Mom's Day Out

The past week was tough. It was a roller coaster ride mentally, physically, and emotionally. That's why when I was invited to the "Mom's Day Out" of Sun Life Philippines, I knew I had to go. The invite said the event would take me away from hubby and baby for almost 5 hours (?!#4@!), but my head told me I needed this time off, so I went.  The event took place at the new I'M Hotel in Makati.

The afternoon started with a talk by Michelle Alignay, a registered Guidance Counselor and Parenting, Relationship, and Family Life Specialist.  She primarily discussed about the importance of self-care.  As mothers, sometimes we tend to be headless chickens, juggling the needs of our family and work and many other things, that we forget to take care of our own well-being.  She emphasized how important 'me-time' is, and why we should not feel guilty about it.  We need to take care of ourselves so that ultimately, we have more of ourselves to give to our family.

Teaching Toddlers to Pray

As parents, we are the first ones to teach our children many things --- how to walk, how to talk, how to eat properly, how to dress up, how to tie their shoelaces... this list never ends.  But is teaching them how to pray part of your 'lesson plan'?  In ours, it is. :)

It's never too early to begin teaching our kids to pray.  In fact, teaching them while they are toddlers is easiest because it is at this age that children believe everything they are told.  Even if daddy says he's Superman, the little one will believe him wholeheartedly. In our home, my husband and I are making the most out of this natural faith by teaching our little Lia that there's SOMEONE up there whom she can talk to.  Before every meal, she prays and says 'thank you' for her food.  Before we sleep, she prays with mommy and daddy to say 'thank you' for the day.  She even imitates us and closes her eyes habang nakatawa at sumisilip to see if our eyes are closed, too, hehe.  Of course, she doesn't fully understand the concept of praying yet and that's okay. She'll get there as she grows older and smarter. :)

So how do we teach our toddlers to pray?  Let me share our own simple ways:

Mom-Approved Shows for Toddlers

The first five years of a child's life, the formative years, are fundamentally important because it's in these years that basic learning and development take place.  Everything we expose our child to, no matter how small and harmless it may seem, may have a big impact on how our little one turns out to be.

My husband and I can't always be with our Lia all the time because of work, that's why we make it a point to tell our two wonderful helpers at home how we want them to act and talk when they are around our baby, and why. At two, Lia easily picks up things she hears and sees, and we don't want her to imitate things that are not good. We also choose the videos she is allowed to watch, albeit for a very short and supervised screen time. You'll be surprised at how some popular children's programs can be, in reality, not suitable for kids as they show bad manners that the kids might copy (e.g. disrespectful behavior towards the parents, throwing tantrums when the characters don't get what they want, etc.).  This even prompted me to post a question in an online mommy community forum that I'm part of.  I asked, what TV shows or Youtube channels do you approve of for your toddlers and why? A lot of titles came up, and the list below made the top ten.

1.   Mother Goose Club

Dear Daddy

Dear Daddy,

I am only two and I don't understand many things in this world yet, but one thing is extremely clear to me: you love me very very very much and I have felt it from the minute I was born.💖 Thank you, daddy, for all your care and sacrifices to make me and mommy well and happy. Thank you for holding me when I cry, for putting me to sleep every night, and for singing and dancing and playing with me every day, even when you're already tired and sleepy.😪 

You and me today :)

Papa Jesus must love me so much because He gave me a dad who is kind and selfless and wonderful, I know I can't find a better daddy no matter where I look, no matter how big I get. I love you, daddy.😘 You are my piece of heaven on earth, my favorite person forever. Happy father's day, Daddy! 👶🏻

Love,
Lia