If you read my post yesterday about all our art projects, you’ll notice that I like to learn from fellow progressive moms and parents. Which is why Breeze has so generously sponsored a give-away on the blog!
What are your great #sigemom ideas for arts and crafts or creative projects you do with your children at home?
Share them with us here and you could be one of three lucky winners to win a supply of Breeze with Activ-Bleach! Easy multiple entries for all. The more creative you are, the better!
Besides, who doesn’t want free detergent, and one that really really works?
Speaking of laundry, our friends at Unilever just informed me that last August 17, Breeze had set an all time New Guinness World Book Record. 2,132 SigeMoms washed a 1,200-meter long stretch of fabric, exceeding the current record by three times the magnitude. Three times! Wow! And it was certified by adjudicator Kristy Bennett who flew in from London.
That’s a lot of moms… doing a lot of laundry!
So yes, it’s legit. Congratulations to the Breeze team and to Unilever for this spectacular achievement. You not only put the Philippines on the map of Guinness World Book of Records. More than that I think it’s also because the cause the brand champions and celebrates moms who allow their children to learn by doing. At the heart of it all, children are allowed to experience and explore freely and no matter what mess they make, mom has nothing to worry about.
The Breeze team with Ms. Kristine Bennett and Ms. Tessa Valdez-Prieto.
One thing I realized about Manila: Outdoor play days are limited, and few and far between. Some days it’s too hot and humid, and when we take the kids out they sweat buckets or end up sick. On the intermittent rainy days – obviously we can’t play outside, either. Even splashing in the puddles isn’t an option because… well you wouldn’t want to splash in Manila rain puddles (trust me!). On the days after the rain, it’s still hard to get out because the sidewalks are slippery, the grassy portions are too muddy to walk on… and the traffic to get anywhere fun is really a buzz killer.
Because of these “limitations” I’ve had to improvise indoors. A lot of the time, the girls enjoy some form of painting or crafting project. I don’t know why I’m attracted to a lot of these artsy activities when I never had a lot of them growing up. But Sam has always loved art in all forms and shapes and sizes, and Jamie enjoys the exploration part of it too. So why not, right? There’s no downside to it: Art keeps them busy, they get to build their imagination, their creativity, and some other necessary developmental skills. It’s all win-win and most importantly it’s fun. After all, as my cousin-in-law Patty would say, “Creativity is the New Currency.”
Yet after pulling out the same paint brushes, crayons and paper for several days in a row, the girls got tired of the routine and the art time shortened considerably. So the challenge was to keep their interest by making creative time a little bit more creative. I invested (and kept) in several different kinds of materials which I hoped would extend their interest and their activity time.
At first we went the thematic route and I asked the girls to build a spaceship. I remembered our Kindermusik class with Rebecca when she had said to “let the child lead the process” and so I’d ask Sam how she thought we could make a rocket ship, and what it should look like. With a little bit of help from my husband and a whole slew of materials, this was the outcome.
Clockwise: The “frame”, the materials, and everything in between.
It didn’t look like much to us adults, “It’s really just a box with splotches of paint”, my husband would say, but the girls flew to different planets with it. I think this is even where Sam first said she wanted to be an astronaut.
Another time, we had cleaned out a cupboard and we found two extra plastic plates. “So what can we do with this?” Sam asked in a mood to do something with it. She and her dad turned it into a pet turtle (with pink legs).
Sam had decided the Turtle was pink and purple. (It had to rhyme…) I think it even had a name… Myrtle?
We also get some wonderful ideas from co-parents and friends. My best friend Polly once asked us to buy some ping-pong balls for her son for one of his activities. I don’t know what got into me but I decided to buy a few for the girls too. And we made good use of them!
Weee!
Sam started out by putting her paint dots on the paper, and at first, the ball would roll over them but not spread. We had to come up with a solution, which was sprinkling waterover the paint dots. Sam had immense fun tilting and rolling, and trying to keep the ball on the tray. When I asked her what she made, she said it was a map. She could tell me exactly which places the map covered and where they led to. She even had the topography mapped out – which were mountains and hills and which spaces were streets and rivers.
Jamie’s process was quite different. I have to admit, I’m amused at how the same activities showcase the difference in the way my girls think. She also asked me to put some dots across the paper. Then after, she dipped the ping-pong ball into her water bowl, and manually “bounced it all around” to spread the ink (and of course, spread on herself…).
As you can see, the paint didn’t just stay on the paper…
Another time, I read DIY Corporate Mom’s Sandy Paint Weekend Play… and oh my God! What a genius idea! I went on a manhunt for sand. The best that we could get was black, but it seemed like the girls didn’t really mind. They mixed it in with all their other art materials, again each in their own ways, and made some pretty cool messes out of them. Jamie went full on with her hands, and Sam used popsicle sticks to mix and paint.
Jamie making rainbow sand, and then getting her hands messy in them. Bottom pic: Sam’s “sea guck”
Incidentally, a lot of people have been asking me about the shaped sponges — I got them off Amazon. They’re very VERY useful and the girls ask for them each time. Jamie loves to just put paint on it and squeeze.
Rub the paint on and squish squish squish…
And squeeze…
Oh no where is the paint going…!
It literally rolls down her arm and onto her dress.
And there it is folks.
We do these art exploration activities so often that half the time, the art smocks are forgotten. Their clothes are bound to get some paint on them.
Sam: “Look mom! My shirt wanted to paint too!”
Uh-oh right? Let’s face it: kids’ clothes aren’t cheap. And I’d like for Jamie to inherit Sam’s clothes, but if the nice ones are stained for life, then it won’t be as presentable for Jamie anymore to wear out of the house!
Then again I can’t complain. I brought this upon us and filled our home with paint, sponges, sand and all sorts of things for creative educational purposes. Of course I’d do it over again because I can see the tangible benefits these have on the girls. The paint on the clothes…it’s part of their learning process as it is mine. I will say though, that it’s made it easier to accept because I:
1. Purposely dress them in situation-appropriate clothes. The girls have dressy dresses, but we only bring them out once in a while. Even the birthday parties they go to, I send them into shorts and t-shirts because they’ll just get messy, dirty and sweaty. I try to forward-plan what the kids will do today and pick out their clothes based on the choices.
2. Listen to Coach Pia. Seriously, she has changed my parenting style as well as my outlook on parenting. She said it’s the expectations we put on our kids that We need to learn to free ourselves from it and change our mindset. When they paint, I expect stains on the clothes or fingerprints on the wall. It’s too much to expect them to keep clean and neat without hindering their creativity.
3. Use Breeze. Again, no kidding. my worries over stained clothes have pretty much disappeared (along with the stains!). We’ve been using it since they launched last March and haven’t had any problems since. And if you look at the clothes, they really look like they’re good as new and the colors don’t fade. We also pre-treat tough stains with Breeze before sticking it into the washing machine.
Where’s the paint now? 🙂
Painting and art exploration have become so integral in our playtime routines. And the girls really get “down-and-dirty” with it, and it’s totally fine. They love it, and so do I. And I enjoy spending this time with them creating something unique, literally from nothing. They teach me and make me see how they view the world. It’s a Sige Sa Mantsa moment in its truest form.
Last June I sent Sam and Jamie to a day camp conducted by their pre-school teachers in a sponsored venue. It was a way for the teachers to make extra cash over the summer break. And why not? It’s better than staying at home in front of the TV, as I had a full day of meetings that summer day. For Jamie’s group, they would learn pretty much what they’d learn in their regular classroom. For Sam’s the teacher said they would focus more on a particular life value, so it all sounded wonderful.
I wasn’t expecting to come home to a pet.
Surprise Mom! (Beta Fish Photo by Dr. Tom Bailey)
As I walked through the door, Sam greeted me with a glass cube with colorful things inside. The water was swishing to and fro from her movements, and it took me a while to realize that I had to get it, or else Red (this is eventually what she named her fish — go figure) might swish out. The poor fish was probably already stressed from the big movements.
Apparently at Sam’s camp that day, they gave each student a Fighting fish to bring home and care for. She was given a pack of fish food too. The teachers taught the kids how to feed their fish and told them about changing the water every so often. What a way to teach responsibility and care for others, don’t you think?!
Both Sam and Jamie were over the moon at the thought of their “pet”. Finally, a live toy, and one that got past their parents’ consent at that! We’d been holding out on the persistent requests of owning a pet, knowing fully well that I’d end up caring for it in the long run. I just can’t bring myself to do it. I couldn’t say no to Red though because she got home before I did that day. In fact she already had a spot on one of our bedroom night stands. It’s a good thing I read somewhere that Betta fish can’t stand cold temperatures which is why the girls allowed me to move her outside.
At first they each wanted to feed it and we ran the risk of having a totally overfed fish. I expected this to be a phase that they’d get tired of eventually, so in light of the “value” and the reason why Red was in my house in the first place, I decided I’d just let Sam take care of her until her interests moved onto other things (she’s 4 and a half after all). Then I’d find a way for this little fish to mysteriously and magically disappear. Or swim away into the ocean. Whatever.
But it’s been three months and everyday at some point, they’d remember Red. She only needs to be fed once a day, and to my surprise they really would think of her for that period of time. Sometimes it was in the context of “We forgot to feed Red mom!” just as we’re about to close the lights. And Sam will not have it that Red isn’t fed, so she and Jamie would go back out and drop a few sprinkles of fish food before being comfortable enough to fall asleep.
The research I’ve done said that this fish attacks other fish in the same tank, so it’s better off alone. But the girls have seemed to develop a rapport with this fish, and in return, Red responds to the girls. She swims up at the sight of them coming near, in anticipation of the food maybe (Pavlov’s theory at work!) – but it’s exciting to them nonetheless. “Red knows we’re here mom! Hi Red!” Jamie will say. They love watching her eat and swim around her 64 cu in home, and they tap the glass as a way to play with her (she’ll run or she’ll come near). Jamie has even taken to talking to Red on occasion because when she tiptoes to peer into Red’s glass home, they come eye-to-eye.
Jamie making eye contact with Red. She does have a way with animals, this one.
I am quite surprised that fish is still alive. Surprised but also relieved. Because I wouldn’t know what to say to Sam if Red went belly up. Sam already has so many existential questions about God and the soul and heaven that I’m not quite ready to answer. I’m not sure how to explain what happens when fish die, particularly since she thinks Red is now her fishy friend. Even I have started to lean over and converse with Red. “She might answer you back,” my mom chuckled one time when she saw me.
And so it has gotten to that point: I’ve made it my personal mission to keep Red alive for as long as possible. My husband has been pretty attentive towards Red too (he insisted I read up on how to properly change her water to be on the safe side and we don’t send her into shock). I think he’s just equally fearful of the barrage of questions Sam will churn out, or the “Why’s” that Jamie asks at exactly the right moments if anything unfortunate happens to Red, and we will not hear the end of it for a long time. So much so that when Sam noticed that Red’s bag of food had only a few sprinkles left in them, she sent us all into a panic.
“Oh no Mom, Red might be hungry. Poor Red she won’t eat.”
“What will happen if she goes belly up Mom?!”
“Is there a fishy heaven if she dies mom? She can’t die!”
“You need to buy Fish Food Mom! Hurry! We have to do it NOW!” All this at 9PM in the dark from an almost 5-yr old.
Needless to say, the next morning — fish food purchase was at the top of my to-do list.
And while we’re on the subject, Jamie in turn, has not stopped asking: “I want a real Bunny pet dad!”
I’m sure you’ve seen this image from me (or from some of my fellow #SoMoms) a few times before.
The Five “Bubbles” of Life, from the ONE CORE and Coach Pia Nazareno.
It is a slide Coach Pia frequently flashes when we have our #BetterMe sessions with her. The five circles represent the most important aspects of one’s life and the goal is to have them all inflated equally.
Exactly 12 months ago when I first saw this slide and assessed my life, I could honestly say my “family” bubble was totally over-inflated, while all the rest were grossly under inflated. It was the structure of how life had to be for us in the states. I was extremely hands on with the girls, and everything else was de-prioritized, including my own needs.
As the months passed and we (I) tried to “adjust” to life back here, it got to a point that it was so frustrating because the old formula that worked for us, wasn’t working in this environment. It’s not an easy transition, but I went about it in the only way I knew how — I threw myself back into work. Thankfully and fortunately enough for me, (both) my businesses aren’t only about my career, but they also helped re-inflate my social life and my sense of self.
A year and two weeks later here I am again reviewing what my “life bubbles” look like. I can’t say that they’re all equally inflated yet, but I’d like to believe that they don’t look or feel as lopsided as when we first started out. I still struggle a lot with the balance and the juggling act of work and managing the kids. In fact just yesterday, I spent the whole day away from them working (and with that I will pause and shamelessly plug: We have a Two Tots Sale this coming Thursday – Saturday! Please visit the Facebook page for more details!), and only got to them an hour before bedtime. There have also been cases when my other business has caused me to work longer than usual and I miss out on certain activities. The girls have had to get used to me not being around as much and when I think of it I really, really miss them. That’s never happened to me before and sometimes it makes me wonder why I do it and if it’s really all worth it. But at the same time, I can’t deny that I do enjoy what it is I do. I’m grateful I’m doing something I love and care about, so why I am guilty about leaving the girls if I know that all this sacrifice is for them in the long run anyway?
As my friend Janicehad said in a conversation we were having one evening: Isn’t that every mompreneur’s challenge?
Ah yes. I hadn’t realized — I am a mompreneur. By becoming a mom and owning a business (or two), I’ve joined this growing community of multitasking women who juggle so many things at once. How do we do it? And why?!
If you’ll notice, I haven’t said much about my 5th bubble, entitled sense of purpose. How does all of what I’m doing (or not doing) work towards a bigger plan? What is my role in it? Am I doing things for the right reasons? And maybe it’s age, maybe it’s circumstance, or a combination of all of the state of the four other bubbles,but I’ve been questioning how inflated or deflated my sense of purpose is and what else I need to do get it to an adequate acceptable size.
Which is why I’ve decided to attend the 2nd Mompreneur Summit this coming September 14. I’ve heard a lot of good things from fellow mompreneurs Cai of Paper Chic Studio, Jen of Next9 and Eliza of The Painters Wife, about how last year’s summit has helped them with their current businesses and brands today. I am definitely curious. The speakers Janice has lined up for the summit are well-known in their respective fields and should provide useful insights we can adapt to our own businesses and day-to-day dealings. To top it all off, this year’s theme is Passion and Purpose, so apt and so timely (for my bubbles).
The schedule for the day.
If you haven’t registered for this yet, there’s still time. Ten days to be exact! Just click on the link, http://www.mompreneurmanila.com/register2.
It’s been 379 days since we moved back home and it’s still the adjustment for me. It’s quite a process I must say. Knowing is half the battle right? I know what “ok” looks like (in life-bubble terms), it’s just a matter of getting there, slowly. Finding the right tools will help moving things along too; And maybe the mompreneur summit will give one or more of my bubbles a little inflation boost. 🙂
I’ve literally been dragging my feet around this but I figure that it’s time. Again. To potty train!
I think I’m still traumatized from my experience with Sam, even though it’s already been over 2.5 years since then. I still maintain: Potty Training is the most stressful part of child-rearing (for me) to date!
You’d think it would have been worlds easier because we’re now in Manila (added hands, wooden and not carpeted floors…) and because it’s technically my second attempt. To a certain extent, yes. It was a tad bit easier. But before I get to that and why, I’ll be honest and say it was also so much more challenging on different levels.
From here on out, there will be a lot of errr… potty language. So if you’re eating, I suggest you finish the meal first. And if you’re a mom then it probably won’t be anything new to you anyway, so carry on. 😉
What made this challenging?
1. A previously unpleasant experience. The irony of potty training Jamie was that she got the peeing right fairly quickly. It was the poop-ing which was causing us grief. A few months back Jamie was heavily constipated and after a few days, the pediatrician suggested a suppository. After I put it in, I sat Jamie on the potty because I thought it was the best place for her to spread her legs and push. Of course it was a painful experience. Worse, it stuck. She refused to poop in the potty and would “hold it in”, at least until someone would cave and put her back in diapers.
At one point in the week, I realized this was becoming a habit, so I made the call to remove it completely. We’d either have to live with poop falling everywhere, or gently coax her to poop in the potty.
There was a significant amount of poop everywhere.
Yes, you can laugh at my expense. Let me tell you, I’ve never been so thankful for a) Lysol, b) Rubbing Alcohol and c) Breeze. I kid you not, these three save my sanity.
2. Depending on others. Of course as her mother, I could somehow “withstand” Jamie’s poop. However as Manila life would have it, I wasn’t always home, nor was I constantly following her around. During Sam’s potty training days, I literally shadowed her everywhere and timed every attempt, so I KNEW. We didn’t have accidents because for a whole week, that’s all I did. I tried to teach the nannies to watch out for the signs so that they could rush her to the potty in time, to no avail. And on the occasion that I wasn’t home, they’d take the easy way out and put her in diapers. So the training wasn’t consistent, and I realized self-preservation was more important. Everyone else would rather avoid the stinky mess and keep her in diapers.
3. The trust (or lack of it). And so because I was the only one trying to get Jamie through it, she would only poop with me. I had to pencil in periods of time within my day to accommodate Jamie’s bathroom breaks.
I spent (spend) a good part of it sitting squatting at eye level, coaxing her through it gently. I’d talk about what a brave girl she is, or what a big girl she’s turning out to be. Who would have thought poop in the right place would make me so proud?
I learned that if she kept crying and struggling, then we were more at risk to have an unsuccessful attempt. So I had to find ways to calm her down and distract her. That’s when it hit me: No wonder people bring in newspapers to the potty!
Credt to www.mylot.com for capturing the essence of my potty sanity.
After I get her in place, Jamie would ask for a specific book to read while on the John. We’d hit the chosen story midway before I’d hear a ploop! Success.
4. Screening her diet. Working toward the goal of giving Jamie a “pleasant poop experience”, I’d have to veto favorite foods and convince her to put more fiber in her diet. It’s not easy; we are in the thick of the terrible two’s after all. Slowly though I’ve been able to reason with her on the basis that her bun wouldn’t hurt as much.
I can’t complain, Jamie’s a fast learner. It’s the story of her life. Even her preschool teachers didn’t have to put her back in diapers (which is normally the case I’m told after days of accidents in school). She knew when and what to do right away. Here’s what I think made it easier this time around:
1.“Like Ate”. Jamie is a fast learner because she has Sam as her teacher and model. For a while, Sam would take Jamie with her to the bathroom and show her the “pee” and the “poo” that was in the bowl. It was quite gross in my opinion — two kids putting their heads directly above the opening of a toilet bowl! Ugh! But I realized that this gesture helped Jamie grasp what needed to happen. All credit to Sam too, she was very encouraging of Jamie throughout the whole process.
Agree with The Pinke Post on this one! Sibling Potty Training rocks!
2. Tempering my own expectations. There ismerit for having done this before. I was less stressed when the accidents came because I was expecting them. I knew how to limit the accidents, but I also knew that it would be a power struggle in the beginning. I didn’t fight harder, I just knew how to handle it better. 😉
3. Jamie’s self-awareness. Gotta hand it to this kid. It helped that Jamie hated the accidents too. “Waaaaaaaah!!! I’m weeeeet!” she’d wail as if the world had ended. We didn’t have to do the sticker rewards because Jamie was bothered enough by the consequences of being wet or dirty (in that sense). Soon enough she took to the routine: After waking up, before leaving the house, before going to bed, and so on.
4. Having the right tools, especially in public restrooms. Potty seat covers are my best friend. I cannot leave home without it. Alongside Lysol On-the-Go and a whole bunch of wipes of course. (A noteworthy discovery: the pay restrooms in the Ayala Malls don’t charge you if you tell them the kids will use the bathroom. They’re much cleaner too.)
The happiness over Jamie’s potty achievements were (are) palatable. The whole world knows she peed and pooped in the potty because she broadcasts it. And we all congratulate her, applaud her, and do the dance of joy, and it’s good because it builds her self-confidence and self-esteem. Deep down I rejoice for a different reason: Relief. I don’t have to bathe myself in Lysol, rubbing alcohol and/or Breeze for that day.
