Parenting Archive

My thoughts on parenthood, and what it's like to be a mom in the Philippines.

4 Tips for a Safer Water Voyage

Whether you’re heading into the deep waters of the ocean or just sailing around a pretty lake for the kids, it’s important that you take precautions when traveling on the water. The last thing you want is your three-year-old having a medical emergency while you’re miles from civilization! If you’re ready to improve your boating safety, here are just four tips for a safer trip.

1. Plan Ahead

It may sound obvious, but this is the top reason people get caught in storms or cut off from the coast. They didn’t plan ahead! They didn’t check the weather before heading out on the river; they didn’t replace the batteries in their radio after a long winter. These are obvious, simple actions that may save your life some day, so don’t brush them off.

2. Prepare Your Emergency Supplies

Do you have personal flotation devices (PFDs) aboard your watercraft? Is your first-aid kit stocked and ready to go? If the answer to either of these questions is negative, it’s time to get your head out of the clouds and onto the dock. You never know when you’ll face a dangerous situation on the water, so it’s crucial that your emergency supplies are always on hand.

3. Buy a Boat Lift

Boat lifts, also called boat hoists, are a way to protect your watercraft while docked. They lift and hold your boat out of the water, preventing things like rust, erosion and salt water damage, and this in turn will keep your boat running longer and more securely. Boat lifts aren’t cheap, but they’re worth the expense to keep your passengers safe.

4. Pay Attention to the Water

This may sound like another no-brainer, but you’d be surprised by how many people cry “I didn’t even see him there!” or “I didn’t know I wasn’t allowed to go past the rocks!” after an accident. Watch out for people and objects in the waves, and keep in mind that things like buoys have been placed in the water for your own protection. It isn’t a good idea to ignore or sneak around safety precautions that have been left for you by the coast guard.

These are just a few things to keep in mind the next time you’re out on the water with your family. Safety isn’t always easy and convenient, but it’s worth it for your peace of mind as a parent.

Three Parenting Strategies That Will Optimize Your Child’s Life

If you’re like most parents, you want your child to be a spiritually, mentally, and physically balanced being who attains personal and professional success. However, these things will not materialize magically. Rather, children lead positive, productive lives when they are taught life skills and nurtured in a loving way. Luckily, there are numerous parenting strategies you can employ to ensure that your child leads the optimal life she or he deserves. Here are three of them:

1. Spruce Up Your Home.

Environment plays an integral role in child development. Specifically, orderly, aesthetically appealing physical spaces can help your child think and work more productively. Home environments that are consistently clean and highly functional can also help create a sense of stability in your child’s life. As such, it’s important for you to periodically spruce up and optimize your home. There are numerous DIY projects you can put in place to do so, including the use of dryfast foam products like marine foam cushions in your child’s bedroom. Companies like The Foam Factory sell these products.

2. Emphasize Optimal Eating.

Another parenting strategy you can deploy to optimize your child’s life is placing emphasis on optimal eating. Children who eat well tend to have more energy, a stable mood, and greater self-confidence. The positive benefits that eating well have on the mind and body are unlimited, so make sure that you start teaching your child healthy eating patterns as soon as possible. One way to do this is by being a model, which means that you should be avoiding junk food like candy bars and highly processed items such as frozen dinners. Also be sure to pack fresh fruit and vegetables in your child’s lunch box so that you know what she or he is eating in the school cafeteria.

3. Be Active With Your Child.

One final strategy you should deploy to optimize your child’s life is being active with her or him. Children who exercise regularly have boosted immunity, a more positive body image, and better posture. There are several ways that you can be active with your child, such as becoming a coach or assistant for the local basketball, soccer, or softball team that she or he participates in.

Conclusion

Parenting is a skill that is honed and improved upon throughout the course of time, and the result of great parenting is oftentimes a balanced, happy child. As such, the use of sound parenting strategies is important if you want your child to lead an optimized life. Refer to the information found in this quick reference guide to ensure that you can help facilitate this outcome!

Mommy Woes: Knowing When To Stop Being A Helicopter Mom

We’re discussing why I need to hire a tutor for my kids. I told him I need some tasks off my shoulders, specially now that my due date is nearer. I just can’t devote my 100% time teaching them. And he asked, why I need to..

I can’t answer without crying.. so here I am writing why I need to.

I feel kase that when my kids fail, it will come back to me. Every failure will be about me being a bad mother to them. The pressure is there.

Another thing, part of me believes that I could have been a better me if only my mother was there for me all the time. That is why I try all my best to give my kids all that I can provide. I feel the need to give them the best so that they would excel in whatever field they would choose.

I realized right at that moment.. teka, I am not as bad as I thought I was.. teka lang ha.. re align tayo ng paniniwala sa buhay. And I also realized that I had a better life than my husband. Life was not that easy for him them. Living on hand me downs and going to school with damaged shoes (kaya pagdating sa mga anak nya, talagang bigay hilig). And he turned out good! (best for me)

Mukhang tama nga si Daddy.. I need to loosen up. I just need to guide them.. medyo helicopter mom na yata ako with my kids. I just need to be there for them but not be there all the time. This is going to be hard.. but yeah, one of the things that I should instill in them is to be independent.

I just hope I could resist the urge to follow up on their studies when I stopped the tutorials. Haaaay

P.S. I guess that’s one of the usual mistake of moms/parents today no? Mirroring their frustrations on their kids. May mga nanay na pinipilit ang mga anak nila na mag artista dahil pangarap nila sa buhay maging artista. May mga nanay na pinipilit maging honor ang anak kase honor sila nung mga bata sila. May mga nanay na ginagawa ang lahat para sa anak dahil feeling nila napabayaan sila noong bata sila. May mga nanay naman na “pinapabayaan” ang anak nila dahil naging mahigpit ang mga magulang nila sa kanila.

At the end of the day, all moms just want the best for their kids and would do anything in their powers to make it happen… and most of the times, we don’t know when to stop! haha

I’m glad I have my husband who makes things more logical for me.