Stay True to Yourself

I  am kind of passionate about this topic becos its something I always pondered on right from when I was a teenager. Do I conform to the pressures from peers/society just to fit into a certain stereotype or do I be myself. Do I buy expensive clothes and accessories I truly cant afford just to gain “popularity”. Do I do all I can to look like a photo-shopped, size zero super model I see regularly on the covers of cosmopolitan just to find my “Prince Charming”. Do I have to live a farce for a life just to be accepted into a certain “class”, basically and generally what I’d call “faking the funk” or do I just let my true personality shine through and be accepted by whoever deems me worthy…

I can say that am fortunate I didn’t have to “fake the funk” becos in growing older, getting more mature and having a better understanding of the word of God and His ways, I have come to realise that there is so much more to life than all these things. In saying this, we must remember that there are basic attributes a lady must have; looking good and decent, well mannered and cultured, smelling great and well groomed.

Am 31 going on 32, this is me not all photo-shopped like a super model, nothing close to a size zero and yet I am married to MY “Prince Charming”. I didn’t buy clothes I couldn’t afford and yet I can say I am known by quite a number of people, atleast a number I can manage, and I live a genuinely simple life and still believe I belong to the class of people that God has chosen for me, of  which I must say is a great class.

I may not be living my billion dollar dream life just yet but I am on the right path to living the dream and I didn’t have to change ME to be on this path.

This is a message to the kids (teenagers) out there, girls and boys who are torn between conforming to the pressures from peers/society and portraying their true identity. Its so much easier to be yourself than to be someone else and end up spending the rest of your life trying to remain that person whom you are not.

STAY TRUE TO YOURSELF!!!!!

All Dressed Up!!!

I cant help but adore well dressed children from babies to teenagers (that is teenagers who don’t think they are adults)…it totally puts me in a state of awe when you see a 1yr old boy dressed in a complete suit, or a 6mths old girl dressed as a ballerina.

A friend of mine’s nephew was told at daycare to pick a costume out of a bunch, he happened to pick out a fairy outfit. Hahahaha, oh did he look adorably cute.

Lets look at some pictures of beautiful kids with bright smiles enough to uplift your day…

I just want to appreciate mummies and daddies who take the time to dress up their kids and make them look like the most beautiful adorable angels ever…

Cartoons of Today

So I sit here watching the cartoon network and I keep wondering what happened between the 90’s and today. The cartoons I am seeing half the time (am not referring to the educative ones mostly shown on cbeebies and the likes) I can’t make head or tail from them, I can’t get any form of moral for kids. The fearful thing about this is the kids have no idea.

This is not to say that there aren’t some great ones being aired. They may not necessarily be educative but they actually make sense and are more pleasant to the eyes. But in general, the new cartoons are so rubbish. If it’s not a boy changing to all sorts of ugly creatures it’s a bunch of aliens always at war in one galaxy or the other, or a cow and chicken being brother and sister and children to human parents who don’t have upper bodies but still find a way to talk and function as normal. I mean tell me what cartoons like these really do for the kids. They are not funny, not pleasant to the eyes, completely daft and senseless and generally poor programmes placed on air for the kids to be entertained with.

I just wish the people who actually choose to make cartoons for the sake of entertaining our lovely children will truly put them into consideration when creating these toons. They should use more of their hearts than their heads.

Children are very impressionable; we need to play our parts in putting appropriate stuff out there that will help stimulate and develop their social and motor skills positively.

Right Age to Begin Formal Education

I keep asking myself when the right time for children to start schooling is. When I say schooling I mean foundation learning from counting 1-20, reciting the alphabets flawlessly, knowing and identifying colours and lots more. Put simply, Formal Education.

Many parents feel early enrollment in school is a good first step for a child’s’ academic career. But some experts warn that too much, too soon may not necessarily be the way to lay the ground work of a successful academic career.

According to a study published in The Cambridge Primary Review in October 2008, the consensus was that formal schooling should be delayed until children reach 6. The findings offered that trying to teach literacy and math at a young age is counterproductive. If children under 6 are in school programs, they should continue to learn through play-based initiatives. This is where the advantages of daycares/playgroups come in. 

Starting a child in school early isn't necessarily a good start. Some may show the readiness to attend school, but they may not have the maturity to absorb concepts outside of their play-based way of learning. Forcing information on a child who is not ready could cause harm to him or her. After all, the fact that a child has an early start in schooling doesn’t guarantee he or she would be a more educated child compared to him or her who starts much later.

It is true that some children are naturally more advanced than others and may benefit from early, more structured schooling. However, the vast majority will do fine during their academic career if they begin formal education at an appropriate age. 

Parents who have little choice but to enroll children in daycare/pre-school programs because they work or for other reasons should ensure that there is emphasis on:

 play-based learning

opportunities to go outside
interaction with story books
less focus on grades and performances
most especially activities that involve the family so mum and dad are participating in their child’s learning

From my point of view, children should start Formal Education as from the age of 5yrs, by then they would have attained better social (communication and interaction) skills. Parents importantly need to partake in educating their children and be great role models by setting good examples and not leave it all to the teachers in schools, remember kids are very impressionable. 

We need to let kids be kids; lets not make them grow faster than they really should.

The Joys of Children: Fact or Myth

In writing my first blog I feel the need to begin by acknowledging the joys of children. 

Children bring new light into this world. Their smiles, songs and laughter lift us into the brightness. We honour them when we offer them our love, compassion and tender guidance. If we will be still and listen to them, they will show us and tell us what their soul is to bring to this earth. By providing an environment that encourages self-expression, imaginative play, and exploration of diverse subjects and experiences, they can freely and joyously continue to hear the song of their soul clearly.

But some say parents exaggerate their happiness to validate their choice to have children when confronted with the real economic costs of having children. They ask: ‘Are the long nights and financial burdens of parenting really worth the emotional benefits?’

Richard Eibach and Steven Mock of the University of Waterloo wrote of their study in the March 2 issue of the journal Psychological Science, "Many people believe that to be truly fulfilled in life, it is necessary to experience the joys of parenthood. Children are considered an essential source of happiness, satisfaction, and pride, however, the idea that parenthood involves substantial emotional rewards appears to be something of a myth."

It is best for parents to take some time out, search their hearts, evaluate their beliefs and ask themselves, are they genuinely experiencing true joy and happiness in their children or has it become a myth, are they just putting up a farce to validate having them…..

Please share your views!!!