Hannah Montana & Musical High School

Almost every night my daughter would watch her favorite movie series of Hannah Montana or High School Musical.
From Disney channel. Sometimes when I don’t have anything to do then I join her, mainly just want to know the theme of the story or what’s her movie star likes. So far, I found those movies are fine for her. I ever had once seen Hannah’s interview session together with her dad on one of Oprah’s Show. I think she has good personality and loving parents behind her. Their relationship seems good, too. That’s why I allowed my daughter to see her movies as long as her homework from school had been done.

We have 2 TVs at home, one placed at the living room and the other is in my bedroom so every time they turn on the TV, I would know what they’re watching (what a watcher mom…). For their balance in watching TV, I often recommend The National Geographic channel for them, but sometimes it didn’t work when they don’t like the theme.

How about you in taking part to choose something suitable to watch for your kids or teens on TV programs?

It Doesn’t Easy At All

Last night (I think) I had a ‘bad’ conversation with my boy. Basically it was such a miscommunication. After 24 hours over, I know I was the one who started ‘wrong’.
It began with my help to plastic covered his school books, there were still 2 and we got each. While I was in the middle in covering I felt something sharp touched my elbow. Instantly I shouted,
“Close your cutter lid. It’s dangerous!” (I knew he hold a cutter before to cut the plastic sheet and pretty sure he didn’t close the lid).
“Look, I haven’t opened this cutter’s lid yet!!”, he snapped at me and showed his cutter closed to my eyes.

Shocked to his reaction, I fall in silent. Suddenly I felt really sad and I got my tears down quietly. On these days I feel the 2 of my kids like to snap at me. When I traced back my memory then I know maybe I’m the one who started snap at them. I feel so sorry about this. I’m not a type of mom that have full of patience :(

I know it doesn’t easy at all to be a mom of 2 kids who begin their teens aged. We both have so many conflicts here and there sometimes. I know it has been a difficult year for them in the beginning, but really it doesn’t easy at all for me...
How do you cope to this kind of conflict or feeling with your teenage kids? I really should learn to someone that already had through this ..

Her First Nails Polished

Last night, like the other usual nights I was reading a story book to Ian before his bed time. He chose ‘The Saturn’. Thanks God, he chose a new one! I’ve already read the same ‘lift the flap’ book of “Farming” six nights in a row before! Maybe that would be the first night of ‘The Saturn’ before reading it over and over again.. :)

We only have 2 bedrooms for the 3 kids, so Ian as the youngster must sleep with his big Sis since he never get to sleep on time when he sleep in his brother’s bedroom (Almost “forbidden” to put the 2 boys in one room for sleeping together although their ages almost 7 years apart).
After read the book I have to pass my daughter’s bed to turn off the lamp. At a glance I saw her nails sparkling by the lamp light. I took a look at her nails and asked spontaneous to her,
“Did you polish your nails?”
With a shy and a little bit guilty face she nodded. Didn’t know how to react to this situation, I looked closely to her nails and said, “Nice color, but how did you get it?” (I don’t have any, you know..haha..poor mom!)
“My friend asked me to try her new nail polish at school yesterday”, she answered.
Lucky me she polished her nails with soft pink *almost nude* color. Good taste!

As a matter of fact I was a little bit surprised about her colored nails Gee…it was a new beginning of her teen’s era. I almost forgot she’ll become 13 the next two months.
Last night was my first ‘cosmetic experience’ with her. I believe there will be another in the future.
What should I do? ;(

"S.O.S Delivery Order"

If you have teens at homes then maybe you ever had this experience: run out of foods.
Yes, I really mean that. I often ‘run out of’ foods (mostly side dishes) at their early years of teens. They turned to have so much appetite for eating. It seemed any kinds of foods smell appetizing 
I forgot they’re not little kids anymore. They need more calories and energies for their fast growth. I was just not used in this new habit at that time. I used to cook just enough for 2 adults and 3 kids portions *I don’t like leftover foods* so when my 2 kids asked for more side dish, I was surprised and felt guilty. Oh oh, mommy forgot again! Need more foods…Then usually *think fast* I called the nearest Chinese restaurant for a “S.O.S” delivery order 
Nowadays I seldom run out of side dishes. I have used to cook for 5 adults (1 portion adding in case they need more :-b) and 1 kid portions. Every time I shop for the groceries I always put couple of frozen foods that could ready served in minutes in my list for example: sausages, croquettes, chicken spring rolls, bakpao (steamed bun stuffed with meat) just in case when they need to EAT while I’m busy *blink blink* Hehe..
But still the copy paper of menu from the Chinese restaurant stays in the fridge’s door. When ever I need the S.O.S delivery order, I just call…
What about your teens?

Before 'The Empty Nest' Feeling Come..

Yesterday when i walked blogging, I found a posting of a mom about her daughter's 21th birthday and her feeling about that, like an 'empty nest' feeling. Interesting!
It's inspired me to write this.

With 3 kids aged 13, 11 and almost 5 that put our house -most of the times- in messy, the job of cleaning included put every things back in order really takes my time. It happens almost everyday (weekend is the worst). Tiring, of course!
Blessed me that I live in an Asian country and could have maid's helping. I can't imagine to do all the household works by myself. I really grateful for that :-)

Weekends usually become the most busiest days in a week. Full of plans of doing something or going out somewhere always make weekends becomes special day that we're sll waiting for. So far, my 2 teens still get enthusiasm for getting involved with the 'hustle bustle' of family weekend. But I think, maybe in a couple years ahead they won't be able to join every family's weekend. Certainly they'll have other things to do with friends. Teens love to do anything with friends, don't they?
(Remember when we're teens? hehe..)
Friend could become more 'interesting' than parents :-(

So I think it's better for me (at this time)to enjoy the 'hustle bustle' and all the messy my kids did than complained. I knew one day I'll miss those things so much.
Surely there will be times when they started to "leave" us to welcome their own life
and...the 'empty ness' feeling maybe would come to me.
Sigh. Should every parents has this experience?

Financial Education For Kids

Yesterday I read an article about “Financial Education for Children’ in one of a local business newspaper, Kontan Weekly. It’s a simple guide for parents. I, myself, really concerned about how important it is for young children to understand the value of money in this era of credit cards and ATM.
I believe the importance in giving them financial “training”. The earlier we gave them the better result they’ve got and in the long run would save difficulties for them in managing their own money.

These are the steps to start:
Parents as a role model.
Did you remember how was your parents managed their money when you were kid? Then take a look at their financial condition now. However they are our first role model in forming our way of thinking about money. Maybe you would follow your successful parents in managing money or vice versa. For me, I really turn to the different 'direction' from them since I don’t want to follow their mistaken.
From the beginning of this year I’ve started to share with my 2 teens about our financial condition. It doesn’t matter for them to know it since they’ll learn something. My hubby and I feel free to discuss with them where we want to invest our money and why we did it or for what reason we’d spent the money into this or that…

Stop to save money in piggy bank. Teach them how to spent money.
That’s true. Piggy bank would not give financial education to your kids. It only teaches your kid to put in the coin or $$ into a narrow space. Kids should understand money is a legal payment device. It means money should have to be spent :). Kids should understand shopping is necessary, but it doesn’t healthy if we did it to much!
With my family -at the end of the kids’ school year- we usually go for traveling and at that moment they could spend their saving money (often it comes from their all year long extra ‘snack’ money that we gave them weekly and from our “rewarding” present if they did something good and special). But still spending in a moderately way.

Teach them how to earn money
For you that already have kids, surely we had ever got these questions:
“Mom, if you don’t have enough money why shouldn’t you go and get some money from that ATM booth?” or “You could scratch your card, isn’t that easy Dad?”.
You need to tell them money comes from hard works and we save it in a bank. ATM or credit cards just a kind of card to access the money we’d saved before. (for a 3 – 5 aged kid usually need a longer time to make them understand). I often show to my kids when I need to transfer some money for paying bills at the ATM.
So, there is no ‘money tree’, honey. But you know what, once my 4 year old kid saw an Angpao Tree and asked me a question when we were shopping at the mall around Chinese New Year, “Mom, there is a real money tree here. You said it doesn’t exist”. Ha ha …
Sometimes learning to start a ‘little business’ could be fun for teens. I’ve ever posted to this blog about my daughter sold her own made name cards and how my 2nd boy often run out of money. Last week he made a good progress and we’re happy for him. This the ‘story’ goes….
Last week end we all go to Makro -a wholesaler place- to do monthly shopping for home supplies. The he saw a pack of eraser -contain 40 ones- for only Rp 8.000,- (about less than 1U$). “How cheap”, I said, but does it good?
“May I have it, mom?” he asked for permission. I’ll agree. At home he tried the eraser and said it was a real good quality.
The next day after he arrived from school, he gave back my Rp 8.000 because he had sold them to his friends for Rp 1.000 each. He sold out 37 pieces; keep the 3 pieces rest for him and 2 of his siblings. Gosh…he gained Rp 29.000 !
Sure he was glad and spent part of the money for an action figure of a Japanese comic hero. It was his first ‘selling’.

Well, the financial education never comes to the ending. All the good habit should start from the very young at ages. Also don’t forget to remind them about the habit of giving and sharing to the needy. Good luck!