals to embark who hope to meet that special someone. Of course, some cruise lines cater more toward families, such as Disney, Carnival, and Island. These ships often feature programs for children, so that they can spend the days playing with other children their age and enjoy kid-friendly activities (with supervision provided). As one might expect, parents can relax together, assured that their children are in great hands.

Other cruise lines feature five or six star accommodations and dining, such as Celebrity, Holland, and Silversea. If you are looking for something romantic there are intimate and romantic getaways for couples on cruises offered by Windstar and Azmara. Many of these ships have special deals for couples celebrating personal milestones. No matter what your fancy, there is a cruise for you – so save up your vacation time and get ready for your vacation aboard a beautiful cruise ship.

Why Hire A Tutor?

Back then, I am all against hiring a tutor. That was way back when I still don’t have anything to do. I thought that I would be enough to help the kids with their lessons. And then now, with all the things I needed to do and having 4 kids, I am all for hiring a tutor.

Here is a short explanation of what a private tutor is: (I got this from wiki)

A private tutor is a private instructor who teaches a specific educational subject or skill to an individual student or small group of students. Such attention allows the student to improve knowledge or skills far more rapidly than in a classroom setting. Tutors are often privately hired and paid by the student, the student’s family or an agency. Many are used for remedial students or others needing special attention; many provide more advanced material for exceptionally capable and highly motivated students, or in the context of homeschooling. Tutelage is the process of being under the guidance of a tutor. Tutoring also occurs when one adult helps another adult student to study a specific course or subject that he/she is taking to get a better result. The adult can also let the student work on his own, and can be there if the student has any questions.

So there. And here are the three reasons why I am all for Tutoring.

I am not quite confident on the knowledge I will pass on to my kids, specially on the Comprehension and Language area. Other than that, I don’t know how to teach it to them in the most effective manner.
Instead of me tutoring them and losing all my patience, why not hire one? And though I love my kids, I know there will come a time where we will both bicker at each other.
The other kids need my attention too.. and if I won’t hire a tutor for the older boys, I know I will spend less time with the two other kids. It’s all about balancing my time with them.

Now when you are looking for a tutor, here are the things that you should consider:

Location is the number one factor for me. Make sure that the tutor, if it won’t be a home tutor, is located not as far as the school or it should be nearer to your house. It would be tiring for your kids to travel to and from their tutor.
Avoid hiring their teachers. This is my opinion, I think that hiring their teachers as their tutor is not a good idea. It is not ethical too. Think about it. Teachers are professional, I know that, but it can lead to doubts and it can also lead to the kids not listening well with the notion it would be taught to them again on their tutorial time.
Look for someone that you can trust. We don’t have much law on tutorials as much as we have on formal schooling. So make sure that the people you will hire have a good background. You can ask around for advice on where to find good tutor.

Yes, my kids are into tutorial and I don’t regret hiring one, it means less time with the kids, less stress time but it also means more time for fun with them.