Parenting Archive

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

What To Bring During Field Trips/ Educational TourWhat To Bring During Field Trips/ Educational Tour

Since tomorrow, I am off for my son’s educational tour, I am to write my what to bring in a sheet of paper. I realized, why not write it here and share to other moms. For a first time mom like me (in terms of field trips and educational tour), I am really excited. So here’s What To Bring During Field Trips/ Educational Tour list:

What FOOD To Bring During Field Trips/ Educational Tour:
Lunch food such as rice and dishes that are not easily spoiled. Don’t bring tomato based food. Stick to vinegar based. Yup that is the reason why Adobong Manok is very famous on field trip lunches. Adobo dishes are not easily spoiled. You have to be cautious though, never close your container when the food is still hot. It will cause the food to perspire and thus will lead to food spoilage.

Bring lots and lots of water. You are seated comfortably in a bus and you won’t be travelling in a public transportation. Use this to your advantage and bring at least 1L of water per kid. Bring drinks such as juices and cola too. The night before put them in the fridge and then use thermo bag on the day of your trip to maintain its coldness.

Cookies and other finger foods. This will keep the kids busy. And you know how kids, they like to eat almost every minute. Save yourself by having a lot of chips and cookies in handy.

I will be bringing 4 bottles of Minute Maid Pulpy Orange, 4 cans of Coke, 4 bottle of 1L minera water and tetra pack mango juice (buti na lang Magnolia gave us a thermo bag)

For the food: adobong manok (half kilo), salted egg, rice, pancit canton and puto. Chocolate chip cokies, pringles, lays (as I promised them.. they don’t get to eat this kind of food, only when I allow them)

What CLOTHES To Bring During Field Trips/ Educational Tour:
When joining any educational tour, it is somewhat expected that the kids will play and will sweat a lot. So bring at least 3 set of clothes for the kids, you can bring their nba shirts. And bring hand towels too.

2 sandos and 2 extra shirts, 1 extra pants for each. 4 small towel for each boys and 2 big hand towels.

What other things To Bring During Field Trips/ Educational Tour:
First Aide kit that includes paracetamol, pain reliever, alcohol, baby wipes, betadine.
Also don’t forget to bring insect repellant lotion for the kids.
Bring a menthol inhaler or any rub that can soothe motion sickness.

Biogesic (10 tablets), alcohol, betadine, petroleum jelly, Off Lotion, baby wipes and of course the ever friendly mefenamic acid.. and vicks and white flower..

Oh! though I never use plastic, this has to be an exception. We need it when someone starts throwing up (me?!?)

Fight Against Child Violence

Change your facebook profile picture to a cartoon character from your childhood and invite your friends to do the same. Until monday (Dec. 6) there should be no human faces on facebook, but an invasion of memories.(FOR THE FIGHT AGAINST CHILD VIOLENCE!)

For a mother of four kids, it’s not hard for me to just change my profile picture, it says fight gainst child violence, so be it. But what does it really mean? To create awareness, I think. But where it begun? Who initiated it? And how can changing your profile picture to a cartoon character will help infight against child violence?

In my search for the culprit, I first look in the website of Unicef. I knew there was one last week,National Day of Prayer and Action for Children in Makati City.UNICEF joins religious leaders to launch global initiative to promote exclusive breastfeeding. Clearly it’s about breastfeeding and not fight against child violence (I will ask some people if Unicef initiated it). I can’t find a site that offers explanation on how changing the profile pic will help in fight against child violence.

When you say it is to create awareness, it is to make the knowledge be known to public. It is to make the public understand a certain issue and in this case, child violence. So how can this profile change campaign creates awareness? Is it the curiosity that arises from other users? But really how many users will take time to research or even read about Child Violence? Or is it a way to show you support the Fight Child Violence? But what is Child Violence all about? And after the given time frame? What happens? Will the number of child abuse cases be lessen?

This maybe another case of social networking hype, but it’s fun nonetheless.

On with the more serious topic:Child Violence.

Based onRepublic Act No. 9262 ,Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children, Act of 2004; “Children” refers to those below eighteen (18) years of age or older but are incapable of taking care of themselves as defined under Republic Act No. 7610. As used in this Act, it includes the biological children of the victim and other children under her care.

Violence is an act or a series of acts that result in or will most likely result in physical, sexual, psychological harm orsuffering. This harm includes (but notlimited) the following:

Physical
Sexual
Psychological
Economic Abuse

Physical violencecan be easily identify. It refers to acts that is done physically.Sexual violenceon the other hand refers to act that are sexual in nature. But how can one say that is sexual? Below are some acts that are considered as sexual abuse (again fromAnti-Violence Against Women and Their Children):

Rape, sexual harassment, acts of lasciviousness, treating a woman or her child as a sex object, making demeaning and sexually suggestive remarks, physically attacking the sexual parts of the victim’s body, forcing her/him to watch obscene publications and indecent shows or forcing the woman or her child to do indecent acts and/or make films thereof, forcing the wife and mistress/lover to live in the conjugal home or sleep together in the same room with the abuser;
acts causing or attempting to cause the victim to engage in any sexual activity by force, threat of force, physical or other harm or threat of physical or other harm or coercion;
Prostituting the woman or child.

But the acts are not limited to the mentioned above.

Psychological violencerefer to acts that results to mental or emotional suffering.

There is no exact day for fight against Child Violence but November 19 is theInternational Day for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect.

How To Make 7th Birthday A Blast On A Tight Budget

My first born turned 7 years old last October 24. It was a blast birthday though we were on a tight budget.My seven year old boy enjoyed his party so much. Except for the cake (which was a last minute decision), I think I only spend less than 8000 Pesos for all. Included there was food for 50 kids (for his 7th Birthday party n school), food for house party, loot bags (for 20 kids, for house party), candy bags for 50 kids (for school party) and the candies and toys for pinata and pabitin.

How To Make 7th Birthday A Blast On A Tight Budget?

First, don’t splurge on food. As I observe it, kids are not into food that much. About 10% will ask for more food, around 60% will finish their food and the rest will just taste it. It would be better to serve them as little food as possible. Would you believe that I only bought a kilo of pasta (makes two kilos of spaghetti) for 50 kids and at there was still some left overs.

Don’t forget the hotdog or the chicken to be paired with spaghetti. Never include a sandwich as kids never really liked it.

Second, buy more candies and treats. Did you know that your 1000 Pesos can go a long way when it comes to candies and treats? Buy the usual, some chips, some jelly ace, some mallows, some lollipops.

Make 7th Birthday A Blast by making big on games. Pinata or palayok is a sure winner. The part where guests try to hit the pinata or the palayok is fun. And of course the moment it was hit and kids try to snatch the goodies is a perfect kids party scene.

Lastly, splurge on loot bags. The succes of a 7th birthday party is the smile you get from the celebrant and of course the guests. And since it is a 7th birthday party, go for items that a seven year old kid would love. That may include coloring book, pencils and even yoyo. Don’t forget the stickers, you can never go wrong with stickers.