Our Hunt for a Play School for Badger

 

by Justine C. Tajonera

Recently, Vier and I decided that it was time to find a play school for Badger. We had done our best with our attempt at home school. However, I really feel that home school needs a mom's touch. While Vier has argued that he is all for unschooling, I still feel that a child's progress needs to be closely monitored and nurtured. If we aren't going to give him the quality time of 3 to 4 hours of learning in a day (not restricted to just the house but outside, in the open, or in a park or learning environment) then we might as well enroll him in a play school.

Lots of Choices

I was surprised that we actually have a lot of choices in our area (Ortigas Center, Pasig City), all of them walking distance from our condo. We reviewed them and they've been a mix of the progressive and traditional (more for the K2 classes) approaches. The great thing is they all offer trial classes so Badger has been having a blast. I didn't expect him to enjoy it so much.

Saying Goodbye Wasn't Hard

During one of the trial classes, we brought him into the classroom and watched him start to warm up to the other kids during their "free play time" session. He was starting to have so much fun that he didn't mind mommy and daddy saying goodbye at all. He just walked up to us and kissed us and said "Bye, Mommy, Bye Daddy!" What a miracle! No separation anxiety, no clinging, no crying. I was actually very proud of him. And while I had a twinge in my heart at saying goodbye, it wasn't so bad because I knew he was enjoying himself so much. Over the weekend, when we passed by one of the schools, he pointed at the building and said, "I want to go to school!" I had to explain to him that it was the weekend and that he could go to school on Monday.

More Verbal Interaction

Ever since he started his trial classes, I've also noticed that he's more verbal in his interactions. He used to refer to himself in the third person all the time but now I hear him say stuff like "I want water" or "I want Fita" more often. Yay! Apart from this, I hear him signify his curiosity too. "Daddy, what is this?" I heard him ask Vier the other night. He kept asking Vier to explain what different things were. It's amazing how quickly he's adapted to school. Because he was home schooled for a while, the teachers have told us that Badger is a bit advanced in some things like the alphabet, identifying letters, words, numbers and colors. However, I think the biggest plus has been his exposure to more and more play mates.

The Matter of Cost and Quality

The only thing that Vier and I have to decide on now is the balance between cost and quality. Badger has equally enjoyed his classes in the two schools that he's attended. We're just waiting for the other school to show us the prorated payments for enrolling Badger halfway through the school year. For me and Vier, it's not about the facilities or even how impressive the curriculum looks but rather the environment of learning and fun. As long as Badger is happy to play and explore, we know that he is definitely learning.

We're looking forward to one more trial period with a third school and then he'll start actual classes by September or October. With a new baby coming by November, hopefully, play school will give Badger a familiar haven outside of the changes at home. It's been an adventure, so far, for the three of us and I'm looking forward to more fun and learning in the coming months.

Why We Love Our Baby Sling or Why We Never Bought a Stroller

by Justine Camacho-Tajonera

When we were still taking our childbirth class, my husband, Vier,  and I got introduced to something called a baby sling. I had my doubts but Vier instantly fell in love with it. We also got introduced to a concept called attachment parenting, a term coined by one of its main proponents, Dr. William Sears and his wife, Martha Sears.  We both thoroughly support the movement and we've become advocates of breastfeeding as well, the natural result of attachment parenting.

Why a Sling?

My dad was puzzled over our decision to buy a baby sling. While the version we got was a little pricier than others in the market (it was made from a breathable Guatemalan fabric and supported by two heavy duty stainless steel rings), he couldn't fathom how this sling could possibly take the place of a baby stroller.

At the time, I told my husband that we could always try out the sling first and if we felt that we needed to augment with a baby stroller, we could always add a baby stroller to our endless list of things to buy for our new baby.

Surprise, surprise. Even after six months, we still didn't see the need for a baby stroller. We were still happily using our baby sling. It turns out that we never needed the stroller after all. While I never got to use it fully because of my right-left confusion, Vier was a pro. We would take the sling wherever we went and Vier would proudly wear our son, Badger, in the sling.

Read the rest of the blog at SmartParenting.com.ph. 

Image of Guatemalan baby in sling from Flickr.com/wmacphail.

Remembering my Postpartum Baby Blues

Now that I'm pregnant with my second baby, I know one definite thing that I don't want to have to go through again and that's postpartum baby blues. It was like PMS magnified ten times and completely unstoppable. When I hear of another mom going through postpartum baby blues I really symphathize with her because I went through it myself and it's very hard to accurately describe it unless you've experienced it.

Everything was Going Fine...

After a harrowing 14 hours of labor, going through the Lamaze Method, getting induced contractions, begging for an epidural after 12 hours of labor and then finally going under the knife for an emergency Caesarian section, my childbirth experience was far from a walk in the park. However, despite all the upheaval and first-time apprehensions, I made it through to the end. I remember the magical moment when my OB Gyne introduced me to my newborn son and I whispered his name and cried. I was raring to go. After getting knocked out with the anaesthesia, I woke up looking for my son. I insisted on visiting the nursery despite everyone's attempt to keep me bedridden (and recovering). I wanted to bond with my son as soon as possible and nothing would stop me.

Those first few days in the hospital were wonderful. Even if the pain from my wound was killing me, I just couldn't help staring at my son. I promised him that I would be the best mom ever. Now, that was in the beginning. Then my postpartum blues kicked in...

The Ultimate Drama Queen for a Month and a Half

When I finally got home with my bundle of joy, reality kicked in. Since I never attended breastfeeding class, I was having all sorts of breastfeeding problems (sore, bleeding nipples and anxiety attacks over whether my son was getting enough milk). To top it all off, with my husband's paternity leave all used up,  I was alone at home, recovering from a CS wound. I didn't have a close relative beside me, making sure I was okay. I didn't have a yaya yet (one of those things I knew I should have done before giving birth but just didn't have time to do).

In short, I was a disaster waiting to happen. I started feeling my postpartum blues kick in when I felt bad over my inability to produce my mature breastfeeding milk right away (apparently, this is a side effect of a Caesarian section). And when my milk did come in, I had no idea how to properly latch and position my baby. Given this, I suffered through painful breastfeeding sessions, crying my eyes out and then hating myself for wanting to give up.

Read the rest of my blog at SmartParenting.com.ph.

Image from Flickr.com/roblee.

Beginning All Over Again: A Second Pregnancy

The problem with getting pregnant only when you hit thirty is having a five-year window to get pregnant again without complications. That was why I really wanted to get pregnant last year. However, it wasn't time. This year, I'm finally pregnant again and I'm seeing a lot of differences between my first pregnancy and my second pregnancy.

Pregnancy Changes You Forever, Physically

One of the things that forever changed for me after my first pregnancy was my eyesight. I used to see just fine. However, after I gave birth I needed glasses. My nearsightedness kicked in. I realized that it's the kind of thing that's irreversible. I'll have to live with it and do some maintenance measures but the reality is: my body is very much different from the way it was when I was single.

Given that my eyesight changed drastically after giving birth, I think of what will change after I give birth the second time around. I'm expecting a heavier toll. However, knowing what I know, I think I can better prepare myself as well. I'm trying to eat healthier and taking supplements to make up for my nutrition deficiencies. I'm guarding against possible gestational diabetes as well because diabetes runs in my family.

There's an excellent book that talks about what happens after birth and the toll it takes on your body: Life After Birth by Kate Figes with Jean Zimmerman.  The book gives you a clear picture of what happens after birth not just a fuzzy, warm account of being a mom. It's realistic without being pessimistic.


Read the rest of my blog at SmartParenting.com.ph. 

Image from Flickr.com/mahalie.

Badger, Chess Titans and the Game of Life

by Justine C. Tajonera

Badger just discovered chess! I'm not saying he's excelling in it (or even aware of strategies and mechanics) but what I did observe was how he treated it as any other kind of game that needs to be learned. He engages in it with gusto and fearlessness.

I happened to see him open an application on our desktop. I was used to seeing him play with Purble Place, a staple favorite of his on our computer. But I was surprised to see him open Chess Titans this time. I just sat back and observed him. He immediately started moving his pawns with impunity. He had no regard to the reaction of the black pieces he was playing against. He just wanted to move those pawns!

And this is what really struck me: he had no fear of losing his king. He just kept moving the pieces like they were equal. He would evaluate based on what options each piece had (the computer lit up potential paths each piece could take) and he gave equal opportunity to each piece. What interested him was the action going on (and the counter action).

I couldn't help but squeal whenever any of his major pieces got "eaten." "Badger!," I would exclaim, "watch out for your king! Yan kainin mo yan (there, eat that piece)!" I was the one who got all agitated. I infected him with my enthusiasm because he started asking me if we wanted to eat other pieces ("Kain?" he would ask, pointing to an option lit up on the screen).

I remembered my own history of chess playing. My brother, Gus, and I played the game. He kept beating me at it (he had a strategy book, by the way). But I beat him once. After that, I never played again. I quit while I was ahead!

I realize that sometimes that's how I play life as well. I think I don't have second chances and I keep trying to get it right all the time. Badger inadvertently showed me an exciting game: kings that move boldly and the willingness to always play a new game.

March 23, 2010
Image from http://www.flickr.com/photos/84224918@N00/3147507096

How Potty Training Snuck Up On Me

by Justine C. Tajonera

I was getting worried about Badger getting potty trained. We tried different methods:

• Not putting his diapers on
• Getting him used to the toilet (letting him flush the toilet, letting him get familiar with peeing and pooping in the toilet)
• Letting him use lampin diapers so he realizes that he's wet

All to no avail.We had several disastrous accidents involving pee and poop. I threw in the towel and we went back to disposable diapers.

Then one magical day (just a week ago), Badger tells me, "Mommy, wee wee!" And this time, he wasn't referring to pee on the floor. He actually looked uncomfortable holding it in. And he was in diapers! So, we both hurried to the toilet and he peed into the toilet. He did this several times in the day.

All About Patience
I was completely amazed. Just when I stopped trying, he picked it up. When they say, "wait until your child is ready," I didn't completely trust the statement. I mean, how is he supposed to learn how to go to the potty if you don't teach him, right? But what I didn't get was the very gradual process. All your efforts don't go to waste but it takes a while and it takes some getting used to.

I guess what I learned here was to let go of the stress but not to let go of the opportunities to keep teaching him and guiding him. It's all about patience!

(Feb. 11, 2010)
Image from http://www.flickr.com/photos/46511298@N00/2169714873

Badger Loves Jazz: Reading (and Listening) to Duck Ellington and Ella Elephant

By Justine C. Tajonera

I had a lot of fun last night, playing the CDs of Ella Elephant Scats Like That and Duck Ellington Swings through the Zoo and reading the books to Badger. They were great learning tools, just like Charlie Bird Counts to the Beat, and a great way to help Badger learn how to read.

The Ella Elephant book was cute because I could lead Badger through some nonsense words and just focus on the sounds that they made. I pointed out the letters and their sounds and how it would all sound if we put them together (sound recognition). Plus, Badger got to listen to Ella Elephant make the scat sounds and relate them to musical instruments.

Duck Ellington was also really cute because I realized that Badger recognized some of the animals from Charlie Bird Counts to the Beat like the turtles and the seals! And Vier and I just enjoyed the swing sound.

I guess it made an impression with Badge because before I left for work, he wanted me to read Ella Elephant to him first. I hope Badger will have a genuine love for reading books.

(Jan. 13, 2010)

Badger Makes Animal Sounds

Watch this video first.




By Justine C. Tajonera



We really love playing this game with Badger: what sound does this animal make? It engages him in learning what animal is what (based on their images), what sounds they make, what nursery rhymes have these animals and what the first letter of the animal word is.

It's a lot of fun and it's a great way of teaching him and figuring out how he interprets things. We especially love his "meow!" because we know that he observes the cats in my Dad's house and he really gets into the role play of being a cat!

Playing the game of making animal sounds:

• Helps Badger identify animal images (he has to know what the animal is before he can make the sound). 
• Helps him role play
• Makes it easier for him to identify the letters in the animal names
• Engages him in different aspects of learning about animals
• Expands his vocabulary and makes him curious about other animals and animal sounds